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Swedish House of Knights
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Swedish House of Nobility (Swedish: Riddarhuset) means either the corporation of the Swedish nobility or the palace of the nobility. Between the 17th and the 19th century the House of Nobilty was a chamber in the Estates of the Realm, and as such, a Swedish equivalent to the British House of Lords.
After 1866, when the Riksdag of the Estates was replaced by the new Riksdag, the Swedish House of Nobility served as a quasi-official representation of the Swedish nobility, regulated by the Swedish government. Since 2003, it has been a private institution, which maintains records and acts as an interest group on behalf of the Swedish nobility, with the main purpose to maintain old traditions and culture.
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The Swedish House of Nobility is also the name of the building maintained by the corporation in Stockholm old town. The French-born architect Simon De la Vallée started the planning of the building, but was killed by a Swedish nobleman in 1642. The plans were eventually finished by his son, Jean De la Vallée, in 1660.
The south end of the building carries the Latin inscription CLARIS MAIORUM EXEMPLIS, after the clear example of the forefathers, and holds a statue of Gustav II Adolph. North of the building is a park in which is a statue of Axel Oxenstierna.
The architecture of the old main library of Turku in Finland has been influenced by the Swedish House of Nobility.
- Riddarhuset - Official site