Sveasøjlen, Memorial in Helsingør, Denmark
Sveasøjlen is a lit memorial column standing on the harbor square in Helsingør, Denmark, made of 11 copper columns topped with a bronze cap. It rests on a base of Swedish granite that carries an engraved inscription written by the city's mayor at the time.
The memorial was unveiled on December 21, 1947, designed by Danish sculptor Mathilius Schack Elo, and commemorates the German occupation from 1940 to 1945. It also honors Sweden's support for Danish refugees and the Danish soldiers who landed in Helsingør from Sweden on May 5, 1945.
The column stands on the harbor square in front of the Customs House, visible to anyone walking along the waterfront. Every evening, the electric lights inside it turn on, giving the monument a particular presence after dark.
The monument is located directly on the harbor square in front of the Customs House and is easy to reach on foot from the center of Helsingør. A visit in the evening is worth considering, as the column is lit at that time.
The tradition behind the monument began on Christmas Eve 1943, when the cities of Helsingør and the Swedish Helsingborg started exchanging holiday greetings by lighting fires on the beach and ringing all the church bells in both cities. This yearly exchange across the closed border directly inspired the creation of the sculpture.
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