The history of Örbyhus

 Erik XIV - National history at Örbyhus Castle

In December 1574, the deposed swedish king Erik XIV, eldest son of Gustav Vasa, was moved under very dramatic circumstances from the state prison in Västerås to Örbyhus. The move was carried out very abruptly and was a chess move by Erik’s half-brother and successor, king Johan III, as there had been several attempts that year to free the deposed king Erik. At that time Örbyhus was in a pitiful condition and the tower itself had no roof; nevertheless it became known in the swedish national history as the unfortunate king Erik XIV’s last refuge.

During the three years Erik was imprisoned at Örbyhus, there were several attempts to free him. Only two weeks after his arrival at the castle a conspiracy was uncovered, planned by farmers in northern Uppland. The farmer’s had planned to disarm the castle guard consisting of 40 knights after having gained entry to the courtyard with grain and cattle they owed to the king.

It was probably on account of such disturbances that drove king Johan III to dispose of Erik. Shortly after a new conspiracy occured, it was announced from the pulpit in Stockholm City Church that on February 26, 1577, Erik XIV had died in the prison at Örbyhus, 43 years old. Modern historic research has established that Erik was poisoned to death with arsenic.

Erik XIV drawings

It was first at Örbyhus that Erik developed the talents which have allowed us in modern times to recognize him as a fascinating representative of the Swedish renaissance. He composed music, wrote and drew — in short, he put into practice the excellent education that his father, Gustav Vasa, had given him as the Crown Prince of Sweden.

One renowned record of his artistic skills are the drawings made in the margin of a Latin folio. They were made using a pen and a poor quality green ink. When his pen and ink were taken away from him, Erik used a sharpened wooden stick and soot in water. One of Erik’s drawings is particularly striking; a drawing depicting a woman with a crown on her head. Possibly it was his beloved Karin Månsdotter that he had in mind when drawing the picture.

Örbyhus Castle through the ages 

The most beautiful monument of Örbyhus Castle’s history is the tower, which dates back as far as the 1450’s. At this time Örbyhus was owned by Johan Kristersson Vase, grandfather of king Gustav Vasa.

Johan Kristersson Vase had the tower built as a defence structure on the almost impassable marshland by lake Vendelsjön. This marks the beginning of the almost 200-year long era of the Vasa dynasty at Örbyhus. Figures in Erik Dahlberg’s illustrated book of architecture “Svecia Antiqua & Hodierna”, shows the high corner towers for the defence of the walls.

King Gustav Vasa, acquired Örbyhus in an exchange of properties from his cousins in 1548. He turned his grandfather’s tower into a national fortress, here in the middle of Uppland, complete with ramparts, moats and a 54 feet high stone wall surrounding his grandfather’s stronghold tower. In Gustav Vasa’s fortress there are many hidden passages and casemates with space for artillery and supplies for many years.

The fortress was however never used as a defensive structure but was instead used as a state prison until Gustav Banér, the governor of Västergötland, acquired Örbyhus in 1641. Gustav Banér rebuilt the castle in the form of a baroque castle:

“Herr Gustav Banér has modified the old castle from 1668 into a lavish, beautiful and veritably architectonic magnificent palace, with a lovely constructed garden, complete with aqueducts and fountains” ,
declared Erik Dahlberg of Gustav Banér’s reconstruction of Örbyhus. The coat of arms of Gustav Banér and Sophia Christina Kruuse, his first wife, still adorn the façade to the east of the castle.

The baroque castle of Örbyhus was owned in the early 18th century by Charles de Geer at Leufsta, who made both Leufsta and Örbyhus an entailed estate for his nephew, the scientist Charles de Geer. During the 200 years that followed it was the names of de Geer, von Platen, de la Gardie, Klingspor and Barnekow that left their mark on Örbyhus.

In 1900 Örbyhus Castle was bought by Count Carl Gustav von Rosen. His son Count Eugène von Rosen, became the sole owner of Örbyhus in 1909 and carried out extensive restoration work and furnishings of the castle and its surroundings.

Today Örbyhus Castle belongs to descendants of Carl Gustav & Eugène von Rosen.