The capital of Sweden is Stockholm. You will find that Stockholm is the largest city in Sweden and houses many national sites. You will find the Swedish government, parliament, and official monarch residence are located in Stockholm. Stockholm began as the capital of Sweden as far back as the 14th century. The placement of the town to the waterways and the islands of Sweden made it the perfect place to have the capital of Sweden. You will find that it is at the mouth of Lake Malaren by the Stockholm archipelago and that it has been and still is very important to Sweden's productivity.
First you should know that Stockholm first appears in history during the Norse empire. It was then named Agnafit because of King Agne. Later on in the 1200's Stockholm was one of the most important towns to the Netherlands and surrounding area because of the Bergslagen mine. The Bergslagen mine was used to find iron for the iron trade. The name means log and islet. The thought is that the holm portion of the name, meaning islet, refers to the islet of Helgeandsholmen, which is located in the center of the capital. The city offers its historical foundations to Birger Jarl who thought some type of barrier was needed to protect from sea invaders. They were hoping the large city would stop attacks on the smaller provinces.
Later on in the history of Stockholm it was extremely important to the economic trade between the Danish Kings and the national independence movement in the 1400's. Stockholm and Sweden had to fight against the Danish King Christian II as he entered the city bent on destroying everyone that stood in his way. In fact these times were considered the Stockholm Bloodbath as there were several thousand people murdered with his infiltration of the capital of Sweden. It was not until the mid 1500's that Gustav Vasa took over control of Stockholm and a change to the economy and power of Sweden was established. Gustav Vasa offered royal power, but also allowed the city to grow in population as well as in the economics.
Sweden has a long and varied history of rulers, but in the 1600's Sweden was able to establish quite a bit of dominance in Europe. In fact the development of Stockholm as a major city was extremely important to the 1600's. It wasn't until 1634 that Stockholm was considered the capital of Sweden, but that was only on official terms. Trading was established with extreme rules to help promote Stockholm as a monopoly over other countries with foreign trade.
Stockholm and much of Sweden was affected by the Black Death and then the Great Northern War, but the city was able to rally in the 19th century to once again reign on the economic front and establish again many of the modern sites in the city. You will find that visiting Stockholm offers the Karolinska Institute, the General Art and Industrial Exposition, and much more today as well as in the 19th century.
Sweden History Tip #1
Always remember to carry a map of Sweden when you visit, mark on it the whereabouts of your hotel and the full address and keep it with you when you travel. Mark down landmarks near the hotel if you plan to walk so that you can easily spot the direction of your residency for the time of your stay. |
Sweden History Tip #2
If you plan to travel to Northern Sweden to experience the Northern Lights and the Ice Hotel, pack accordingly and remember warm clothing, especially in winter months. Thermal underwear is highly recommended on top of hats, scarves and a couple of pairs of gloves – there's nothing worse than packing just one pair and losing one glove! |
Sweden History Tip #3
Gothenburg Sweden is just one of many things to see in Sweden. A good idea is to plan your trip in advance so that you can get to see the best of the best. The place is full of history, glorious scenery, architecture and quaint little buildings. |
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