Sigtuna in my heart
When I as young in 1989 had a summer seasonal employment as a boatguide on Stream Canal Company in Stockholm, met two girls on the course guide , was impressed , and I marveled at the joy and pride they had to be from Sigtuna and have served their entire childhood there. Self , I came from Avesta, a small industrial town and was just so happy to learn more about Stockholm's exciting history and attractions. Little did I know then that I am three years later would move to Märsta, and after another 12 years to Sigtuna to be here just as saved as them in this town.
First flowering time
The city was founded by Erik Segersäll in the 970's and his son became Sweden's first Christian king, Olof Skötkonung.
His daughter Ingegerd Olofsdotter , born in 1001
got married with the Russian prince Yaroslav and became Grand Duchess of Kiev Rus Empire, and later canonized as St. Anna of Novgorod.
Dominican Monastery of Saint Mary was built in the 1200s and the city's first heyday lasted until the late 1200s.
During the 1300s the city was ravaged by the Black Death . In the 1500s came the Reformation and all church wealth was pulled in to the state and the city's seven churches were canceled except of St. Mary's Church .
Second flowering time
In the 1700s, artisans began to settle in the city, the mayor decided that a Town Hall and the school would be built. But the city fell back in her beauty sleep .
Third flourished
A young man by the name Manfred Björkquist , a great visionary and student in Uppsala came in 1915 to visit Sigtuna. Yong church movement whish grew up in Uppsala searched a center for its business. In Sigtuna found Manfred a place more beautiful than the dream where Sigtunastiftelsen would be built. With John Åkerlund as an architect stood Sigtunastiftelsen finished in 1917. It is and has been served as a fortress , a home, a school and a shrine. The guest house was opened up during World War II for the care of Jewish refugees from the concentration camps.
Today enthrones Sigtunastiftelsen proudly and its two other buildings on three levels with beautiful views of Sigtuna Bay.
At first height stands Sigtunastiftelsen which has a library , a chapel and a free church and a beautiful rose garden . Sigtunastiftelsen now serves as a hotel and conference center . It has and still arranges lectures, courses and seminars at the Foundation , to be a place for the cross-border meetings.
At the second height enthrones the main building to SSHL who looks like a Greek temple . Sigtunastiftelsen Boarding School , SHL was inaugurated in 1927. Below is our current King Carl XVI Gustaf attended school . In 1980 they went together with Sigtuna's second boarding school and formed Sigtuna School of Humanities Grammar School .
On the third height is Sigtuna folk high school who moved from the Foundation to its own building in 1986 and consists of the union of the Sigtuna Foundation , Sensus study and the Swedish Church's Young .
Sigtuna - a historic city for the past , present and future.
Source from the book " Sigtunastiftelsen a walk through the place & time " and Wikipedia
| Länkar www.sigtunamuseum.se www.sigtunastiftelsen.se www.omstallningsigtuna.se www.sigtunafolkhogskola.se www.destinationsigtuna.se www.josefinaskolan.nu www.svsk.org www.vafflan.se |
 Ingegerdsringen |
 Manfred Björkquist |
 Sigtunastiftelsen |