The Royal Dramatic Theater, which was owned and managed by the Crown, held its performances at the so-called Arsenal Theater between 1793 and 1825. During that period, the theater was housed in the former Makalös Palace, the former mansion of the powerful de la Gardie family, which had served as an arsenal from 1693 to 1793. The imposing structure was located in central Stockholm at the south end of Kungsträdgården (the King’s Garden) on the shore of Lake Mälaren. Kungliga Slottet (Stockholm Palace) is directly across the lake, a short distance away. On November 24, 1825, the Royal Dramatic Theater was performing August von Kotzebue’s play, The Victory of Honor Over Disgrace. At the end of the fourth act, one of Sweden’s foremost actors, Lars Hjortsberg, calmly announced that fire had been detected and told the audience to depart. The theater held 600 people and had only a single narrow exit. The spectators escaped but tragically, several employees were killed. The so-called “crown wind” spread the fire, and all four towers and the roof ignited simultaneously. Within a few hours, the theater burned to the ground, signaling the end of an era and an enormous cultural loss for the city. King Charles Jean and Crown Prince Oscar rushed to the scene and Charles Jean is credited with creating order from the chaos during a long, cold night. The Wetterstedts had a box at the Arsenal Theater, and Jacquette attended performances frequently.
Click the images below to enlarge.
Model of Arsenal Theatre Displayed at Stockholm City Museum
Photo: Kelly Scarborough
Arsenal Theater Fire 1825
Cederholm, Axel Fredrik (1780-1828), Stockholm City Museum, CC-PDM 1.0
Arsenal Theater on right and Douglas House in background.
Marot, Jean, ca 1619-1679 (Engraver). Public Domain.
