The turbulent history of Stegeholm Castle in Västervik, Sweden

Stegeholm Castle was built in the 14th century by Duke Albert the Great of Mecklenburg. It was a formidable stronghold situated on Slottsholmen in the town of Västervik, near the narrow and shallow waters where Gamlebyviken meets the Baltic Sea. The castle was originally fortified, with construction starting before 1370. The castle changed hands several times until it was given to the Sture family by the same Duke in the early 15th century. For the next two centuries, Stegeholm served as the seat of the Sture family and the County of Stegeholm.

The castle was expanded and improved, and it became one of the most impressive structures in Sweden. But its days of glory were numbered. The castle was burned by Christian II's Dano-Holland fleet in 1517, reclaimed and rebuilt by Sweden in 1521, seized by the Danes for part of 1612, given to the Sture family again in 1562, expanded by John III to benefit the family in 1570 and parts of it destroyed by the Dano-Holland fleet again in 1677. Slottsholmen and the castle ruins fell into disrepair from 1677 but the people of Västervik were given the right to quarry stones from the ruins in 1734.

The Sällskapet för Westerviks Förskönade began restoring Slottsholmens ruin and planting in 1881. Västervik's city took over responsibility for the park and ruin in 1903. Västervik's Visfestival has been held annually at the castle ruins since 1966. Archaeological excavations of medieval layers were conducted at the castle ruins in 2016.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons