Skulptur till Ulla

Have you heard of Ulla Billquist? She was Sweden’s most popular singer during World War II. As a wartime touring artist, she performed in folk parks throughout the country and was very productive as a gramophone singer, with no less than 358 recordings between 1929 and 1946. She is best known for her 1940 recording of the song Min soldat (My Soldier).

In 1946, Ulla Billquist committed suicide. She was then at the peak of her career. She was married three times to different men, but there have always been suspicions of a homosexual love life that she felt forced to conceal from the intolerant public of her time.

As a child, she lived here in the neighbourhood surrounding Ulla Billquist’s Park. The park used to be a folk park, and Billquist also performed here several times. The park is now named after her and Örebro Municipality had a sculpture erected here in her memory. It was made by Börje Wahlström from Årjäng in Dalsland. He was a painter and sculptor and most often worked in stone. For this commission, he was inspired by the site’s history and created a rendering of a folk park pavilion in the form of a small stage made of stone.

The sculpture is lit up in the evenings and is positioned between two enormous chestnut trees in the park. The stage itself is very small, with only enough room for one person. You can stand in it and think about Ulla and about the folk park evenings that have taken place right here.

Sculpture for Ulla is part of the Lilla Å sculpture riverwalk and while you’re here, you can take the opportunity to see if there is an exhibition going on in the Lux pavilion down by the water.