Photo, Print, Drawing The Fire at the Royal Castle in Stockholm, 1697. Einäscherung des königlichen schwedischen Schlosses in Stockholm
About this Item
Title
- The Fire at the Royal Castle in Stockholm, 1697.
Other Title
- Einäscherung des königlichen schwedischen Schlosses in Stockholm
Summary
- This engraving shows the fire of 1697 that destroyed Tre Kronor, the 16th--17th century royal castle that once housed the ruling monarchs of Sweden. As Sweden rose to become a great power, the dichotomy between its wealth, power, and ties to Europe and the spartan northern wooden structure that housed its rulers became ever more apparent. This was never more so than under Queen Christina (reigned 1632--54), who followed developments on the continent and succeeded in intellectually annexing Sweden to an international learned community. Scholars who made their way north to her residence, among them the French philosopher René Descartes (1596--1650), found the accommodations cold and uninviting. The fire of 1697 obliterated not only the structure and its collections, but a cultural reality and world view. The old wooden castle was replaced by a modern stone and brick building, conceived by the Swedish architect Nicodemus Tessin the Younger (1654--1728). This new structure signaled a new direction for the future. Sweden increasingly directed its attention towards cultural and political dynamics in France, turning its back on the early modern German lands on which it had once modeled itself.
Created / Published
- [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], [1697 to 1699]
Headings
- - Sweden--Stockholm County--Stockholm
- - 1697
- - Castles and palaces
- - Cathedrals
- - Fires
- - Tre Kronor (Castle : Stockholm, Sweden)
Notes
- - Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
- - Original resource extent: 1 engraving ; 17 x 14 centimeters.
- - Original resource at: National Library of Sweden.
- - Content in German.
- - Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.
Medium
- 1 online resource.
Digital Id
Library of Congress Control Number
- 2021670588
Online Format
- compressed data
- image