The history of the palace
Rosersberg Palace was named after the mother of Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna, who had the palace built. His mother was a descendent of the “Tre Rosor” (Three Roses) family lineage. Erection of the palace was started in 1634 and it stood finished four years later. The Oxenstierna family palace was typical of its day with a main building with a high roof and richly decorated gables in German-Dutch renaissance style. There was a large adjacent courtyard enclosed by three low rows of buildings.
Tessin modernises
In the second half of the 1600s, the renaissance palace was felt to be outdated and Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna’s son, Chancery President Bengt Oxenstierna, had the palace transformed with a modern baroque style. He obtained help from Sweden’s leading architect, Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. New wings were added and grots, amongst other things in the palace park, were furnished and are still preserved today. The high renaissance gables of the main building were lowered and the house was coiffed with a mansard. Even a magnificent colonnade gallery has been preserved from this period.
1700s
In 1747, Rosersberg Palace was bought by Baron Erland Broman, the President of “Kommerskollegium” (today the Swedish National Board of Trade). Broman too had the palace modernised. Reconstruction work was conducted in all probability by one of the country’s more prominent 18th century architects. After Broman’s death in 1757, the Swedish State appropriated the property and it was given to the young Duke Karl (XIII) under the disposition of Södermanland County. Rosersberg thus became a royal palace.
Karl XIII
Duke Karl had extensive renovation and refurbishment carried out under the supervision of Jean Eric Rehn. On the death of his brother, Gustav III, in 1792, Karl succeeded as Regent of Sweden as the new king, Gustav IV Adolf, was still under age. Towards the end of the 1790s, a number of new and important refurbishments were carried out at the palace with Amber and Red Salons as well as the Hogland salon as typical examples.
Karl XIV Johan
The 5 November 1810, Karl XIV Johan Bernadotte was officially named crown prince of Sweden and he was adopted by Karl XIII and Hedvig Elisabet Charlotta. In 1818, both Karl XIII and Hedvig Elisabet Charlotta passed away, and Karl XIV Johan inherited right of disposition to Rosersberg Palace. He used the palace diligently, especially as a summer residence together with his wife Desideria. After Karl XIV Johan’s death in 1844, Desideria used Rosersberg Palace as her jointure and after her death in 1860, the palace became more or less unoccupied. The state apartments remain almost as they were to this very day.
Infantry, civil defence and rescue services
The palace took on new life in 1870 when the Infantry’s school of gunnery moved into its ground floor and wings. Since then, many promotions of future officers have received their training there. In 1962, they were replaced by the Swedish Civil Defence which in 1984 became the Rescue Services under the State’s Rescue Services Network. The Rescue Services disposed of facilities in the palace and palace wings up to 2006.
