As early as 1872, August Abrahamson and his nephew Otto Salomon started a work school with crafts on the timetable for boys, and a couple of years later for girls. In 1874, a “Higher Division” for craft pedagogy was established for those over 18, and this became Nääs Craft Teacher Training College. At first, residents of Älvsborg County were welcome, but from 1880 everyone was welcome at Nääs regardless of where they came from—even foreigners. The school went on to train teachers from large parts of the world in crafts and handicrafts, and was called “Sweden’s window to the world”. The most important thing for students at Nääs was the knowledge and theory behind educational crafts. The college at Nääs became a centre for crafts and handicrafts and was enormously successful and popular. On one course occasion, nineteen different nationalities took part. At first, courses were mainly in woodwork, but later, among other things, “Play Courses” and “Gardening Courses” were also held.
From 1882, women were allowed to take part in all courses. Around 1900, about 40% of those attending the woodwork courses at Nääs were women. There were also many female teachers and a couple of female heads. That men and women at Nääs worked and taught side by side was considered unusual and by some not morally appropriate. It was sensational that women were granted access to Nääs, and there was open criticism. But Salomon was not alone in seeing women’s engagement in the areas opened to them as a sign of the times of independence and emancipation. In the 1890s, Salomon took a clear stand in support of women’s role in educational work, and Nääs became an important arena for women to assert and defend their place in teaching.
Would you like to know more?
In the old college building there is a lovely little museum that tells the story of the activities. You are welcome to book a guided tour of the museum and the college area. For more information, email info@naas.se or call 0302-30898.
HERE in the digital exhibition SWEDEN’S WINDOW TO THE WORLD you will find more information about Nääs Craft Teacher Training College. This is part of the digital platform Prisma Västragötaland, where there are images and stories about Västra Götaland’s industrial history. Here you will also find NÄÄS CRAFT TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE – HOUSE BY HOUSE which shows and tells the story of all the buildings in Nääs’ college area.
Today, the course programme is more active than ever, with a wide range of courses in crafts, building conservation, arts and crafts, and folk culture. The courses at Nääs are organised in collaboration with Västarvet, which runs Slöjd & Byggnadsvård within the Västra Götaland Region in collaboration with Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan in Lerum.
