Kalmar Castle ( sv, Kalmar slott) is a
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in the city
Kalmar
Kalmar (, , ) is a city in the southeast of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 36,392 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of ...
in the province of
Småland
Småland () is a historical province () in southern Sweden.
Småland borders Blekinge, Scania, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means ''Small Lands''. The Latinized f ...
in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
.
History
During the twelfth century a round defensive tower was built on
Kalmarsund and a harbour constructed. At the end of the thirteenth century King
Magnus Ladulås
Magnus III ( 1240 – 18 December 1290), also called Magnus Ladulås, was King of Sweden from 1275 until his death in 1290.
Name
He was the ''first Magnus'' to rule Sweden for any length of time, not generally regarded as a usurper or ...
had a new fortress built with a curtain wall, round corner towers and two square gatehouses surrounding the original tower. Located near the site of Kalmar's
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
harbor, it has played a crucial part in Swedish history since its initial construction as a fortified tower in the 12th century.
One of the most significant political events in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and S ...
took place at Kalmar Castle in 1397, where the
Kalmar Union
The Kalmar Union ( Danish, Norwegian, and sv, Kalmarunionen; fi, Kalmarin unioni; la, Unio Calmariensis) was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden, that from 1397 to 1523 joined under a single monarch the three kingdo ...
was formed - a union of
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...
and Sweden (including Finland), organized by Queen
Margaret I of Denmark
Margaret I ( da, Margrete Valdemarsdatter; March 1353 – 28 October 1412) was ruler of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (which included Finland) from the late 1380s until her death, and the founder of the Kalmar Union that joined the Scandinavian ...
. During the Swedish rebellion against Denmark in 1520, the fortress was commanded by
Anna Eriksdotter (Bielke)
Anna Eriksdotter Bielke (1490 – 1525) was a Swedish noble, commander of the city and castle of Kalmar during the Swedish rebellion against Denmark.
Biography
Anna was born to the noble councillor of state Erik Turesson (Bielke) and Gunilla J ...
, who at the death of her spouse, Johan Månsson Natt och Dag, in the middle of the rebellion against Denmark in 1520, took control over his fiefs and defended Kalmar against Denmark.
The fortress was improved during the 16th century under the direction of King
Gustav I
Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksföre ...
and his sons King
Eric XIV and King
John III, who turned the medieval fortress into a castle fit for a
renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...
king.
The garrison was loyal to
King Sigismund during the
rebellion by Duke Charles, and continued to hold out even after Sigismund was decisively defeated at the
Battle of Stångebro
The Battle of Stångebro, or the Battle of Linköping, took place at Linköping, Sweden, on 25 September 1598 (O.S.) and effectively ended the personal union between Sweden and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, that had existed since 1592. ...
. The castle was therefore besieged by the duke's forces in March 1599, and was compelled to surrender on 12 May. The three commanders were subsequently killed, along with nineteen other members of the garrison, in a mass execution traditionally known as the
Second Kalmar Bloodbath.
Kalmar Castle suffered heavy damage during the
Siege of Kalmar, the main engagement and namesake of the
Kalmar War (1611-3), and was badly damaged by a fire in 1642. Repairs were begun, but from the end of the seventeenth century the castle was allowed to fall into disrepair.
Restoration
In 1856, architect
Fredrik Wilhelm Scholander (1816–1881) initiated reconstruction/restoration work at Kalmar Castle. His pupil
Helgo Zettervall continued restoring Kalmar Castle in the 1880s. Architect Carl Möller drew up the plans and other documents. The work began in 1885 and by 1891 the castle had gained the silhouette it bears today. In 1919 professor Martin Olsson was charged with the continuing restoration of earthworks, the moat, the bridge and the drawbridge. Work continued until 1941, when the castle was once more surrounded by water. Today, it is one of Sweden's best preserved renaissance castles and is open to the public.
''Kalmar Castle: Sweden’s Royal Hub'' (Smithsonian Institution)
/ref>
References
Other sources
*Kaufmann, J.E. Kaufmann & H.W. ''The Medieval Fortress: Castles, Forts and Walled Cities of the Middle Ages'' (MA: Da Capo Press, 2004)
Gallery
File:Кальмарский замок, общий вид.jpg, General view
File:Кальмарский замок, бастион.jpg, Bastion
File:Кальмарский замок, главный вход.jpg, Main entrance
File:Кальмарский замок катакомбы.jpg, Indoor
File:Кальмарский замок вечером.jpg, In the evening
File:Кальмарский замок вид с моря.jpg, View from sea
External links
Official visitor site (sv)
Barometern Multimedia Tour of Kalmar Castle
Virtual tour of the Castle
The Association of Castles and Museums around the Baltic Sea
{{Coord, 56.658, N, 16.355, E, type:landmark, display=title
Castles in Kalmar County
Crown palaces in Sweden
Museums in Kalmar County
Historic house museums in Sweden
Royal residences in Sweden