In the exhibition Citing a City, our visitors will catch glimpses of Umeå from 1860 until today, coming from archives, interviews and the museum’s own project At the Salon.

In our exhibition about Umeå, you will find several narratives about how women have founded organizations and cooperated in order to change society. We have found a clear connection between skiing, the universal suffrage movement, and the struggle of the Saami people to be given democratic rights. We have also found an account of how the people of Umeå wanted a vegetarian restaurant as early as 1914.

By becoming organized, women were able to influence politics and public debate. Societies and organization remained important: during the 1970’s, women’s organization fought a battle for employment and political influence. The common denominators are courage, commitment, struggle and the will to create a better society.

We hope that Citing a City will create new memories to preserve for the future.

Special thanks to:
The Popular Movement Archive in Västerbotten
Västerbottens museum
Skellefteå musuem
Kvinnohusföreningen i Umeå
Lantmäteri – geografiska data, Umeå municipality
Gunilla Nordenfors, Kvinnojouren 
Kerstin Norlander, Umeå Centrum för Genusstudier, Umeå University
Gunilla Brinck, Agneta Norberg, Christina Florin och Agneta Lundström, former members of Kvinnor och Arbete i Västerbotten
Rolf Hugosson, Centrum för regionalvetenskap, Umeå University
Kajsa Kuoljok, Ájtte, svenskt fjäll- och samemuseum
Sax och kam, Wow, Swedish Beauty Factory, KällbergElmberg, Frisören