Evening journal., 1897-07-21
SWEDEN'S BIG SHOW.
"Old Stockholm" One OF It's Prin-
cipal Features.
The City Reproduced as 1t Was Seven
Hundred Years Ago with Its His
tOric Old Castles of the Royal
Families.


Among the special exhibits at the
Scandinavian fair, which opened in
Stockholm June /, is "Old Stockholm"
This exhibit is made with referefee to
the seven hundredth anniversary of the
founding of Stockholm as the capital of
Sweden, by Knut Ericsson, the then
king of Sweden. II was 700 years ago.
in 1877, that the royal court and the
seat of government were moved from
Old Upsala, the ancient capital.
"Old Stockholm" is located a short
distance beyond the fishery hall, on
point of land projecting into the Dur
gardsbrunnsvilSen, and partly built on
ground formed by filling into the
sound. The most important buildings
are the limitations of the old royal
castle, "Tre Kroner" Storkyrkan, the
oldest church in Stockholm, where
CLAUS Petri first publicly declared the
reformation, and the old city hall, with
Stortorget, the scene of the great
Stockholm "blood BATH" when Chris
tian Of Denmark beheaded 600 Swedish
mobiles. The building named TIRE
Kroner'-three crowns-was located
where the present royal palace is now,
and the foundations of the palace rest,
to some extent, on the foundations of
the old building.
Several times the royal residence of
Sweden's kings have been destroyed by
fire. each time, however, being enlarged
in the rebuilding. The last time the
palace was destroyed was in May. 1907.
King Charles XI. had died a few
days previous, and his remains had to
be removed TO the neighboring Stor-
lSyrkan, which is still standing and is
one of the celebrated historical church.
es in Sweden. Several years before
King Charles death he had employed
the celebrated French architect. Jean
de la Vallie, to draw plans for a new
palace. These plans contemplated the
preservation of the original building,
''Tre Kroner" A splendid. picturesque
pile would have been erected had it not
been that the modern Italian style of
architecture had then won great favor
in Sweden. The renowned Swedish
architect of that period. Nikodemus
Tessin, proposed to the king a building
in accordance with that style. The fire
swept away the old buildings. and Tcs-
sin. having had his plans accepted. con-
structed the present beautiful palace.
The palace is an enormous square
building with two wings. inclosing the
private palace garden. In the center is
large courtyard, in which half dozen
regiments of soldiers could parade
with ease. The building is not alone Il
palace for the royal family. but in
cludes a number of public rooms. such
as "Rikssaleh.' where the chambers Of
the riksdag are opened and "Lifrust
| kammaren." being n series of galleries
/ containing old arms and dresses Of his
torical value from the earliest times.
Some of the rooms in the palace. as the
great gallery known as the "White Sea," j"
/ the picture gallery, the council cham
Der, and the throne room. have a world
wide reputation for their beauty of
| decoration and symmetry. The grand
staircase has its only equal at the
| French palace at Versailles. The Swed-
ish court on state occasions displays a
luxury in appointments and a cere-
mony only equaled by the English and
old French imperial courts. It is a sur
prise to foreigner visiting Stockholm
for the first time, or taking his or her
impression from the democratic way in
which King Oscar is seen in his daily
life at the capitol.
To some people this veneration OF an
old building may seem ridiculous. but
4
700 years this building, representing the
government to the people. has been To-
Gated in this place.-N. Y. Herald.