On March 31, 1955, the Torgny Segerstedtmonumentet was inaugurated before thousands of residents. The monument consists of a ten-meter high triangular granite monolith that stands on Vasaplatsen in Göteborg. Created by the sculptor Ivar Johnsson, the work serves as a memorial to Torgny Segerstedt.
The inscription on the base is taken from a lead article Segerstedt wrote in Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning on October 8, 1940. That specific issue was confiscated by order of the government. In the original article, Segerstedt criticized the then commander Olof Thörnell for receiving a large cross from the Prince of Wied on October 7, 1940, with a decree signed by Hitler.
The inscription on the monument currently reads: "De fria fåglarna plöja sin väg genom rymden. Många av dem nå kanske ej sitt fjärran mål. Stor sak i det. De dö fria." However, as of May 2021, a sign has been posted over the text to reflect Segerstedt's original wording: "De fria fåglarna plöja sig väg genom rymden."
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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