Historical Estate Schwedenhof

The historical estate was built in 1702 by Swedish master-builder Jonas Sundahl by order of Charles XII (King Carl of Sweden, also Grand Duke of Finland, Duke of Bremen-Verden and Duke of Palatinate Zweibrücken from 1697 to 1718). Charles XII ordered Sundahl to create Schwedenhof as a domicile for Karolina de la Brier, widow of one of the king´s colonels and trustee of the Duchy of Zweibrücken. In light of the fact that Karolina de la Brier did not hold a formal administrative position, but that she was rather unofficially the eyes and ears of the king, it was decided that it would be inappropriate for her to inhabit a palace. Instead she was to reside on a country estate which, however, was equipped and furnished with everything needed to make it a representative stately home. Jonas Sundahl proceeded to complete many more architectural works for King Carl of Sweden, such as for example the Zweibrücken City Palace or the Edelhaus (1723), which today houses the Roman Museum in Homburg-Schwarzenacker. Following the French Revolution and the military conflict between the French Revolutionary Armies and opposing coalitions of several European states, the estate was used as a farmstead and as such, the property changed hands over generations through successive Huguenot families. In 1968, Monika and Bernhard Beck acquired the estate, which over time had degenerated into ruins, from a Zweibrücken family by the name of Sutter. The Becks took two years to restore the Schwedenhof. The part of the building complex which used to be the barn and the stables was converted into a gallery.