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The Torstenson Palace is a building on Södra Hamngatan in
Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...
, also known as Kungshuset ('the King's House') because it was formerly the Swedish king's residence in
Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...
. It is currently the residence and offices of the '' landshövding'' of
Västra Götaland County Västra Götaland County () is a county or '' län'' on the western coast of Sweden. The county is the second most populous of Sweden's counties and it comprises 49 municipalities (''kommuner''). Its population of 1,616,000 amounts to 17% of S ...
. The building was originally constructed in the years 1648–1650 for Count
Lennart Torstenson Lennart Torstensson (17 August 1603 – 7 April 1651), Swedish List of Swedish field marshals, Field Marshal and later Governor-General of Pomerania, Västergötland, Dalsland, Värmland and Halland. He adapted the use of artillery on the battlef ...
, but was bought by
Karl X Gustav Charles X Gustav, also Carl X Gustav (; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660), was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. After his father's ...
in September 1657Bæckström (1923), p. 80. and served as his residence during the 1658 and 1660 sessions of the
Riksdag of the Estates Riksdag of the Estates (; informally ) was the name used for the Estates of Sweden when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to the King. It was a Diet made up of the Fou ...
(Swedish Parliament), which were held in Gothenburg. It later became the seat of the '' landshövding'' of
Gothenburg and Bohus County Gothenburg and Bohus County () was a county of Sweden until 1 January 1998, when it was merged with Skaraborg County and Älvsborg County to form Västra Götaland County. The county was named after the city of Gothenburg and the historical pr ...
, and has remained the seat of the county administration ever since, and of the wider
Västra Götaland County Västra Götaland County () is a county or '' län'' on the western coast of Sweden. The county is the second most populous of Sweden's counties and it comprises 49 municipalities (''kommuner''). Its population of 1,616,000 amounts to 17% of S ...
since its creation in 1998.''Göteborg under 300 år'', Carl Lagerberg & Otto Thulin, Medéns Bokhandels AB, Wald. Zachrissons Boktryckeri, Göteborg 1923 p. 31. The first ''landshövding'' to reside at the palace was
Erik Carlsson Sjöblad Erik Carlsson Sjöblad (August 28, 1647 – May 31, 1725) was a Swedish governor, admiral, and baron. Early life Sjöblad was born in Halmstad, Halland, Sweden. His father, a general, was Baron Carol Sjöblad Nilsson (1611–1696); his mother was ...
. The palace is Gothenburg's oldest residential building, and has been recognised as a ''
byggnadsminne A listed building in Sweden () enjoys the strongest legal cultural and historical protection available. Listed buildings range widely from Medieval castles to a cinema from the 1950s. The listing is not restricted to buildings per se; parks, gar ...
'' (
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
) since 25 January 1935. The building's most famous role in recent years was as the venue for the 2001 meeting of the European Council.


History

General Count
Lennart Torstensson Lennart Torstensson (17 August 1603 – 7 April 1651), Swedish Field Marshal and later Governor-General of Pomerania, Västergötland, Dalsland, Värmland and Halland. He adapted the use of artillery on the battlefield, making it a more mobile we ...
was appointed
Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
of
Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Vä ...
,
Dal Dal is a term in the Indian subcontinent for dried, split pulses. Dal or DAL may also refer to: Places Cambodia *Dal, Ke Chong Finland * Laakso, a neighbourhood of Helsinki India * Dal Lake, in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India * Dal ...
,
Värmland Värmland () is a ''Provinces of Sweden, landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Name Several Latinized version ...
and
Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Skåne, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Br ...
on 31 May 1648, and his instructions stipulated that his "ordinary residence" be located in Gothenburg. He had already purchased a plot of land in the city from the exiled
Holstein Holstein (; ; ; ; ) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider (river), Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost States of Germany, state of Germany. Holstein once existed as the German County of Holstein (; 8 ...
er Daniel Lange in February 1647, for the price of 1200
ducats The ducat ( ) coin was used as a trade coin in Europe from the later Middle Ages to the 19th century. Its most familiar version, the gold ducat or sequin containing around of 98.6% fine gold, originated in Venice in 1284 and gained wide inter ...
; the plot measured 288 feet along the street and 125 feet deep on the west side. Torstensson hired Casper Wolter, a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
builder living in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, to construct a house on the plot, and the work was completed within two years. The house itself, including the wing building, had ten rooms and two halls, with an area of 275 square metres on each floor. Torstensson died on 7 April 1651 in Stockholm, and six years later King
Karl X Gustav Charles X Gustav, also Carl X Gustav (; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660), was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. After his father's ...
purchased the count's newly completed Gothenburg palace from his widow, Countess Beata de la Gardie. The Torstenson Palace thus became the king's residence in Gothenburg, and indeed it was at the palace that Karl Gustav died, on 13 February 1660 at the age of 37. His son and namesake Karl XI lived at the Torstenson Palace while residing in Gothenburg during the years 1680–1683, 1689–1691 och 1694.Nyström (1984), p.35. On 9 May 1700 the seat of the '' landshövding'' of
Gothenburg and Bohus County Gothenburg and Bohus County () was a county of Sweden until 1 January 1998, when it was merged with Skaraborg County and Älvsborg County to form Västra Götaland County. The county was named after the city of Gothenburg and the historical pr ...
was moved from
Bohus Fortress Bohus Fortress lies in Kungälv, Bohuslän, Sweden, north east from Hisingen where the Göta river splits into two branches ( north of Gothenburg). It commands the surrounding area from a cliff high, with the river forming a natural moat arou ...
to Gothenburg, and the Torstenson Palace was repurposed as his primary residence and the seat of the county administration. The first ''landshövding'' to reside at the palace was
Erik Carlsson Sjöblad Erik Carlsson Sjöblad (August 28, 1647 – May 31, 1725) was a Swedish governor, admiral, and baron. Early life Sjöblad was born in Halmstad, Halland, Sweden. His father, a general, was Baron Carol Sjöblad Nilsson (1611–1696); his mother was ...
. Nevertheless, subsequent Swedish kings did still occasionally stay at the Torstenson Palace when they happened to be in Gothenburg. Most notably, it served as the headquarters for King
Karl XII Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII () or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.), was King of Sweden from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of the House of Wittelsbach. Charles was the ...
as he planned his Norwegian campaigns in the
Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...
, and for King
Gustav III Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he saw ...
when he directed the defence of
Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Vä ...
and
Bohuslän Bohuslän () is a Provinces of Sweden, Swedish province in Götaland, on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea to the ...
against an invading Danish-Norwegian army in 1788, during the
Theatre War The Theatre War (), Cowberry War, Cranberry War or Lingonberry War (, ), was a brief war between Denmark–Norway and Sweden, starting on 24 September 1788, formally lasting until 9 July 1789. Although the decision to launch the attack was taken ...
. The Torstenson Palace remained the seat of the county administration of
Gothenburg and Bohus County Gothenburg and Bohus County () was a county of Sweden until 1 January 1998, when it was merged with Skaraborg County and Älvsborg County to form Västra Götaland County. The county was named after the city of Gothenburg and the historical pr ...
throughout these upheavals and over the following two centuries. After Gothenburg and Bohus was merged with
Skaraborg County Skaraborg County ( ) was a Counties of Sweden, county of Sweden from 1634 until 1997. It was disestablished at the end of 1997 when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus County, Gothenburg and Bohus and Älvsborg County, Älvs ...
and
Älvsborg County Älvsborg County () was a county of Sweden until 1997, when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg & Bohus and Skaraborg to form Västra Götaland County. The county corresponded to the traditional province of Dalsland and the central ...
to form
Västra Götaland County Västra Götaland County () is a county or '' län'' on the western coast of Sweden. The county is the second most populous of Sweden's counties and it comprises 49 municipalities (''kommuner''). Its population of 1,616,000 amounts to 17% of S ...
in 1998, the Palace became the seat of the county administration of the new, larger unit. The Torstenson Palace has been remodelled and rebuilt several times in its history, most notably in 1875, when the house's area increased from just under 700 square meters to 1800 square meters. In connection with the rebuilding of corner rooms on the ground floor in 1964–1965, roof boards with paintings from the 17th century were discovered, which have been renovated. Another extensive renovation of interiors took place in 2000–2001. A great fire in 1804 seriously damaged the residence's
stables A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
and outbuildings, several of which had to be replaced altogether. The Torstenson Palace shares a large courtyard space with the properties Södra Hamnatan 3 and Stora Badhusgatan 2., and has given its name to the Residence Bridge, () which was completed in 1963 and crosses the harbour canal at Stora Bommen.'' Gothenburg Harbor Board – annual report 1963, '' p. 11


References


Sources

*
Residenset
map from
Lantmäteriet Lantmäteriet is a government agency in Sweden acting as the national mapping, cadastral and land registration authority. It provides information on Swedish geography and property. Its main seat is in Gävle. About Lantmäteriet Lantmäteriet ...
. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
"Länsresidenset Göteborg"
Bebyggelseregistret,
Riksantikvarieämbetet The Swedish National Heritage Board (; RAÄ) is a Swedish government agency responsible for World Heritage Sites and other national heritage monuments and historical environments. It is governed by the Ministry of Culture. The goals of the agen ...
. Läst 8 July 2014.
Femte roten, tomt 52, Kvarteret Residenset.
Göteborgs tomter. Läst 8 juli 2014.
"Landsstathuset"
Bebyggelseregistret,
Riksantikvarieämbetet The Swedish National Heritage Board (; RAÄ) is a Swedish government agency responsible for World Heritage Sites and other national heritage monuments and historical environments. It is governed by the Ministry of Culture. The goals of the agen ...
. Retrieved 8 July 2014. *''Residenset'', ed. Ingrid Holmberg, published by Kulturmiljöenheten vid Länsstyrelsen i Göteborgs och Bohus län 1992 *''Residenset i Göteborg: 350 år i rikets tjänst'', ed. Anders Franck, published by
Museum of Gothenburg The Museum of Gothenburg () is a local history museum located in the city centre of Gothenburg in western Sweden. It is located in the East India House (), originally built as the Swedish East India Company offices in 1762. The city museum was e ...
, 2001 , ISSN 1404-9546 * * *''Studier i Göteborgs byggnadshistoria före 1814: Ett bidrag till svensk stadsbyggnadshistoria'', tvidgad upplaga Serie: Svensk byggnadskultur, 99-0887545-0 ; 2, fil lic Arvid Bæckström,
Nordiska museet The Nordic Museum () is a museum located on Djurgården, an island in central Stockholm, Sweden, dedicated to the cultural history and ethnography of Sweden from the early modern period (in Swedish history, it is said to begin in 1520) to the ...
, Stockholm 1923 *''GHT,'' 24 April 1948, "Residenset jubilerar," av Olof Nordenskjöld.


Further reading

* * {{Gothenburg Buildings and structures in Gothenburg Buildings and structures completed in 1650 Palaces in Sweden Official residences of Swedish county governors 1650 establishments in Sweden