Harlösa donationshus
Former poor house (fattighus) from 1824 by Harlösa church, furnished as a museum about 19th-century almshouse life; guided tours on summer Sundays.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Harlösa donationshus was completed in 1824 and built by the landowner of Hjularöd and Harlösa, Baron (friherre) Carl Gustav von Schwerin. In his deed of gift he decreed that the house should provide housing for eight paupers, with the upkeep paid every year from the estate's properties. This followed a tradition that goes back to the 17th century, when landowners had poor cottages or almshouses built for their dependants.
The house has a square plan, sturdy roofs and brick walls, and it stands opposite Harlösa church. It was fitted with four small flats for two people each, with a shared chimney stack as the heat source, hearth and bread oven. Not until the 1880s were wooden floors laid over the original clay floors. The residents looked after their own chores and could earn a little extra by chopping firewood and ringing the church bell.
The house was inhabited until 1970. It was renovated in the 1980s, and two of the flats were made into a museum: one with a 19th-century setting and one with 1940s furnishings. The house is owned by Stiftelsen Harlösa Donationshus (the Harlösa Donationshus foundation).
Highlights
- Two flats furnished as a 19th-century home and a 1940s home
- Shared chimney stack with a chimney kitchen and bread oven
- Impressive set oven (sättugn) in the south-eastern flat
- Location by Harlösa church with a wide view
Permanent exhibition
- Fattighusets bostäder – Two flats show the living conditions in a poor house, one furnished in the 19th century and one with 1940s furnishings.
- Operated by
- Stiftelsen Harlösa Donationshus
Admission & discounts
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Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
The house is located opposite Harlösa church in Harlösa.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Visits take place on guided tours in summer; at other times by arrangement. |
