Västerås Castle was built in the 13th century. The castle taken over by Gustav Vasa was in poor condition after battles and sieges so during the middle of the 16th century he altered and extended it. In 1544 the government gave the Crown Prince, Prince Erik, his own quarters in the castle, “The Young Man’s Apartment”. Later the castle was to be his prison.
From 14 June 1573 to 16 October 1574 Erik XIV was imprisoned in Västerås castle. He sat in “the dark prison”, always separated from his wife, Karin Månsdotter and his child. The dethroned king moved to Örbyhus shortly before his death, from poisoned pea soup says the story, but later his body was brought back to Västerås for burial in the cathedral.
Västmanland’s county museum is today housed in Västerås Castle including the county archive, library and administration. The museums objectives are to deepen knowledge of Västmanländ’s cultural heritage, to facilitate and encourage interest, to deepen insight into the past and thereby enrich perspectives of the present and the future.
References:Kristiansten Fortress was built to protect the city against attack from the east. Construction was finished in 1685. General Johan Caspar von Cicignon, who was chief inspector of kuks fortifications, was responsible for the new town plan of Trondheim after the great fire of 18 April 1681. He also made the plans for the construction of Kristiansten Fortress.
The fortress was built during the period from 1682 to 1684 and strengthened to a complete defence fortification in 1691 by building an advanced post Kristiandsands bastion in the east and in 1695 with the now vanished Møllenberg skanse by the river Nidelven. These fortifications were encircled by a continuous palisade and thereby connected to the fortified city. In 1750 the fortress was modernized with new bastions and casemates to protect against mortar artillery.