The Blidö War

In the early 1910s, the Blidö district was shaken by a conflict in which the archipelago residents fought for better boat traffic connections to the islands in Blidösundet.

The steamboat Blidösund

S/S Blidösund is launched in 1911

In the early 1900s, the people of Blidö were dissatisfied with Waxholmsbolaget’s monopoly on boat traffic. During the summer, there were comfortable ships, but the service was poor the rest of the year. When the Waxholm III, a slower ship, started operating during the summer as well, discontent reached its peak. To improve the situation, the people of Blidö raised money, and an invitation to subscribe for shares in their own shipping company was launched in 1908. In 1911, the steamship S/S Blidösund was launched. Now, there would be a more reliable boat service for the people of Blidö through S/S Blidösund.

Blidökriget begins

When Blidösund began operating in the area, the opposition to Waxholmsbolaget intensified. The people of Blidö acted as “gatekeepers” by sitting on the posts at the piers when Waxholmsbolaget’s ships would arrive.

One of these gatekeepers was Ingeborg Bergman. Born in 1885, she guarded Glyxnäs pier on several occasions in this manner. Two other residents of Glyxnäs, Bror August Hellberg and Reinhold Jansson, also participated. Bror August writes in his diary: “Waxholm III couldn’t dock because Reinhold and I sat on the posts. No passengers got on or off Waxholm III, good hurrah.” Waxholmsbolaget then tried to dock at cliffs instead of private piers, but the resourceful residents of Blidö greased the rocks, making it dangerous to attempt landing. The so-called “Blidö War” had thus begun, with insults and mutual defamation. S/S Blidösund was greeted with flags and cheers at the piers, while passengers of Waxholmsbolaget had to listen to boos and catcalls.

Intense competition and the struggle of the people of Blidö

The competition between the shipping companies became intense, and ticket prices were driven down. Just two years after S/S Blidösund was put into service, in 1913, an agreement was reached for a common fare, but the support for Blidösundsbolaget continued. Guesthouse owners and businesspeople refused to rent out rooms unless their guests traveled with S/S Blidösund.

The Blidö War is a story of local resilience and unity. When you step aboard S/S Blidösund, you are taking a journey back to a time when the inhabitants shaped their own future and fought for better boat connections in the archipelago.