Konstverk Ungdom

“Youth”

Artist: John Lundqvist (1882 - 1972)

Location: Ljungby, Järnvägsparken (Railway Park)

Year: 1955

She stands 1.65 meters tall. With a straight back, naked, and her gaze in the distance, she stands in a fountain in a park in Ljungby. Before she was eventually named “Youth,” she was alternately referred to as “Spring Girl” or “Fountain Girl.”

The sculpture “Youth” was long-awaited. The pond where she still stands was created in 1924 and remained empty for 30 years until the decision was made to adorn the pond with an artistic decoration. At the inauguration on June 5, 1955, she received a warm welcome to Ljungby. The Ljungby brass band and Lund’s student choir played and sang, and after the unveiling and welcoming speeches, a fine dinner awaited at the Stadshotellet in Ljungby.

“Youth” doesn’t have a direct connection to Ljungby but is a rather typical sculpture of its time—a symbolic tribute to youth and a bright future. Just like the rest of the country, Ljungby was marked by development and optimism for the future during the 1950s, after war and hardship. The newspaper wrote after the inauguration in 1955: “… the statue in Järnvägsparken pleases not only with its artful forms but also as a symbol of the energetic spirit of youth that is meant to bring color to Sunnerbostaden’s community life.