Plaque commemorating 150 years of the Lund Carnival
At Ulrikedalsvägen 8A you can see a bronze plaque created by Christer Liljemark. The plaque was installed in 1999 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Lund Carnival and humorously reflects the carnival’s place in history.
About the artwork
The Lund Carnival (Lundakarnevalen) is a major student festival held in Lund every four years. The first official carnival took place in 1849, when students from Småland nation organised a humorous mock peasant wedding procession through the city. This event marked the beginning of a tradition that has since grown into a large public celebration. Since the late nineteenth century the carnival has been held every four years, a cycle known as a karnevad.
When the carnival celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1999, former carnival generals took the initiative to create a commemorative plaque. The motif is a humorous timeline stretching from the Exodus from Egypt (1200 BC), via the conquests of Alexander the Great (331 BC) and the raids of Genghis Khan (1215), on to the students of Lund and their first carnival procession in Lund in 1849.
The timeline ends with an arrow pointing to the present day and the text: “You are approximately here”. The plaque is both a playful reference to world history and a tribute to Lund’s unique student tradition.
Why is the plaque located here?
The location is no coincidence. During the first Lund Carnival in 1849, students marched from the tavern Finkelborg on Bredgatan through Lund and onwards to the spa pavilion in Lilla Råby.
Today this corresponds to Ulrikedalsvägen 8, exactly where the plaque is placed. This was where the very first carnival procession reached its final destination.
The artist behind the plaque
Christer Liljemark (1943–2021) was an architect and illustrator. He grew up in Malmö and began studying architecture in Lund during the 1960s.
During his studies he was active in the Lund student spex theatre (Lundaspexarna) and performed several major roles on stage. One of his most well-known numbers was “Blankettvisan” from the 1974 carnival revue.
Liljemark was also a member of the Uarda Academy, where he served as both secretary and writer. He illustrated the Uarda Academy’s dictionary and worked at the Malmö City Planning Office.