Borgholm Castle
Borgholms slott
A distant view of Borgholm Castle.
General information
Architectural style	Baroque
Town or city	Borgholm
Country	Sweden
Coordinates	56°52′15″N 16°38′39″E / 56.87083°N 16.64417°E / 56.87083; 16.64417Coordinates: 56°52′15″N 16°38′39″E / 56.87083°N 16.64417°E / 56.87083; 16.64417
Construction started	1654
Demolished	14 October 1806
Design and construction
Architect	Nicodemus Tessin the Elder

Borgholm Castle (Swedish: Borgholms slott) in Borgholm, Sweden, is today only a ruin of the fortress that was first built in the second half of the 12th century and many times rebuilt in later centuries.^[1] It is linked to Halltorps estate, somewhat to the south. The castle was destroyed in a fire on 14 October 1806.

History[link]

The construction of the original fortress was probably ordered by king Canute I, although that is not totally certain. He reigned 1167-1195 and had fortresses built on the Swedish east coast as defence against enemies from the other side of the Baltic Sea. During the 13th to 15th centuries, additions and changes were made. New towers were built, a new and thicker wall was raised for example. The fortress was damaged on a number of times during these centuries, including in 1361, when king Valdemar IV (Atterdag) of Denmark attacked Borgholm.^[2]

Drawing of Borgholm Castle from 1634

During the Kalmar Union, many castles and fortresses in Sweden were damaged as a result of the ongoing conflicts between Danes and Swedes. When Gustav Eriksson became Swedish king and the union was dissolved, he, together with the sons that followed him on the throne, invested huge sums of money in reparing these buildings. It was Gustav's son John III (r. 1568-1592) that ordered the reconstruction of Borgholm into a renaissance castle.^[3] During his reign, the Pahr brothers (four engineers and architects from Milan) led a significant rebuilding that took place from 1572. The castle acquired a Gothic character and became exemplary of the Italianate bastion style.

Some decades later, Sweden and Denmark fought each other in the Kalmar War. Borgholm Castle first, in 1611, surrendered to the Danish side, but was reconquered by the Swedish side later the same year. The following year, after a siege two weeks long, the commander of the Swedish defence, Peter Michelsen Hammarskiöld had to surrender. In accordance to the treaty that followed the war, the Treaty of Knäred, Borgholm was handed back to the Swedish.^[4]

The castle was in a bad shape after the war and it took until 1654 before a restoration and reconstruction would begin. This time, the castle was to be turned into a baroque palace. Charles X Gustav was the king that ordered this, and Nicodemus Tessin the Elder was the architect that was used to fulfil the king's wishes. When Charles Gustaf died in 1660, the construction stopped, only to be restarted at a slow pace during the following kings Charles XI and Charles XII. In 1709, the construction was ended totally and finally.^[5]

For a hundred years, the palace was left to fall into decay. On 14 October 1806, the castle was turned into a ruin through a fire that started in the roof of the north wing.^[6]

Today[link]

The castle of today is the ruins of the 17th century baroque palace Charles X Gustav had constructed.^[7] It is owned and superintended by the National Property Board of Sweden (Statens Fastighetsverk).^[8] It is open for visitors and holds a museum.

The music video for Roxette's 1989 "Listen to Your Heart" and "Dangerous" hit singles were shot at Borgholm Castle.^[9][10]

• 

  The interior of Borgholm castle

• 

  The exterior of Borgolm castle

References[link]

• Lundh, Kiki & Rudolfsson, Jim: Borgholms slott (2000)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Borgholm Castle

This article about a castle in Sweden is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Borgholm
Borgholm Castle
Borgholm
Coordinates: 56°53′N 16°39′E / 56.883°N 16.65°E / 56.883; 16.65Coordinates: 56°53′N 16°39′E / 56.883°N 16.65°E / 56.883; 16.65
Country	Sweden
Province	Öland
County	Kalmar County
Municipality	Borgholm Municipality
Area[1]
• Total	2.56 km2 (0.99 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2010)[1]
• Total	3,071
• Density	1,201/km2 (3,110/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Borgholm is a city and the seat of Borgholm Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 3,071 inhabitants in 2010.^[1] It is located on the island of Öland in the Baltic Sea.

Borgholm is one of Sweden's historical towns with a former city status (stad). The city is best known for its once-magnificent fortress which is now ruined. Borgholm is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city. Statistics Sweden, however, only counts localities with more than 10,000 inhabitants as cities.

Geography[link]

Towns on Öland

The city is situated some 20 km north of the Öland bridge which connects the island with the city of Kalmar on the mainland.

History[link]

The coat of arms of Borgholm

Borgholm is the main city of Öland, but remains one of the smallest cities in Sweden. The city received its charter in 1816 and emerged as a spa-town in the shadow of the ruins of the once mighty Borgholm Castle, which burned down in 1806. So important and magnificent was this castle, that it has become the city arms, and the ruins are the best known attraction in the municipality, perhaps on the entire island of Öland. Slightly further south is Halltorps Estate, a historic royal estate linked to Borgholm Castle.

The city serves as centre of northern Öland, and is one of the most popular summer resorts in Sweden.

Borgholm Castle has its modern counterpart outside Borgholm. The Swedish Royal Family has its official summer residence at Solliden Palace a couple of kilometres outside the city centre. The Crown Princess Victoria's birthday is annually celebrated on July 14 at the Borgholm Sports Field.

Environs[link]

There are small reaches of the Stora Alvaret geological formation in the environs of Borgholm, which level exposures of limestone host a variety of rare species of butterflies and wildflowers, some of which are endemic to Öland.

Gallery[link]

• 

  Borgholm Castle in 1691, in Suecia antiqua et hodierna

• 

  Part of the ruins of today

See also[link]

• Borgholm Castle
• Öland

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Borgholm

External links[link]

• Borgholm Municipality - Official site

v t e Municipalities and seats of Kalmar County Municipalities Borgholm Emmaboda Högsby Hultsfred Kalmar Mönsterås Mörbylånga Nybro Oskarshamn Torsås Västervik Vimmerby Municipal seats Borgholm Emmaboda Högsby Hultsfred Kalmar Mönsterås Mörbylånga Nybro Oskarshamn Torsås Västervik Vimmerby Counties of Sweden Sweden