Didn’t Erik Lukasson realize his love for Helena Gustafsdotter would name a whole district? That is the story of Helenelund. It is the southernmost part of Sollentuna. Helenelund includes areas like Kummelby, Edsviken and Silverdal.
Let’s delve into Helenelund’s past. In 1840 Erik Lukasson lived with his wife Helena. They lived at the Lenalund farm. It was named after Helena. Locals called it Helenelund or Lenalund. The little cottage still stands on Lenalundsvägen.
In 1918 AB Upplandshem bought Edsberg’s estate. They divided it into plots. These plots were sold for private homes. Helenelund got its first railway stop in 1922. This made travel to Stockholm easy. Villa construction took off. The area near Edsviken became Edsviken villastad. The area west of the railway became Eriksbergs villastad.
The area between these villa towns was built up in the 1920s and 1930s. By the 1940s it was mostly complete. In the 1960s construction boomed again. Apartment buildings were built west of the train station. Helenelund’s center began construction in 1967. It included shops and more apartments. Tegelhagen was built in the late 1970s.
Helenelund is changing. The area between the station and highway is being developed. A square is planned for the Tvärbanan tram line. Buildings up to sixteen stories are also planned.
Helenelund has several churches. Kummelby Church and Silverdalskapellet belong to the Swedish Church. Helenelundskyrkan belongs to Evangeliska Frikyrkan. It was built in 1936 as a cinema. In 1941 Södra Sollentuna Baptist Church was formed. Around 2007 Sollentuna Baptist Church joined Elimkyrkan in Stockholm. Later Helenelundskyrkan became part of Korskyrkan. Since 2015 it is part of New Life.
Since 1999 Helenelund has been home to Stockholm’s first Hindu temple. It is called Hindu Mandir.
Helenelund Station is part of Stockholm’s commuter train network. It opened in 1922. The current station was built in 1994. It is close to the Kista office area. You can reach central Stockholm in ten minutes by train from Helenelund.
Ten bus lines serve Helenelund. Most run along Sollentunavägen or past the train station. Helenelund is planned to be the end station for the Tvärbanan tram line. Construction started in 2018. Traffic is expected to start around 2023.
Several schools are in Helenelund. These include Futuraskolan Rådan and Helenelundsskolan. There is also Silverbäckens skola and Tegelhagens skola. Additionally there are Silverdalsskolan schools. One Silverdalsskolan is for students with Asperger’s.
Sollentuna Södra Scoutkår is one of Sweden’s largest scout groups. They have a scout house in Tegelhagen. Their boathouse is in Edsviken. Helenelunds IK is a bandy club in division 1. They used to play at Helenelunds IP. Now they play at Sollentunavallen.
Don’t miss Kummelbystenen near Kummelby Church. Remember Helena who gave Helenelund its name. Her legacy lives on in this vibrant community.