Uppsala Castle

Uppsala Castle (Swedish: Uppsala slott) is a 16th-century royal castle in the historic city of Uppsala, Sweden. Throughout much of its early history, the castle played a major role in the history of Sweden.

The medieval Archbishop's Castle in Uppsala was close to the site of the present-day Archbishop's Palace, west of the cathedral, and was confiscated by King Gustav I Vasa during the protestant reformation. King Gustav I ordered the construction of the renaissance castle in 1549, on the present site on a hill south of Uppsala Cathedral, with the old Archbishop's Castle being used for building material and subsequently demolished.

Uppsala Castle was built during the time Sweden was on its way to become a great power in Europe. Kings Erik XIV, John III and Charles IX all remodeled and expanded the citadel into a representative renaissance palace. During Erik XIV's reign, the castle was the site of the Sture Murders. In 1630, King Gustavus II Adolphus announced the decision that Sweden should participate in the Thirty Years' War. It was in the castle that the Swedish government announced the abdication of Queen Kristina in 1654.

Uppsala Castle was seriously damaged by fire in 1702, being reduced essentially to a ruin. Reconstruction took many years and was indeed hampered by the remains of the castle being used as a quarry for stone to be used in building .

Uppsala Castle was the administrative center of Uppland and the site of the Hall of State (Swedish: Rikssalen) for many years. Uppsala Castle is the residence of the County Governor of Uppsala County. Dag Hammarskjöld, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, spent his childhood days in the castle when his father, Hjalmar Hammarskjöld, was governor of Uppsala County. Today, the castle is also the site of the Uppsala Art Museum.

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