Beckholmen

Story

Beckholmen is a small island in central Stockholm, Sweden.Having served the city's shipping industry for centuries, Beckholmen is now regarded as a historical monument of national interest, and, by its location just south of Djurgården in the vicinity of other similar localities it also forms part of Royal National City Park, and Stockholms Sjögård, an area of the harbour of Stockholm containing maritime environments of historical interest.HistoryThe original name of the island, Biskopsholmen and other similar local names such as Biskopsudden, is associated with the priory in Klara to which the surrounding area was donated by King Magnus Ladulås, who in turn took it over from the archbishop and chapter in Uppsala in 1286.Set up in 1633, a private pitch boilery started to produce pitch on the island, pitch at the time being both frequently used at the city's abundant shipyards and an important national trade item. The operations must have had quite an impact, since Queen Christina when handing the area over to the city in 1647, explains she wished to see storehouses built on Bäck- eller Tiärholmen for "the advantage and benefit of the city and the residents". Thus having both its name and reputation set, the islet was bestowed a tar distilling workshop, originally intended for the north-eastern shores of Södermalm, replacing the boilery during the 1680s. Private entrepreneurs took charge of the island in 1717 and, in spite of a devastating fire in 1723, developed it into an important part of their trading house.