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Morokulien infocentre
Morokulien
Infocentre,
Eda
Historical
border
Ann-Louise Axelsson is stan-
ding with one foot in Sweden
and one in Norway. The
border runs straight through
the Morokulien Infocentre.
– The border attracts a lot of people, she
says. It’s a meeting point for people from
all over the world. A historical place with
peace as the common denominator.
– This was a no man’s land until 1914
when a peace monument was erected in
memory of the 100-year peace between the
countries, Ann-Louise Axelsson informs
us, who has been working at the Tourist
Office and Infocentre in Morokulien for
22 years. 12,000 people came here for the
opening, and so this place of peace, which
became a republic of peace in 1959, was
founded.
She gets daily proof that the border
is a popular place to visit.
– It’s a natural place to stop for
many people. People who travel between
Stockholm and Oslo usually stop for a
longer break along the road – and that’s
here in Morokulien.
– Here they can fill up on petrol, get
something to eat, have a coffee, use the
loos, exchange money, get their VAT
refund, go for a walk and look at the
historical sights in the area.
The Republic of Peace has its own
attributes. If you want to send a letter or
a postcard, you can still get it stamped
by hand with “Morokulien” before you
put it in either the yellow or the red
mailbox. You can also become a citizen of
Morokulien and buy a passport to prove it.
The Infocentre was opened
in 1996 and
is unique in that the border runs straight
through the building. It has been clearly
marked out on both the floor and on the
ceiling. The building also houses a larger
facility for daytime conferences. It seats
about 60 people in cinema layout or 40
when laid out for discussions.
For a few days around 16 August 2014,
an anniversary will be held to mark the
200-year-old peace between Norway and
Sweden and the 100th anniversary of the
Peace Monument.
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