Kristianopel

Kristianopel (Swedish pronunciation: [krɪstɪaˈnǔːpɛl])[1] is a village in Karlskrona Municipality in the southeastern Swedish province of Blekinge.[2] It has a population of 81.

Kristianopel
Kristianopel Church
Coat of arms
Kristianopel
Kristianopel
Coordinates: 56°15′24″N 16°02′33″E
CountrySweden
MunicipalityKarlskrona Municipality
CountyBlekinge County
ProvinceBlekinge
Founded1603
Charter1622

History of the town

Kristianopel (old spelling Christianopel) is located in the easternmost part of Blekinge, which was the easternmost part of Denmark in beginning of the 17th century. The town of Avaskär, located just a few hundred metres north of present-day Kristianopel, was too difficult to defend from Swedish attacks. The Danish king Christian IV had a fortress built south of it in 1603 and named it after his newborn son - Prince Christian (1603–1647) or Kristian, with Danish spelling.[3][4]

The Germanised Greek suffix '-opel' was given to give the town a cosmopolitan ring similar to Constantinople. Construction of the town was completed in 1606 and held approximately 700 inhabitants.[5]

During the Kalmar War, prince Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (1594–1632), took the town with a small force on June 25, 1611 and destroyed the supplies the Danes had stored there. The town was burned down and the church was demolished. The city privileges of Avaskär and neighboring Lyckå were transferred to Kristianopel in 1622, and the town was fortified in 1637. Lyckå Castle was demolished in order to use it as building material at Kristianopel. [6]

Kristianopel Church (Kristianopels Kyrka) or Church of the Holy Trinity was rebuilt between 1618 and 1624. The building was retrieved limestone and granite from Oland and bricks from nearby Nättraby. It is the only preserved building from the time when Kristianopel was a fortified city and the last outpost of the Danish kingdom at the border to Sweden.[7]

Kristianopel's significance as a frontier fortress vanished when Blekinge became Swedish as a consequence of the treaty of Roskilde in 1658 and in 1676 the fortress' equipment was transferred to Karlshamn. September 25 that same year the abandoned fortress was taken by Danish lieutenant colonel Lützow, who began shoring up the partially demolished fortifications and made Kristianopel a strongpoint for the Snapphane guerrilla. Lützow was forced to yield Kristianopel on February 22, 1677, whereupon the fortress was razed to the ground and the burghers commanded to move to other towns. The town was declared dangerous to the security of Sweden, and in 1678 an order decreed that no building be left standing in Kristianopel. The remaining inhabitants were resettled in Ronneby, Växjö, and Karlshamn. [8]

Recent history

On 30 April 1981 a stampede took place in Kristianopel prior to a concert with Gyllene Tider. 3 people died as a result.[9]

In October 2015 Karlskrona Municipality decided to open a refugee camp in Kristianopel, giving shelter to 80 people.[10]

Crest

The crest of Kristianopel is very similar to that of Kristianstad.

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References
  1. Jöran Sahlgren; Gösta Bergman (1979). Svenska ortnamn med uttalsuppgifter (in Swedish). p. 14.
  2. "Kristianopel". sydsverige.dk. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  3. "Christian the Prince Elect". Rosenborg. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  4. Michael Roberts (1953) Gustavus Adolphus. A History of Sweden 1611-1632. Volume one: 1611-1626 (London: Pearson Longman)
  5. "Christianopel och Avaskär". Blekinge museum. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  6. "Lyckeby, a suburb of Karlskrona". Guidebook Sweden. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  7. "Kristianopels Kyrka, Historical church in Kristianopel". GuidebookSweden. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  8. "Snaphaner". Danmarks Historien. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  9. Christian Hylse Mörka minnen tynger 25 år efter tragedin på Masten Archived 2013-04-18 at Archive.today Blekinge Läns Tidning
  10. Kristianopels camping blir flyktingboende Sveriges Radio AB
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