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> Photos > Gallery: Johan Maltesson > Album: Scania > Malmoe City Main Square - The Karl X Gustav Statue
Malmoe City Main Square - The Karl X Gustav Statue

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Date: 07/20/06

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history

This massive, pompous statue, portaying the Swedish 17th century king Karl X Gustav is situated right in the heart of Malmoe, on the city's main square, and the opinions about it are many. For those who see Scania as a natural part of Sweden, it is a symbol of unification, while for those who would like Scanian autonomy from Sweden, it is a symbol of opression and occupation. Because this was the king who after a victorious war with Denmark in the winter between the years 1657 and 1658 forced Denmark to give away its eastern lands - Scania. And so, the peace treaty was written on February 26 of 1658, and this was a date that would change the lives for everyone in Scania forever. From that date they were no longer Danes, but Swedes. But Scania was at this point a core area in Denmark, and the most wealthy and flourishing Danish region, and so the Scanian people of course did not want to be governed by a former enemy king seated in a 600 kiolmetres farther north. Therefore, the Scanians with the aid of Denmark started an uproar on the Swedish rule. An uproar which eventually lead to the dreadful Scanian War which commenced in 1675, and culminated at the Battle of Lund on December 4 1676, which even today is the largest and bloodiest battle who has ever taken place on Scandinavian ground - more than a thousand Scanians, Danes and Swedes lost their lives on this dark day. The peace treaty of this extremely cruel war didn't come until 1679, and it was Sweden who was victorious, and was to keep Scania, on the condition that the Scanians should be allowed to keep their own language and culture and receive full self governing in all internal affairs. This promise was however broken very swiftly, and then began a period of virtual occupation, and a massive 'Swedification' process of the Scanian people, a period of filled with terror, opression, plundering, murder, abuse, burnings of towns, and at periods even pure genocides. Scania was divided into two separate administrative provinces (and it would actually take all until 1997 until Scania was once again unified), the wealth of Scania dramatically declined, and instead the land fell into poverty and misery. The Scanian and Danish languages were banned from public life, the Scanian culture was surpressed and replaced by Swedish traditions, the old Scanian castles came under the rule of Swedish lords, and Scanian cultural treasures were stolen and ended up in Swedish castles and museums, where they remain even today. It would take all until the early 20th century before Danish literature was once again allowed in Scania. And even today, the Scanian language hasn't been officially recognised by the Swedish government, but is regarded as merely a Swedish dialect, despite of its Danish origin. And the fact that the Scanian language isn't recognised or taught, has led to that many young Scanians today doesn't understand or even know of their old language. And still, Scania's past Danish history is almost somewhat of a taboo in Sweden. In the school history books, Scania's Danish past is barely mentioned, and neither is the Scanian War, the Swedish occupation or the 'Swedification' process, and if it is, it is always viewed from a Swedish perspective.