The Fjäderholmarna are first mentioned in official documents from 1381, when Bo Johnsson Grip, the viceroy of Sweden, bought large areas of Lidingö together with “waestra fyertholman” (West Fjäderholm).  At that time, Stora Fjäderholmen was the only one of the four Fjäderholm-islands that was visible above the waterline.

Over the centuries, the main island’s name has changed.  In 1617 it was called Fjäderholmen, in 1691 Fierderholmarna, and at the start of the 19th century it became Fjärholmarna or Fjäderholmarne.

The next biggest island, Ängsholmen (“The meadow island”), was still made up of two islands until the early 20th century.  The eastern part was known as Lillholmen (“The little island”) or Irland (Ireland!), and the larger, western part was called Storholmen (“The big island”) or Skottland (that’s right, Scotland!).

To the east of Ängsholmen lies Libertas.  It is also known as Gröne Jägaren (“The Green Hunter”).  Both these names probably come from ships that went aground in that area.

Rövarns holme (“The bandit’s island”) first appeared around 1910, after stone was dumped there during building work on the Saltsjöbanan railway line.  The name comes from a man called Rövarn (The Bandit), who lived on the island until the 1930’s.  Rövarn supported himself by emptying latrines.

Exactly when Fjäderholmarna was first inhabited is hard to say.  The earliest settlements probably came fairly late.  In 1699, it was said of Fjäderholmarna that,”There is neither wood to light a fire, nor grazing to feed a cow”.  

According to Lidingö’s 1862 population register, 30 people lived on the Fjäderholmarna.  Among them was a cooper, a carpenter, a craftsman and four labourers.

On a map dated 1699, an inn called “Fjäderholms krog” is shown, on the main island, Stora Fjäderholmen.  This was the last in a long chain of inns that lay along the shipping routes into Stockholm.

During the late 19th century, an observation tower was situated on Stora Fjäderholmen’s southernmost tip.  This was later refurbished and made into a restaurant, “Grand Restaurant Bellevue”, and could take up to 550 guests.  The restaurant was later demolished when the Navy took over the islands.

One colourful episode in the history of the Fjäderholmarna is the so-called “Brännvinskriget” (Vodka war).  This raged in Stockholm between the state-run alcohol monopoly and the “Vodka King” L. O. Smith, during a ten-year period at the end of the 1870s.  Buyers were promised free transport and spirits were sold in bulk or single units.  Over one nine-month period, Smith sold over a million litres of his “tiodubblet renade” (Ten-times-refined) vodka.  Boats with cosy heated lounges departed at least twice an hour from Stockholm.

The Fjäderholmarna were bought by Stockholm’s City Council in 1849 in order to build a sanitation works and storage facility for sewage.  What is now known as Ängsholmen was chosen as the site.   Complaints about the stench were common, from steamboat passengers and even people living on Lidingö.  The sewage stopped being dumped here at the end of the 1880s.

From 1918 to 1976, the Navy took over the islands, and landing here was made illegal.

In 1982, the Fjäderholmarna were made the responsibility of the “Kungliga Djurgårdens Förvaltning” (Royal Djurgården Trust).  After substantial renovation, Stora Fjäderholmen was reopened with restaurants, cafés, craftsmen, museums, marina and more.

The Fjäderholmarna are part of the “Nationalstadsparken”, a unique National Park with urban elements.