History
It all started in 1860 when Anna-Lena's mother's father's father's father, Erik Johansson, began working as lighthouse keeper at the very newly built lighthouse. The next person in line was his son Johan Gustav Eriksson, who took over the positoin in 1909. Johan's son Harry Eriksson, Anna-Lena's grandfather, then continued as lighthouse keeper until the beginning of the 50s when the lighthouse was automated. After that, until his retirement in 1967 he worked with other tasks such as e.g. taking care navigation markers.
Harry and Sonja lived permanently in the lighthous keepers cottage next to the lighthouse until 1973 when they built a more modern house with both running water and central heating a couple of hundred meters inland.
From then until the spring of 2003, the family rented Staviken's lighthouse as a holiday home. In 2003, Anna-Lena and her family were able to buy the lightgouse and other buildings from Vänerns Segelationsstyrelse and a new chapter in Staviks history began.
The picture on the right shows the second lighthouse keeper with wife, Johan and Lizette Eriksson and their sons Gustav, Harry and Erik, a few years after the turn of the century in 1900. They had two more sons later, David and Ture. The thierd lighthouse keeper, Harry, stands in the middle and is about 5 years old in this picture.
The lighthouse was built in 1860 by Vänerns Segelationsstyrelse (VSS) during an intense phase in the expansion of lighthouse operations and the ambition to increase the safety of shipping in Vänern. VSS was in operation between 1799 and 2004 when the Swedish Maritime Administration took over. In total there are 135 lighthouses in Vänern. Some of these are managed by VSS and others are managed directly by the ports around Vänern.
Stavik is one of four wooden tower lighthouses in Vänern. The others are Hjortens Udde, Skoghall and Smörhättan, all built between 1850 and 1860. In lake Vättern and the Baltic sea there are a couple more wooden lighthouses in a similar style.
The lighthouse was electrified in the early fifties, 220 volts with AGA gas as back up. The everyday maintenance then became more flexible and taking care of navigation markers in lake Vänern became a larger part of everyday life. In 1998, the lighthouse got its current set-up with a 12 V lamp, powered by 220 V and with battery backup.
On 1/4 2003, the first lighthouse keeper, Erik's son's son's daughter's daughter and family, bought the property including the lighthouse from VSS and is now lighthouse keepers in the fifth and sixth generation.
During the summer of 2003, we together with extended family and friends, renovated the lighthouse. The Eternite panels was taken down, the old wooden facade, all the windows, lantern, roof, door, etc. ras restored.
More facts about this can be seen under Renovation (in swedish).
De tre första generationerna på en bild, Erik och Gustava till vänster, Johan och Lizette och 3 av barnen till höger, och någon mer i mitten. Kanske besök av Lotsbefälhavaren för Seglationsstyrelsen?
Harry på Trappan tillsammans med Sonja och deras barn Anna-Greta och Solveig nån gång på 1940-talet.
