Sundholmen Castle
| Sundholmen Castle | |
|---|---|
Sundholmens slott | |
 Sundholmen Castle depicted by Erik Dahlbergh in Suecia antiqua et hodierna | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Medieval castle |
| Location | Lake Tolken, Västra Götaland County, Sweden |
| Coordinates | 57°45′18″N 13°13′25″E / 57.75500°N 13.22361°E |
| Construction started | Middle Ages |
| Completed | c. 1540s (rebuilt as fortified stone house) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Unknown |
| Other designers | Per Brahe the Elder (1540s expansion) |
Sundholmen Castle (Swedish: Sundholmens slott) is a medieval ruined castle located on an island in lake Tolken, in Västra Götaland County.[1] It has been abandoned for centuries and has become a bat sanctuary.[2]
History
The oldest construction on the small island in lake Tolken dates back to the Middle Ages. It may possibly have been a monastery. During the 15th century, the estate eventually came into the possession of the Snakenborg family. In the 1540s, Per Brahe the Elder transformed Sundholmen into a fortified stone house. Further additions were carried out by Gustaf and Magnus Brahe. The estate was confiscated by the crown during Charles XI’s Reduction. The castle subsequently fell into decay and burned in 1706 after being struck by lightning. Since then, it has remained in ruins. The ruins were partially restored in the early 1990s and were made accessible by boat.[3][4]
References
- ^ "L1963:3812 Slott/herresäte". Swedish National Heritage Board (in Swedish). 21 February 2025. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "Sundholmen". Länsstyrelsen Västra Götaland (in Swedish). 21 June 2018. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
Slottsruinen på Sundholmen har stor betydelse för flera fladdermusarter. Sommartid övernattar ett stort antal vattenfladdermöss i källarvalven och dvärgfladdermöss i sprickor i muren. Här övervintrar också hundratals nordiska och långörade fladdermöss.
[The castle ruins at Sundholmen are of great importance to several species of bats. In summer, large numbers of Daubenton's bats roost in the cellar vaults and pipistrelle bats in cracks in the walls. Hundreds of northern and long-eared bats also hibernate here.] - ^ Eriksson, Bo (2009). I skuggan av tronen: en biografi över Per Brahe d.ä. Prisma. pp. 284–285. ISBN 978-91-518-4720-7. OCLC 461003529. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ Söderberg, Bengt (1941). Sundholmen: ett Braheslott från äldre Vasatid i Västergötland. Kungl. Vitterhets historie och antikvitets akademiens Handlingar (in Swedish). Vol. 50 (2 ed.). Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. p. 92.