This past Wednesday I left Denmark by train to head back into Sweden. My next stop was Malmo, the third largest city in Sweden. A distinct mark on the city skyline is the Turning Torso, the tallest building in Scandinavia. Malmo also has a sculpture called the Knotted Gun on display near its Central Train Station. It is designed by a Swedish artist who was inspired to spread a message of non-violence in the wake of John Lennon’s murder. You can also find this work of art outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
The main city museum is housed in Malmo’s old castle, which also served as Sweden’s mint at one point in history. They have an exhibition on the “White Buses.” This was a rescue operation conducted by the Danish government and the Swedish Red Cross near the end of World War II. The buses were painted white with the Red Cross symbol marked on their roofs to distinguish them from military vehicles to prevent allied aircraft from destroying them. This rescue mission originally intended to save Scandinavian prisoners from Nazi concentration camps, and arranged through secret negotiations with Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler. The mission expanded in scope and over 15,000 refugees ended up in Malmo. The city museum itself opened its doors and housed over 2,000 of them. The exhibition also drew comparisons to the refugee crisis occurring now in Europe and highlighted that Sweden had over 81,000 asylum requests in 2014. Also, nearby is the Malmo Technology & Maritime Museum where they have the Swedish submarine U3 on display to visit.
It may be quiet on my site for the next week or so. I have a lot of school work and an interview with the Rio Olympics for my volunteering position. I will update as I can. Thanks.
// Oliver – Day 40 – Sweden