In 1997, Sweden's only museum opened in an underground defense facility from World War II.

The history of the Museum of Preparedness begins in the spring of 1940, during a time when Sweden feared that World War II would spread across the Sound. The coastal defense facility, Battery Helsingborg, was built at record speed, with construction starting on April 27, 1940, and reporting Ready for battle! on June 7, 1940. Battery Helsingborg became an important part of the Swedish defense until the early 1990s. At that time, the facility was dismantled along with large parts of the Swedish invasion defense. Battery Helsingborg was sealed and quickly fell into oblivion. The idea was that it would remain that way.

In the fall of 1996, Battery Helsingborg was brought to the attention again. A young couple, Johan and Marie Andrée, decided against all odds to excavate the sealed facility and open a museum, the Preparedness Museum.

You can read the whole story of how the Preparedness Museum started, was built up, developed, was forced to fight against government competition, preserved the significance of A Swedish Tiger and was finally anchored for all time in Djuramossa here at preparednessmuseum.com.

Read the digital book "A Swedish Tiger - The Story of the Emergency Preparedness Museum" here!

During the work, a network of people also grew around the project. Former soldiers, veterans, those interested in local history and volunteers began to contribute knowledge, objects and stories. Slowly but surely, the museum grew out of the clay soil of Skåne.

Read more about the volunteers here!

Read more about the museum's founders, Marie and Johan Andrée, here!

A warm welcome to Djuramåsa and the Emergency Preparedness Museum!