Bommersvik
Parts of the college grounds encompass a conference centre and recreational facilities that are extensively used by social democratic organizations both in Sweden and abroad.
The college was formed for the SSU and the Swedish Social Democratic Party to educate and train the next generation of trade union and political leaders by establishing an institution of higher learning to instruct young social democrats on political matters such as trade union agreements and laws.
The backgrounds of the professors teaching at the college vary and, depending on the course, lecturers can be recruited from the party and from the unions and labour movement.
In 1934, ideas about creating a college for the Youth League began to form after Ivan Ohlson, one of the great leaders of the Swedish Labor movement, became inspired following a study trip to the Netherlands and Belgium and in 1936 work commenced to find an appropriate building.
Ivan Ohlson went on a late summer day to Bommersvik, with its beautiful natural surroundings, was sufficiently impressed with the place and recommended it as the future location for the school.
Only through a fundraising drive among the members and other organisations within the Labor Movement, including the social democratic women's association, the party and trade unions etc.
For example, Olof Palme has donated to the school the majority of the vases from the Ming Dynasty, the stuffed remains of a tiger and a gold statue of an Inca god.
In the college, students learn about criticism of society and there also exist pictures of famous artists that created fine portraits of well-known social democrats.
Many high echelon social democratic party officials have traditionally visited the place and many important meetings were scheduled in Bommersvik.
Many famous social democrats from other countries have visited Bommersvik through the years, including Shimon Peres, Neil Kinnock, Willy Brandt, Trygve Bratteli, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Kalevi Sorsa, Mário Soares, François Mitterrand and Bruno Kreisky.
