Birger Jarls torn (
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
for ''Birger Jarl's Tower'') is a
defensive tower
A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain wall (fortification), curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variet ...
on the northwest corner of
Riddarholmen
Riddarholmen (, "The Knights' Islet") is a small islet in central Stockholm, Sweden. The island forms part of Gamla Stan, the old town, and houses a number of private palaces dating back to the 17th century. The main landmark is the church Riddarho ...
, an islet in
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 of
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
.
The building has been named for
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, whi ...
who traditionally is attributed as the founder of Stockholm, but it was built several hundred years later and the name is mostly the product of a 17th-century myth. Stockholm literally translates to "Log-Islet", and according to that myth the city was founded where a log drifting ashore from
Lake Mälar.
History
Often mentioned as the oldest building in town, the tower in fact was built by King
Gustav I of Sweden
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 ...
around 1530 in his efforts to reinforce and modernize the fortifications of the capital. It replaced timbered redoubts destroyed by fire in 1525 and along with the southern tower of 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 ...
, is the only remaining structure from a 16th-century defensive system.
[ (Including images of the current interior.)]
Originally, a wall connected the two towers.
For its construction, bricks were taken from
St. Clare's Priory (''Sankta Klara kloster'' near today's
Sergels torg
Sergels torg ("Sergel's Square") is a major public square in Stockholm, Sweden, constructed in the 1960s and named after 18th-century sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel, whose workshop was once located north of the square.
Overview
Sergels torg has ...
) when it was destroyed in 1527, and from churches on the ridges surrounding the city. The building was originally two stories high with a
crenellated
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...
top. Toward the waterfront, the base of the
cavity wall
A cavity wall is a type of wall that has a hollow center. They can be described as consisting of two "skins" separated by a hollow space (cavity). The skins typically are masonry, such as brick or cinder block. Masonry is an absorbent material ...
was made very thick, almost 2,5 metres at the base and about 0,75 centimetres at the top, while the other side was considerably thinner with much larger openings. In 1589-1590, the original crenellation was rebuilt into a third floor topped by a cone shaped roof, and the present white grouting was added to the
façade
A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a Loanword, loan word from the French language, French (), which means 'frontage' or 'face'.
In architecture, the façade of a building is often t ...
.
In the 1620s King
Gustavus Adolphus
Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...
begun to donate parcels of land on Riddarholmen to prominent members of the
Swedish nobility
The Swedish nobility ( sv, Adeln eller Ridderskapet och Adeln) has historically been a legally and/or socially privileged class in Sweden, and part of the so-called ''frälse'' (a derivation from Old Swedish meaning ''free neck''). The archaic term ...
, and the islet was gradually transformed into the palace laden location it still is. From the mid 17th century the tower, at the time called ''Rundelen'' ("the round tower"), was gradually attached more and more to surrounding buildings. It was thoroughly rebuilt in the mid-18th century, the original apertures then transformed into windows, while a fourth floor was added, topped by a new roof with a gilt sphere. Along with two flanking buildings, the 18th century restoration has been assumed to be designed by
Carl Hårleman
Baron Carl Hårleman (27 August 1700 – 9 February 1753) was a Swedish architect.
Biography
Hårleman was born in Stockholm, son of the garden architect and head of the royal parks and gardens Johan Hårleman, who had been ennobled in 1698. ...
. During the 19th century both the tower and the two flanking buildings were rebuilt many times to accommodate various activities and institutions such as a pawn shop and the city's archives. In the 1950s, the entire complex was completely rebuilt again with new concrete joints replacing old wooden ones, while new barred windows and a detached spiral staircase were added.
Before housing the offices of the
Chancellor of Justice The Chancellor of Justice is a government official found in some northern European countries, broadly responsible for supervising the lawfulness of government actions.
History
In 1713, the Swedish King Charles XII, preoccupied with fighting the ...
in 2007, the building was carefully documented and restored in 2006. Some of the more recent additions were removed while some older, discontinued alterations were reinstated. All new additions were carefully adapted to the existing structure to emphasise its historical value, while making room for modern installations and accessibility requirements. The entire top floor has been transformed into a round conference room with an oval desk surrounded by the round windows. , the lower part of the building is intended to house restaurant business, to reduce the isolated state of the islet Riddarholmen and make it more attractive to Stockholmers.
See also
*
Architecture of Stockholm
The architecture of Stockholm has a history that dates back to the 13th century, possibly even earlier. According to some sources, there might have been a simple defense structure, perhaps a small castle, on the northeast part of the island Stad ...
*
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 ...
References
External links
Statens Fastighetsverk - Birger Jarls torn, Riddarholmen
Bach Arkitekter - 2006 restoration
* (An archaeological excavation performed just south-east of the tower.)
Google Maps
{{coord, 59, 19, 33.3, N, 18, 03, 42, E, region:SE_type:landmark, display=title
Buildings and structures in Stockholm