There she stands facing Hisingen and looks out over the water. The grieving sailor's wife who sees her husband go to sea. When will he come back believe?
History
The Sjömanstornet was built at the same time as the Maritime Museum Aquarium.
The tower was inaugurated in 1933 and was designed by the architect Karl M Bengtsson, who also designed the museum building. The woman at the top is the work of Ivar Johnsson. The bronze sculpture is also usually called the Sailor's Wife, but the actual work is called "Woman by the Sea". She is five meters high and stands 49 meters above sea level. She arrived on site a year after the tower was finished.
Symbol
The sculpture is a symbol of the thoughts and prayers of those at home.
On the plinth are engraved 690 names of Swedish sailors who perished during the First World War. Their names are placed next to the ships they were on. A total of 690 sailors died on 98 different ships.
Some other information
The sailor's wife stands and looks out towards Hisingen and not the sea. Surely she should stand and look out over the sea instead, one might think. But she has actually always stood with her head in the same direction. It was intended that she could be seen in profile both from the sea and from the city.
Was inaugurated
The tower was inaugurated on the same day as the Maritime Museum, 14 July 1933, by King Gustaf V.
View from the top
Inside the tower there are 194 steps that you can climb to the top of the tower. Note! It is not certain that the top is always open.