Elnätet som kulturarv Teknikhistoria i Landskapet

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the electricity grid on the landscape in Sweden. The study analyses the electricity grid in the landscape and its cultural heritage aspects. The data for this study were obtained through literature studies and case studies. Three sites served as subjects in the case studies to investigate the different effects on the landscape by the electricity grid in diverse surroundings. The results of the study show that the electricity grid has differing effects on different landscapes. In some landscapes the effects add cultural value whereas in other landscapes it has negative effects on the cultural value. The results also show that the electricity grid is an important part of history, but because it is also an active infrastructure it is difficult to appreciate it in the same way as other parts of the cultural heritage. Electricity is paramount to modern culture, and without the electricity grid that culture would be very different. The structure of the grid is vast, spreading across the country and thus making an impact on the landscape. Because of its vastness it is difficult to comprehend the entirety of it. Despite its impact on the landscape it is not something people often reflect upon. The results suggest that, even though there has not been a cultural heritage perspective on the electricity grid, there should be, as the electricity grid has enabled the modern society to evolve to the state it is in today.