The Vasa [Sweden's Pride Story], Stockholm, Sweden

When preparing a trip to Stockholm, it is said that visiting the Vasa museum (Vasamuseet) is a must do. I was intrigued by the story of that ship that is one of the worst built ever, but attracts more than a million visitors per year.

The Vasa was ordered in 1625 by Gustavus Adolfus II to impress his catholic enemies and expend his aura as the protestant lion of the North. A very arrogant king, he wanted the Vasa to be the biggest and most impressive ship of the time.

In the beginning of the 17th century, Sweden lacks qualified workers. The king hires a Dutch shipwright, Henrik Hybertsson to build two small and two big warships, including the 69-m long Vasa. The navy yard is the biggest Swedish company with 400 workers employed by Master Henrik and his Swedish wife Margareta, who collaborate with top-notch naval carpenters from the Netherlands. But the Vasa is a special contract.

After living in Sweden for almost 30 years, Master Henrik has built a good number of vessels. With the Vasa, he starts working on the biggest ship he has ever conceived. But old and weak, he dies in 1627 at 65, before she is completed.

Margareta who was in charge of accounting and purchasing takes over. She faces many difficulties. Sweden is a small country and its wealth depends on its main resources: wood and copper. As the price of copper plunges in Amsterdam, the Swedish crown does not pay Margareta upfront. The Hylbertsson family is wealthy thanks to their copper mines and lands, but this is not enough to buy 1000 oak trees, more that 1000m² of French sails required to build the ship, and pay the wages of their workers. When Margareta can’t pay them anymore, some leave and some go on strike. The ship is late. The king is impatient. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).