Almnäs history
The known history of Almnäs Bruk dates back to August 14th, 1225. In an appendix to the older Västgötalagen we can learn that on that day the Monks of Alvastra became owners of the Islebo farm (part of Almnäs).
In connection with the Västerås recess in 1527, the farm was transferred to the Crown. In the 1540s, Almnäs was inhabited by Gustav Vasa’s bailiff Nils Munck.
In 1586, Margaretha Axeldotter Bielke (married Natt och Dag) became the owner of what we know today as Almnäs through an exchange of lands in Småland and on Öland with her cousin King Johan III. The Bielke/Natt och Dag family owned Almnäs and Kavlås simultaneously for two generations. Margaretha and her descendants for four generations owned Almnäs until 1683.
When Chancellor Ehrensteen died in 1686, three years after he bought Almnäs, it was his widow, Katarina Wallenstedt, who continued to run the farm until her death in 1719. Their only surviving child Margaretha inherited and her son sold the farm after her mother’s death in 1722.
From older map descriptions, we know little about what the farm looked like.
During the first part of the 18th century, the farm was owned by Gustaf A. Taube, Karl Frölich and Adam Horn.
In 1748, General and Count Wolter Reinhold Stackelberg became the owner of Almnäs by exchanging it for the farm Vesterholmen in Östergötland. He was the builder of the current CdL (Corps de Logiet), which when built was called the “Great Stone House”. There is no information that any architect designed the house. It is most likely that the person who was the builder also designed the house. A fire insurance report from 1827 states that the house was built “from 1766 and several years thereafter”.
The Stackelberg family remained at Almnäs for three generations until 1826. The first two generations, as previous owners, did not have Almnäs as their estate. But we know that they were here for part of the year and celebrated three summer weddings at Almnäs.
In 1829, Count Johan Alexander Artemis Sparre bought Almnäs for 124,000 riksdaler, his son Count Nils Gustaf Alexander Sparre bought it from his father in 1859 and owned the farm until 1885.
Baron Oscar Dickson from Gothenburg bought the farm for 1 million riksdaler in 1887. He and his widow Marika owned Almnäs until 1915. It was their daughter Marika and her husband Count Gösta Posse who lived on the farm during these years.
On October 1, 1915, Bruksfirma Sannfrid Berglund became the owner of Almnäs. Today, the fourth generation of Berglunds owns and lives on Almnäs.
The farm we see today is largely similar to the one in the 18th century. It was during the time the Stackelberg, Sparre and Dickson families owned the farm that the buildings we see today were built. Often houses have been built on the foundations of an earlier building, such as the Forge, which was built in 1856 during Sparre’s time on the foundations of a Forge from the time of Stackelberg, late 18th century. We have put up a small sign on most buildings where you can read a short history of the houses. Almnäs farm environment is representative of a Swedish manor with barn (1871), forge (1856), granary (1821), slaughterhouse (late 18th century), distillery (1770), stables (1899), saddlery (late 19th century), estate housing (late 19th century), office (1875) and The Manor (1766).
Living farm with organic farming and environmentally certified forestry. We build on old traditions and have resumed the production of cheese (dating back to the 1830s) since 2008. Our ambition is to continue the work that has been done over generations for a vibrant countryside and to take care of the cultural environment that Almnäs Bruk today represents.
Almnäs’ total area is 3,581 hectares, of which 2,000 hectares are forests, just over 1,000 hectares are fields and pastures. The rest consists of impediment and lakes, including 240 hectares in Vättern.
On a few occasions per year, events are held at Almnäs, such as Midsummer celebrations, “Open Farm Day” on August 14th and the Christmas market on the second Advent. Visitors are warmly welcome to wander around the buildings and in the park on these occasions. During the rest of the year, we ask visitors to respect that Almnäs is not open for visits. However, the cheese shop is open all the time and everyone is welcome!