In 2022 and 2023, maritime archaeologists at Vrak conducted dives on three shipwrecks located in Uppsala County. This task was undertaken following a directive from the county administrative board, with the aim of providing antiquarian assessments and cultural-historical evaluations of these wrecks, which have now been designated as ancient monuments.
The steamships Vesta and War Fundy are two of these wrecks. They both sank after 1850 and so were not automatically classified as ancient monuments, but now are.
The county administrative board declares shipwrecks to be ancient monuments if specific criteria are met, for example if the ship’s remains have great experiential value, an interesting history and cultural-historical value. The Board also assesses the potential of the remains to provide or convey knowledge as well as their cultural heritage context.
These two shipwrecks have now been declared ancient monuments, so diving is still permitted. However, legal protection prohibits anyone from damaging, touching or removing things from the wrecks. Similarly, the shipwrecks are protected in the event of any offshore installations. Learn more about this protection in the Heritage Conservation Act.
The steamship War Fundy was built in Canada in 1918 during the First World War. She was 76 metres long and 13 metres wide. She was a combined cargo steamer and passenger ship. She was built of wood, had electric lighting and a wireless telegraph. In September 1920, she ran aground at Grundkallen, northeast of Gräsö, and fortunately the entire crew was rescued.
This wreck is unusual because it is a wooden steamship that was built at a time of iron and steel shortages after the First World War. It is sometimes described as one of the best-preserved wrecks in the Baltic Sea – or the most beautiful wreck in the Baltic Sea.
One of the reasons why War Fundy was declared an ancient monument is precisely because it is representative of the period around the First World War and is exceptionally preserved.
