Karlskrona

Located in the southeast section of Sweden is Karlskrona, which was built on 33 islands, situated around the island of Trosso, which is in the Blekinge archipelago. This Baroque city was first founded in the mid 18th century, completely inspired by and designed after Venice. At the time Karlskrona was founded by Carl XI, the Swedish Empire was a huge power over territories in the Baltic region. With that, the city of Karlskrona enjoyed 300 years of solid, naval history.

Because of its southern location, Karlskrona was free from ice found in many Swedish waters, making it strategically placed, specifically in relation to Denmark, although there was still some threat looming from the east that had not yet erupted. From the start, the goal was to build a naval base and city. In addition, experts determined that to repair the naval vessels coming into port, a dockyard was also needed along with garrison facilities and stores.

In the beginning, the plan was to build a powerful and strong defense, not necessarily a military power. The architects, some of the finest in the entire country were hired to draw plans for the intended city, to include monuments, fortifications, and a fortress that would include the shipyard and harbor. The decision was made to put the naval base and dockyard on the island of Trosso where the natural harbor defense could be optimally used.

To protect Karlskrona from any type of sea approaches, the Kungsholms Fort and Drottningskar Citadel were constructed, offering comprehensive defense on Koholmen with the tower being built on Mjolnareholmen as a means of preventing any attack over ice. At the conclusion of the 17th century, Karlskrona had grown into a government seat. Then during the first two decades of the 18th century, the Swedish Empire disintegrated. Even so, the city, dockyard, and naval base grew and flourished. In fact, by the end of the 18th century, Karlskrona had become the third largest city in the country and a huge military center.

Unfortunately, the 19th century brought with it stagnation that would bring changes f the Industrial Revolution whereby ships now had iron hulls. The interesting thing about Karlskrona is that today, you see a unique blend of building styles, taking from the past along with the future, changes that can be seen throughout the city, on the naval base, and even in the dockyard. In 1998, the naval port received a coveted nomination to become the ninth Swedish location to be added to the prestigious World Heritage List.

Today, Karlskrona is just one of a few remaining naval ports in the entire world that remains fully intact. This well-preserved example of a planned European naval town is seen around the world as a star model for other towns and functions. For centuries, Karlskrona played a vital role in relation to naval power.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

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