Handens museum och smedja, Working life museum in Haninge Municipality, Sweden
Handens museum och smedja is a working life museum in Haninge that includes an active smithy, craft workshops, and areas where goats and chickens are kept on the grounds. The site at Getporsvägen displays tools, materials, and finished items that reflect traditional handicraft skills and daily working practices.
The museum was founded in 2008 through the partnership of blacksmith Martin Ahlsén and historian Olle Flodby, who gathered historical materials and knowledge from the area. Their collaboration brought together hands-on craft expertise and scholarly understanding of local working traditions.
The place reflects how rural communities once relied on skilled craftspeople for everyday needs, and visitors can watch these trades being practiced as they were historically. The active smithy and craft areas show how knowledge and technique passed from one generation to the next through direct work.
The site is straightforward to navigate with areas for viewing the active crafts and the animals on the grounds. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing suitable for walking outdoors, as much of the experience happens on open terrain.
The main building, Svensro, was once a worker's cottage that faced demolition in 2001 but was relocated to the museum grounds instead. Its roof was covered with turf to reflect how homes were traditionally built in this region.
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