Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Karlskrona - World Heritage Fort 'n Port. A Baroque City.

Karlskrona is a Baroque city -- founded in 1680 as Sweden's naval base, and including the island of Trosso; after the land was ceded to Sweden as part of the treaty of Roskilde in 1678.

Denmark Sweden Denmark Sweden. Boundaries had shifted around as power and incursions did. But Karlskrona is on mainland Sweden, and Sweden at the time also held Estonia, Latvia, Finland, and part of Northern Germany.  Denmark lost the Roskilde Treaty sweeps, see its terms at ://www.wordiq.com/definition/Treaty_of_Roskilde/; and Karl XI set up fortifications, a naval town, to be sure everything was snug.

"The city shall be here," declared Karl XI. And so it was. A planned naval city.


The pose is a popular one.  This, from Oslo, Norway, is also Karl Johan, at Karl Johan Street, fittingly.  Karl XI of Karlskrona, Karl Johan.  Which is original?  How many copies were made??

Compare: Karl Johan, Oslo; same pose as Karl XI, Karlskrona, Sweden. Isn't it? Which is original? Stylistic pilfers?
  In the 17th and 18th Centuries, Karlskrona was influential, in military and commercial matters. It was a huge naval shipyard, with master shipbuilder Fredrik Henric af Chapman in residence. See ://www.karlskrona.com/cmarter.asp?doc=2747





Light 'er up and let 'er swing. Best direction marker pre-electricity to be found.


Where are we?  Berlin 428 km; Warsaw 560 km; Riga 532 km. And Vilnius 638 km.

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