Bernadotte Architecture: The Palaces and Capitals of King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden and of Norway

Abstract

King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden and of Norway is best remembered for his career as Marshal Bernadotte of the French Empire, as the architect of the Swedish-Norwegian union of 1814, and as the founder of the House of Bernadotte, the longest reigning dynasty in Swedish history. Comparatively little attention has been given to his artistic interests. Unlike several other members of the Bernadotte dynasty, Carl Johan was not himself artistically gifted, but he had a keen eye for how the arts could be used in order to burnish the image of the monarchy, the dynasty and the union. He built little in Sweden, but his other kingdom, Norway, provided him with the opportunity to build virtually an entire new capital. Carl Johan played an important role in the expansion of Christiania (now Oslo) into a capital worthy of an independent kingdom, and put his mark on it through several decisions which were highly significant for the city’s development.