Jamtli

Coordinates: 63°11′16″N 14°38′13″E / 63.18777°N 14.63683°E / 63.18777; 14.63683

Jamtli is the name of the regional museum of Jämtland and Härjedalen in Östersund, Sweden. It consists of an open-air museum with historical buildings, and an indoor museum with both permanent and temporary exhibitions. “Jamtli” literally means “hillside of Jämtland” in the local dialect. Since the 1980s, the museum has been working with living history in a project entitled Jamtli Historyland. This venture has contributed to make the museum one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region.

Jamtli has its roots in the antiquarian association of Jämtland, established in 1886. After years of preparations led by the County Governor’s wife Ellen Widen, the open-air museum was inaugurated in 1912, and Eric Festin was appointed as its first director. In the early years, the museum focused on collecting and exhibiting historical buildings and items, but also organized courses in folk dance, handicraft and music. The aim was to keep alive traditions that were sinking into oblivion in the wake of industrialisation. The ideological background for the project can be found in the National Romanticism that flourished in Europe in the 19th century. Since 1913, the museum edits the yearbook Jämten.

In the late 1920s, construction of a proper museum was commenced. Until then, collections were exhibited in the historical buildings and on various other locations in town. The new museum was stylistically inspired by the castle architecture of the Vasa-era of the 16th century, and its grandeur testifies to the importance attributed to regional cultural heritage at the time. It opened to the public in 1930, with exhibitions of textiles and archaeological finds, ethnographic artefacts and art. The famous Överhogdal tapestries from the Viking era were the main attractions. During the 1930s, the archaeologist, feminist and County Governor’s wife Hanna Rydh played an important part in the development of the museum, taking special interest in traditional costumes of the region.

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