Midsummer´s Eve was a memorable day for me and my husband. I have been longing to visit Dag Hammarskjölds beautiful farm Backåkra since the day we moved to Österlen 10 years ago. I have heard so many great things about him and about his farm. Dag Hammarsjöld was a famous Swedish diplomat who was the United Nations Secretary General for eight years, between 1953-1961. He was wellnown for his effort to make peace, and he was called swedens most famous peacemaker .
He was a man that was highly respected in the whole world, and Dag Hammarskjöld was famous for his ability to solve conflicts. I respect and admire him so much, just because he was working for a more peaceful world. Everyone that read my blog knows that peace questions are very close to my heart.
Even if Dag Hammarskjöld was living in New York at the time, he dreamed about to have a nice place at Österlen Skåne, with wonderful nature close to the sea, where he planned to live later on…
In 1957 he found the farm of his dreams, the Beautiful farm Backåkra. But he never really got to live there, since he got killed in a plane crash in Afrika in 1961, and that was such a tragedy.
But the story does not end here. Even if Dag Hammarskjöld died 57 years ago his memory still lives. In april this year the United Nations Secretary António Gueterres decided to have UN:s annual security meeting just here at his farm Backåkra.
This was a very special occation, since it was the very first Security Counsil meeting that was held outside USA. You can read more about it here and here
Dag Hammarskjöld also wanted his Backåkra to be a place where families could meet and celebrate swedish midsummer. That was very important for him…
That is why there is a big midsummer celebration every year here at beautiful Backåkra and of course my husband and I also wanted to get some of the historical feeling at this amazing place, with the magnicifent nature, that Dag Hammarskjöld loved so very much.
Happy midsummer from Backåkra in Sweden!
Love Maria
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