Karin Boye, Bronze statue at Gothenburg City Library, Sweden
The statue at Gothenburg City Library depicts a woman with arms resting at her sides, created by sculptor Peter Linde and positioned at the library entrance. It stands near Kungsports Avenyn, close to the Museum of Fine Arts in the city center.
Peter Linde modelled both versions of the Karin Boye sculpture at the same time, drawing on her poems "Önskan" and "Jag vill möta". The standing bronze in Gothenburg was inaugurated on 24 October 1987 outside the city library, while the seated version at Paradistorget in Huddinge centre had been unveiled on 13 September 1980. The Gothenburg statue was the city's first monument to a named woman.
The bronze figure honors a Swedish writer and draws visitors who regularly place fresh flowers between the statue's fingers as a tribute. This simple gesture shows how the city keeps literary traditions alive and valued.
The statue is located directly at the library entrance and is easy to reach on foot while exploring the area. The site is openly accessible and can be visited anytime, even when the library itself is closed.
The Gothenburg statue was the first statue in the city to depict a named woman. Peter Linde modelled both versions at the same time, drawing on Boye's poems "Önskan" and "Jag vill möta". The Huddinge version, showing her seated, was unveiled on 13 September 1980 at Paradistorget.
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