Artillerigården - Swedish Army Museum - Östermalm, Stockholm, Sweden - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

While this orientation sign illustrates the layout of the Musuem and its courtyard, referred to as the Artillerigården, it also gives a history of this location. The marker reads:

The Artillery Courtyard was orignally built to accomodate the central stores and workshops of the city's artillery. Today's building, with its two wings, was put up between 1763 and 1806, although the Artillery, previously at Logården near the Palace, was first stationed here in 1641. Workshops, guard rooms, a smithy and a church were built alongside a depot to house weaponry. Almost 100 years later the wooden buildings were declared no longer serviceable, and in 1739 the Riksdag decided that a new artillery was needed. However, owing to the war with Russia, the building was postponed.

Plans for a new artillery were drawn up in 1762, and by 1770 "Stora Tyghuset", the Great Ordnance Depot, was ready for use. The brick building, two storeys high, is today used by the Army Museum. Heavy pieces like cannons were stored in the Artillery Hall on the ground floor. The lighter items, such as saddles and harnesses, were stored on the top floor. Guardrooms, an armoury, lockups, a library, offices, and workshops for rope-makers and turners were housed in the new west wing. The east wing, completed in 1806, was mainly given over to musket workshops and stores. Riding and gunnery were practised in the open courtyard.

The museum was founded when the Artillery moved out in 1877. Named the Artillery Musuem, it was housed on the upper storey. In 1882-1884, with the College of Artillery and Engineering about to move in, major renovation was undertaken. The Depot received an extra floor, seven of the nine entrance gates were bricked in and a large stairway was added to the rear. When the College moved out in 1926, the Museum took over the entire building and in 1932 was renamed the Army Museum.

The Depot and wings were restored between 1991 and 2005. The Army Musuem reopened in renovated premises in 2000, now with new permanent exhibitions. The Museum also has the use of the east wing. The west wing is occupied by, among others, the National Property Board and the Royal Swedish Horseguards. All buildings have been national building monuments since 1935. The Artillery Courtyard is adminstered by the National Property Board and is part of our common cultural heritage.

Group that erected the marker: Statens fastighetsverk - National Property Board Sweden URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Riddargatan 13 Östermalm Stockholm, Stockholm Sweden 104 41

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