The history of the ruin in Laholm

Lagaholm is a ruin in Laholm, located near the site where the Laholm hydroelectric power station stands today. There was an early fortified house in Laholm that was named in the land register of the Danish King Valdemar as early as 1231, establishing Laholm as the oldest city in Halland. The purpose of the fortress's location on the island in Lagan was primarily to control communications on the Lagan, land traffic between Helsingborg and Oslo, and trade routes from the interior. A styresman was stationed on site who also served as the city's highest official. The fortress was surrounded by a ring wall, and inside it was a courtyard with several buildings. The main building was a tall tower.

Lagaholm was besieged time and again during the following centuries. The years 1341-1360 belonged to Sweden and Magnus Eriksson. In the 1400s, during the Engelbrekt Rebellion, the fortress was occupied by the Swedes during their looting raid. During the time of Gustav Vasa and his sons, forces were sent here to conquer the fortress without success. Then came the Nordic Seven Years' War in the years 1563-1570, and after that, the fortification was completely ruined. In the early 1600s, the ruin was modernized on the order of the Danish King Christian IV. It was given a five-sided shape to be able to withstand the warfare of the new era and at the same time be able to receive a king with his retinue in a manner befitting his status.

With the development of artillery, Lagaholm became quickly obsolete again. Karl XI ordered the peasants in the area to demolish the ruin in 1675. The ruin of Lagaholm fell into decay until the years 1923-1937, when the ruin was excavated. To pay for this, the then mayor of Laholm, Axel Malmqvist, arranged annual chronicles games, the so-called Lagaholmsspel.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons