Flygarmonumentet
Encyclopedia
Flygarmonumentet is a statue
that stands at Karlaplan
in central Stockholm
, Sweden. The statue was a gift from the Aeronautical Society in memory of different Swedish aviation pioneers who fell in both the North Pole expedition and in the first time of the Swedish aviator era in 1917. The task to build the monument
was given to the famous sculptor Carl Milles
. The Aviator Monument was finished in 1931.
with outstretched wings about to lift. Height 185 cm, width 750 cm and depth 185 cm. On the plinth which the statue is standing on are reliefs of Icarus
, balloonists and early warplanes. Milles thought that an eagle would be an excellent symbol
. Inside the shallow monument there is an urn, which contains medals for each fallen Swedish pilot.
with its outstretched wings is often associated with the Nazi symbol, The Nazi Eagle. In the 1930s, young Swedish Nazis used the monument as a meeting point, and a place for gathering and commemoration. They even wanted the aviator monument to be recognized as a cultural historical landmark. During this time young socialists sabotaged the statue with graffiti
in protests against Nazis. The Swedish Air Force used it as a monument for a wreath-laying ceremony. The original purpose of this statue is to honour fallen pilots such as Salomon August Andrée
, Nils Strindberg and Knut Fraenkel who died in the North Pole expedition in 1898. The monument was taken down during the construction of the Karlaplan subway
station and re-erected again in 1967.
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
that stands at Karlaplan
Karlaplan
Karlaplan is an open park-plaza area in Östermalm in Stockholm. The architect Lindhagen was created the characteristic form of the plaza, during the 1890's. It was created in the image of Place de l'Étoile in Paris. The plaza is named in honour of all the Swedish kings called Karl, like Karl X...
in central Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden. The statue was a gift from the Aeronautical Society in memory of different Swedish aviation pioneers who fell in both the North Pole expedition and in the first time of the Swedish aviator era in 1917. The task to build the monument
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
was given to the famous sculptor Carl Milles
Carl Milles
Carl Milles was a Swedish sculptor, best known for his fountains. He was married to artist Olga Milles and brother to Ruth Milles and half brother to the architect Evert Milles...
. The Aviator Monument was finished in 1931.
The statue
The monument is a sculpture of a large eagleEagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
with outstretched wings about to lift. Height 185 cm, width 750 cm and depth 185 cm. On the plinth which the statue is standing on are reliefs of Icarus
Icarus
-Space and astronomy:* Icarus , on the Moon* Icarus , a planetary science journal* 1566 Icarus, an asteroid* IKAROS, a interplanetary unmanned spacecraft...
, balloonists and early warplanes. Milles thought that an eagle would be an excellent symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
. Inside the shallow monument there is an urn, which contains medals for each fallen Swedish pilot.
History
Some may think that the Aviator Monument is Carl Milles admiration for Nazism. The eagleEagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
with its outstretched wings is often associated with the Nazi symbol, The Nazi Eagle. In the 1930s, young Swedish Nazis used the monument as a meeting point, and a place for gathering and commemoration. They even wanted the aviator monument to be recognized as a cultural historical landmark. During this time young socialists sabotaged the statue with graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
in protests against Nazis. The Swedish Air Force used it as a monument for a wreath-laying ceremony. The original purpose of this statue is to honour fallen pilots such as Salomon August Andrée
Salomon August Andrée
Salomon August Andrée , during his lifetime most often known as S. A. Andrée, was a Swedish engineer, physicist, aeronaut and polar explorer who died while leading an attempt to reach the Geographic North Pole by hydrogen balloon...
, Nils Strindberg and Knut Fraenkel who died in the North Pole expedition in 1898. The monument was taken down during the construction of the Karlaplan subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
station and re-erected again in 1967.