History of Klädesholmen
When Marstrand was granted town privileges, the king at the time decreed that ten islands north of Marstrand were to be settled. As early as 1594, Bishop Jens Nilssøn wrote in his visitation report about Klädesholmen, describing it as “an old fishing village.”
Like most island and coastal communities, Klädesholmen experienced significant growth during the Great Herring Period of 1748–1808. The population increased substantially, and seasonal workers were also employed at the herring salting houses and cod-liver oil rendering plants.
Herring fishing takes place during the winter months, and farmhands and maids from Inland, Västergötland, and Halland worked here during the agricultural off-season. There was something of a “Klondike” atmosphere on the island, with all that entailed. The harbor, then located in Holmefjorden, was filled with boats from near and far, collecting salted herring and oil for transport throughout Europe.
During the great herring period, the church was built — today it is Tjörn’s oldest church still in use. It was financed entirely through private donations.
In 1808, it ended — the herring disappeared. The community declined dramatically. By 1830, the population had dropped to just over three hundred. The County Governor organized a private fundraising effort for the residents of Klädesholmen, who were said to be “living worse than rats.”
Recovery began in 1861, when two men from Klädesholmen learned that there were rich fishing grounds near Storeggen (Ålesund). As a result, many boats headed north toward Norway.
When the herring once again returned to the coast during the latter half of the 19th century, the fish processing industry began to take shape. In the larger warehouses that were built at that time, herring was salted and fish processed. Fish preparation became very extensive, and virtually all of today’s factories originally began as fish processing operations.
Around the turn of the century, smaller vessels known as “yachts” (jakts) were acquired. With these boats, traders visited most Swedish ports. From the boats, they sold their products — cod, salted herring, and more. Normally, they made a couple of trading voyages per year, although sometimes the boat would remain in one place for a longer period.
At the turn of the century, people began learning the art of spicing herring and sprat, and started selling herring fillets and anchovy-style products. The knowledge of spicing was acquired by purchasing recipes from wholesale companies. However, the clearest traditions in herring spicing can be traced to Norway, which was something of a pioneer in this field.
Since 1970, only pickled herring products have been produced. Fish processing ended that year. However, over time other products and preserves have also been made, including sardines, mackerel, lobster, shrimp, crayfish, caviar, peas, carrots, fish balls, and plums.
The history of Klädesholmen has been compiled by Per-Eric Stavfeldt.
