Plaque commemorating 150 years of the Lund Carnival

About the artwork

The Lund Carnival (Lundakarnevalen) is a major student festival held every four years. The first official carnival took place in 1849, when students from the Småland nation organised a mock peasant wedding procession through the city. This event marked the beginning of a tradition that has since grown into a recurring folk festival. From the late 19th century, the four-year interval known as the karnevad was established and still applies today.

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 1849, and ending with an arrow towards the present day bearing the text “You are approximately here”. The plaque is both a playful nod to world history and a tribute to Lund’s unique student tradition.

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. As a student, he was active in the Lundaspexarna theatre group, taking on many leading roles. One of his most famous performances was the "Blankett Song" 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.