Saab 96 bonnet in the forest of Ryd, Sweden by Christoph Jirjahlke

About "Saab 96 bonnet in the forest of Ryd, Sweden"

by Christoph Jirjahlke

About the artwork

Kyrkö Mosse car cemetery near the village of Ryd in Sweden.

The inhabitants of the area simply parked their old cars in the forest - and left them to the wind and weather. In the meantime, the wild car graveyard near the village of Ryd in Småland, Sweden, has become a tourist attraction. Here you can find vehicles that seem to have fallen out of the world.

This is not a place that will last. In 30 years, this tourist attraction will have disappeared. That is happening here now - and it is the process that is so interesting. That's why many tourists come back here year after year to watch the changes.

There's no doubt about it: the car graveyard brings visitors to the somewhat sleepy town of Ryd and its surroundings. But they change Kyrkö Mosse. Not always for the best.

What would Åke, the founder, say if he were still alive?
I think he would shrug his shoulders. He probably wouldn't think too much about it. He has done something good, many people think he deserves an environmental award. He's found supporters everywhere, he hasn't done something bad, he's done something good - that's great - people all over the world are interested in this place and this insignificant man - Åke has become almost as famous as Elvis Presley.

In fact, Åke's scrap collection was initially perceived as a major environmental problem after he left the car graveyard in 1992 and moved into a care home. Recovering all the wrecks from the bog would be very complicated - too complicated. In the end, the authorities followed the lead of some very committed citizens who had recognised the uniqueness of the site - in a positive sense. Kyrkö Mosse is now marketed by the local tourist offices.

The picture is from a series of 277 photos that I took with a Nikon D3 and a Nikkor 2/35 mm in summer 2019.