Naval Port of Karlskrona, Sweden

As one of these major powers, Sweden recognised the need, towards the end of the 17^th century, to establish a new naval base in order to be able protect the extensive territories it had acquired throughout northern Germany and present-day Finland, Estonia and Latvia.

Conceived from the outset as a naval city, Karlskrona’s grid layout, with its monumental square and wide streets, took its inspiration from the Roman Baroque period. Built from scratch on undeveloped islands, it included all the elements necessary to support an efficient navy. 

These elements included naval base facilities, military fortifications and defences, a shipyard, a city with trade and administration, docks, and residential areas for groups from various levels of society. Founded in 1680, much of the city was completed within 30 years.

For over a century, Karlskrona’s specialised facilities positioned it as a prominent centre of military technology and industry in the Baltic region. The city continues to be of strategic significance, with both the naval base and the dockyard still in operation to this day.

In the 18^th century, the knowledge required to oversee the construction of a ship was often passed down from father to son. Over time, scientific methods began to take precedence thanks, for the most part, to one man: Fredrik Henrik af Chapman.

Shipbuilder, scientist and officer in the Swedish navy, af Chapman was appointed manager of the Karlskrona shipyard in the early 1780’s. Under his leadership, the shipbuilding process underwent changes based on new theories of ship construction. 

Production methods were modernized to resemble what we now call "assembly-line techniques”, using pre-fabricated pieces. Within three years, the shipyard was able to deliver twenty new vessels – ten ships of the line and ten frigates.

As many of the local craftsman were busy working on the new city which was still under construction, extra pairs of hands had to be brought in from other parts of the Swedish empire. During the 1780’s, the shipyard became Sweden’s largest workplace, employing 2500 craftsmen.

The Polhem dry dock was built from 1717-1724 and was the first dock in Europe to use water pumps for drainage rather than relying on the tides. Due both to its innovative technology and to its size, contemporary accounts describe it as being a remarkable feat of engineering.

The naval dockyard and harbour occupied the southern part of central Karlskrona. The northern part, however, was home to the civilian city, which was planned to include housing and all the amenities that were required to support the naval base.

The main square at the centre of the city was surrounded by public buildings. The square’s two churches are characteristic of the religious buildings of the Renaissance: the basilica and the round temple. Religion was important to Karl XI and church attendance was mandatory.

Whilst the naval base was being established, work also began on a series of fortifications whose purpose was to protect the entrance to Karlskrona. Some were located on land while others were built in the sea. 

Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998, Karlskrona is the best preserved and most complete of the surviving European naval cities, due in part to not having been affected by wars or battles, but also because it continues to operate as a naval base.

It is not a specific building that makes Karlskrona a World Heritage site, but rather the entirety of the city, which encompasses the naval shipyard and harbour, fortifications, the civilian city, and several nearby facilities that held important provisions and supplies.