Hedeby

Hedeby is a fictional island featured in the 2009 mystery film The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo as well as its 2011 American remake, also titled, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

History
Hedeby is an island located in the country of Sweden. It lies across a strait about a mile or two from the town of Hedestad. It is a four-hour train ride from Stockholm. There is a single bridge that links Hedeby to the mainland. Hedeby Island is owned by the wealthy Vanger family. In the 1960s, when the Vangers were at the height of their opulence and power, Hedeby was the home of the Swedish elite. Following economic turmoil late in the decade, the family fortune began to steadily dwindle. By the late 2000s, only the family itself, their servants and a few municipal public servants remained on the island. The police superintendent in charge of Hedeby was a middle-aged detective named Gustav Morell.

The Vanger family owned several estates on Hedeby. This is owed largely to the fact that most of the family members could not stand one another. By the mid-2000s, the original family mansion was occupied by Henrik Vanger. Its only other resident was his maid, Anna Nygren. The caretaker of the entire Vanger estate was Gunnar Nilsson.

Henrik's only surviving brother, Harald, was a former member of the Hitler Youth and lived in his own house on the property. Nobody else lived with Harald due to common hatred for him and so he remained a recluse, though he did enjoy hunting on the estate.

Harald had two children, Cecilia and Anita. Anita left Sweden several years ago to get away from her family and became a successful businesswoman in London. Cecilia stayed behind, but like Anita, could not stand their father.

Henrik's late brother, Gottfried, who died in 1965, had two children, Martin and Harriet. Harriet disappeared in 1966 and Martin remained on the property, living in a modern house with his girlfriend. Although Martin seemed like the most amicable member of the Vanger clan, he above all, held the darkest secret. Martin was a serial rapist and murderer, who was abused and corrupted by his father Gottfried when he was sixteen-years-old. After his father died, Martin continued committing the same types of crimes that his father had. This is what ultimately led to his sister Harriet leaving Hedeby. For forty years, the family believed that she was dead. Only Martin knew the truth.

Films that take place in

 * Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The (2009)
 * Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The (2011)

Characters from

 * Anita Vanger
 * Birger Vanger
 * Cecilia Vanger
 * Gunnar Braanlund
 * Gustav Morell
 * Harald Vanger
 * Harriet Vanger
 * Henrik Vanger
 * Isabella Vanger
 * Martin Vanger