The Vasa Museum
‘Museum’ is a word I don’t like using in a title much because it can sometimes conjure up an image of a Victorian building with stuffed animals and drawers full of insects, but the Vasa Museum is nothing like that. After all, it’s not the most visited museum in Scandinavia for nothing.
This maritime museum, located on the island of Djurgarden in Stockholm, was built specifically to house the Vasa, a 17th century Swedish warship, but it also has four other ships moored up in the harbour outside. The exterior design of the building uses symbolic masts that represent the actual height of the Vasa when she was fully rigged.
The easiest way of describing the Vasa is by saying that she’s like Sweden’s equivalent of the Mary Rose in Portsmouth. If you’ve seen the Mary Rose, you’ll know how impressive it is, but if I tell you that the Vasa is even more impressive, then you’ll have some idea of what this museum is all about.
The Vasa is impressive, not just because it’s a historical ship but also because it’s one that’s in great condition.
In 1625 King Gustav II Adolf of the Vasa dynasty commissioned four new warships, the Vasa being the first, and the largest ever to be built in Sweden at the time. It was not just huge, but also extremely ornate. When the mighty ship launched on August 10th 1628 crowds cheered as one of the most powerfully armed ships in the world set sail for the first time.
Made from a thousand oak trees, the ship had 64 large guns, masts 50 metres high and hundreds of gilded and painted wooden sculptures. When it departed Tranbodarna (today’s Slussen) in Stockholm Harbour, the ship also had a hundred crew plus some family members who were allowed to join them. They were heading for the Archipelago where the ship was to await orders to pick up naval reserves for the possible involvement in the war with Poland/Lithuania.
In the end the voyage lasted just 1300 metres before sinking to the bottom of the harbour. All but thirty or so of the passengers survived, and the blame for the tragedy was attributed to different people for different reasons. After the cannons and other valuable cargo was salvaged, the ship was left at the bottom of the harbour for another 300 years before attempts were made to find it again.
In August 1956, Anders Franzen, an expert in naval warfare and shipwrecks, was the man to find it, but it took another 5 years before the vessel was finally brought back up to the surface. When it finally emerged from its watery grave on 24th April 1961 it was in such good condition that it even floated unaided, strange as that may sound.
The reason that it was in such good condition is due to the fact that the Baltic Sea has low levels of salt – and shipworms, who are the biggest destroyers of wood, need salt water to survive.
Restoration was still needed of course, and a place to put it, and so in 1990 the new purpose-built museum was constructed at Djurgarden not far from where the ship sank. Even with restoration, the ship is still at least 95% original. The highlight is undoubtedly the stern with its fabulous ornate carvings. See the gallery below.
Altogether there are seven floors which give great views of the ship from all angles, but it also includes displays of what was found on the ship as well as reconstructions of what life was like on board. One thing that shouldn’t be missed though is the large model on the entrance level that shows how colourful the stern of this wonderful ship would have looked before it sank to the bottom of the harbour.
The loss of thirty lives and a quarter of his new fleet wasn’t perhaps what King Gustav II Adolf would have wanted, but there’s no doubt that his loss is definitely everybody else’s gain. Don’t ever tell me that all museums are boring!
POSTED – DECEMBER 2021
Originally posted 2021-12-20 16:21:49.
I will tell you this. They are certainly never EVER boring when you are doing the commentary. This is an amazing post. And I loved the pictures
Ah! Thank you Shey. It really is amazing to see a ship like this in such good condition
absolutely. And not just any old ship either.
Well, Malc, this has got to be one of your best. We both loved reading about the Vasa – and admiring the pictures of course – and guess what? Maddie is reiterating that she’d love to go there one day. We’re going to have to now. We hadn’t realised quite how amazing this vessel is. We found it fascinating how she survived intact so well, thanks to the low salt levels and the resulting lack of shipworms. I can only imagine how gutted King Gustave must have felt when he lost his showpiece ship after such a brief strut on the water. We can see many parallels with the Mary Rose in Portsmouth, but this is something else! This is the Mary Rose on steroids!
And as a historian and a budding museum curator, I can promise you neither of us will ever tell you that museums are boring! One thing that made us chuckle at the beginning of your post though – we both said ‘Malc must have been to Tring Museum!’ Maddie went there once, but she didn’t like it much because of all the stuffed animals and insects in cases. I guess not all museums are created equal… 🙂
I thought you both might like this one Alli, and I’m pleased that you have. You can consider this post my Christmas gift to you and Maddie if you like 😊
Your quote that the Vasa is like the “Mary Rose on steroids” is perfect. I couldn’t have put it better myself. I’ve been to see the ship twice now, but the first time I saw her I had no idea what I was about to see. My jaw just dropped – and for me to be left speechless is a rare occurrence as you well know. I do hope that you can get to see this fantastic ship at some point, because I know you’ll both love it.
As for museums, I’m with you and Maddie on this one. I never find them boring. Some are more interesting than others, that’s for sure, and for what it’s worth, I honestly believe that Maddie is better going down the path she wants, rather than going to university just because everybody else does. I’m right behind her!
Oh! and by the way, I did get to open all those drawers of insects in Tring Museum 😊
Then thanks for our Christmas gift! We thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Vasa, and I’m looking forward to seeing it ‘in the flesh’ now, probably as much as Maddie is! I can see why your jaw dropped when you saw this gorgeous ship – ours did just looking at your photos! 🙂
We had a feeling that you must have been to Tring from the way you described it. In a way, it’s a museum of a museum. Maddie really wasn’t keen when she went, but as a soppy animal lover (we all are) you can probably understand why.
Thanks also for your kind words of encouragement, which Maddie and I really appreciate. Several people have recommended she go down a different path rather than go to university, and as she’s very much a girl who learns by doing, I reckon the alternative routes would be better for her. 🙂
I’m a soppy animal lover too so I know what you mean about Tring. We have a zoo in Paignton which people flock to, but you might have noticed that I’ve never written anything about it for a very good reason. I know they do good conservation work and it’s great that kids can see these animals to appreciate them, but I can’t bring myself to go and see them in captivity.
As for Maddie following her own path, I honestly believe that it’s the right thing to do. Not everyone is cut out to go to university. I never did, and look where I ended up. I even knew Precious McKenzie 😊
Nice to know you’re a soppy animal lover too. We’re clearly kindred spirits in that way.
Love your second paragraph! Made me laugh… 😀 You’re right about not everyone being cut out for uni though. Maddie needs to be much more ‘hands on’. 🙂
There won’t be any more posts from me until after Christmas now, so I hope you all enjoy the festivities, and we’ll catch up again later. At least you’ll be able to sleep well tonight now you know who Precious McKenzie was 😊
LOL! Of course I will. 😀 Merry Christmas, Malc, and look forward to catching up in the New Year. 🙂
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Interesting info
Would love to visit there
Glad you enjoyed it Ritish
Wow, what a fantastic ship and an interesting post. I like the carved lions on the stern and the colourful model is fabulous 🙂
Thanks Eunice. The ship is quite something isn’t it?
A truly wonderful post, as your articles always are. I remember visiting it, many years ago now, and your words and images have brought me there once again
Bringing back memories for people is one of the things that gives me great pleasure Luisa because where are we without good memories?
Thank you for your continued support as always 😊
Yes what we are now is also the result of our memories
Have a good evening 🙏⭐🙏
Absolutely. You have a great evening too, and if we don’t speak again before, have a great Christmas and thanks for following my posts throughout 2021 🙂
I am sure that we will still be able to wish each other a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, dear Malc.
However, to be on the safe side, I’ll start to give you my best wishes from now ⭐⭐⭐