Peace Monuments in Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway & Sweden)

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Denmark

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1722 - Fredensborg Slot Castle, near Copenhagen (Denmark).While the building was still under construction Denmark and Sweden negotiated a peace treaty, which was signed July 3, 1720 on the site of the unfinished palace. To commemorate the signing, the palace was named Fredens Borg / Palace of Peace.

1984 - Statue of Gandhi, Copenhagen (Denmark). "Given by Indira Gandhi on her visit to Denmark in 1984."

Date? - Angel of Peace, just north of the Kastellet, Copenhagen (Denmark).

August 12, 1989 - Red Cross Memorial Stone, Dybbøl (Denmark). Commemorates the first use of the Red Cross symbol in an armed conflict during the Battle of Dybbøl in 1864. Jointly erected in 1989 by the national Red Cross societies of Denmark and Germany.

1996 - "Memorial for Communists in the Resistance Movement during Second World War," Copenhagen? (Denmark). During the Nazi occupation, the official danish government stamped the resistance fighters as terrorists. After the Nazi defeat, they were celebrated as heroes and freedomfighters. The text tells that the memorial was set up by the Danish state in 1996, and praises the Communists fight for peace and freedom."

Finland

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April 6, 1968 - Rauhanpatsas / Statue of Peace, Helsinki (Finland). "This statue of peace was erected by the people of Finland as a symbol of the peaceful coexistence and friendship of Finland and the Soviet Union. Sculptor Essi Renvall [1911-1979] has said that the statue's female figure is the spirit of peace returning after a war with a new, peaceful heart."

1986 - Finnish stamp for the UN International Year of Peace. Click here for a complete list of International Year of Peace stamps.

January 14, 1990 - "World Peace" statue, Helsinki (Finland). "A reminder of cold war in Helsinki. It was 'given' by the city of Moscow just before the collapse of Soviet Union. If Helsinki would have refused the 'gift,' relations with the big neighbour would have suffered." "The artist's name is Oleg Kirjuhin. The statue is actually a copy. Similar copies have been placed in cities around the former Soviet Union. Helsinki might be the only city outside the former Soviet Union that has it's own."

May 29, 1990 - Rauhanturvaajien muistomerkki / Memorial to the Peacekeepers, Hietaniemi graveyard, Helsinki (Finland). "Acknowledges the 45 Finns who died during the first 50 years of peacekeeping missions. The first peacekeeping mission in which Finnish peacekeepers participated took place in Suez, Egypt, in 1956. The Finnish contribution proved to be of high significance. There are three elements to the work of sculptor Matti Peltokangas: a rock, a stone vase or vessel and an engraved stone which reflect notions of peacekeeping. The rock represents Finnishness, safety and stability. The vase, or vessel, reflects introspection and inner thought that is so valuable to peacekeeping."

1990 - Rauhanpaasi / Peace Slab, Kivikko-Koillis, Helsinki (Finland). "Peace Slab was first given life in the square next to the Vanha University building, or Potato Market, as part of the European Nuclear Disarmament convention happenings of 1990. The general public was involved with the artists in deciding on the nature of the work. After the convention the commissioners of the work, Helsingin ylioppilaskunta (transl. The Student Union), donated Peace Slab to the City of Helsinki." By Kenichi Hiratsuka.

S T A T U E

June 13, 2010 - Statue of Sri Chinmoy, Vassa (Finland). Holds the World Harmony Run Torch. In a park on the outskirts of the city of Vaasa on the west coast of Finland overlooking the Bothnian Bay. Vaasa is a bilingual city with street signs in Finnish and Swedish, and about 1/4 of the city’s residents speak Swedish rather than Finnish. Click here for other Sri Chinmoy peace monuements.

Iceland

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October 9, 2007 - Lennon "Imagine Peace" Tower, Videy Island, Reykjavik (Iceland). Dedicated by Yoko Ono on John Lennon’s 67th birthday. John Lennon (1980): "If you can imagine a world of peace. If you can imagine the possibility. Then it can be true." Click here for Wikipedia article.

Norway

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August 16, 1914 - Fredsmonument / Peace Monument, Morokulien, between Magnor (Norway) and Eda (Sweden). Morokulien is a tiny international territory commemorating the 1905 negotiations which created peace between Norway & Sweden and led to Norwegian independence ("dissolution of the union"). Both images show the 18-meter Fredsmonument. The name Morokulien combines the Norwegian & Swedish words for "fun."

1952 - Peace & Freedom Tapestry, East Wall, Security Council Room, United Nations, New York City, New York (USA). Entry #754 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001). By Per Krohg of Norway.

1956 - "Life out of chaos," Narvik (Norway). Also known as "The woman on the square." One of three peace sculptures in Narvik. Dedicated in 1956, 1995 and 2006. Narkik is known as a city of peace.

1978 - Globe Monument, Nordkapp / North Cape (Norway). "North Cape, at 71°10'21 of latitude is referred to as the northernmost point of Europe. The Globe is now the simbol of North Cape, attracting peole from all over the world. Where Europe ends the Arctic Ocean begins." See Children of the World monument nearby.

June 1988 - "Children of the World" sculpture, Nordkapp / North Cape (Norway). "Seven sculptures designed by children (aged between 8 & 12 years) from seven lands, symbolising friendship, hope, joy & working together. They came here for seven days & dreamed of peace, and created these sculptures dedicated to Peace on Earth. A monument nearby entitled Mother and Child is by the sculptor Eva Rybakken." North Cape is the northernmost point in Europe. "It offers breathtaking views popular with hikers and tourists, a 307-metre high plateau, and a cliffside building that houses a cafe, shops, and a theatre."

Date? - Peace Monument, near Lindesnes, Vest-Agder (Norway).

1995 - National Monument for Peace, Narvik (Norway). Also known as "Trinigon." Erected by the Norwegian government on the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Norway. Rebuilt in 2005. "The brightest 8 mm steel polished plates in the world -- true mirror quality." One of three peace sculptures in Narvik. Dedicated in 1956, 1995 and 2006. Narkik is known as a city of peace. Click here to see Narvik's "pinacle-shaped war memorial."

2001 - Eternal Peace Flame, Aker Brygge Port, Oslo (Norway). "Dedicated by World Harmony Run founder Sri Chinmoy. This temporary installation was witnessed by more than 1500 persons including Ambassadors, National Politicians, Luminaries and Athletes. It was temporarily installed at the Pier of Honor on Oslo harbour. In 2002, the Eternal Peace Flame was installed permanently at Aker Brygge, a complex on the Oslo Harbor frequented by hundreds of thousands of people each year. A landmark on the port, the Eternal Peace Flame burns brightly and serves as a beacon of light and inspiration." Image shows Sri Chinmoy at the flame in 2003.

October 27, 2008 - Statue of Sri Chinmoy, Honnorbryggen, Aker Brygge Port, Oslo (Norway). See similar statue on Bali (Indonesia).

M U S E U M

June 2005 - Nobels Fredssenter / Nobel Peace Center, in old west-bound railway station, Oslo (Norway). "Presents all Nobel Peace Prize laureates, arranges exhibitions, and tells the story of Alfred Nobel and all the other Nobel prizes." Click here for the Wikipedia article. Associated with the International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP). See Nobel Museum in Stockholm (Sweden).

After 2005? - Courtyard, Interntional Peace Research Institute (PRIO), Oslo (Norway). "One of the first centres of peace research in the world... Located since 2005 in the former gas works building in central Oslo."

April 7, 2006 - Scandinavian Star Monument ("Rest in Peace My Friends"), near the Akershus Fortress, Oslo (Norway). "Dedicated to 'Scandinavian Star' victims. The ship caught fire in 1990, killing 158 people. It is one of the world's worst ferry disasters. Features a mother with her child and a large commemorative plaque with the names of all the victims of the fire."

August 6, 2006 - "Peace is a promise of future," Narvik (Norway). Sculpture of a sleeping child by Håkon Anton Fagerås. Design incorporates on a separate pedestal a rock from Hiroshima's ground zero given earlier to Narik by the mayor of Hiroshima. One of three peace sculptures in Narvik. Dedicated in 1956, 1995 and 2006. Narvik is known as a city of peace.

Sweden

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August 16, 1914 - Fredsmonument / Peace Monument, Morokulien, between Magnor (Norway) and Eda (Sweden). Morokulien is a tiny international territory commemorating the 1905 negotiations which created peace between Norway & Sweden and led to Norwegian independence ("dissolution of the union"). Both images show the 18-meter Fredsmonument. The name Morokulien combines the Norwegian & Swedish words for "fun."

1915 - Peace Stone, Brömsebro, Kalmar County (Sweden). "The Treaty of Brömsebro (or the Peace of Brömsebro) was signed on August 13, 1645, thus ending the war between Sweden and Denmark-Norway." Not a runestone even if it looks like one. Text : "Minne af Freden i Brömsebro - de la Thuliere - Axel Oxenstierna - Corfitz Ulfeldt," in English "Memory of the peace in Brömsebro - de la Thuliere [an ambassador from France] - Axel Oxenstierna [representing Sweden] - Corfitz Ulfeldt [representing Denmark]."

1955 - Goddess of Peace, Town Hall, Great Square, Karlstad (Sweden). Marks the 50th anniversary of the peaceful dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway. Sculpted by Ivar Johnson [1885-1970], "who luckily for his reputation is better known for his 'Woman by the Sea' [right image]." "Since it shows a woman with her foot on a soldier's head and he appears to be grimacing in pain, it seems a somewhat surprising artistic creation to symbolize peace." "Must be one of the ugliest monuments in Europe. Worms emerge from a helmeted skull which is trampled to the ground by a woman breaking a sword in two, symbolising the triumph of peace over war."

1934 - Sjömanshustrun / Seaman's Wife, Maritime Museum, Gothenburg (Sweden). Also known as "Woman at Sea." Recalls the Swedish sailors who died during the First World War.

1985 - "Non-Violence", Malmo (Sweden). By Carl Fredrik Reutersward. Is this the original sculpture?

1995 - "Non-Violence," Sergelgatan, Stockholm (Sweden). By Carl Fredrik Reutersward.

1997 - "Non-Violence," Kungsportsavenyn & Engelbrektsgatan, Goteborg (Sweden). By Carl Fredrik Reutersward.

September 8, 1995 - "Gud Fader på Himmelsbågen" / "God the Father of the Rainbow" (The Lord placing new stars in heaven), Nacka Strand, Stockholm (Sweden). Sculpted by Swedist pacifist Carl Milles [1875-1955] & his American student, Marshall M. Fredericks [1908-1998]. Milles also sculpted "Vision of Peace" in St. Paul, Minnesota (1936). Fredericks also sculped "Freedom of the Human Spirit" in Queens, New York (1964), & Birmingham, Michigan (1986). Compare "Man Walking to the Sky" by American Johnthan Borofsky [b. 1942] in Kassel, Strasborug, Pittsburgh & Seoul (1992-2008).

Date? - Holocaust Monument, Stockholm (Sweden). Sivert Lindblom, one of Sweden's foremost designers of urban spaces and the artist behind the Holocaust Monument, also designed the Alfred Nobel Monument (qv) in New York City (USA).

Date? - Peace Statue, Upsala Universitet / Upsala University, Uppsala (Sweden).

M U S E U M

Spring 2001 - Nobel Museum, Stock Exchange Building (Börshuset), Stortorget Square, Gamla Stan, Stockholm (Sweden). Opened for the centenary of the Nobel Prize. See Nobel Peace Center in Oslo (Norway).

M U S E U M

December 2005 - Föreningen Peace Museum, Uppsala Castle basement, Uppsala (Sweden). "Sweden's only peace museum! Dedicated to the memory of Dag Hammarskjöld [1905-1961], Sweden’s first Secretary General of the United Nations, who lived in the castle as a child. Housed in the old 1500's vaults is a contemporary exhibition, Fred & Krig / Peace & War. It takes up major issues concerning war, peace, threats, hatred & conflict in the world. In Sweden, we can look back on an almost 200-year period of peace." Associated with the International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP).

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