German student to administer remote Swedish island for a year

Miriam Wiskemann, a 27-year-old German student, has been chosen to manage a remote Swedish island for a year. She is one of five international participants in the "Your Swedish Island" project, launched by the Swedish Tourism Office. The initiative attracted 2,242 applicants from 100 countries.

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I still can't believe I'll be the official administrator of the Swedish island Marsten for a year!! (Don't worry, I'm not moving there... believe me, I would if it were possible! But there's no house on the island).

Wiskemann, originally from Düsseldorf, will oversee the island of Marsten, located about six kilometers off Sweden's west coast. The island is small, approximately 180 meters long and 50 meters wide, and is primarily inhabited by cormorant colonies. Access is limited to kayaks or paddleboards. There are no specific obligations associated with managing the island, other than respecting public access rights for visitors.

While Wiskemann will not live on the island due to the lack of accommodation, she plans to visit it with a friend in late summer. She views the experience itself as the main prize. In addition to the symbolic title of island administrator, she will receive a travel voucher worth 20,000 Swedish kronor (approximately $2,135).

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The main prize is the journey itself to get there.

Wiskemann, an illustrator and student at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle, Germany, intends to incorporate her island experience into her thesis. She expressed her excitement on Instagram, promising to take good care of her "little island."

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I promise I will take care of my little island!