The Vasa Museum - Part 1

Wow! This museum was incredible.  

On August 10, 1628, the warship, Vasa, sank after only sailing 1,400 yards in the Stockholm harbor. King Gustavus Adolphus had ordered the ship to be built as part of a military expansion he initiated in a war with Poland-Lithuania. One of the most powerfully armed vessels in the world, with 64 brass cannons cast specifically for the ship. It was richly decorated as a symbol of the king's ambitions for Sweden and for himself - as shown by the numerous carved lions which decorated the ship.

The Vasa's valuable cannons were salvaged in the 17th century, but then she fell into obscurity until 1956 when Anders Franzen, a researcher into ship wrecks in the 16th and 17th centuries, pinpointed her location. She was successfully raised in 1961.  

The Vasa was dangerously unstable with too much weight in the upper part of the hull. Despite this issue, she was ordered to sea and sank in a few minutes after encountering a wind stronger than a breeze. The king was impatient to see Vasa take her place as a flagship, and his subordinates lacked the political courage to openly discuss the issues or postpone the voyage. A later inquiry was unsuccessful in finding people to punish... 

Between her recovery in 1961 and the beginning of 2025, Vasa has been seen by over 45 million visitors.

 

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Lion carvings were in varies places on the Vasa. 

This open gun port shows the lion motif. 

 

Stockholm City Museum

This free museum was also one of the best in terms of presentation and information on the history of Stockholm.  

The first exhibit was a special one by Kary H. Lasch. I loved the expressions on the children's faces. 

The museum began with the 1500's and continued to the present. 

Here lies Widow Bokman in her bed. However, there was a strange sound - like a snore - coming from the bed. When I approached, I realized it was a snore. Somehow, they had piped in this sound. Very realistic and a bit spooky.  

I loved the idea of having "leisure time" teachers, as that shows the importance of play time in a child's education.

The Nobel Prize Museum

The Nobel Prize Museum was tucked away up a cobblestoned path on a large square. My husband noticed the sundial (instead of a clock) at the top of the building.  

 

This museum was downplayed in the guide, and it turned out to be one of the best museums in Stockholm. It was wonderfully curated with lots of information and touch screens which added much to the commentary. The guided tour was interesting and informative. 

 

Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman. He is known for inventing dynamite, as well as bequeathing half his fortune to friends and family and the other half to the Nobel Prize Foundation. It took five years to sort it all out. The Nobel Prize is funded completely by interest on his fortune. He always said safety first when investing!

 Alfred never married and had no children. At the time of his death, his estate was estimated at 200 million euros; now it's grown to 800 million euros. 

 

 

 

 

 

One room contained many items that helped to explain the projects of the laureates. There were also many items that the laureates (or friends/family of the laureates) donated:

Overhead, pictures and information about the laureates continually circulated: