Ädelfors Hotel and Conference

The history of Ädelfors is an exciting journey. From the discovery of a health spring to the vision of a folk high school for the labor movement. Today, it is an impressive facility with a hotel, conference center, and folk high school.

Mikael Johansson

Hotel and Conference Manager

Our History

In November 1956, around 30 representatives of the labor movement in Jönköping County decided to start a folk high school in Ädelfors, east of Vetlanda.

The reason was that it was considered necessary to have a folk high school for the Social Democratic Party and the trade unions. The school was located at the manor house (pictured), which was rented from a holiday home association. According to a persistent old rumor, the house had been Gustav III's hunting lodge, but this can be dismissed as a legend.

The first principal of Ädelfors folkhögskola was named Jerry Hellgren. In October 1957, teaching began with 30 course participants. By the end of the 1960s, the need for a new school building increased. The old manor house functioned poorly as a place of learning - it could not be modernized or expanded due to cultural heritage designation and had only two classrooms.

In 1972, the school moved into newly built premises in the nearby community of Holsbybrunn, but the name Ädelfors folkhögskola School remained. During the 1970s, the number of union short courses increased significantly and new long courses were added. The school was continuously expanded over the years. In 1978, Sten Ingvar Nilsson became the principal. He initiated the focus that, along with union short courses, is associated with Ädelfors: accessibility for participants with disabilities in all courses and short courses. In 1990, the new activity center was inaugurated, and the school took the form it has today.

Ädelfors folkhögskola started in 1957 with 30 participants with only a general line in two small classrooms. Today, the school is a facility of about 12,500 square meters with over 150 participants in eight different courses, a dormitory with about 100 residents, and a 3-star hotel and conference facility with 60 hotel rooms and a meeting capacity of 200 people. New groups have joined the latter: disability organizations, senior groups, businesses, and municipalities.

In the summers, approximately 400 people participate in various summer courses. The school has about 60 employees as well as several hourly and seasonal employees.

The Health Spring in Holsby

In 1770, a health spring was discovered in Holsby that would shape the future development of the area. Two years after the discovery, a bathhouse was built adjacent to the spring. Between 1852 and 1883, the business was owned by the Aschan family, who also owned the Kleva and Ädelfors mines. In 1883, the property was purchased by the merchant Johan Rudin from Eksjö. Between 1905 and 1957, the business was run by Rudin's son-in-law, Albert Hansson. During that time, a post office and railway station were established in the area. In 1906, the railway line between Målilla and Vetlanda was inaugurated. At this time, Holsbybrunn had three railway stations, and the spring was a very popular excursion destination.

In 1920, the well was visited by 500-550 guests. During the end of World War II, the well operations were halted for a period, as the facility was temporarily used as a refugee camp. The first group of refugees came from the Baltics, and 150 Jews from Germany also arrived here. In 1946, the well operations resumed. Albert's son, Hans Hansson, took over the operations in 1957 and ran the well until 1973. During that time, a major setback occurred when the restaurant burned down in 1965. Hansson then decided to establish a guesthouse operation with the restaurant relocated to the former bathhouse. In 1973, the well was taken over by the Torchbearers, who still run a Bible school and camp activities today