17 Jan Turisthotellet Rättvik
Turisthotellet Rättvik in 1927. From the wartime collection of Gunnel Larsen. The original hotel is in the center. I believe the next building to the left (with the huge smokestack) is the restaurant, and the “English Hotel” extension to the left of that.
Well, my attention returns to Sweden, specifically more on Rättvik hotels.
First of all I want to thank the historians who have been sending me information. Karen Cline did a series of newsletters on the internees during the late 90’s. You can download them from our Facebook Group, “American Internees in WWII Sweden.” Helena Engblom was my guide when I was in Falun and Rättvik last May. She took me to her friend Gunnel Larsen’s shop where we pored over wartime scrapbooks for hours. Gunnel wrote a history of this hotel, and Helena translated. THANKS to all!
When the railroad came to Rättvik in 1890 the area quickly became a travel destination for both summer and winter excursions. From Stockholm, it was eight hours by train. Today it’s more like four hours by car, but back then everything took longer, didn’t it?
Another view, also from the Gunnel Linden collection. It was taken earlier than the photo above, and there is no smokestack yet.
Around that same time, a beautiful large hotel was built by the state railroad company right next to the train station. It was called Turisthotellet, the Tourist Hotel. We would say in the U.S. that the hotel had lots of “gingerbread,” many ornate architectural details. The architect was Lars Israël Wahlman who was born in Dalarna, the province in central Sweden where Rättvik is located. At the Wikipedia site you can find other examples of his designs.
The hotel was very fashionable and so were the guests that it attracted. In fact, business was so good that in 1897 the decision was made to build an extension just northwest of the original hotel. The new section was known as “The English Hotel,” but the whole complex was called Turisthotellet. The two buildings were connected with a magnificent restaurant.
The day after the fire. Picture taken by Bob Schauseil of the Hick’s crew, arrived in Sweden on 17 January 1945. From the collection of Karen B. Cline.
When the airmen internees came to town in 1944 some were housed at the hotel. This is not where the crew of the Liberty Lady stayed, but I am confident that they visited it. It was right by the train station, and there was a nice restaurant.
Sadly, in March of 1945 there was a big fire at the English Hotel, and it burned to the ground. Internees who stayed there took pictures.
What was left, the original part and the restaurant, was torn down in 1968, supposedly for the new highway. It was a big sorrow, remembers Gunnel, for those who lived in Rättvik.
“The English Hotel” was replaced with a newer red brick hotel now known as Turisthotellet and open for business. I’m not sure when it was built and hope one of my readers will comment with that and any other information about the beautiful Turisthotellet.
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