Karl XII:s torg (Stockholm)
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Karl XII's torg (Swedish: "Charles XII Square") is a public space called a square in the southern end of the park Kungsträdgården in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is named after the statue of the so called warrior king Charles XII standing in the middle of the square pointing east towards Sweden's "archenemy" Russia.
Around the square are found a teahouse, the Royal Opera and the opera restaurant Operakällaren, the Church of St Jacob, the bridges Norrbro and Strömbron, and the water course Norrström. From the square is a panoramic view of the old town Gamla stan with the Royal Palace and the Parliament Building, the Grand Hôtel and the National Museum of Fine Arts.
[edit] History
On the location was the palace Makalös ("Peerless"), owned by the constable of the realm and Count of Läckö, Jakob Pontusson de la Gardie and completed in 1642. The palace was transferred to the Crown under King Charles XI and rebuilt into an armoury in 1690. Following the death of Gustav III in 1792 the palace was rebuilt into a opera house.
During the early 19th century, the park gradually decayed, and King Charles XIV had the park levelled to the ground to give space to a statue of his unpopular predecessor Charles XIII. The statue was inaugurated in November 1821 and the entire park renamed after it in March the following year, displeased Stockholmers however referring to the statue as "a gardener without a garden just as a king without honour".
The opera house burned to the ground during a performance in 1825, fragments from it today exhibited in the nearby metro station. Since the exposition of 1866, the western part of the square, named Lagerlunden ("The Laurel Grove"), is renown for the exclusive dining-rooms of the rebuilt opera house.
The statue by J. P. Molin was inaugurated for the 150th anniversary of the king's death on November 30, 1868, the square, until then part of Karl XIII's torg further north in the park, subsequently renamed and transformed into more of a park than a square. While Charles XII is surrounded by four backs from mortars, in Swedish called kruka, "pot", Charles XIII is flanked by four lions, and again popular humour used the opportunity to throw some dirt at the latter by referring to both statues as "a lion among pots and a pot among lions".
In the 1990s, the square was made a popular gathering spot for right-wing extremists and neo-nazis usually hold parades here on November 30 every year. Occasionally, this has resulted in clashes with left wing protesters and real battles have taken place in Kungsträdgården.
[edit] References
- (1992) "Norrmalm", Stockholms gatunamn, 2nd ed., Stockholm: Kommittén för Stockholmsforskning, 163. ISBN 91-7031-042-4. (Swedish)
- Martin Stugart (2005-10-19). Är det rester av slottet Makalös nere i T-Kungsträdgården?. Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved on February 16, 2007. (Swedish)
- Fredrik Ulrik Wrangel (1912). Stockholmiana I-IV 171. Project Runeberg. Retrieved on February 16, 2007. (Swedish)
- Torbjörn Dalnäs (2002). De långväga lejonens hamn ("Harbour of the lions from afar") 13. Sjöfartsverket (the Swedish national administration of shipping and navigation). Retrieved on February 16, 2007. (Swedish)
- Dennis Petterson (February 2004). Svensk Numismatisk Tidskrift ("Swedish Numismatics Journal") 21. Svenska Numismatiska Föreningen ("Swedish Numismatics Society"). Retrieved on February 16, 2007. (Swedish)
