Kymmendö

The famous Swedish author August Strindberg was inspired by the environment and the people of Kymmendö when he wrote one of his master pieces, "Hemsöborna".
The island is private, but you can go ashore and visit Strindberg's writer's lodge.

The island is privately owned by the Wahlström family. Kymmendö has 15 permanent residents, all from the family. Kymmendö borders to the NE part of Ornö och has public transportation by steamer to Dalarö.

Kymmendö was the summer home for Strindberg during his most productive years. The island inspired not only Strindberg, but also the many visitors to the island who, after having read his masterpiece 'Hemsöborna', want to see with their own eyes the place where Gusten spent his life.

The farm at Kymmendö is so typical for the single estate in the archipelago that in the older days was focused on fishing and hunting, the two main stays beside farming. This is so obvious and can be seen by the location of the main house at a protected cove. The remaining buildings from that time at Kymmendö are among the best examples in the archipelago.

Kymmendö was recorded for the first time in 1539 as the 'crown homestead Timedöö'. The buildingd are located to the southern shores of. The homestead has belonged to the same family since the end of the 18th century.

Strindberg and Kymmendö

In 1871 Strindberg rented a summerhouse at Kymmendö for the first time, and returned to the same place the following two summers. After a couple of years he returned as newlywed 1880 and then spent the summers there until he left Sweden in the fall of 1883. These last four years on the island turned out to be the most productive writing years. Here he finished 'Gamla Stockholm' and here he wrote the better parts of 'Svenska folket', 'Svenska öden och äventyr', 'Nya riket' och 'Dikter'. E of the homestead with a view of the archipelago, Strindber built his writer's lodge. Here he worked on his writing most of his time. 

After having published 'Hemsöborna' in 1887 Strindberg was no more allowed to rent a summerhouse on Kymmendö, the owner had been so offendedby the obvious similarities between him and Gusten in the novel. Strindberg never returned to Kymmendö.

Most of the buildings from Strindbergs time on the island remain, even if most of them have been changed and restoredHuvuddelen av de byggnader som då fanns på gården och som känns igen i romanen är bevarade i dag även om flertalet har förändrats en del sedan dess. The house that the writer rented is the present main building.