The Castle’s History

Royal history as well as exciting stories have been written at Örebro Castle, and perhaps even more have been told. At the castle, which dates from the 1300s, you will encounter tales of historical characters such as Engelbrekt, Gustav Vasa, Lasse-Maja and Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, to name just a few famous people who have crossed paths with the castle.

Here we are merely scraping the surface and paint the castle’s history in broad strokes, but we promise, there is a lot more to discover!

Nobody knows exactly how old the castle is. It is believed that its oldest part is a medieval stone building that was later extended with a defence tower of over 30 meters in height. The tower in its turn was surrounded by a seven-meter-high, three-meter-thick bailey.

There is something else however that we are more certain of. In the middle of the 1300s a larger castle emerged, probably built by King Magnus Eriksson. The castle was then called Örebrohus and comprised three residential blocks of three floors, placed around the old tower.

The middle ages were not peaceful for Örebrohus. Up to 1568 the castle was besieged a total of nine times. In 1434 Engelbrekt takes the castle, and moves in to use it as his personal accommodation.

Others who have succeeded in the difficult task of conquering the castle are the blood-thirsty King Christian II, perhaps better known as Christian the Tyrant, and Gustav Vasa who, on his march to the throne in 1522, finally took the ill-fated castle after a nine-month siege.

Gustav Vasa never extended Örebrohus. But both the castle and the town became important during his time on the throne. The Church meeting in Örebro in 1529 is a milestone on the way to a protestant Sweden, and on New Year’s day 1540, Gustav Vasa instigated the hereditary kingdom during a ceremony in the Rikssalen hall of the castle.

When Gustav Vasa died 20 years later his youngest son inherited the castle. In 1573 Duke Karl, who later became Karl IX, begins a massive conversion and extension of the castle, but it was not completed until1625. That is more than 50 years later.

It is Duke Karl who is principally responsible for the appearance of the building. He drew his inspiration from the renaissance castles he visited during his travels in France for example. The old medieval castle was transformed into a magnificent renaissance castle with a main building as high as the old tower. A stout cannon tower is added to each corner of the castle, plastered in pale yellow and richly decorated. At the entrance, Duke Karl erected a sturdy gate tower and a drawbridge, and a bailey was set around the entire castle, parts of which are preserved today on the north side.

Even before the castle is completed it once again takes centre stage. During the period 1606 – 1617 a total of six Riksdagar (parliamentary sittings) took place at the castle, under the leadership of Karl IX and his son Gustav II Adolf. Perhaps the most important is the Riksdag in 1617 when the predecessor to Sweden’s current Riksdag system was adopted.

During the latter half of the 1600s the castle started to decline, and despite being in very bad condition, no renovation was initiated until the end of the 1750s.

Now Örebro Castle is transformed into a strictly classic castle with an almost flat roof. The bailey is torn down and replaced by stone bridges and terraces, all preserved today. An exclusive floor for the Governor is also built – a residence which is still used by Örebro County Governors.

The castle has several functions during this time and is used for example as a prison and detention centre, rifle depot and granary.

It is here in the chaos that the thief Lasse-Maja wreaks havoc with his practical jokes, getting incarcerated in, and incredibly sneaking out of the dark prison cells of the castle.

Once again in 1810 Örebro is in the limelight when Napoleon’s marshal and one-time best friend Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, was voted successor to the throne at a parliament in Örebro. It is a long and intriguing story in itself. The castle then functioned as a royal residence, while St Nicolai Church in Stortorget square in Örebro becomes the national hall where the royal forefather Bernadotte becomes Karl XIV Johan.

With the historical romantic reconstruction at the end of the 1800s, Örebro gets its new look. The corner towers get new domed rooves, in line with a slightly romanticised view of how the towers looked in Duke Karl’s time. The plaster is removed and the two western towers are extended up a storey.

Inside the castles has been remodelled several times since then. In the 1920s Länsstyrelsen (the County Board) take over large parts to use as offices. At the end of the same decade the governor’s floor was renovated and the old 1700s décor was restored. About the same time the Parliamentary hall, the Weapon room and Engelbrekt’s room were redecorated.

At the beginning of the 1990s the County Board left the castle which now gets an extensive interior renovation. The small offices are returned to the large rooms they once were and modern paints are replaced with chalk paints. It was time to bring back the old.

Today the castle is a living and open cultural heritage in the city. Beautiful to look at and fun to experience. Events take place all year round in the castle’s historic halls, dark dungeons and the children’s very own tower.

Do as thousands of other visitors do every year. Book your own event at the castle, join a captivating viewing, attend a popular historic exhibition or take part in some of the castle’s other festive activities for companies, associations, adults and children.