A picture on a wall showing men who worked at the paper mill. — Photo: Ola Myrin, Tumba Paper Mill Museum/SHM (CC BY).

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Life at the Mill

Life at the Mill

When the mill opened its doors in 1755, it was filled with people who worked for the Riksbank, either directly in papermaking or in everything else that was needed to keep the small community running. The isolation had consequences for the workers' lives, as they largely had to produce everything themselves.

Walk through the two floors of the exhibition and meet the workers and administrators who made Tumba Paper Mill run. Read the pay slips, visit the schoolmistress' apartment and sit at a school desk. Find out how often the workers bathed and what they ate on a typical working day. People have lived and worked here for generations.

An interior of a bedroom with a bed and a fireplace. — Photo: Ola Myrin, Tumba Paper Mill Museum/SHM (CC BY).

Education at the mill

There were also four dwelling rooms in the building. Between 1837 and 1864, Carolina Öman, among others, lived in the building. She was responsible for teaching reading to the youngest children of the mill in her small room. The small school was jokingly called the Carolinska Institutet (in reference to the Karolinska Institutet medical school).

The school benches in one of the houses. — Photo: Ola Myrin, Tumba Paper Mill Museum/SHM (CC BY).

Kölnan is one of the oldest buildings at the mill. It was built in 1763 to dry malted barley, which was used to make beer. Beer was one of the most common food products in the past.

Accessibility in Kölnan

Kölnan is the only one of our buildings that is not accessible in any way. The double entrance doors are narrow and awkward, and you have to go down a short flight of stairs to get to the door. Once inside, there are exhibits on both floors. The lower floor is easy to navigate, but the upper floor is only accessible by a narrow and steep staircase. The building has a toilet, but it is not accessible and does not have a changing table.

Kölnan at Tumba Paper Mill, a yellow building. — Photo: Ola Myrin, Tumba Paper Mill Museum/SHM (CC BY).

You may also be interested in

The history of paper

About paper manufacturing at the mill and the history of paper.

The history of Swedish banknotes

From the world's first banknotes to today's banknotes.

The fire station

Learn about the mill's fire brigade, fire truck and fire safety.