Beijers Park i "Parkernas Stad"

To historically document the development of Beijers Park to date is a question of carefully tracking back in time. The park’s historical record tells not only the history of the park, but also of the city, the district, the local residents and the art of gardening. When the history is documented, the necessary basis for establishing any conservation plans in the future and to culturally and historically value the park is made. Beijers park can, in the context of such complementary work, be treated individually or in the perspective of parks that were laid out during the same period of Malmö's history. Beijers park originates from the late 1800s, when the entire green structure of Malmö changed. The park area today covers 12 hectares and is located in the Kirseberg district. In 1885 the parkland was laid out. Many of the changes that have occurred in Beijer's park over the years can be traced to changes that took place simultaneously in Malmö's other parks. Malmö was a small town when the first public parks were established in the early 1800s in many western cities. Malmö was surrounded by a landscape of arable land, the climate was favourable and the soil fertile. Most of the greenery in the city at that time was privately owned. Philanthropists among the bourgeoisie in the rapidly growing industrial city spoke of working people's need for greenery. Until 1860 there were only a few public parks in Swedish cities. The organisations of the bourgeoisie were crucial to the establishment of the early public parks in Sweden, and this was also the case of the establishment of Malmö public parks. Reasons for the establishment of parks can be traced to a desire for embellishment, for meeting places and a general tidying-up reform for the cities. Parks also became an important element for a city to achieve a form of urbanism. Consideration of sanitary and health improvements for the city and its citizens were also contributory factors in the establishment of parks during the late 1800s in Sweden. Kungsparken was the first major public park established in Malmö. It was public but used as "an extended upper-class salon" with park guards who kept visitors in order. In 1881 the city appointed a parks committee to review park issues. The same year, a park association was founded in Malmö, later renamed the Malmö beautification and park association (Malmö Förskönings- och planteringsförening), through private initiatives. The park association came to mean a lot for the city's greenery and the park development. The concept and possibility of a forest park in the city was discussed in Malmö in 1882 and there was great pressure to establish more public parks. One of the initiators and founders of the park association was merchant Gottfried Beijer. He applied with his brother, on his own initiative, to lease a piece of land in the eastern suburb of Malmö and in 1885 the laying out of "a very attractive park" began. The idea of this park (Beijers Park) at the time, was that it would correspond to Kungsparken and the plan was to return the piece of land, with the park, to the ownership of the city after a period of fifty years. The most important years and events for Beijers park were in 1901 when the city took over the park, in 1914 when the park opened to the public and later, in 1917, when the park opened in its entirety. During the 1920s and 1930s the high point of the formation of the park culminated with a large Mall or promenade through the southern section of the park and around it large open lawns. Following the enlargement of the pond in the 1930's the park took on its modern appearance. Today bio-diversity is a very important factor for the city and for the development of the park. For the residents in neighbouring areas around the park and for many residents in the rest of Malmö today, Beijers park is as a very important part of their living environment and quality of life. It is an important city amenity and one could say that there is a symbiotic relationship between the park and residents in the town.