In the beginning of the 1990s the AFU board became
increasingly aware of that we represented the third generation ufologists. Many
investigators of the 1950s and 60s had disappeared from the scene and local
groups had folded. This meant that personal and organizational UFO archives
were scattered around Sweden and, in some instances, perhaps disposed. This
realization initiated a concentrated effort to contact as many former
ufologists as possible. An undertaking that proved very successful as almost
all people contacted donated their collections of books, magazines, clippings,
photos, organizational files, correspondence etc. AFU during this period developed from a
simple UFO lending library to an archive institution. On November 19, 1990 the
AFU board celebrated a ten year anniversary in our premises in Norrköping.
Celebration with UFO cake, November 19, 1990. From left Sven-Olov Svensson, Anders Liljegren, Clas Svahn
The national organization UFO-Sweden faced many
problems towards the end of the 1980s. Local groups disappeared and there was a
lack of entusiasm coupled with internal struggles between various ideological
factions within the organization. This crisis reached its peak at the 1991 annual
conference. Would the members vote for a science-based research organization or
a New Age missionary ideology? The first option won with much support and journalist
and ufologist Clas Svahn was elected the new chairman of UFO-Sweden. This was a
watershed moment in Swedish UFO history as Clas Svahn now formulated the new
ideological position of UFO-Sweden, labelled the Third Way Ufology: Neither
naive belief nor debunking skepticism but an open mind to various theories and
claims based on critical investigation and empirical data.
Clas Svahn at UFO-Sweden board meeting October 12, 1996
By 1992 AFU was so well known and established that
we began receiving collections of material also from our Nordic countries. The
Danish UFO organization SUFOI donated a very extensive collection of magazines.
The personal and organizational files were growing fast so we understood that
soon a second premises would be necessary. Our 38 square meters simply couldn´t
house all incoming items. In January 1992 we found a possible solution nearby. It
was still used as an archive by the real-estate company who owned the premises
so we had to wait until they could find a new archive facility. But during the Spring
of 1993 we could finally begin renovating the new 75 square meters and in July
part of the archive was moved from the old premises.
Working in the old premises October 10, 1992
Anders Liljegren´s lady Barbro, painting our new premises, May 10, 1993
On October 31, 1993 the
new facility was celebrated with an inauguration party involving ufologists
from all over Sweden who enjoyed our Russian Champagne. To cover the expenses
for our new premises we succeeded in creating a pool of idealistic sponsors,
donating a small sum of money each month.
Inauguration party
Our new premises, Autumn 1993
1993 proved to be a peak activity year for AFU. Between
January 23 – February 28 we arranged a large UFO exhibition at the Norrköping
City Museum. The exhibition, UFO – främlingar från stjärnorna? (UFOs –
Strangers From The Stars?) resulted in very extensive media coverage.
In 1993 the Swedish government introduced a project
called ALU, Arbetslivsutveckling, making it possible for unemployed people to
work six months at organizations etc, with the salary paid by the government.
In March 1993 we applied for an ALU project and had no problem getting it. This
gave us the possibility of hiring unemployed ufologists or other people
interested in our subject to work at AFU. The first person to be engaged was
Swedish ufologist Jörgen Granlie, who for several months coded UFO reports in
our database ScanCat. Between 1993-1998 some 40 people worked on ALU projects
at the archive. From an international perspective this was an unique
opportunity to have a staff of people working full time at a UFO organization.
Unheard of as far as I know.
Viewing the UFO exhibition, February 1993
ALU staff at work, June 1994
As we now officially regarded AFU as an archive, in
1993 we became members of two Swedish archive associations, Östergötlands
Arkivförbund (ÖLFA) and Folkrörelsernas Arkivförbund (FA). On October 23, 1993
The Board of Private Archives of the National Archives in Stockholm decided to
grant us 6,500 SEK to pay for working material connected to our ALU projects. This
was our first recognition as a serious archive institution and our first grant
from the Swedish authorities. My first UFO book UFO – i myt och verklighet (UFO –
in Myth and Reality) was published in December 1993, receiving favorable
reviews and copies were purchased by most of the Swedish public libraries. In 1995 Clas Svahn´s thorough investigation and documentation of the Gösta Carlsson close encounter and contact case was published. Today a classic in Swedish UFO literature.
Our first international guest was Hilary Evans, who visited
us in October 1996. We had many interesting discussions about UFO and
paranormal phenomena. Although a skeptic regarding UFO he was very open to the
idea of phenomena hitherto unknown. Hilary Evans many years later donated his
entire archive to AFU and was also the donor who inspired us to change the AFU
acronym to Archives for the Unexplained. In 1998 AFU was visisted by Timothy
Good, who donated 12,000 SEK. A very welcome contribution.
With Hilary Evans at AFU, October 7, 1996
Hilary Evans
My AFU colleague Anders Liljegren often, in a
friendly and good-natured spirit, poke fun at my historical flashbacks. Anders have dubbed
me The Knight of Nostalgia. Not a bad title at all, in my view. As I often have
reiterated: Without libraries and archives we have no history, only anecdotes,
myths and hazy memories. Without archives and libraries serious and scientific
research becomes very difficult and in some areas almost impossible. If we
don´t learn from history we will continue making the same mistakes or once
again trying to reinvent the wheel. AFU is our legacy to the future.
