Stockholm During The Great Power Era - Birth of A Capital

Birth of A Capital

In Swedish history, the first half of the 17th century was a period of awakening. As a leading European power, a roll which the country was to impose itself following the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), required the capital to be refurnished with a worthy architectonic rob — the nation was determined never to repeat the embarrassment experienced following the death of Gustavus II Adolphus (1594–1632) when the city, still medieval in character, caused hesitation on whether to invite foreign statesmen for fear the lamentable appearance might undermine the nation's authority.

Therefore, Stockholm saw many ambitious city plans during the era, of which those for the ridges surrounding today's old town still stands. These plans were not only the central pieces in a nation-wide process but also formed part of an international trend. In accordance to the mercantilism of the era, opposed to the liberalism still to come, economy was tightly directed top-down. To this goal, cities were crucial as trade and industry was concentrated to cities were it was easier to control — which explains the 17th century enthusiasm for urbanity, not dissimilar to that of the mid 20th century. Additionally, the numerous military conflicts the emerging nation-states involved in, made cities of strategic importance and many new cities were founded throughout Sweden and its newly conquered lands around the Baltic — cities given the strict geometric design of the Baroque era.

In this context, Stockholm was of central importance. In a letter in 1636, Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654), the main architect behind the Swedish central government, wrote that evolving the Swedish capital was a prerequisite for the nation's "power and strength" (rijksens machtt och styrke); that all efforts should be made to ensure "Stockholm arose and that it became populated" (Stockholm kommer opp och den bliffver populerat); and that this would "certainly bring all the other cities on their feet" (Sedan skall väll Stockholm bringa dee andre på behnen). Increased state intervention on city level was not unique to Sweden at this time, but it was probably more prominent in the case of Stockholm than anywhere else in Europe.

The Swedish pretensions and the quick growth at this time can be illustrated by two quotes separated in time by half a century; one from a temporary visitor, and the other from a prominent Swedish propagandist:

...because the buildings all have flattened roofs, covered with birch-bark and verdant turfs in the same manner as the peasant's cottages in Russia. The roofs serve as pasturage, and on some goats are kept grazing, whom occasionally jumps over the street from one building to another and then back again.

Anthonis Goeteeris, Dutch diplomat, 1616-17.

Besides above mentioned monumental buildings, one sees everywhere in Stockholm, here and there handsome and excellent buildings nearly all adorned in carved stone, and the city as well as the suburbs offers all the grander splendour, as do nearly all streets, especially in the suburbs, under Queen Christina regulated into straight lines, which gives the city such an appearance, that the same now begins competing with the most distinguished cities in the world.

Erik Dahlberg, c. 1660-1680.