Birka and Hovgården, Sweden

Birka and Hovgården, which are located about 30 km west of Stockholm on the small islands of Björkö and Adelsö in Lake Mälaren, represent complete and exceptionally well-preserved archaeological sites from the Viking Age. In this serial property, the surviving visible evidence of the prehistoric society includes structures in the mercantile town, the royal domain and the harbour, defence systems, and prehistoric cemeteries.

The town of Birka was optimally situated on Björkö Island at the convergence of several important waterways. Its activities were organised and governed from the royal residence at Hovgården, situated across the strait on the neighbouring island of Adelsö. Birka was one of the most important mercantile towns in Northern Europe between about AD 750 and AD 980. It was the hub of a widespread trading network established by the Scandinavians during the Viking Age and was a powerful catalyst for the social development of the Baltic region. This potent combination of location and initiative laid the foundation for the phenomenal political and economic expansion that came to characterise this dynamic era, and contributed to the enduring and widespread reputation of the Scandinavian Viking Age. Birka is also notable as the place of the first recorded attempt to Christianise the Swedes, by the Frankish missionary Anskar in 829-831.

Mercantile activities at Birka ceased at the end of the 10th century. Some form of social transformation – possibly related to logistical difficulties – may have caused Birka’s central function in the Svealand region to be overtaken by the new town of Sigtuna. The fact, however, that the royal domain of Hovgården continued to exist for many years after Birka’s abandonment testifies to the enduring importance of this place. It also underlines the legitimacy and unique position of Birka and Hovgården during the Viking Age. A runic stone at Hovgården, carved around 1070, is evidence of the king’s presence. Several kings resided at Hovgården during the 1200s; one of them, Magnus Ladulås, completed a brick and stone building known as Alsnö hus. This building was the venue for the Royal Council of 1280, which established the foundation of the Swedish medieval feudal system.