History of Stockholm

Brief history of Stockholm summarized

A fantastic and fleeting tour of the history of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.

Old Stockholm

The great city of Stockholm has its beginnings in the 13th century. At that time, trade was increasing throughout Europe and many new cities were founded. In 1252 Stockholm was founded by the regent of Sweden Birger Jarl. The new city grew rapidly.

In 1289, it was described as the largest place in Sweden, although its size is small compared to today. Around 1500 Stockholm was a prosperous city, with a population of about 6,000 people.

Then in 1520 came the Stockholm Blood Bath. The king of Denmark invaded Sweden in 1519. In 1520 he captured Stockholm and had more than 80 Swedish noblemen executed for heresy. However, the Swede Gustav Vasa recaptured Stockholm in 1523.

During the 17th century Sweden was a great power in Europe. Stockholm grew rapidly and by the end of the century had a population of around 50,000. Riddarhuset, The House of Nobility, was built between 1641 and 1674.

During the years 1710-1711 there was an outbreak of plague in Stockholm which killed many citizens. However, Stockholm recovered and prospered during the 18th century. Tullgarn Palace was built around 1720. The Royal Palace opened in 1754. The Obelisk was erected in 1799. Also in 1799 the statue of King Gustaf III was carved.

Modern Stockholm

In the late 19th century, Sweden changed from an agricultural society to an industrial society. In 1850 Stockholm had a population of 93,000 and was growing rapidly. At the beginning of the 20th century it had reached 300,000 people.

However, in the middle of the 19th century Stockholm was an unhealthy place. And this was because there were no sewers or running water. Fortunately, all that changed. Stockholm began using gaslight in 1853. A supply of running water was created in the 1860s. The National Museum was built in 1866.

Stockholm Central Station was built in 1871. Horse-drawn trams started running in Stockholm in 1877. The first electric trams ran in 1901. Meanwhile, Stockholm University was founded in 1877.

The Swedish Army Museum opened in 1879. Skansen Open Air Museum opened in 1891. The Biological Museum opened in 1893. The Stockholm Music Museum was founded in 1899.

During the 20th century, Stockholm continued to flourish. The Postal Museum opened in 1906 and the Nordic Museum was built in 1907. The Museum of National Antiquities opened in 1943. Meanwhile, Parliament House was built in 1905 and City Hall in 1923.

Fortunately, Stockholm escaped the damage caused by bombing in World War II. In the middle of the 20th century, a program of modernization of the city began. Many old houses in Stockholm were demolished and replaced by new ones.

Today, tourism is an important source of income in Stockholm. The Dance Museum opened in 1953. The Medieval Museum opened in 1986. A ship called The Vasa sank in 1628, but was recovered in 1961 and is now on display in a museum. Today the population of Stockholm is almost 1 million inhabitants.

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