People and culture

Explore people and culture through history, in the collections of the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm.

Explore the theme in these articles:

The ritual meal

Eating is not solely a matter of survival. For many, food is also a source of pleasure, a way to add colour to life, or an opportunity to socialise with others. There is also a long-standing connection between food and religion.

The Birka girl and other children of the Viking Age

Life was harsh for children in the Viking Age. Only about half of them reached the age of ten; their greatest enemies were disease and injury. At the Swedish History Museum you can learn the fate of one child, The Birka Girl.

3D: Skull from the Battle of Visby

In 1361, King Valdemar Atterdag of Denmark invaded Gotland, and a battle took place between the Gotlanders and the Danes at Visby. The dead were buried in mass graves just outside the city walls, at the site now called Korsbetningen. Archaeologists have examined the skeletons, now in the collections of the Swedish History Museum, which show many severe injuries.

Import from the Roman Empire

Objects from the Roman Empire made their way as far as Scandinavia during the Roman Iron Age. Among the finds are bronze and glass vessels, statuettes, and coins.

When Sweden became Sweden

Sweden has had kings and queens for a very long time. Below you can see a line of monarchs stretching all the way to the present day. But when did Sweden become a country? The answer is not straightforward, but during the Middle Ages it emerged as a unified kingdom.

Saint Bridget – Sweden’s most famous woman

Birgitta Birgersdotter, or Saint Bridget, is one of the most famous people of the Middle Ages. She grew up in a wealthy and powerful family and learned to read and write, which was unusual for girls at the time. Even as a child, she experienced religious visions. As an adult, she was canonized by the Pope in Rome. There are many depictions of Saint Bridget in the collections of the Swedish History Museum.

A magical ring from the Roman Empire

“Be happy, Eunesios.” That’s the rough translation of the inscription on a golden ring from the Roman era. The ring is remarkable both for its design and decoration. It is nearly 2,000 years old.

The Viking aristocracy

During the Viking Age, a small elite lived in luxury and abundance. They hosted lavish feasts in the halls of great estates. They owned fine ships, silken garments and weapons forged by master smiths. As warlords, they surrounded themselves with small armies of loyal men.

Queen Margaret and the Union of Kalmar

Margrete Valdemarsdatter, also known as Queen Margaret I of Denmark and Norway, ruled Sweden in the late 14th century. In 1397, she founded the Union of Kalmar to unite the Nordic countries. However, conflicts soon arose when Margaret gave more power to Danes and her own supporters, leading to long-lasting disputes and uprisings in Sweden.

Children and toys in the Middle Ages

It is often said that parents in the Middle Ages regarded their children as little adults. Yet medieval stories also show children playing and making mischief much like children do today. One way we can still trace the lives of medieval children is through the toys preserved in museum collections.

Exhibition

Prehistories

Captivating stories about people and objects from prehistoric times.

Exhibition

The Gold Room

See unique gold and silver jewels and sparkling treasures.

How we work with knowledge at the Swedish History Museum

The Swedish History Museum is part of the government agency National Historical Museums. The agency employs experts in various fields, such as history, archaeology, conservation, and more. The texts on the website are produced in collaboration between different experts, educators, and other staff. The texts have been fact-checked and are based on established research. In some cases, written sources are lacking and the physical remains are limited and ambiguous, especially far back in time. In such cases, the material is interpreted by the experts. However, the interpretations are always based on research.

Text summaries and translations have been created with the help of AI and have been fact-checked.

If you have questions about the factual background of our texts, please contact webb@historiska.se.

Published2025.11.10

History hub

Search for articles and objects in the History hub. Sort and filter by time period and theme to find what's relevant to your specific interests.

To the History hub