Sofielund - The Danish Brigade

During World War II, Sweden faced a dilemma as a neutral. On the one hand they did not want to quarrel with Germany and on the other hand they wanted to help their Nordic neighbours, the then occupied Danes.

In the end, Sweden's government decides to help Denmark, although not fully as they wished by sending weapons and other concrete things. Denmark wanted training places in Sweden and Skåne as a second option. However, Sweden wants to keep this activity well hidden from the outside world and until the end offers Sofielund in Tingsryd municipality as a suitable place for this. In 1943, an agreement was signed with the owners of guest house Sofielund. Then they build a facility consisting of barracks with room for up to 500 people. In 1944, the training of Danish soldiers in shooting, close combat, light artillery, etc. begins, which continues until April 1945. Together with training sites in Tingsryd and Ryd, this area forms the base for the "Danish brigade". The idea is that this brigade will fill a power vacuum when the German army of occupation is about to collapse or withdraw. The idea is to secure Denmark's future and not give way to any alternative power-speculators such as communists or other things that were worried about at the time.

Today, you can only see some traces of the facility on the site, such as the old pump house for drinking water. The boarding house itself remains, however, and at this you can still see and read the memorial stone that Denmark gave to Sweden as a thank you. In Rävemåla Hembygdspark, where you can eat waffles in the summer, the old area map of the facility is still in the hiding places.

Two links are here next to it. Another film with Kulturparken Smålands: Samuel Palmblad, 1st antiquarian in building maintenance. The second film is Danish and comes from the Danish Film Institute.