The history of Örebro Castle

The 700-year history of Örebro Castle
In the Middle Ages, Örebro became an early centre for the iron trade, and several German merchants helped in the building up of the town. In the centre lay, just as it does to this day, a square with a town hall and the then recently-begun Church of Saint Nicholas. At about the same time work was begun on a defence tower at the strategically important point on the east side of the bridge.

The medieval defence tower
The tower was square, about 30 metres high and surrounded by a 7-metre high and 3-metre thick ring-wall. In the 14th century the fort was enlarged by King Magnus Eriksson.

The alterations began with a three-storey building to the south, which was followed by similar constructions in the north and west, the result being a U-shaped complex in which the original tower was still the highest point.

In the Middle Ages the castle was involved in warfare repeatedly, and up to 1568 it was besieged in all nine times. However, there was no question of any major alterations until the latter part of the 16th century.

The Duke’s Renaissance castle
In 1560, King Gustav Vasa’s youngest son, Karl (later King Karl IX of Sweden) began an ambitious extension- and rebuilding programme of the castle. The old stone stronghold was transformed into a magnificent Renaissance castle.

The entire building was now as tall as the original 13th-century tower, and an east side completed the square plan of the castle. At the corners four massive cannon towers had been built, and there was a substantial curtain wall round the castle. Finally, the whole building had been plastered in a yellow-white tone and the windows were framed in red.

Even before the castle was finished, it was often used by both Karl IX and his son Gustav II Adolf. When the buiding work was finally completed in 1627, the state did not have any real use for it. The new monarchs preferred other residences, and slowly but surely Örebro Castle began to fall into disrepair.

The 1750s: New ideals in style
It was not until 1758 that it was finally decided to begin repairs on the much decayed and almost uninhabitable castle.

Since an attack against the castle was no longer to be feared, all of the defences were removed. Instead, courtyards and terraces were laid out, and new stone bridges replaced the old wooden ones. Finally, the old caps on the towers were replaced with almost completely flat tin roofs. Inside, a beautiful apartment was fitted out which has ever since been the official residence of the County Governor of Örebro.

The Örebro castle of our day
In 1897-1900 the castle was again renovated. Historical romanticism held sway in Sweden and the architect strove to create a synthesis of all the epochs of the castle. Here would indeed be recreated a castle worthy of having been the residence of such great men in Swedish history as Engelbrekt, Gustav Vasa and Gustav II Adolf.

A stepped gable on the west side delineated the 13th-century defence tower. The plaster was chipped away to create a more medieval atmosphere, and new roofs on the towers signified the Renaissance castle, and the west tower was raised one storey.

Örebro Castle is one of several Vasa castles in Sweden. In a number of them the interiors have been better preserved, while Örebro was continually renovated to suit the times, which has been both good and bad. The successive rebuildings mean of course that there are few interiors preserved from bygone days, but on the other hand, Duke Karl’s old stone castle in the heart of Örebro is today a truly living and open castle.