28/04/2026, Föreningen Kirunas Rötter (Kiruna Roots Association) Headquarters, Old City Town Kiruna, Sweden

Archive of the Everyday for Kiruna

Harald Ericson, 78 years old and originally from Malmberget (Sweden), moved to Kiruna in 1976 after completing his university studies at Uppsala University. In Kiruna, he began teaching at the People❜s High School, a school for adults who had interrupted their studies earlier in life and later decided to continue their education. There, he taught History, Sociology, Psychology and Social Sciences. Harald speaks with sadness about the ongoing urban transformation in Kiruna. After living in the same house for 34 years, he will now need to move due to the mining expansion. Although he has been offered him a new house, he still feels attached to his current home and unhappy with the replacement. One of the things he values most about his current home is the view of the mountains, namely Kebnekaise, Sweden❜s highest mountain, a landscape he will no longer be able to see from the new location. Harald connects these experiences to memories from his childhood in Malmberget, another mining town affected by relocation and demolition. After recently revisiting the area where he grew up, he found that much of it had disappeared. He also reflects on Kiruna❜s future, mentioning that some people come to the town temporarily to work for LKAB and then leave to reunite with their families. In his view, this means Kiruna may continue to lose population over time. Concerning about the new city centre, Harald mentions that young people seem to like the cafés, restaurants, shops and housing, although he feels disconnected from this new setting. Living in Luossavaara, Harald is now physically farther from the centre, which he used to easily reach on foot or by bicycle.