The iron monitor Sölve

Stand before the Sölve and observe a masterpiece of maritime engineering. This vessel entered the water in 1875 after being crafted by Motala Verkstad. As one of seven Hildur-class monitors, she served a vital role in shielding the Stockholm archipelago and Lake Mälaren. The monitors were designed by Lieutenant John Christian d'Ailly, based on a proposal by John Ericsson, to create a sturdy barrier against naval threats.

Direct your attention to the massive oval turret that defines her silhouette. This heavy face consists of 418 millimeters of wrought iron designed to shield a 240-millimetre rifled breech loader. Deep below the deck, two steam engines provided the power for a single propeller to push her 460 metric tons forward. While she was engineered for intense combat, she enjoyed a peaceful service life until her decommissioning in 1919.

We invite you to discover her second life beginning in 1992. After serving as an oil barge, she was purchased by the Gothenburg Maritima Centrum and is currently moored at the Maritiman marine museum in Gothenburg for partial restoration. You can still inspect the conning tower and the waterline armor belt today.

Visit the museum in Gothenburg to see these relics firsthand. The ship has been partially restored and remains a preserved piece of Swedish naval history.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons