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Preserving the Royal Ship Vasa – A Shared Responsibility

At Royal Djurgården, we hold a special role in safeguarding our rich cultural heritage and preserving it for future generations. One of the most iconic examples of this commitment is the world-renowned Royal Ship Vasa. After 333 years on the seabed of the Baltic Sea, the well-preserved 17th-century ship was salvaged and now stands at the Vasa Museum for all to admire. Vasa continues to fascinate and educate about its era. However, maintaining the ship in its current state is an ongoing effort, constantly supported by the latest research. New collaborative efforts are now underway, and you can contribute as well.

Research and Preservation

When the Vasa Museum opened in 1990, the conservation of the ship and its tens of thousands of artifacts was considered complete. However, within the first decade, signs of unwanted changes in Vasa’s wood began to appear. Yellow-white precipitates, consisting of sulfur and iron compounds with high acidity, started to show on the surfaces of the timbers and wooden artifacts. These precipitates indicated that degrading reactions were affecting Vasa’s wood. Since then, interdisciplinary research has been ongoing to improve the conditions for Vasa’s long-term preservation.

Multiple Preservation Measures

Initially, the research focused on visible symptoms, but over time the focus shifted to changes deeper in the wood, which in many areas has been found to be severely weakened. What degradation processes are taking place, how quickly are they occurring, and what measures are needed to counteract the degradation? The answer was that multiple measures were necessary.

Stabilizing the Museum’s Climate

One of the first and most significant measures was the upgrade of the museum’s climate control system in 2004. Stabilized humidity and temperature have led to a stabilization of both the ship’s structural and chemical changes. Movements and deformations in the ship have decreased, as has the development of precipitates.

Bolt Replacement – Cleansing Vasa’s Wood of Iron

After years on the seabed, Vasa’s wood is rich in iron from thousands of rusting nails, cannonballs, and other iron objects. Iron acts as a catalyst in chemical reactions, and high iron levels have been shown to weaken the wood’s strength. Trials to cleanse smaller wooden artifacts of iron yielded promising results. In 2011, the work began to replace Vasa’s rusty iron bolts with specially designed stainless steel bolts. The work was completed in 2018, resulting in Vasa shedding eight tons. With reduced stress and more gentle bolts, Vasa is expected to be preserved for a long time to come.

Project Support Vasa – Stötta Vasa

Since its salvage in 1961, Vasa has rested in the same cradle. However, museum carpenters noted deformations in the hull, and regular measurements showed that the ship’s wood is moving. To maintain the ship’s shape and minimize movement and the risk of cracking, a new and more appropriate support structure is needed. Between 2012 and 2020, data was collected, and knowledge was gathered to design the new support structure. Construction began in 2018, and installation started in 2024. The goal is for the new support structure to be completed by 2028, just in time for the ship’s 400th anniversary.

A Living Cultural Heritage – Everyone’s Concern

The preservation of Vasa is living proof of the commitment to safeguard and spread knowledge about our cultural heritage at Royal Djurgården. By collaborating with researchers and conservators from around the world, this historic ship can continue to fascinate and educate future generations.

Would you like to contribute? Follow the “Stötta Vasa-project” (Support Vasa project).

The continuous efforts to improve the preservation conditions of the Vasa ship help protect a part of our shared cultural heritage. Through the collaboration between the museum, researchers, and conservators from around the world, this historic ship can be preserved and continue to captivate future generations (11.4).