Vattenborgen, watertoren in Karlskrona, Zweden
Vattenborgen is a water storage complex in Karlskrona that looks like a small fortress and was built between 1861 and 1863. The structure was made of limestone with loopholes and a crenellated wall, and it stands near the Stortorget square surrounded by historic churches.
Karlskrona faced serious water problems in the early 1800s because the wells on the island of Trossö could not supply enough water for the growing population. After a severe cholera outbreak in 1853, the city finally decided to build a modern water pipeline system and construct Vattenborgen as a storage reservoir.
Vattenborgen was a technical monument that expressed Karlskrona's pride in its progress. The medieval appearance of the building shows how romantic ideas of the 1800s shaped the city's practical infrastructure and turned it into a work of art.
Vattenborgen is located near the Stortorget square in the center of Karlskrona and is easily accessible on foot. The building is visible from outside and can be viewed as part of a walk through the historic old town.
Vattenborgen was Karlskrona's third major water supply achievement, but few visitors know that the original storage facility was replaced by a modern water tower on Tyska bryggareberget as early as 1939. After that, the building had a second life as a restaurant, art gallery, and event space before standing empty in recent years.
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