History

From a then-hypermodern barn built by one of the 19th century’s foremost entrepreneurial couples to a production site for creators and entrepreneurs in completely different industries. The story of our place begins in a spirit of innovation and experimentation, a tradition we carry forward.

Hilda and Lars Magnus Ericsson

In 1895, the couple Hilda and Lars Magnus Ericsson bought Alby Gård, which is located a stone’s throw from Subtopia, where they moved a few years later. Together they had built up a telephone company that is still one of the world’s largest telecom companies today. Within just over ten years, Ericsson went from being a small workshop of 13 square meters to having 700 employees, with most of the production going to export.

Lars Magnus Ericsson is known as an enterprising entrepreneur and innovator who created his company from nothing. Public documents from that time do not show much of Hilda’s contribution to the company, but through the couple’s extensive correspondence and Hilda’s diaries, one understands that she was an important part. Hilda had studied longer than her husband and took responsibility for the accounting. Together, the couple discussed how the company should be managed and developed, and Hilda was a partner in tests and experiments. In the beginning, Hilda was also responsible for customer contacts and she was the supervisor of the female staff. Later, when her husband was away on long business trips, it was Hilda who managed the company in his absence.

Pattern Agriculture

In 1900, Lars Magnus sold his shares in Ericsson. The couple’s new project became a modern model farm and in 1902 the buildings that are Subtopia today were completed. The vision was to improve Swedish agriculture with new technology in harmony with nature. In 1906, they also bought Hågelbygård, which is today Hågelbyparken and part of the same company as Subtopia. Lars Magnus spent a lot of time at the drawing board while Hilda managed the farms and made sure that the finances came together.

The original function of the buildings is noticeable in several ways. Instead of elevators, the barn was built in the basement so that each floor of Subtopia’s main building had an entrance from the ground level. Can you guess what Subtopia’s premises, the Loft, was used for? Hay was stored for the cows that were in what is now a restaurant. But hay wasn’t the only thing the cows were allowed to eat. They also experimented with other foods, such as sunflower and peanut cakes. White sheer curtains hung over the windows to ensure even light all year round. This way, the milking would also be even. Lars Magnus was an innovative man who experimented to find solutions, and from that perspective, the spirit of the place has not changed.

Small Industries and Decay

Hilda and Lars Magnus let their son take over the farm, which was later sold on and was active until the mid 50’s. After that, the area consisted of small industries and there have also been rumors of underground clubs, but this is not something we can verify. Eventually, however, the place fell into disrepair and in the early 90’s it was so run down that Botkyrka municipality bought the house for one swedish krona. They realized the value of the old buildings and chose to renovate. Read the article about the background to the creation of Subtopia.

Culture Takes Place

The state and Botkyrka municipality invested in a Circus Hall and in the late 90s Cirkus Cirkör moved to the area. In 2002 the old barn was renovated and Kulturhuset Rotemannen was inaugurated. At that time there were seven associations here. Read the article about the development of the cultural center.

In 2005, Kulturhuset Rotemannen became Subtopia and at the same time the municipal limited liability company Upplev Botkyrka AB was formed, of which Subtopia is a part, together with Lida Friluftsgård and Hågelbyparken. Read the article about why Upplev Botkyrka was created.

Fast Expansion

In the years since the inauguration, Subtopia has expanded and now we also include Hangaren, a former construction warehouse beautifully located by Albysjön, Gula Villan which was built as a summer house for Hilda and Lars Magnus’ son, and several properties around. Read the article about Hangaren. 23 organizations have their base with us and around 200 people come here to work and study every day. It’s not just crops that grow here anymore, but many forms of creativity and culture are born and thrive at Subtopia! Read the article about the cluster of cultural companies that are located in Subtopia.

References:
Historiska Alby – dramatik, romantik och teknik, by Martin Rosén.
Entreprenörerna: Hilda Ericsson. Utbildningsradion, Sveriges Radio.
Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon.