Wimmerströmska gården

Burgher home in central Västervik where Kalmar County Museum shows the living quarters of Stina Wimmerström, with porcelain, furniture, embroidery and art.

Opening hours unknown

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About the museum

Wimmerströmska gården (the Wimmerström House) lies in central Västervik, and the main building on the town's grand street, Storgatan, was built in the late 18th century. Trade and crafts have been carried on in the house all the time. In 1887 the sugar baker Carl Wilhelm Wimmerström moved his confectionery to the ground floor, in 1896 he built a wing along Brunnsgatan with a bakery, and in 1905 the properties were joined together. His son Elis took over the café in 1906 and ran it together with his wife Rut, who continued after his death in 1929 until 1938. Thereafter the café lived on as Karins Café into the 1960s.

Stina Wimmerström (1907–1991) grew up in the living quarters and lived there all her life. When large parts of the central blocks were demolished in the 1950s and 1960s, she fought together with her husband Bert Knutström against the demolitions and succeeded in preserving the house largely intact. She was fascinated by the 18th century, embroidered a great deal and bought antiques at auctions. The house was bequeathed to Kalmar läns museum (Kalmar County Museum), which since 2000 has run the museum activities in foundation form.

The museum shows the living quarters with Stina's large collection of porcelain, ceramics, clothes, furniture, embroidery and works of art, among them the salon with furniture groups from the 18th century and the bedroom with Gustavian wall covering and a column-tiled stove (kolonnkakelugn).

Highlights

Stina Wimmerström's preserved living quarters
Salon with furniture groups from the 18th century
Bedroom with Gustavian wall covering and a column-tiled stove
Collection of porcelain, ceramics, embroidery and art
Virtual tour with 360-degree images on the website