The King and Queen of Sweden visited the factory of “Handpappersbruket” in the small city of Lessebo to participate in the celebration of the paper factory’s 300th anniversary.
The visit started when the royals arrived at the manor house in Lessebo. There, the King and Queen were welcomed by representatives from Lessebo Municipality and Lessebo Paper. The royal couple had a guided walk in the paper mill’s facility. During their visit to the factory, the Queen had the opportunity to try to make her own paper. The royal couple were also able to view pictures from their visit to the same paper mill in 1978, as well as King Gustav VI ‘s visit in 1954. The King and Queen then got a tour of Lessebo Paper’s modern facility and the opportunity to talk to those who work there.
During the ceremony to celebrate 300 years of operational service, the King gave a speech in which he said: “Sweden is a country of forests, and the industries that work with Swedish forests’ raw materials have a special place in our history. In addition, in my heart! The sawmills and paper mills have characterised the places where they existed, as here in Lessebo. They have also had a great impact on our country as a whole. “
After lunch in the basement, together with representatives of Lessebo municipality and Lessebo Paper AB, the King and Queen visited Hackebacke school. Hackebackes School in Lessebo is actively working to increase interest in science, mathematics and technology. During the visit, the students showed their experiments and knowledge to Their Majesties, who also had the opportunity to talk with the school’s students and staff.
Lessebo Hand Paper Mill is located in Lessebo and is one of very few remaining commercially operated paper mills in Europe. At the request of the newly established naval base in Karlskrona, Lessebo Mill started paper production in 1693. Lessebo Hand Paper Mill received the award for Industrial Memory in 2016.