Not many people know that Lars Johan Hierta (also the founder of the newspaper Aftonbladet) was also the man behind the Liljeholmens Stearin factory. Hierta took the stearin to Sweden in 1839 after a trip to England. In London, he was struck by the beautiful candles that neither ran nor oozed but burned with a high flame and a pleasant light. The "enhanced light substance" was developed into an important light source that still exists in our everyday lives, though more often as mood enhancers.
As the name reveals, productions started in a small wooden house in Liljeholmen in Stockholm. Initially, the production was crafty and small; the relatively expensive candles were sold only on a limited scale. As new manufacturing methods were used, production became larger and more efficient.
Since the 1970s, the production has been taking place in Oskarshamn, and the Liljeholmens Stearin factory is today the world's largest manufacturer of candles. It is also one of Sweden's oldest companies still in operation!
The quality of the lights is still as high. The candles are Nordic Ecolabeled and made of 100% candle. Thanks to the oxygen-rich candle, the candles still do not run or ooze when lit. The wick in braided cotton is specially impregnated and the candles burn with a large, beautiful and soot-free flame.
Photo 2: Photograph Axel Malmström, 1928. Stockholm's stadsmuseum.
