Sweden
Chronicles | Travel | Family | Etcetera

 

Chronicles
Up

TTFN

E-mail us:
home@
piperry.net
Swedish flag

Sweden (Sverige)
Early Swedish history was dominated by the conflict between northern and southern tribes.  Christianity was introduced only in the 9th century, and Olaf Skötkonung was the first Christian king.  King Eric IX, who conquered neighboring Finland in the 12th century, was later named Sweden's patron saint.
The Swedish aristocracy jealously guarded its privileges against the monarchy, forcing Albert of Mecklenburg to renounce the throne in favor of the Danish queen in 1389.  Danish authority was reinforced by the 1397 Union of Kalmar.
Swedish nobles rebelled against the Danes in 1520, and named one of their own king a few years later, although Denmark retained control of the southern part of the country.  King Gustav Vasa centralized royal authority and introduced Lutheranism as the state religion. Swedish royal coat-of-arms Sweden soon entered an era of expansion, acquiring Estonia and Livonia from Poland and denying Russian access to the Baltic.  Victory in the Thirty Years' War (1618-48) brought new territories in Germany, and Sweden wrested control of its southern provinces from Denmark in 1658.
The tables were turned after the Great Northern War (1700-21), when Russia, Poland, and Denmark ganged up on their northern neighbor.  In 1718, the Swedish monarch was forced to accept a constitution empowering the four estates (nobles, clergy, burghers, and peasants) in the government.  Sweden ceded Finland to Russia in 1809, but gained control of Norway in 1814. 
Sweden managed to maintain its neutrality throughout the 20th century, staying out of both World Wars, refusing to join NATO, and not entering the European Union until 1995.

Craig at the Nybroviken, one of Stockholm's many waterways

Stockholm

Sweden's capital occupies an archipelago where Lake Mälaren empties into the Baltic.

 Laura on the Strömbron bridge
View of the Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace) from Blasieholmen Stockholm's city seal features St. Erik, patron saint of Sweden Sightseeing boats moored near the Skeppsholmsbron bridge
  Nobelmuseet, on Stortorget, presents the history of the Nobel Prize  
Stortorget is the main square in the Gamla Stan (old town) Inside the Nobel Museum, honoring the recipients of this prestigious prize
The Kungliga Slottet is the largest royal palace in the world, with 608 rooms Yttre Borggården, outer courtyard of the Royal Palace Entrance to the Royal Palace from Slottsbacken, commemorating Charles XII Lions and soldiers stand guard over the northern entrance to the Royal Palace

Stockholm — "town of bridges" — is said to have been founded by the regent Birger Jarl in 1252.
Changing of the guard at the Kungliga Slottet Entrance to the Kungliga Myntkabinettet (Royal Coin Cabinet) opposite the palace Nearly two centuries of neutrality have allowed the Swedes to perfect ceremonies such as these
Historical architecture on Storkyrkobrinken street     Another interesting facade on Storkyrkobrinken street
View of the Storkyrkan down Storkyrkobrinken street
True to its name, modern Stockholm is built on 14 islands, connected by 57 bridges. We met up with Anastasia, a friend of ours from St. Petersburg who was studying in Sweden on an exchange program Many of the early inhabitants of this Hanseatic town were Germans engaged in trade.
  Behind the Storkyrkan, in the Slottsbacken  

 

   Telephone booth outside the Storkyrkan  
  Gamla Stan (Old Town) is centered on Stadsholmen, Riddarholmen, and Helgeandsholmen islands.  
Detail of the sculpture of "St. George and the Dragon" in the Storkyrkan Storkyrkan pulpit, carved in 1700 by Burchardt Precht The Silver Altar was donated to the Cathedral in the 1650s "Light Globes" such as this one are common motifs in Lutheran churches
Detail of the Royal Pews, designed in 1684 by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger The famous statue of St. George, by Berndt Notke of Lübeck, was unveiled in 1489 Detail of the vaulting in the Storkyrkan
  Reproduction of the Storkyrkan statue on Österlånggatan The Storkyrkan (Stockholm Cathedral), first mentioned in 1279, has been a Lutheran church since 1527. View of St. George from Österlånggatan  
   

 

 The sacrificial princess is an oft-overlooked object of George's quest    
The massive Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace) stands on the ruins of a medieval castle. The 13th-century Tre Kroner (Three Crowns) castle burned to the ground in 1697.
  Tower of the Tyska kyrka   Entrance to the Tyska kyrka (German church)   View of Tyska kyrka from Tyska Brinken street  
View of Söder Mälarstrand from the Södra Järnvägsbron bridge In 1520, Christian II, king of Denmark and Norway, enforced his claim to the Swedish throne.  Staging his coronation in Stockholm, he had a number of Swedish noblemen executed to strengthen his hold on power. Kornhamnstorg (Corn Market), at the southern tip of Stadsholmen island
  We rode the subway into Gamla Stan from our hotel south of town   Statue of Charles XIV John in the Karl Johans Torg  
Statue of Gustav Erik in front of the Riddarhuset Three years after the so-called Stockholm Massacre, the Swedes overthrew Danish rule. Birger Jarls, founder of the city, in the square that bears his name on Riddarholmen island
  Rear facade of the Riddarhuset (House of Nobility)  
Riddarholmskyrkan tower Elected king by the Riksdag (Parliament) in 1523, Gustav Vasa made Stockholm the center of his newly-independent kingdom — although it did not become Sweden's official capital until 1634.  Detail from the Riddarholmskyrkan
Riddarholmskyrkan dominates Riddarholmen ("Noble Town")  

 

 Laura & Nastya outside the Riddarholmskyrkan
 

 

 Unfortunately, the Riddarholmskyrkan was closed when we visited  
Swedish royalty and aristocracy have been laid to rest in the Riddarholmskyrkan for centuries. This royal pantheon was formerly an abbey church, built in the late 13th century as part of a Grey Friar monastery.
Riksdagshuset (Parliament House) on Helgeandsholmen island

Statue in the Strömparterren, at the western end of Helgeandsholmen island

 View of the Stadshuset (City Hall) from the Evert Taubes Terrrass on Riddarholmen Mynttorget, between the Royal Palace and Swedish Parliament, is often the site of political protests Riksgatan arcade behind the Rikdagshuset

Another monument in the Strömparterren
The nearby Riddarhuset (House of Nobility) was commissioned in the 17th century.
Norrbro bridge over the Norrström channel Still owned by the aristocracy, it testifies to the historical influence of this Swedish estate.
Karl XII:s Torg (Charles XII Square), named for the Swedish king Peter the Great beat at Poltava in 1709

Fountain in the Kungsträdgården

 The Riksdagshuset (Parliament House) occupies the western end of Helgeandsholmen island. Laura in the Kungsträdgården park Craig in the Kungsträdgården, with the trees in bloom

Playing chess in the park
Excavations for a neighboring parking lot revealed ruins of the medieval town on this site.
Statue of somebody famous in the Kungsträdgården Playing ball in the Kungsträdgården
  Jakobs kyrka (St. Jacob's), on Stockholm's northern shore Klara kyrka (St. Claire's)  
Opera in the Gustav Adolfs Torg The Klara kyrka is famous for its choral concerts
Behind the Opera, with St. Jacob's in the background Entrance to Jakobs kyrka Entrance to Klara kyrka Klara kyrka altar
   
Modern Sergels Torg sometimes features open-air rock concerts Fountain in front of the Konserthuset (Concert Hall) Hötorget market, with the concert hall
Corner facade on Drottninggatan street     Drottninggatan is a pedestrian zone in the Norrmalm (northern shore)
Detail from Drottninggatan street
Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern (Royal Dramatic Theater) Alfred Nobel — a local industrialist who might otherwise be remembered solely for inventing dynamite — willed his fortune to fund prizes for "those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind." Statue in Raoul Wallenburg Torg, across from the theater
  Door knocker across from Berzelii Park  
Along the Strandvägen, on the way to Djugården Berzelii Park
Since 1901, Nobel Prizes have been awarded in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and international peace.  Economics was added in 1969.
  Approaching Djugården across the Djugårdsbron   The National Museum includes works by Rembrandt, Rubens, & Renoir   Laura in front of the Nordiska Museet, the Swedesh museum of natural history on Djugården island  
The prize ceremonies are held each year on December 10th, the anniversary of Nobel's death.  All but the peace prize are awarded in Stockholm.
Entrance to the Galär kyrkogården cemetery Monument to an Estonian ferry disaster in the Galär kyrkogården Galär kyrkogården tombstones View towards the Nordiska Museet from the Galär kyrkogården
Stockholm was also the site of the 1912 Olympic Games, dominated by the American Jim Thorpe.
Viking ship outside the Vasamuseet maritime museum Entrance to Skansen open-air museum in the Djugården Tivoli amusement park, as seen from the Vasamuseet
Cottage in the Djugården Together, parklands and water account for two-thirds of Stockholm's total area. Skansen cafe
Djugårdbron bridge leading back to the mainland Statue of Jenny Lind on the northern shore of the Djugården
Outside the Biologiska Museet in the Djugården   The Biologiska Museet (Biological Museum) is modelled on Viking-era architecture   Entrance to the Biologiska Museet
Perhaps the most popular park is Djugården, home to museums, palaces, and other diversions.
  Craig outside the Biologiska Museet Windmill on the southers shore of the island  
House in the heart of the Djugården The Italian embassy is located in the Djugården
Rosendals Slott was used by Karl XIV Johan in the 1820s Statue outside the Rosendals Slott Sculpture beneath Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde palace, in the Djugården View of Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde across the Waldemarsviken
   
Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde was the private palace of an artistic prince Gardens behind the Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde palace Sculpture beneath the Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde palace

Practical Information

We flew to Stockholm to celebrate the 2004 May Day holiday.  After two nights — not nearly enough, in our opinion — we made our way to Turku, Finland.

  • Hotels: We stayed at Maude's Hotel just south of town, which is easily accessible by metro
  • Restaurants: Stockholm is enormously expensive, so be prepared to spend over $80 for a meal at TGI Friday's
  • Transportation: We rode the metro back and forth to the hotel, but had to take a tram out to Djugården.  There is an expensive but convenient high-speed train connection to Arlanda airport.
  • Miscellaneous: The Stockholm Card — included in the price of our hotel — really came in handy, offering us free entrance to most museums and unlimited public transport

Statue of a guy on a horse — presumably the city's founder — in the Kungsportsplan

Gothenburg (Göteborg)

 Gustavii Domkyrka, the city cathedral, was built in 1633
Sweden's second-largest city and principal port is located on the southwest coast, just opposite Denmark across the Kattegat strait.
Sculpture in the Royal Park along Kungsportsavenyn Founded in 1619 by Gustav II Adolph, it is now home to Volvo and other heavy industries. Statue outside the Konstmuseet art museum
  Kungsportsavenyn is the heart of the city  
The Liseberg amusement park is considered one of the country's top attractions.  Although usually quite sunny, the city was a bit damp and dreary when we visited.
Hagakyrkan The city is located in what was once the kingdom of Götaland, which joined with Svealand and Norrland almost a thousand years ago to form Sweden.  It has been heavily influenced by Denmark for much of its history. Laura enjoying the rain outside the Hagakyrkan
  Establishment on Östra Hamngatan street  
View towards the Skansparken from the south bank of the canal Gothenburg University

Practical Information

We stopped in Gothenburg for the night during our train journey from Copenhagen to Oslo in July 2004.

  • Hotels: The Ramada Hotel Victoria offers free first-run movies and internet access in the rooms
  • Restaurants: Cafe Julien on Kungsportsavenyn serves pretty good Italian food
  • Transportation: We trudged through the rain ...

This page was first published 1 September 2004, and last updated 08 March 2005.