Grimeton Radio Station, Varberg World Heritage Site

Official name

Grimeton Radio Station, Varberg | UNESCO

Country

Sweden | Map

Continent

Europe

Location

County of Halland
57.1000° Lat, 12.3833° Lon | Map

Code

1134

Time Zone

Europe/Stockholm (CET, +0100)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 2004. The Varberg Radio Station at Grimeton in southern Sweden (built 1922–24) is an exceptionally well-preserved monument to early wireless transatlantic communication. It consists of the transmitter equipment, including the aerial system of six 127-m high steel towers. Although no longer in regular use, the equipment has been maintained in operating condition. The 109.9-ha site comprises buildings housing the original Alexanderson transmitter, including the towers with their antennae, short-wave transmitters with their antennae, and a residential area with staff housing. The architect Carl Åkerblad designed the main buildings in the neoclassical style and the structural engineer Henrik Kreüger was responsible for the antenna towers, the tallest built structures in Sweden at that time. The site is an outstanding example of the development of telecommunications and is the only surviving example of a major transmitting station based on pre-electronic technology.