Where is the border for Österlen – really?
The seemingly innocent question often arouses heated feelings among the locals.
– But I’m quite generous, says historian and Easterner Lena Alebo.
The question of what actually belongs to Österlen has long been widely debated in the area.
And the answer is not simple. This is immediately clear from the first sentence on Österlen’s Wikipedia page:
“Österlen is a plain and forest area in south-eastern Scania without clear demarcation”.
– Österlen means east – nothing else. It was those who lived to the west and south who said they “would go east”. That makes it a bit problematic from the start, it’s a concept that has no boundaries, says Lena Alebo, historian and director of Österlen’s museum.
Became a brand
And problems arose when Österlen began to be used as a brand at the beginning of the century.
– You have to give content to the brand. That assignment was then given, or if it was self-imposed, but it was John Osterman who was editor of Simrishamnsbladet, Theodor Tuvfvesson who was local historian and poet and it was Fritjof Nilsson Piraten. In the 1920s, the first tourist brochure came out and it was called “I want to go to Österlen”.
According to the trio’s division, Österlen consisted of Albo district, Järrestad district and Ingelstad district. Häraderna are today the municipalities of Simrishamn and Tomelilla and some parts of Ystad municipality.
– Before that, it wasn’t a problem. There was a popular opinion that east of Trelleborg was “east”. So Ystad is in that sense, and also west of Ystad. But no “easterner” today would agree to that.
Hot question in Facebook group
The Österlens term from the 1920s is also what broker Marcus Ekström uses in his profession.
– For us brokers who live here in Österlen, there is a fairly established boundary. But for other brokers, the border can sometimes be at the Kristianstad area, and on the other side of Ystad, he says.
He agrees that the issue is very sensitive.
– There is a Facebook group, “Österlen’s bulletin board” with probably 50,000 followers. At some point in the quarter, someone new and completely unknown asks the question – and an hour later there are 250 comments.
“Many want to delimit”
Lena Alebo was born and raised in the village of Svinaberga outside Simrishamn.
– When I was a child, we didn’t use the term much. It wasn’t something you were proud of, that you were from Österlen.
Who can call themselves an Easterner?
– I am quite generous. I don’t really care much about the concept. But many people think it’s a problem and want to limit it. Coca-cola has its ingredients – then the Österlen brand must also have its limits.
Why is the question so sensitive?
– Because people are proud of the area, I suppose. Then you get very disturbed by brokers using the term over large parts of Scania. I don’t know why it’s so sensitive, but we who live here love this place so much – that we want to limit it.
FACT Document: Österlen
In Österlen there are open landscapes, artists, celebrities, luxury villas by the sea and a horde of tourists a few months of the year.
But here there are also regular farmers and a local population who feel pushed out as tourism gets closer and closer.
Old fishing villages have become the cream of the crop where the villas are sold at Stockholm prices – according to the brokers, the Österlen brand is only getting stronger and stronger.
And who gets to call themselves an Easterner is not an easy question to answer.
– Coca-cola has its ingredients, then the Österlen brand must also have its limits. We who live here love this place so much – that we want to limit it, says historian Lena Alebo.
Aftonbladet’s Nora Fernstedt and Peter Wixtröm take you on a journey to Skåne’s mythical east coast.
Read more