Saturday, 24 February 2018

Kungshuset - the King's House in Lund



Kungshuset (the King's House) is located in Lundagård – just few meters north from the Cathedral. It is one of the buildings in Lund with a great history behind. 




It was built by the Danish king Frederick II between 1578 and 1584 for the royal administration in Lund. Frederick II lived here for a few weeks in 1584 when his son Christian should be honoured as the next successor by the Scanian Council.

1655 – The Danish king donated Lundagård and Kungshuset to national historiographer Vitus Bering.

1660 – Peder Winstrup, the bishop of Lund, bought Kungshuset and Lundagård from Vitus Bering. So it became the residence for the bishop of Lund.

1676, December, the 4th, the Swedish king Charles XI spent the night in Kungshuset as the winner of the bloodiest battle in the history – The Battle of Lund. Peder Winstrup arranged the dinner and room for the winner.

1688 Charles XI donated the building to the Lund University (founded 1668). For a long period of time Kungshuset served as a main University building with an administration offices, teaching rooms and library.


There is a local legend about the Swedish king Charles XII, who resided in Lund 1716-1718, that he rode up the wide wooden stairs of the Kungshuset tower. Never mind that the tower was added to the building in the end of 18th century. But still beautiful legend and same with stairs.



We have to admit that Charles XII have been visited Kungshuset several times during his life in Lund, because of the University library located there.

Until the beginning of 19th century all the University was located in Kungshuset, together with a library, anatomical theatre and even observatory. Among the others the first University’s astronomer, Anders Spole, worked here.

1846 – Historical Museum moved in Kungshuset to the ground floor.

The King’s house held the University library till the middle of 19th century. Building was in a bad shape and in need of renovation. In 1907 library moved to the newly built location on the Helgonabacken, where it still remains.

Until the 2014 Kungshuset was used as an office and classrooms of the Philosophical faculty of Lund University.

The 31st of October 2016 Pope Franciskus visited Lund and choose Kungshuset as a place to meet the current Swedish kind Carl XVI Gustav.

During the autumn 2017 Kungshuset was open for visitors



Now the University administration is planning to move to the Kungshuset from the main University building where the tourists centre is planed to be open after a few years.

That is just a short story about the unique building in Lund with a great history and respect.

Welcome to Lund!

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