The ship tumulus from Amundtorp
THE TOWN OF SKARA
From time immemorial, Skara has been described as Västergötland’s oldest town with both a school and cathedral. The city arose from a cult centre for the fertility God Frö to become one of the province’s main towns.
During the middle of the 11th century, Skara became one of the principal towns for Christian missions. Sweden’s first Christian diocese was established in Husaby on Kinnekulle. Around 1050, when heathenism was sufficiently vanquished, Sweden’s third bishop, Asmund, started construction of the cathedral in Skara.
The ship tumulus from Amundtorp
THREE PERIODS OF GREATNESS
Skara has three periods of greatness: parts of the Middle Ages, the 18th century, and the turn of the 19th century. During the 11th century the cathedral was begun. This Romanesque cathedral was completed around 1150 and around it the city grew up with a city square serving as a central meeting place. At least three additional churches were built and to the north a Franciscan monastery and to the south a Dominican monastery . Additionally a school, library, asylum, and a nursing home for the poor and the ill were established. Skara lacked a natural elevation, therefore a hill was built to the south to be used as the foundation for the royal stronghold Gälakvist which was first mentioned in 1272. The present town’s plan preserves much of the medieval town’s character. Upon the location of the Dominican monastery, Johan the III had Skaraborg’s castle erected in 1584 as an official residence of the governor. In 1612 the Danes burned the castle to the ground. Despite the fact that the residence has been located in Mariestad since 1660, the administrative province is still named after this castle. A stone model of the castle has been erected within the area where Skaraborg was situated.
Skara’s second period of greatness started out rather unfortunately; a big fire destroyed large parts of the city in 1719. Skara had to, as it were, start all over again. During this period many important leading personalities and cultural leaders were drawn to Skara due chiefly to the church and school.
The third period of greatness covered periods at the end of the 19th
century and the beginning of the 20th century.
No less than seven narrow-gauge railway lines passed through Skara and
created a bustling city life. The railroad station is said to have been
northern Europe’s largest central station serving narrow-gauge railroads.
VETERINARY COLLEGE
Peter Hernquist, a disciple of Linnè, received permission to found a veterinary establishment in Skara in 1774. In 1775 he was presented with homestead farm Brogården to be utilised as both an animal hospital and veterinary college. In 1802 the main building was burnt to the ground, but Hernquist rebuilt the facility to provide more spacious and practical accommodations. Nowadays it contains a veterinary historical museum as well as Hernquist’s cattle chemist, which was rebuilt after the fire. The college was one of the firsts in the world to be established for veterinary surgeons. Now part of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, veterinary training still takes place. The buildings in the parks surrounding Brogården are for the greatest part from the 1860s and still contain a veterinary hospital and administrative offices.
The veterinarian museum
SECONDARY GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Skara’s past as an educational centre dates back to the time when Skara was an ecclesiastical centre. During the 13th century literature mentions that a special house in Paris was founded for students from Skara who were called ‘djäknar’ in their hometown. (This word is possibly derived from the word "diakon" which means lay welfare worker, district visitor, or possibly seminary student.) At mass the young seminary students or "diakoner" assisted the priest.
During Sweden’s period as a great world power more knowledgeable and well educated Government officials were required. These leaders were drawn from "diakonerna". Several sixth form school were established in Skara in 1641. Until the late 19th century, the sixth form school were the only one in the diocese. In 1871 a new secondary grammar school was built. Designed by the famous Helgo Zettervall, it consisted of a red T-shaped building inspired by French renaissance architecture with neo-Gothic ornaments of sandstone and cement.
SKARA CATHEDRAL
The oldest stone cathedral in Skara was begun in the 11th century and finished around 1150. Archeological remains of this cathedral includes a unique crypt, a stone relievo around the entrance to the vestry of the church, and the details of a window with a small thin centre column in the southern tower. In the middle of the 13th century the crypt was demolished when the church was "modernised" and replaced with a new sanctuary designed in young-Gothic style architecture. When the church was damaged by fire near the end of the 14th century, the roof was rebuilt creating the illusion of a starry sky in the nave.
Upon the advent of the Reformation Movement during the 16th century, there began a period of decline for the church. In 1566, when the Danes burnt the church, it was repaired to some extent.
Over a period of two years from 1808 to 1810, the western towers were rebuilt with flat roofs, becoming known as "Skara’s trousers".
Helgo Zettervall’s complete proposal for the restoration of the cathedral
was carried out between 1886 and 1894. This design gave the church its
present high-Gothic style. After a fire in 1947, the church was restored
by architect Ivar Tengbom. It was during this restoration that the sensational
discovery of the remains of the church from the 11th
century was made. The demolished crypt, which was the unique resting place
of the first bishops, can still be seen today. In a small display case
nearby, a replica of Bishop Adalvard’s chalice dating to the 11th
can also be seen. Other items of great value from Skara’s cathedral include
attractive furnishings in medieval and baroque design, a collection of
seals from medieval bishops and other high ecclesiastical dignitaries,
and modern mosaic stained glass windows designed by Bo Beskow.
replica of Adalvards chalice |
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| Swedens oldest book "Skaramisalet", religious handwriting from 1100-1150 |
Freely after: Sevärdheter i Västergötland: Skaraborg (1997)
