Hästhagen

1896. A flickering light danced across a canvas in Pilstorpsparken, within the future boundaries of Hästhagen. This marked the first time film was shown in Sweden. A marvel at the Nordiska Industri- och slöjdutställningen. Today, Hästhagen is a blend of schools and residences, nestled in Malmö’s Västra Innerstaden. Hästhagen’s story truly begins in the early 1900s. Before that, it was primarily donation land and pasture, dotted with small farms. While Sankt Petri skola was built in 1908, Hästhagen’s real transformation started with the Baltic Exhibition in 1914. Grand Hotel Fersen arose to accommodate guests. By 1922, the Swedish Sugar Company’s building, a testament to National Romantic architecture, graced the landscape. Hästhagen’s streets whisper tales of Swedish imperial might. Names like Carl Gustafs väg, Banérsgatan, and Fersens väg echo this grandeur. The area even boasts two high schools: Malmö Borgarskola and Sankt Petri skola. Between them lies Simhallsbadet, the local swimming hall. Hästhagen’s preschool and Sankta Elisabeth preschool, connected to the Catholic parish, also call this area home. Pilstorpsparken offers a green respite, complemented by the leafy school grounds. The architecture here showcases a mix of National Romanticism, Nordic Classicism, and Functionalism, predominantly in apartment buildings built between 1910 and 1940. Later additions include Simhallsbadet in the 1950s and the Sydkraft office building (now E-on) in 1984. Hästhagen is easily accessible by bus. Lines 4, 1, and 150 serve the area, connecting it to the city center and beyond. As you stroll through Hästhagen, imagine the quiet fields that once existed here, transformed by exhibitions and city planning into a vibrant mix of education, residences, and green spaces.