Karlskrona in Blekinge, when it was founded in 1680, was one of the most modern and most efficient naval bases of the time. The shipyard, architecture, urban planning, and the way in which installations and defences were constructed aroused considerable attention throughout Europe in the eighteenth century. Karlskrona's naval heritage has been continued down to our own times, with over 300 years' unbroken activity in the naval base and the shipyard.

During Sweden's Age of Greatness in the seventeenth century there was an increasing need for a naval base in southern Sweden to defend the state, which then comprised present-day Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and parts of northern Germany. The leading experts in the art of fortification were summoned to Karlskrona to build up a modern naval base using new techniques. The town was founded solely with a view to the strategic location, in the middle of Sweden's Baltic empire.

Karlskrona was proclaimed the new headquarters of the navy, and construction of the naval base and the surrounding defences began under the direction of Erik Dahlbergh. At the same time, the major part of Sweden's shipbuilding was moved to the new town. The original shipyard from 1680, which is still intact, thus became the biggest workplace in the kingdom.

Today the whole area - the central parts of the naval town with the shipyard area, the naval base, and the surrounding defences - is a reference work for a 300-year history of fortification. Unlike similar naval bases elsewhere in Europe, Karlskrona has lived on and developed. This is because Sweden has not had any war within its boundaries since 1809.

The buildings of the naval port - which are of very high architectural, artistic, and technical quality - are well preserved, with several of them still functioning. It is a unique port in naval history but it still houses an ultramodern naval base. The Swedish Navy has one of its headquarters here, and shipbuilding is still carried on, producing both civil and military vessels.

The Naval Port of Karlskrona was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998. The justification of the World Heritage Committee was:

"Karlskrona is an exceptionally well preserved example of a European planned naval town which incorporates elements from earlier establishments in other countries and which was in its turn to serve as a model for subsequent towns with similar functions. Naval bases played an important role in the centuries during which naval power was a determining factor in European Realpolitik, and Karlskrona is the best preserved and most complete of those that survive."

Contact:

Karlskrona Maritime Museum - Phone: +46-455-539 00.

See also:
The Naval City of Karlskrona - an active and vibrant World Heritage Site, the Municipality of Karlskrona and the County Administrative Board.
The Naval City of Karlskrona - Karlskrona Municipality.
Naval Port of Karlskorna - UNESCO.