Obelisk at Slottsbacken, Granite obelisk in Slottsbacken, Stockholm, Sweden
The Obelisk at Slottsbacken is a 30-metre granite monument beside the Royal Palace in Stockholm's Old Town. The original, unveiled in 1800, was built from 17 hollow granite drums weighing about 150 tons; the 2020 replacement is made of solid blocks and weighs 280 tons. Its top block forms a pyramidion with sides sloping at about 60 degrees.
Gustav III promised the obelisk in a speech to Stockholm's burghers on 30 August 1790, thanking them for guarding the city during the Russian War of 1788–1790. After his death, Gustav IV Adolf fulfilled the pledge: the foundation was laid in 1798 and the obelisk, designed by Louis Jean Desprez and erected by Jonas Lidströmer, was unveiled on 3 October 1800. Cracked and fenced off in 2012, the original was dismantled in 2017 and replaced by a copy of grey Bohus granite, inaugurated in 2020.
This monument marks the central reference point from which most street numbers in Stockholm begin and organize the city's addressing system. The location represents how the city chose to structure itself spatially and symbolically around this core spot.
The monument sits on an active square in the Old Town and is easily reached on foot when exploring the Royal Palace area. The site is accessible from multiple directions and offers good sightlines from most angles.
The reconstruction involved specialized support structures built beneath the streets to transport and position the 42-ton base stone. This technical challenge reveals how contemporary methods were applied to restore this historic landmark.
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