Stumholmen

Stumholmen is a small island to the east of Trossö in Karlskrona, Sweden. It is connected to the center of Karlskrona by the Bastionsgatan bridge. Formerly the property of the Navy, today it houses the National Naval Museum (Marinmuseum), one of Sweden's oldest founded in 1752, the Hyper Island educational complex, and several other historic buildings. The unusual Slup- och barkass- skjulet (Sloop and Longboat Shed) is noted for its remarkable roof while buildings on Laboratorieholmen once served as an isolation hospital when the town was struck with disease. Comprehensive restoration and renovation work has been undertaken since the 1990s, providing a variety of interesting sights for tourists as well as residential accommodation for senior citizens. Since 1998, the Naval City of Karlskrona, of which Stumholmen is a key component, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

==History== In 1683, under King Karl XI, fortification plans were drawn up, providing workshops and stores for shipbuilding and provisioning. In 1782, Fredric Henric af Chapman was charged by King Gustav III to modernize shipbuilding methods in order to create a large new fleet. Chapman's success in building 10 ships of the line and 10 frigates in just three years brought a new period of prosperity. Over the years, there have been bakers, distillers, brewers, butchers, a textiles factory and, as both water and provisions were generally stored in barrels, a coopers’ workshop on the island. Today as a result of building dikes and landfill pads between Stumholmen and the islands of Laboratorieholmen and Bastion Kungshall, the area is seen as a single island. There are military buildings from the early 18th century, some designed by the commander in chief of the naval base, Carl August Ehrensvärd, who had taken an interest in Greek and Roman architecture. The navy yard continued to be expanded until the 1950s. Stumholmen was a great military workplace until the 1970s but is now a civilian area. As a result of an architectural competition, preservation work on 17 buildings was undertaken in the 1990s adhering to the general prínciple of "a quality conscious conversion of an historic environment". Development of residential facilities has provided over 150 apartments on the island, all reserved for rental or purchase by senior citizens. Occupants are offered car parking space as well as a boat space nearby. In 1998, the Naval city of Karlskrona became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.