The government has decided that the National Heritage Board will strengthen the protection of cultural heritage through contingency planning. The decision is included in the appropriation directive for 2025 and encompasses measures such as securing evacuation storage and transport to protect valuable cultural objects during heightened readiness or war. The agency is allocated 19 million SEK for the work in 2025.

– The destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage has highlighted the need to protect cultural objects in Sweden during heightened readiness and ultimately war, says Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand (M), according to a press release from the Ministry of Culture.

The measures are in line with the Defense Commission's interim report Kraftsamling, which points to the need for alternative storage solutions in wartime situations. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) has previously recommended substitute storage and transport capacity as prioritized measures to protect cultural heritage.

– Sweden's cultural heritage is fundamentally a part of our country's identity and history. Therefore, it must also be safeguarded, regardless of the challenges the future may bring. As the government now accelerates the development of civil defense, the cultural heritage sector is a natural component, and today's announcement is a testament to this, says Minister for Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M), in the same press release.

In addition to this year's investment, the government allocates 26 million SEK for 2026 and 39 million SEK for 2027, as part of the work to develop civil defense.