NordenBladet – The name of Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip has been exploited on a fake site, the Royal Court has said. The website, which had been sending out invitations to royal events and asking for donations, has been reported to Sweden’s Police Authority.
In a statement, the Royal Court said, “It has been brought to the attention of The Royal Court that a false website has been created claiming to represent HRH Prince Carl Philip and a Foundation in his name.
“A website claiming to represent Prince Carl Philip is sending out invitations to Royal events as well as asking recipients for financial donations.
“The Royal Court of Sweden would like to inform that the website is false and does not represent His Royal Highness nor The Prince Couple’s Foundation.
“The Royal Court of Sweden has reported the website to the Swedish Police Authority.”
Chief Information Officer at the Court, Margareta Thorgren, told Expressen, “Unfortunately, when it comes to fake sites of various kinds, this is something that happens every now and then. The important thing is that we have control over it and that we act.
“Like the other royal families, the Prince thinks it’s important that we act.”
Police have taken over the handling of the case. The website name is not mentioned, and as of writing this article, it is not known if it has been taken offline yet.
NordenBladet – On 5 February, Crown Princess Victoria attended the People and Culture Convention in Eskilstuna. The People and Culture Convention is organised for the public and private sectors, media, associations, academia and citizens with the aim of highlighting the importance of art and culture in the development of democracy and society. It is the third edition of the convention, and this year, Crown Princess Victoria is their patron. The convention is held for four days to coincide with the People and Culture day on 8 February and has over 125 programme points with talks, debates, and seminars.
During the event, Crown Princess Victoria made a speech where she explained the importance of art, culture and education in today’s society saying: “In a time when we are offered simple answers, we need to safeguard our ability to ask questions. Art, education and culture strengthen that ability. It helps us understand ourselves – and each other. That is why it is so important that this opportunity exists for everyone. No matter where you live in the country, how old you are or where you come from.“
Crown Princess Victoria also praised the convention: ” It is an important contribution. And I am happy to be the patron of the meeting place that is People and Culture. I think conversation forums like this are necessary: As a platform for exchanging experiences and perspectives. But also to gain power and energy to continue working.” When asked why she accepted to become the patron of the convention, Crown Princess Victoria said she thought it was important to promote culture.
Crown Princess Victoria also had the opportunity to visit some of the seminars and meet with other people attending the convention to discuss their art like Helena Åberg from Sörmland’s Museum. During the opening ceremony, Crown Princess Victoria watched performances by violinist Kreeta-Maria Kentala, member of the Swing Quartet Jouko Kyhälä and dancer Anthony Lomuljo as well as Flen World Orchestra.
Photo: Crown Princess Victoria ( Erika Gerdemark/Kungahuset.se)
NordenBladet – The Vasa Museum (Swedish: Vasamuseet) is a maritime museum in Stockholm, Sweden. Located on the island of Djurgården, the museum displays the only almost fully intact 17th century ship that has ever been salvaged, the 64-gun warship Vasa that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628. The Vasa Museum opened in 1990 and, according to the official web site (vasamuseet.se), is the most visited museum in Scandinavia. Together with other museums such as the Stockholm Maritime Museum, it belongs to the Swedish National Maritime Museums (SNMM).
Visiting address:
Galärvarvsvägen 14, Stockholm
(The Vasa Museum is situated a few hundred meters from the temporary museum Wasavarvet wich is now the Aquaria museum and a tram garage. The new Vasa Museum lies in the royal parkland, Djurgården, in Stockholm.)
Admission:
Adults: SEK 150
18 years and under: Free of charge
Photos: 20 x NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet
Planning your visit:
The Vasa Museum personnel suggest that you view the Vasa Film and then go on a guided tour explaining the ship. The times of film screenings and guided tours are displayed at the information desk on Level 4 (entrance level). MP3 guides are available in different languages. Please contact the information desk. Exhibitions located around the ship tell of Vasa and her times. Explore the exhibitions in whatever sequence you choose. All of them have explanations in Swedish and English. If you would like to delve more deeply into Vasa´s history there is a number of quality publications, on sale at the museum shop.
If you are short of time, you can either watch the film about Vasa (17 minutes) or take the guided tour around the ship (25 minutes). If you are bringing children along to the Vasa Museum, there is a “on board” model gun deck in the exhibition Life on Board. Don´t miss the diving bell in His Majesty´s Ship, and watch out for the model topgallant in The Sailing Ship. There is a game on the 6th floor where you can try to sail a ship as it was done during Vasa´s time. There is a family trail that you can do on your own, for children accompanied by adults. It is available in different languages.
The Museum Shop
The Museum Shop has a wide range of facinating goods on sale for all ages and interests – from copies of objects found on board Vasa, through models and catalogues, to postcards and posters. Most credit cards are accepted and also notes in the following currencies: GBP, USD, DKK, NOK and EUR. All change is given in Swedish kronor. The shop is on Level 4.
The Vasa Restaurant
The Vasa Restaurant serves Swedish- style plain fare, coffee, open sandwiches and pastries. The restaurant is on Level 4, alongside the stern of Vasa.
History:
From the beginning of 1961 to 1988, Vasa was housed in a temporary structure called Wasavarvet (“The Vasa Shipyard”) where she was treated with polyethylene glycol. Visitors could only view the ship from two levels and the maximum distance was only 5 m (17 ft). In 1981, the Swedish government decided that a permanent Vasa museum was to be constructed and a competition for the design of the museum building was organized. A total of 384 architects sent in models of their ideas and the final winners were Marianne Jakobbäck and Göran Månsson with Ask (“box”). The construction of the new building began on and around the dry dock of the old naval yard with an inauguration ceremony hosted by Prince Bertil on 2 November 1987. Vasa was towed into the flooded dry dock under the new building in December 1987, and during the summer of 1989, when visitors were allowed onto the construction site, 228,000 people visited the half-finished museum. The museum was officially opened on 15 June 1990. So far, Vasa has been seen by over 25 million people. In 2017, the museum had a total of 1,495,760 visitors.
The main hall contains the ship itself, and various exhibits related to the archaeological findings of the ships and early 17th-century Sweden. Vasa has been fitted with the lower sections of all three masts, a new bowsprit, winter rigging, and has had certain parts that were missing or heavily damaged replaced. The replacement parts have not been treated or painted and are therefore clearly visible against the original material that has been darkened after three centuries under water.
The new museum is dominated by a large copper roof with stylized masts that represent the actual height of Vasa when she was fully rigged. Parts of the building are covered in wooden panels painted in dark red, blue, tar black, ochre yellow and dark green. The interior is similarly decorated, with large sections of bare, unpainted concrete, including the entire ceiling. Inside the museum the ship can be seen from six levels, from her keel to the very top of the sterncastle. Around the ship are numerous exhibits and models portraying the construction, sinking, location and recovery of the ship. There are also exhibits that expand on the history of Sweden in the 17th century, providing background information for why the ship was built. A movie theatre shows a film in alternating languages on the recovery of the Vasa.
The museum is in the process of publishing an 8-volume archaeological report to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the salvage. Vasa I: The Archaeology of a Swedish Warship of 1628 was published at the end of 2006. Subsequent volumes will be published annually.
The museum also features four other museum ships moored in the harbour outside: the ice breaker Sankt Erik (launched 1915), the lightvessel Finngrundet (1903), the torpedo boat Spica (1966) and the rescue boat Bernhard Ingelsson (1944).
Questions and answers: What wood is the Vasa made of?
Vasa was almost exclusively built from oak, chosen of course for its exceptional strength and resistance properties. Decks not carrying any canons – the weather and orlop decks – were built from pine, except for the aft section on orlop deck where two canons were placed and oak was used to take the load. As for the sculptures and other decorative elements, these are often linden which is a softer wood species, easily worked and formed into shape.
What is the Condition of Vasa?
Considering that Vasa is nearly 400 hundred years old and has been resting in polluted water for more than 300 years, she is doing pretty well. But like every other material, Vasa’s wood is slowly deteriorating with time. At the museum we are constantly trying to find solutions for this problem and find a way to keep Vasa as she is today for as long as possible. That is why we make sure to keep a stable temperature and humidity level inside the museum at all times, constantly improve and maintain the way the ship is supported and do research for new effective treatments of the ship’s objects.
How much of Vasa is original?
Vasa is actually 98% original. The Vasa Museum´s head of research Mr Fred Hocker did a new calculation a few years ago and it came to only 2% is done in modern time. Deck plants are new. When it comes to the stern castle, the inside is new and then they attached the sculptures after they had been preserved with PEG.
When were the color pigments retrieved?
Paint and gilding were noticed on many of the sculptures when they were first recovered during the salvage work in 1956-1961, and one famous bit of painting, a life-size image of a king,was seen on the foremast by divers before the mast was recovered. Samples were taken as objects were recovered, but these proved difficult to analyze. A separate project in the 1990s, led by Peter Tångeberg (a conservator), collected samples of paint and gilding and subjected them to chemical analysis in order to identify the pigments. We have continued this work in our recent documentation of the interior panelling and furniture from the cabins, and it has been one of staff conservators, Emma Hocker, who has carried out the work of cleaning and sampling surfaces.
How much did it cost to salvage the Vasa and what would that equate to today?
It is impossible to say what the salvage cost, except to say that it cost the people of Sweden next to nothing. All of the preparatory diving work, digging the tunnels under the ship, rigging the lift, etc. was carried out by the divers of the navy and coastal artillery as part of their annual proficiency training, which was already budgeted by the navy. The lift itself was carried out by the Neptune Salvage Company at no cost (they were allowed to use the project in their advertising). The project spent a small amount of money on a handful of salaries and the purchase of incidentals, but the majority of the cost was never accounted.
Modern estimates of what it would take to raise a similar ship from a similar depth typically range between 50 and 100 million euros, but no one really knows what it would take until someone tries it!
Featured image: The Vasa Museum is one of Scandinavia’s most visited museums. It is here that you will find in all its glory, the unique and well preserved warship Vasa from 1628, embellished with hundreds of wooden sculptures. Around 1.5 million visitors every year enjoy the exhibitions in the museum, which describe the warship Vasa’s history and life at the time; how, after 333 years at the bottom of Stockholm bay, the ship was rediscovered and salvaged; and the research which is now underway to preserve Vasa. (NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet)
NordenBladet – Microsoft Tech Summit Stockholm provide the attendees with opportunities to learn new ways to code, optimize their cloud infrastructure, and modernize their organization with deep technical training. It is the platform where developers and tech professionals continue learning alongside experts and it also helps to explore the latest developer tools and cloud technologies and learn how to put the skills to work in new areas.
When: 05 – 06 May 2020; 09:00 AM-06:00 PM (expected) Where: Stockholm, Sweden (Venue to be announced) Organizer: Microsoft, USA
NordenBladet – The Solar Future Nordics is the first regional conference fully dedicated to solar energy* in the Nordic region and it features a unique set-up, in which the regional authorities, as well as both local and international associations, institutions, and private entities, meet up, get market updates, debate, and learn. Attending the event is a vital enabler to be part of the future development of the Nordics’ solar energy future.
When: 01 Apr 2020; 09:00 AM-06:00 PM (expected) Where: Stockholm Waterfront Conference Centre, Stockholm, Sweden (Nils Ericsons Plan 4 111 64 Stockholm
Sweden) Participants (Estimated Count):
100 – 500 Delegates
10 – 50 Exhibitors Organizer: Solarplaza International BV, Netherlands
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* Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of ever-evolving technologies such as solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, solar architecture, molten salt power plants and artificial photosynthesis.
It is an important source of renewable energy and its technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on how they capture and distribute solar energy or convert it into solar power. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic systems, concentrated solar power and solar water heating to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light-dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
The large magnitude of solar energy available makes it a highly appealing source of electricity. The United Nations Development Programme in its 2000 World Energy Assessment found that the annual potential of solar energy was 1,575–49,837 exajoules (EJ). This is several times larger than the total world energy consumption, which was 559.8 EJ in 2012.
In 2011, the International Energy Agency said that “the development of affordable, inexhaustible and clean solar energy technologies will have huge longer-term benefits. It will increase countries’ energy security through reliance on an indigenous, inexhaustible and mostly import-independent resource, enhance sustainability, reduce pollution, lower the costs of mitigating global warming, and keep fossil fuel prices lower than otherwise. These advantages are global. Hence the additional costs of the incentives for early deployment should be considered learning investments; they must be wisely spent and need to be widely shared”.
NordenBladet – On this day 40 years ago, Crown Princess Victoria – the daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia – became heir to the Swedish throne. When she was born on 14 July 1977, she was titled as Princess Victoria as Sweden’s line of succession was ruled by agnatic primogeniture, meaning only men could inherit the throne (since 1810). When her younger brother, Carl Philip was born on 13 May 1979, he was the Crown Prince of Sweden.
Two years after Victoria’s birth (the same year Carl Philip was born), the Swedish Riksdag (Parliament) introduced legislation to allow for absolute primogeniture – meaning that the eldest child of the monarch, regardless of gender, is first in the line of succession.
The Riksdag voted in favour of absolute primogeniture, and it went into effect on 1 January 1980. At that point, Victoria became Crown Princess of Sweden and Duchess of Västergötland. Carl Philip was demoted to Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland as the laws of succession was backdated.
Sweden was the first country to adopt absolute primogeniture, and many countries in Europe have since followed in their footsteps. Of the reigning European monarchies, only Liechtenstein, Monaco and Spain do not abide by absolute primogeniture.
Crown Princess Victoria is married to Prince Daniel. They have two children, Princess Estelle (b. 2012) and Prince Oscar (b. 2016), second and third in the line of succession to the Swedish throne, respectively.
NordenBladet – You can win every battle but still lose the war. The goal is not to beat your competition; the goal is to outlast them. So what does it mean to play the infinite game as a leader? It means you leave something behind that outlasts your finite presence or contributions. An infinite leader builds a culture so strong, that when the leader is no longer there, the culture lives on. Infinite leaders commit to their just cause. The work produced by striving for that just cause has the indelible fingerprints of the leader, and lasts far beyond the time of the leader’s tenure.
“When somebody is playing with an infinite mindset
then they know that sometimes you have the best product
and sometimes somebody else has a better product..
There´s no such thing as winning or losing
There´s no such thing as being the best
There´s only ahead and behind.
And the goal is not to beat the competition
The goal is to OUTLAST the competition!
The only true competitor in the infinite game is YOURSELF!” –
Simon Sinek
Sinek´s (46) five must-have components to succeed in the infinite game:
1. Just cause — More than your “why” or purpose, a just cause is what motivates you to get out of bed in the morning. It’s the passion or hunger that burns inside that compels you to do what you do. Your just cause is what powers you to outlast your competitors. It propels you forward in the face of adversity and empowers you to persevere when you feel like giving up.
2. Courageous leadership — Playing the infinite game requires leaders to prioritize the just cause above anything else. They are willing to stand up to the pressures of the Board, Wall Street, or popular sentiment, and stay true to their cause. This struggle is often too great for a single person to tackle alone, so it requires all the leaders of the organization to band together and act in alignment.
3. Vulnerable team — Sinek says being a vulnerable team doesn’t mean it’s acceptable for everyone to walk around crying. It means you’ve invested the time and energy to build a culture in your organization where people feel safe to be themselves. They can admit they don’t know something or that they made a mistake. They can take appropriate risks without fear of retribution or retaliation. If you’re people don’t feel safe, that is your fault, not theirs.
4. Worthy adversary — In the infinite game, adversaries are acknowledged and treated with respect, but our success or failure isn’t measured against them. Ultimately we are competing against ourselves, and our success or failure should be measured against our just cause. Our adversaries may push us to improve our products, services, marketing, etc., but in the infinite game we are constantly striving to become a better version of ourselves in order to fulfill our just cause.
5. Open playbook — Too many organizations pursue a variable cause with a fixed strategy, Sinek theorizes, rather than pursuing a fixed cause with a variable strategy. Having an open playbook means leaders and organizations are willing to have flexible strategies and plans that change as needed to pursue their just cause. An open playbook also means you are transparent with your strategies, so all members of the team can literally be on the same page. Leaders resist being too transparent with information because they fear losing control. They distrust how people will use that information so they hold it close to the vest. That only results in people making sub-optimal decisions because they don’t know all the plays in the playbook.
____________________________________________ Who is Simon Sinek?
Simon Oliver Sinek (born October 9, 1973) is a British-American author and motivational speaker. He is the author of five books, including Start With Why (2009) and The Infinite Game (2019).
Sinek was born in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom and as a child lived in Johannesburg, South Africa, London, and Hong Kong before settling in the United States. He graduated from Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest in 1991. He studied law at London’s City University, but left law school to go into advertising. He received a BA in cultural anthropology from Brandeis University.
Sinek began his career at the New York ad agencies Euro RSCG and Ogilvy & Mather. He later launched his own business, Sinek Partners. Simon Sinek’s golden circle which describes a perspective of the influence of successful leaders and organisations.
Sinek has written five books. Start With Why, his first book, was published October 2009. His second book, titled Leaders Eat Last, appeared on the bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
As a motivational speaker, Sinek has given talks at The UN Global Compact Leaders Summit, and at the TEDx conference.
In June 2018, The Young Turks reported a $98,000 no-bid contract from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for “customized Simon Sinek leadership training” to take place between April 26 and May 15 2018.
Sinek is also an instructor of strategic communications at Columbia University, and is an adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation.
Sinek started Optimism Press, which is an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Books: Sinek, Simon (2009). Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. Sinek, Simon (2014). Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t. Sinek, Simon (2016). Together Is Better: A Little Book of Inspiration. Sinek, Simon (2017). Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team. Sinek, Simon (2019). The Infinite Game.
NordenBladet – The Medieval Museum is situated on the Helgeandsholmen island between the Royal Palace and the Opera. Entrance under Stockholm’s oldest stone bridge Norrbro. The exhibits tell of Stockholm’s emergence and the town’s development in the Middle Ages. The exhibition describes with compassion how people lived and made a livelihood.
The Medieval Museum (Stockholms Medeltidsmuseum) focuses on people and retells stories from the everyday life of medieval Stockholmers. Encounter the tales of Jöns Skomakare, Sketna Gertrud Syltekona, and many others. The museum includes Stockholm’s city wall from about 1520 preserved as a fixed ancient remnant 55 meters (180 feet) long. You will find the entrance to Norrbro, Stockholm’s oldest stone bridge. Free admission.
Getting to museum: Photo: Google maps Photo: Helgeandsholmen (Jan Ainali, CC BY-SA 3.0) Photo: Helgeandsholmen with the Riksdagen, aerial view (Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Opening hours:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 12.00-17.00
Wednesday: 12.00-20.00
Thursday-Sunday: 12.00-17.00
Stairs and elevator leads down to Strömparterren, and the Museum’s entrance. The easiest way to get here is by foot or by public transport.
Public Transport:
Metro to Kungsträdgården or Gamla stan.
Bus 2, 43 and 76 to the Kungsträdgården. Bus 62 and 65 to Gustav Adolfs torg.
Parking:
There is no car parking near the museum.
Cloakroom and toilets:
Cloakroom and toilets are located to the right behind the reception desk.
Photography:
Photography is permitted without flash and tripod. Exceptions can be made for non-commercial use.
Stroller:
Strollers are welcome in the museum. No stroller parking available.
Eat and drink:
There is no cafe or restaurant in the museum. The café Kerstin och Britt at Strömparterren, outside the museum, is open during the summer season.
Smoking:
Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is not allowed in the museum or at the entrence.
Mobile Phones:
Please use your cell phone with consideration to other visitors.
Free WiFi:
Free WiFi is available in the musuem.
Foto: NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet
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About the museum:
The Medieval Museum is built around the findings from a major archaeological investigation during the 1970s. The museum is a part of the City of Stockholm.
History The museum came into existence after a major archaeological investigation which took place in advance of the rebuilding of the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) and the building of garages under the present-day gardens of Riksplan. Among all the remains which came to light were parts of the Town Wall which Gustavus Vasa had built in the 1530s as well as the churchyard of the medieval Helgeandshuset (House of the Holy Spirit), which originally gave its name to the island.
The County Administrative Board decided that these remains should be preserved as permanent heritage monuments. This was how the Medieval Museum came about. The State bore the building costs while the City of Stockholm dealt with the fittings and fixtures, displays and running costs.
The “National Pit” The archaeological investigations on Helgeandsholmen from 1978—1980 are the most comprehensive so far undertaken in the inner city area of Stockholm. The investigations were carried out in connection with the rebuilding of the Riksdag in preparation for moving back to the island. Altogether an area of 8,000 square metres was investigated and when the project was completed a volume of some 50,000 metres of earth had been dug through and carried away. The excavations made it possible to follow the development of settlement in the area from the mid thirteenth century to the present day.
Most eye catching were the foundations of buildnings, above all from seventeenth century palaces, which had already come to light in the early stages of the work. Among the most remarkable finds, however, were the medieval churchyard of Helgeandhuset with some 7 metric tons of skeletons, and Gustavus Vasa’s town wall from around 1530. No less than 11 boats were also found. The excavations aroused great attention and debate in the press and were soon christened “Riksgropen” (the National Pit).
Photo from the air showing the dug out area in front of the Riksdag building.
The debate was mainly a matter of what one was to do with the cavity and the remains of the buildings after investigations had been completed. Originally the idea had been to have a garage for the Riksdag with a reception area for goods and workshops. Now it ended up with the most remarkable remains — the Vasa Wall and the churchyard wall — being preserved, and an underground museum being built around them.
The Medieval Museum opened for the first time in 1986. It was renovated and reopened in 2010.
Look also videos about The Medieval Museum: Just walking around Stockholm gives you a very clear glimpse into its medieval past, but in order to understand how the city thrived, prospered and defended itself, you will do no better than have a quick visit at this lovely free museum. We are sure you’ll walk right next to it while you’re walking around town on your first day really so, why not just walk in?!
NordenBladet – Helgeandsholmen is a small island in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is located north of Stadsholmen, and east of Strömsborg, with which, together with Riddarholmen, it forms Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm. Helgeandsholmen contains the Riksdag Building and the Museum of Medieval Stockholm, and is connected to neighbouring islands through three bridges: Riksbron, Stallbron, and Norrbro.
The terrace in the eastern end, called Strömparterren (“The Stream Parterr”), is a public park with a restaurant dating from 1832, while the flight of stairs leading down to the water is from 1807-1810. The quay west of the Riksdag Building once surrounded Sweden’s central bank Sveriges Riksbank and was thus named Bankkajen (“The Bank Quay”), while the streets on southern and northern sides are called Norra/Södra Helgeandstrappan (“The Northern/Southern Helgeand Stairs”), all of them named in 1925.
First mentioned in a letter written in Latin July 28, 1320 the name ‘Helgeandsholmen’, a corruption of Helige andens holme (“Islet of the Holy Spirit”), appears as in insula dicta helghaanzsholm (“on the island called Helgeandsholm”). At the time, helgeandshus (Old Swedish: hälgha ands hus. hälandzhus, helghanzhhws, hälianshus) was a name used for charitable institutions spiritual in nature, in Stockholm first mentioned in a testament from April 24, 1301 (domus sancti spiritus).
Photos: 7x NordenBladet / Helena-Reet Ennet Photo: Helgeandsholmen (Jan Ainali, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Foto: Google maps
History
A set of islets Though one regular shaped island today, Helgeandsholmen was until quite recently a set of islets. Before the start of extensive archaeological excavations in 1978, it was traditionally believed that the present island once encompassed three islets:
– A larger main island to the south, called Helgeandsholmen from the 14th century. The excavations, however, convincingly showed that during the early Middle Ages this island in fact consisted of two smaller islets, of which we know absolutely nothing.
– And, north of this major island, two smaller ones, once the property of the abbey at Klara:
– One called Barkarholmen (“Bark Islet”), suggesting there was a tanning business here as bark was an important raw material for tanning. This islet was also known as Klosterholmen (“Abbey Islet”).
– And, east of Barkarholmen, a rocky islet called Lilla Stockholm (“Little Log Islet”) in the 16th century, renamed Bryggeriholmen (“Brewery Islet”) during the 17th century (in reference to a brewery in operation 1641-45), and after that called Slaktarholmen (“Butcher’s Islet”) after a slaughterhouse operating there. Lilla Stockholm disappeared when Norrbro was finally completed in 1806.
The Helgeand House
As mentioned above, a charitable institution organized by a pious foundation was located on the island, receiving sick people, poor and elderly as well as foreigners, and accepting donations from burghers in city, through which the institution became an important landowner. The original Helgeandshuset (“The House of the Holy Spirit”) probably dates back to the 13th century but is not mentioned until 1301. Rebuilt after a fire in 1410, it was moved to Riddarholmen by King Gustav Vasa (1496–1560) in 1531. Though the appearance of Helgeandshuset is not known, it is believed to have resembled similar institutions elsewhere and thus consist of a hospital ward and a church surrounded by other buildings and a graveyard.
Norrbro
Originally, Norrbro stretched diagonally across Helgeandsholmen from (what is today) Mynttorget to Gustav Adolfs torg. Though not mentioned until 1288, the first bridge is believed to have been built with the foundation of the city in 1252. Like virtually all bridges during the Middle Ages, Norrbro was built in wood, at the time considered appropriate as bridges then easily could be dismantled during sieges.
Drawbridges are mentioned in 1318, and the general urban code from the mid 14th century prescribes six cities around Lake Mälaren – Arboga, Enköping, Sigtuna, Strängnäs, Västerås and Uppsala – to share the costs of maintenance with Stockholm, thus indicating the bridge wasn’t merely of interest to the city, but a vital part of the regional road system. These neighbouring cities gradually came to question this obligation however, and during the 16th and 17th centuries Stockholm was, bit by bit, to take charge of the bridge alone.
Until the 1640s, the width of the street varied from 10 to 20 ells (5.9-11.9 metres), but as the northern settlements were incorporated with the city in 1635, so was Helgeandsholmen, and the standard street width was regulated. Governor Klas Fleming (1592–1644) had Norrbro straightened out, in line with his own site on the street, and the width set to 24 ells (14.3 metres).
Norrbro was rebuilt as one of the city’s first stone bridges, the northern section completed in 1797, and the southern in 1806.
City gates and fortifications
An inner gate, Norreport, is mentioned south of Helgeandsholmen in 1409, and an outer gate in the 1460s, but was probably older than that. Both gates were eventually supplied with defensive towers. In the early 15th century, the walls were extended and a western tower added to the fortifications, the entire structure being outdated later that century and finally demolished by 1672.
Royal Stables
Probably established on the island as early as 1535, Royal Stables were at first accommodated in the former hospital ward, and by 1612 given a for the purpose suitable building. First relocated north of Helgeandsholmen in the 1640s, they were moved back again in 1680 to a building designed by architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder (1615–1684). Destroyed by a fire in 1696, the stables were immediately rebuilt in the design of Nicodemus Tessin the Younger (1654–1728), a structure surviving different alternations until the beginning of the 20th century.
Historical canals
Over the years, several canals have passed through today’s Helgeandsholmen, most notably between and south of the two palaces described above. Before post-glacial rebound made the canals unnecessary, spring floods was a serious problem often forcing the reconstruction of bridges and other structures, but by the 17th century the first canal was scrapped, the second when the Parliament Building was built in the early 20th century.
17th century structures Needing access to a water mill, a royal workshop for the production of gun carriages, Lådmakaregården (“The Box Making Court”) was relocated to Barkholmen in the early 17th century, built on poles and reaching around Stockholmen. It was later demolished and replaced by the Gyldenklou House.
Having bought a site north of the Royal Stables in 1637, Klas Fleming had his private palace, Flemingska huset (“The Fleming House”), built after his own German-Dutch renaissance design, and, subsequently, the entire neighbourhood adapted to it. In 1696 however, the Crown bought the house to have it demolished for the extension of the stables.
During the 1640s, several people close to the Crown and Royal Court were allotted sites on Helgeandsholmen, and in 1645, Queen Christina donated the site north of The Fleming House to Anders Gyldenklou (-1665 ?), Secretary of the Chancellery, who had two buildings erected there, called Gyldenklouska huset (“The Gyldenklou House”), and subsequently sold to Lord High Chancellor (Riksdrots) Per Brahe (1602–1680). The palace, a Dutch renaissance structure four storeys tall with a stepped gable and called Braheska huset (“The Brahe house”) until its demolition, is often appearing next to the Fleming House in engravings and paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. It was taken over by the Crown in 1696, and used for the royal administration after the fire at the Royal Palace in 1697. By 1770, the building was handed over to the Royal Stables, who used it for various purposes until its demolition in 1815.
Modern history
Completed in 1807-10, the semicircular space on Norrbro’s eastern side was first used as a storage space for fisheries, finally removed on the commands of the king in 1821. Ten years later, a park was established, at the time still with a canal passing through it. Opened to the public in 1832, it became the first municipal park in Stockholm. During the following 100 years, the park was furnished with various pavilions, bookstalls, and stages, and became a popular spot among the city’s society. By the 1930s however, the park had become abandoned and shabby, and it was therefore redesigned first in 1937-38, and then again following the archaeological operations in the 1970s.
A bazaar called Norrbro-basaren built on the western side of Norrbro in 1838-39, remained a vital social and commercial meeting place until its removal in 1903 for the creation of the small park in front of the Riksdag Building.
Photos: 2x NordenBladet /Helena-Reet Ennet
By the 1870s, the old Riksdag Building on Riddarholmen had become too small and was regarded as not representative enough, a problem also plaguing the Riksbank, then residing at the Järntorget square in Gamla stan. Helgeandsholmen was soon suggested as an appropriate site for both institutions, under the condition that the new structure didn’t overshadow the Royal Palace. The winning proposal from an architectural competition in the late 1880s was further developed by the architect Helgo Zettervall (1831–1907) assisted by Aron Johansson (1860–1936). The old buildings were demolished in 1893, and both institutions completed during 1897-1906. The Riksbank was moved to Brunkebergstorg in 1976, and the building taken over by the Riksdag.
Featured image: Helgeandsholmen with the Riksdagen, aerial view (Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 4.0)
NordenBladet – Yesterday evening, on Tuesday 29 October 2019 awards were handed out in Sweden in Stockholm’s concert hall (Stockholms konserthus, Hötorget 8) at a festive awards gala held by the Nordic Council. Every year the Nordic Council also announces five prizes: the prize for literature, film, music, environment as well as children’s and youth’s literature. Besides the acknowledgement the winner also receives a monetary prize of 350 000 Danish kroons.
This year’s festive awards gala was opened by welcoming speeches from the Swedish parliament speaker Per Olof Andreas Norlén, the Nordic Council of Ministers’ president Hans Wallmark and the Nordic Council of Ministers’ vice-president Gunilla Carlsson, what even added to the festive atmosphere by giving a fantastic concert was the Västerås Symphonic Orchestra with conductor Cathrine Winnes. The event was hosted by Swedish literary critic and television host Jessika Gedlin.jhjh The other performers at the concert were Emilia Amper (a well-known Swedish folk musician and Key Fiddle player), El Sistema Södertälje children’s orchestra, The Mamas (a female trio with members Loulou LaMotte, Dinah Yonas Manna and Ash Haynes), the cellist Johanna Sjunnesson and the Islandic duo Hugar ( Pétur Jónsson, Bergur Þórisson).
First of all the 2019 prize for children’s and youth’s literature was announced (The Nordic Council Children and Young People´s Literature Prize 2019). The prize and the nominees were introduced by Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfen. The winner was 44-year-old Norwegian writer and illustrator Kristin Roskifte. The prize-winning book was “Alle sammen teller” (“Everybody counts”).
The second announced prize was the Nordic Cuncil’s Music Prize 2019. The prize and the nominees were introduced by Finnish conductor and cellist Susanna Mälkki. The music prize winner was the Islandic instrumentalist Gyða Valtýsdóttir. Valtýsdóttir was so moved about winning the prize that a quiver of hands was visible during the acknowledgement speech. With a softest of voices she said that the person behing her success story was her mother.
The third prize to be announced was the Nordic Council Environment Prize 2019. The prize and the nominees were introduced by the European Youth Parliament member Noura Berrouba. The winner was 16-year old Swedish climate activist and founder of the movement “Fridays for Future” Greta Thunberg. The audience applauded to Thunberg already when the nominees were announced. Thunberg helself however was not attending the event since at that time she was in California. On behalf of her the fellow activists got the floor and read out loud Thunberg’s letter that included a thank you as well as the message that she will decline the prize. “I want to thank the Nordic Council for this award. It’s a great honour. But the climate movement needs no more prizes. What we need is for those in power and politicians to listen to research,” she announced. The Nordic Council’s president Hans Wallmark stated on the Norden.org page that he honours the decision that Greta Thunberg has made and that is is being decided what will be done with the prize sums (read more about Greta Thunberg prize and declining the prize sums HERE).
Fourth, the Nordic Council Film Prize 2019 was announced. The nominees were introduced and the prize was handed out by Norwegian actress Lena Cecilia Sparrok. The prize went to Danish drama film “Queen of Hearts” (original title: Dronningen). Film director and screenwriter May el-Toukhy, screenwriter Maren Louise Käehne, film producers Caroline Blanco and Rene Ezra.
The fifth prize, the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2019 was introduced and announced by Swedish poet and writer Johannes Anyuru. The prize went once more to Denmark. The winner of the prize was 28-year old Jonas Eika Rasmussen with his novel “Efter Solen”. However, Jonas Eika brought quite some anxiety to the concert hall. While holding his acknowledgement speech he took advantage of the situation to blame the current government. In the two-page speech that he had prepared, he blamed the Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen who at the time was seated just a few meters away in the hall, he spoke of capitalism, racism, and need for radical changes in the Nordic countries.
A fine ending to the prize gala 2019 of the Council of Ministers (19:30 – 21.00) was made by “Ain´t No Mountain High Enough” by The Mamas and Västerås´i Symphony Orchestra.
See more: a brief society gallery from the gala guests (a.k.a. five minutes before the concert in the hallway and the hall) is soon available at NordenBladet entertainment pages Ohmygossip.
Photography and text: NordenBladet / Helena-Reet Ennet
