Kongsgård (Swedish: Kungsgård) is a residence, estate, or farmland that has belonged to or still belongs to the Scandinavian monarchs or royal families.

History

Ruins of the Kongsgård estate in Oslo – built by King Håkon Håkonsson

During the Viking Age and early Middle Ages, the nations of Scandinavia were organized as frail political unions, a system which often led to conflicts and internal turmoil. To remain in control, the Scandinavian kings would frequently travel throughout their kingdoms to keep oversight. Kongsgård would then function as temporary residencies for the kings and were often fortified and gradually developed into larger main estates. Throughout the late Middle Ages, many royal estates were re-enforced with castles. Over time, the kings were able to unify their countries and consolidate their power, ruling instead from a single seat or capital.

Norwegian Kongsgård estates

The first King of Norway, King Harald Fairhair, ordered his earls and their hersir to construct estates and farms along the Norwegian coast that would belong to the king and the hird.[1] King Harald would establish the significant Kongsgård estate Alrekstad in Bergen which functioned as his seat of power.[2][3] In the Middle Ages, King Eystein I of Norway would relocated Alrekstad estate in Bergen, building a new fortified palace where Bergenhus fortress is presently located.[4]

Other Kongsgård estates include:

Danish Kongsgård estates

Swedish Kongsgård estates

Faroese Kongsgård estates

See also

References

  1. ↑ Saga of Harald Fairhair, paragraph 6
  2. ↑ Saga of Olav Trgvesons, paragraph 70
  3. ↑ "Harald Hårfagre – en vestlandskonge". www.norgeshistorie.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2017-10-28.
  4. ↑ "Alrekstad - Bergens eldste kongsgård". digitaltmuseum. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Værne kloster". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Utstein kloster". Store norske leksikon. 29 April 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Corselitze". Den Store Danske. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Børglum Kloster". danskeherregaarde. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Karlberg, Sverige". historiesajten. Archived from the original on 13 January 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Kirkjubøargarður". The Vintage News. 19 January 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
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