Tändsticksmuseet

No other place would be more suitable for the Tändsticksmuseet than exactly where the production of the first safety matches began in the 1850s. A Swedish invention that was the launch for an unprecedented economic success story that led the Swedish industrial group Swedish Match (formerly STAB) to be the world's largest match producer since more than 100 years.

The history of matches

Situated in a large wooden building dating back to 1848, the museum tells the success story of the match producer from its early beginnings to the global company. The journey through time begins in the middle of the 19th century, when matches were still completely handcrafted. Detailed documentation shows the production processes of the time and the work situation of the employees, whereby child labour, which played a central role in the early production of matches, is also addressed. In a reconstructed worker's apartment you can also see the living situation of the matchstick craftsmen at that time.

The next step shows the machines that are gradually replacing human manual work. Initially there were five different machines for the different work steps, but in 1892 the invention of the first all-in-one machine, which combined all production steps, was a decisive technical advance.

The exhibition on the final step, the packaging, shows a huge amount of different matchboxes in different shapes and sizes. In addition, thousands of matchbox labels with different motifs in the course of time. Starting with the original labels of the manufacturers, there are labels depicting well-known personalities, animals, plants, machines and vehicles or legends and fairy tales.

Matchboxes as an advertising platform

The number of labels with advertising imprints is also very high, as it was recognised very early that the small boxes everyone had in their pockets were an ideal advertising medium. In the heyday of matches there was hardly a renowned company, whether hotel, shipping company, newspaper, margarine factory or spirits producer, that did not transport its advertising message with the help of matchboxes.

In the museum shop you will find replicas of historical matchboxes and labels as well as kitchen towels, potholders and coffee cups. These accessories carry the well-known Solstickan logo, the label used for matches sold in Sweden since 1936.

The museum is wheelchair accessible. The entrance is at street level, access to the upper floor is via a staircase with a stairlift. There is a wheelchair accessible toilet on the ground floor. Dogs are not allowed in the museum.