Military airfield 16

The full name of the project is: Destination development of Sweden's only preserved war airfield by bringing to life stories about the period of preparedness. The story of field 16 is also the story of a Sweden in preparedness 1939-1945.

At the outbreak of World War II, Sweden mobilized its defense and built secret military airfields around Sweden, and of these, War Airfield 16 is the country's best preserved. There are the stories of the individual people, from the landowners whose land was purchased by the state to the soldiers deployed to the war and the lotteries who managed the infrastructure. There is also the local Värmland history. These are stories of people who could have been us ourselves, which makes the story of War Airfield 16 relevant to all of us who are alive today.

The War Airfield 16 Foundation owns the project and, together with the County Administrative Board, manages the area, which is located at Brattforsheden in Värmland, Karlstad Municipality. The field is a cultural reserve and is unique as it is the only preserved war airfield in Sweden - there is a history here that is interesting to many but very few know about the place. The project aims to highlight the area in order to take advantage of the potential that exists to create a tourist destination linked to the historical heritage. A VR film has been recorded where the viewer is placed in the center of a historical sequence of events that is recreated in the form of virtual reality. The script was developed with the help of historical documents, costumes and environments are accurately reproduced in the period - the details are crucial to the viewer's experience. Guided tours and events are also part of the project. The project's measures have aimed to tell this story in an authentically credible way and to get the public to discover the area's unique nature and cultural values. The overall purpose and goal has been to develop Airfield 16 into a valued visitor and excursion destination.

Brattforsheden is a natural starting point for collaboration between non-profit, public and private nature and cultural actors. Measures such as digitization of historical documents and the gradual introduction of interactive experiences, both on site and in front of the computer, create increased accessibility for the public. In 2020, the Warfield Foundation was granted 16 EU funds by Leader Närheten, within the framework of the rural development program, to produce:

• a film experience shown through VR glasses, which places the visitor in the middle of a historical event. When the user puts on VR glasses, the effect of entering a completely different world occurs. The film can be seen when visiting military airfield 16 during the summer season or when field 16 visits other cities in Sweden. The film is also shown at the Air Force Museum in Linköping all year round.
• Fact-based guided tours that make it possible to tell the visitor how the site was operated and important events that occurred during the emergency years 1939-1945. The goal is a committed use of history that attracts new visitors. Visitors are given the opportunity to book guided tours via the website.
• increased attractiveness of the area locally, regionally and nationally

The project has received a lot of attention in the media and has led to increased interest in our Swedish preparedness history and a major boost for the tourism industry in the area. The annual air show day now attracts thousands of visitors and in addition to the greatly increased tourism industry in the area, the project also employs a large number of people during the airfield's summer activities and events (e.g. guides and summer working youth), and creates increased turnover for local businesses such as suppliers of coffee and food to the airfield. The VR film produced has been shown in many places and occasions and has received very good ratings, it has also been very valuable in the marketing of the place. Enthusiasts, a strong non-profit commitment and broad collaborations have yielded fantastic results!

Project

The purpose of the project is to develop visitors to Brattforsheden's cultural reserve area, Krigsflygfält 16.

The goal of the project is to create a VR film, develop educational material for guided tours, carry out a dramatized event, and market the area. 

The project consists of developing the tourism industry through guided tours, an experience-based film and by arranging a historical play.

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