Anna Lindgren

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Planteringar vid järnvägen

This licentiate thesis examines gardens and plantations along the first Swedish state railways. The purpose of the investigation is to depict the planting activities during the years 1855-1875 by studying contemporary archival sources. In the field of railway history the technology in the railway system, the vehicles and the impact of the railways on society are largely investigated. However, the green areas connected to the railways are quite unknown and not acknowledged as a cultural heritage. Starting with four early stations - Alingsås, Eslöv, Stockholm and Hallsberg - several kinds of archival materials have been found in different archives. The material is analysed using the concepts role, meaning and organization. The licentiate thesis investigates when the planting activities were initiated, what kind of plantations were made along the railways, what role they played and how the organization behind the planting activities was arranged. By analysing the shifting organization of the planting activities, this study has rediscovered large quantities of archival material hitherto believed to have been discarded. This investigation intends to contribute to the understanding of how railway areas were designed and why the creation of attractive green environments was considered so important during the second half of the 19th century.