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Founded: 1390sCategory: Palaces, manors and town halls in Sweden
Historical period: Consolidation (Sweden)
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Bishop’s House was built originally in the 1390s for the residence of Linköping Bishop when he was visiting Vadstena. The present house dates from the 15th century by Bishop Henrik Tidemansson. In the interior you will find fragments of wall paintings preserved from the time it was built. Both Christian II of Denmark and King Gustav Vasa of Sweden have stayed in the house. It is open to the public for special events on occasions.
References:Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.