Riddarholmskyrkan: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Riddarholmskyrkan, or the Church of Riddarholmen, is the burial church of the Swedish monarchy. It is located on the island of Riddarholmen, close to the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. The congregation was dissolved in 1807 and today the church is only used for burial and commemorative purposes.

It is one of the oldest buildings in Stockholm, parts of it dating to the late 13th century, when it was built as a greyfriars monastery. After the Protestant Reformation, the monastery was closed and the building turned into a Protestant church. A spire was added during the reign of John II, but burned down following a stroke of lightning on July 28, 1835 after which it was replaced with the following one.

See also: List of famous cemeteries, Gamla stan