The Islet of the Holy Spirit
The name of the islet Helgeandsholmen is a combination of Helige andens holme (the Islet of the Holy Spirit), and it derives its name from the house of sanctuary that probably was in use during 13th century, but it’s not mentioned until 1301. A house of sanctuary is a religious charity institution that took care of the sick and the elderly.
In the 16th century, the islets were full of farm buildings for the Tre Kronor Castle's (the one that burned down and was replaced with the Royal Palace) self-catering, built on top of the Helgeandshuset. In Queen Kristina's time, the islet got a statelier appearance. From 1647 until the Parliament House was built 1904, the court stables were here (moved nearby and you can visit them).
In the end of the 19th century, the parliament decided it needed a new building since the old one on the Islet of the Knight was considered too small and not sufficiently representative. In addition, the central bank – the Riksbank – needed new premises.
According to the prevailing opinion at that time, Helgeandsholmen was to be preserved as an open place with parks. Buildings on this site were also not allowed to outshine the Royal Palace.
The Eastern Riksdagshuset (the Parliament House)
More than 9,000 oak piles were used for the foundation of the new Parliament House in 1897. The House was finished in 1905 and the parliament moved in.
The Swedish architect Aron Johansson (1860–1936) gave the House a neo-Renaissance style, with elements of Art Nouveau in the interiors. The central façade section is in neo-baroque style. It has a central risalite that resembles a monumental Roman triumphal arch. On the ends there are two smaller risalites. Corinthian capitals cover the facades as well.
Above the entrance portal is the large granite relief with Sweden's large coat of arms surrounded by lions and the large royal medallions. On the top part are representatives from the four Estates: Axel Oxenstierna, Johannes Rudbeckius, Louis De Geer, and Peder Olofsson. The Swedish sculptor Theodor Lundberg (1852–1926) made them as well as the artwork Mother Svea (see the box below).
Above the ground floor windows are 57 portraits in stone of Swedish people who the architect Johansson considered important for the House's creation, including himself.
The Mother Svea symbol
Mother Svea is a female personification of Sweden. The group on the top part of the Paliament House is 10 meters wide and 8 meters high, of which Mother Svea is 5 meters high.
Mother Svea is normally depicted as a powerful female warrior, valkyrie or shieldmaiden, frequently holding a shield and standing beside a lion. Svea is a Swedish female personal name which derives from svea, an old plural genitive form meaning "of the Swedes" or the Swea. It appears in Svea rike, a translation of the old Swedish word Sverige.
Mother Svea appeared frequently as a national symbol in 19th-century Swedish literature and culture. She appeared on various Swedish banknotes for over seventy years.
At Mother Svea's feet on the Parliament House there are two allegorical figures. The Vigilance (left) symbolises that the Riksdag should watch over Sweden. The Afterthought (right) is a woman that symbolises that the Riksdag should reflect before making a decision.
The Western Riksdagshuset (the Parliament House)
The Western Parliament House was originally built for the central bank (Sveriges Riksbank), and the building was completed in 1906. It was designed by Aron Johansson, the same architect who designed the Eastern Parliament House and the two buildings are in the same style. The two colossal Riksbank's lions in granite that stand outside the House are designed by the Swedish sculptor Gustav Fredrik Norling.
In 1967, the decision was made that Sweden would have a unicameral parliament from 1971. Thus, a new and larger chamber with room for 350 members was needed.
An architectural competition was announced the same year, which was won by the architectural firm Ahlgren-Olsson-Silow Arkitektkontor AB. The Riksbank moved out in 1976 to its present building.
The biggest externally visible change was a copper-clad two floor extension on top of the old Riksbank building with a new chamber (or plenary hall). The East and West Parliament House were connected, underground with passages and above ground via glazed corridors across the street Riksgatan.
On 4 October 1983, the Plenary Chamber and the new old Parliament building were inaugurated by the Riksdag.