Riddarholmen (, "The Knights' Islet") is a small
islet
An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanen ...
in central
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...
,
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 ...
. The island forms part of
Gamla Stan Gamla stan (, "The Old Town"), until 1980 officially Staden mellan broarna ("The Town between the Bridges"), is the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla stan consists primarily of the island Stadsholmen. Officially, but not colloquially, Gamla stan ...
, the old town, and houses a number of private palaces dating back to the 17th century. The main landmark is the church
Riddarholmskyrkan, used as Sweden's royal burial church from the 17th century to 1950, and where a number of earlier
Swedish monarchs also lie buried.
The western end of the island gives a magnificent panoramic and photogenic view of the bay
Riddarfjärden
Riddarfjärden (, "The Knight Firth") is the easternmost bay of Mälaren, Lake Mälaren in central Stockholm. Stockholm was founded in 1252 on an island in the stream where Lake Mälaren (from the west) drains into the Baltic Sea (to the east); to ...
, often used by TV journalists with
Stockholm City Hall
Stockholm City Hall ( sv, Stockholms stadshus, ''Stadshuset'' locally) is the seat of Stockholm Municipality in Stockholm, Sweden. It stands on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island, next to Riddarfjärden's northern shore and facing the islands ...
in the background. A statue of
Birger Jarl
Birger Jarl, also known as ''Birger Magnusson'' (21 October 1266), was a Swedish statesman, ''jarl'', and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, w ...
, traditionally considered the founder of Stockholm, stands on a pillar in front of the
Bonde Palace
The Bonde Palace ( sv, Bondeska palatset) is a palace in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Located between the House of Knights (''Riddarhuset'') and the Chancellery House (''Kanslihuset''), it is, arguably, the most promine ...
, north of
Riddarholm Church
Riddarholmen Church ( sv, Riddarholmskyrkan) is the church of the former medieval Greyfriars Monastery in Stockholm, Sweden. The church serves as the final resting place of most Swedish monarchs.
Riddarholmen Church is located on the island o ...
.
Other notable buildings include the Old Parliament Building in the south-eastern corner, the
Old National Archive on the eastern shore, and the
Norstedt Building
The Norstedt Building ( sv, Norstedtshuset) is the main office of P.A. Norstedt & Söner AB on Riddarholmen in Stockholm, Sweden.
Designed by Magnus Isæus the building was built in 1882–1891, and features a spire-like roof, which is a well-kn ...
, the old printing house of the publisher
Norstedts, the tower roof of which is a well-known silhouette on the city's skyline.
Palaces
While the Riddarholm Church dates back to the Middle Ages, and is one of Stockholm's oldest buildings, most of the present structures on Riddarholmen were built during the 17th century when the island was an aristocratic setting that gave the islet its present name. Three of the palaces are gathered around the central public square,
Birger Jarls Torg
Birger Jarls torg is a public square on Riddarholmen in Gamla stan, the old town in Stockholm, Sweden.
History
The square used to be called ''Riddarholmstorget'', but was in the mid-19th century renamed ''Birger Jarls torg'' after Birger Jarl ...
centred on the 19th-century statue of
Birger Jarl
Birger Jarl, also known as ''Birger Magnusson'' (21 October 1266), was a Swedish statesman, ''jarl'', and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, w ...
: The
Wrangel Palace
Wrangel Palace () is a townhouse mansion on Riddarholmen islet in Gamla Stan, the old town of Stockholm, in Sweden.
Courthouse
Since 1756 the palace has housed Svea Court of Appeal (''Svea Hovrätt''), the regional court of appeal.
History
Wrange ...
on the west side, the most impressive, incorporates a medieval defensive tower and a portal designed by
Nicodemus Tessin the Elder
Nicodemus Tessin the Elder () (7 December 1615 in Stralsund – 24 May 1681 in Stockholm) was an important Swedish architect.
Biography
Nicodemus Tessin was born in Stralsund in Pomerania and came to Sweden as a young man. There he met and wor ...
; the
Stenbock and
Hessenstein Palaces on the east side are less elaborate. North of the square, the two 19th-century wings of the
Palace of Schering Rosenhane reach the rustic main building, which dates from the 17th century.
Wrangel Palace
Wrangel Palace () is a townhouse mansion on Riddarholmen islet in Gamla Stan, the old town of Stockholm, in Sweden.
Courthouse
Since 1756 the palace has housed Svea Court of Appeal (''Svea Hovrätt''), the regional court of appeal.
History
Wrange ...
, and the palaces of Hessenstein, and Schering Rosenhane are today used by
Svea Hovrätt Svea may refer to:
Name
* Svea (name), Swedish female given name meaning "Swede"
* Mother Svea, personification of Sweden
* Svea (singer) (Svea Virginia Kågemark, born 1999), a Swedish singer
Places
* United States
** Svea, Florida, unincorpor ...
, the appellate court for
Svealand
Svealand (), or Swealand, is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three historical lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, T ...
, while the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
and the
Supreme Administrative Court reside in the palaces of
Bonde
The House of Bonde is an ancient Swedish noble family. Today, two branches of the family survive, the barons of the House of Bonde which is number 20 in the Swedish House of Nobility and the counts of the House of Bonde af Björnö, number 41.
...
and Stenbock respectively. Some of the older
Swedish Government Agencies, like the
Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency
The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency ( sv, Kammarkollegiet) is a Swedish administrative authority under the Ministry of Finance. Established in 1539 by King Gustav Vasa, it is the oldest public agency in Sweden.
Role
It is t ...
and the
Chancellor of Justice, are also located on the island.
According to a Swedish guide book, these anonymous institutions, together with the motorway
Centralbron that isolates the island from the rest of the city, make the island as a whole a lifeless and dull environment, despite ambitious restorations during the 1990s.
Origin of the name
The island is first mentioned as ''Kidaskär'', literally "Kid Skerry", indicating the islet was used to graze goats, in the
Eric Chronicles (''Erikskrönikan'') from around 1325, which recounts how 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 ...
(1240–1290) had a
Greyfriars monastery built on the island about 1270, asking in his will that he be buried in it in 1285. During the Middle Ages, the original name disappeared from historical records, replaced by ''Gråbrödraholm'' ("Grey Brothers islet"), ''Munckholmen'' ("Monk Islet"), and ''Gråmunkeholm'' ("Grey Monks Islet"), the latter most commonly used until the 17th century.
The monastery, however, closed following the
Protestant Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...
and was subsequently converted into a church. Probably as consequence, the name changed in the 1630s, the island being referred to as ''Riddarholmen, för detta Gråmunkeholm kallad'' ("Knight's Islet, formerly called Grey Monk's Islet") in 1638. The old name did persist however, so while
Charles XI
Charles XI or Carl ( sv, Karl XI; ) was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period of Swedish history known as the Swedish Empire (1611–1721).
He was the only son of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein- ...
(1655–1697) preferred the new name, his youngest daughter
Ulrika Eleonora
Ulrika Eleonora or Ulrica Eleanor (23 January 1688 – 24 November 1741), known as Ulrika Eleonora the Younger, was Queen of Sweden, reigning in her own right from 5 December 1718 until her abdication on 29 February 1720 in favour of her husband ...
(1688–1741) remained faithful to the old.
Yacht/hotel
*
C.K.G. Billings
Cornelius Kingsley Garrison Billings (September 17, 1861 – May 6, 1937) was an American industrialist tycoon, philanthropist, art collector, and a noted horseman and horse breeder. An eccentric man, Billings invested much of his time and money ...
's yacht ''Vanadis'' is now anchored at Riddarholmen, and is used as a hotel known as Mälardrottningen with the ship rechristened as ''
Lady Hutton''.
[Vanadis to Lady Hutton, Kajsa Karlsson, (1987)]
See also
*
History of Stockholm
The history of Stockholm, capital of Sweden, for many centuries coincided with the development of what is today known as Gamla stan, the Stockholm Old Town. Stockholm's ''raison d'être'' always was to be the Swedish capital and by far the larges ...
*
Geography of Stockholm
The City of Stockholm is situated on fourteen islands and on the banks to the archipelago where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea. The city centre is virtually situated on the water.
The area of Stockholm is one of several places in Sweden with ...
*
List of streets and squares in Gamla stan
*
Riddarholmsbron
*
Hebbes Bro
*
Birger Jarls torn
Birger Jarls torn ( Swedish for ''Birger Jarl's Tower'') is a defensive tower on the northwest corner of Riddarholmen, an islet in Gamla Stan, the old town of Stockholm.
The building has been named for Birger Jarl who traditionally is attribute ...
References
External links
{{coord, 59, 19, 30, N, 18, 03, 47, E, region:SE_type:isle, display=title
Districts of Stockholm
Islands of Stockholm
de:Stockholm#Helgeandsholmen und Riddarholmen