Art & Culture

6 | LANDSKRONA&VEN Tycho Brahe museum, Ven

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WITH SPACE IN FOCUS

by maria andré photo mickael tannus and niclas lundblad

The Tycho Brahe Museum is on the highest point of the island of Ven. It’s a pilgrimage for both young and old people who are curious about space or who just want to enjoy the beautiful environment. There’s an exciting playground and a thriving Renaissance garden.

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PHOTO: JANNE JÖNSSON/LANDSKRONA MUSEUM

10 | LANDSKRONA&VEN The reason astronauts from NASA have visited Ven is because it was here that space discovery really began 550 years ago.

The scientist Tycho Brahe studied the celestial bodies from the highest point of Ven for two decades. His work laid the foundation for how we look at our solar system today, even during a time when religion had a great influence on science.

Tycho Brahe did not abandon the doctrine of the earth as the centre, but he was pioneering in other ways. He was one of the first scientists to make longterm and systematic observations of space, which formed the basis for a new worldview. It was here on Ven that modern space research began with the Danish king Frederick II giving the island to Tycho Brahe as a grant. It was a way to tie the scientist closer to the court.

“At that time, Ven was an island inhabited mainly by fishermen and farmers. The myth is that they were not happy when Tycho Brahe here because he became lord of the island and had the right to collect taxes. The culture clash was great and their worlds were probably very different,” says Tina Jönsson, Operations Manager at the Tycho Brahe Museum.

Tycho Brahe was born in 1546 into an influential Danish noble family on Knutstorp’s farm north of Svalöv. Skåne belonged to Denmark at the time. He studied at several universities on the continent before settling on the island of Ven and started his own research centre. He built an Italian-style Renaissance castle with a garden and observatory at the highest point of the island.

Here he could see both Helsingborg and Copenhagen, where he had lived. At the same time, no one could get there quickly. He was able to conduct his research fairly undisturbed and he appreciated the isolation.

tycho brahe is a central figure in history among scientists studying space. He provided the research world with the data and observations needed for

Johannes Kepler to “crack the code” on what our solar system looks like.

Tycho Brahe was not just interested in astronomy and space. He was a classical Renaissance man who studied medicine, botany and astrology.

“This means there is a breadth here at the museum. For example, we have the beautiful Renaissance garden recreated according to Tycho Brahe’s drawings and shaped according to the symbolic ideal of the Renaissance into squares, triangles and circles,” says Tina Jönsson.

the idea was that the garden would represent the Garden of Eden. Fruits and herbs were grown here which were later used in Tycho Brahe’s alchemical works.

The great thing about the Tycho Brahe Museum is that there is something for all ages and interests. The “Naked Eye” exhibition suits people that are interested in history, and outside there are activities for people who like to run around.

there is a playground next to the museum with pulleys, stilts, skittles and balls. You can try fourteen different ways to play from the 16th century. Each station has instructions and information about the background of the game. Choose between testing your strength in a tug of war, try to knock each other off a log with pillows or compete in an older variant of curling.

“Another highlight of the museum is the Stjärneborg observatory, a reconstruction of Tycho Brahe’s observatory. Go into the ancient monument and experience what it could be like to observe for a night. The lights are switched off and an actor tells you what it was like to research space in the 16th century. It is an awesome experience”, says Tina Jönsson.

What happened to Tycho Brahe after he had been researching on Ven for the two decades? According to history, a conflict started between Tycho Brahe and the Danish court in 1597 and he was forced to leave the island. He went into exile in Prague where he continued his research and was appointed Johannes Kepler’s assistant. Tycho Brahe died in 1601.

And what happened to Tycho Brahe’s Renaissance castle and the Stjärneborg observatory? When the scientist left, the islanders had no interest in preserving the buildings. Building materials were expensive and needed elsewhere. According to history, the bricks from the Renaissance castle are found in several homes on the island. The memory of Tycho Brahe lives on, both in science and on earth.

For more info, check out ven.se

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AN OASIS IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN

by emma nilsson photo david elg, moob

Rothoff’s Koloni is a small, green oasis and Sweden's oldest and only preserved museum allotment. It’s in the middle of the Landskrona where the allotment tradition started in Sweden more than a hundred years ago.

Owning an allotment has long been a strong tradition in Sweden. The Rothoff family bought the allotment, located in the central allotment area around the Citadel fortress at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, it has been passed down from generation to generation, and has largely been preserved in its original condition.

“You can still walk on the same wooden floor as Anton and Hilma Rothoff once did when they took care of all the potatoes that the allotment provided,” says gardener Martin Bofeldt.

famine was not uncommon in the early 20th century, and the allotments and potatoes became a way to survive. Today, the old raised beds for growing potatoes have been replaced with more adapted themes for allotments. The front of the cottage has been preserved in a classic detached house style with roses, perennials and boxwood plants.

Sustainability is important for Martin. That's why everything is grown organically, there are two beehives, several insect hotels and a compost.

Interest in gardening and

12 | LANDSKRONA&VEN cultivation is a trend that’s been around for a while, but has exploded recently. According to Martin the trend is here to stay, not least as more and more people are owning allotments.

If you want to start growing on a small scale at home on your balcony, the most important things to keep in mind are solid pots and balcony boxes.

“The more water a pot can hold, the less you need to water,” says Martin Bofeldt.

people from all over the world come to experience Rothoffs. Landskrona residents appreciate their local oasis and see it as a bit like their own living room outdoors. Anyone is welcome here during daylight hours. Why not buy coffee and enjoy it in the beautiful alcove? Or sit down and read a newspaper under a flowering tree? Whether you are looking for garden inspiration or just want to enjoy a moment in a dreamy environment, Rothoffs is the place for you.

Guided boat tours

LANDSKRONA During the summer you can join a guided boat tour. In August trips are arranged to Gipsön and Gråen, Landskrona’s artificial islands. Gråen was constructed in the middle of the 18th century to protect the harbour from military attacks. Today it's used as an allotment garden area and bird santuary. Read more and book your guided boat tour at iLandskrona.se

KARLAS KONSTHANTVERK (Arts and crafts)

LANDSKRONA Karla’s Konsthantverk is in the picturesque village of Borstahusen near the guest harbour. The store represents many carefully selected artists, mostly local. The focus is on sustainability. karlakonsthantverk.se

Landskrona: the centre

for trendy handicrafts

LANDSKRONA Handicrafts have become an increasingly trendy hobby in recent years. Weaving courses are fully booked and luxury brand Hermes sells hand-embroidered shirts. Landskrona is the centre for Hemslöjden (handicrafts) in Skåne. Their store on Österleden 10 offers unique turned bowls and utensils in sustainable materials. hemslojdeniskane.se

Visit the artists on Ven

VEN The light on Ven is unique and attracts many artists and potters. Take a tour among studios and workshops and meet sculptors and silversmiths. You’ll find a map at ven.se showing where artists are situated. One of the artists is the silversmith Ninna Mandin. She has a studio and a summer shop at Bäckviken's harbour. Ninna wants to reflect the island in her jewellery and gets her inspiration from natural and organic shapes. ninnamandin.se.

Pumphuset – a culture centre by the sea

LANDSKRONA The Pumphuset culture centre is in Borstahusen harbour and contains an art gallery, museum and restaurant. The art gallery is often mentioned as one of Sweden’s most beautiful, with its location right next to the glittering Öresund sea. pumphuset.nu

Sweden’s top advertising at Landskrona museum

LANDSKRONA Landskrona museum is on Rådhustorget in the centre of the city. There are eight permanent exhibitions including “Reklam!” (Advertising). The exhibition is based on Sweden's archive for advertising and graphic design. The collection consists of over 100,000 objects, sketches, advertisements and entire campaigns. landskrona.se/museum

Read more about the great variety within art and culture that Landskrona and Ven has to offer at iLandskrona.se

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