Fredrikskyrkan (translation, 'Frederick's Church') construction began in 1720 as a replacement for the city's temporary wooden church, Hedvig Eleonora Church. The church was consecrated in 1744. Fredrikskyrkan was built in the baroque style after a design by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. Though Crown Prince Adolf Frederick was present for the event, the building was named in honor of Frederick I. The spires atop the church towers were completed in 1758. There has been several restorations. The one in 1805-06 was led by architect Olof Tempelman. Interior restorations occurred in 1913-15 under Axel Lindegren, and there was another in 1967-68.
Fredrikskyrkan's towers are a notable feature. The carillon is housed in the south tower, and there are 35 bells, which were installed in 1967 by the Bergenholtz bell foundry in Sigtuna. The clock chimes three times a day.
The 1854 pulpit is in a neoclassical style by the design of architect Johan Adolf Hawerman; it predates the altar. The carved wood baptismal font was donated by the ship builder Gilbert Sheldon. The church silver is preserved in a massive safe.
The church's first organ came from Hedvig Eleonora Church. When a decision was made to purchase a larger and more suitable organ,Lars Wahlberg received the contract to build an organ with 29 stops, 2 manuals and a pedal. When it was finished in 1764, he had inserted the 34 voices that are driven by six large bellows. Wahlberg's organ was replaced in 1905 by one built by Åkerman & Lund Orgelbyggeri in Stockholm; it was reconstructed in 1982-87 by Grönlunds Orgelbyggeri.
Situated on Stortorget, the main square in the city centre, Fredrikskyrkan is included within the Karlskrona UNESCO World Heritage Site.
References:The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.
Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.