June 3, 2015

1627 SWEDEN (Stockholm) - Den Gyldene Freden


Located in the old town of Stockholm, Den gyldene freden (The Golden Peace) is one of Sweden's most well-known restaurants and the oldest restaurant in the world which have the same surroundings, more or less unchanged since the day the restaurant started in 1722. "Freden" as it's locally called received its name from the famous peace of Nystad in which Russia won the most provinces but strangely and to a great joy (hence the golden) let Sweden keep Finland.

It has gained its reputation and fame through songs written by the national poet/songwriter Carl Michael Bellman who lived in the end of the 18th century and Cornelis Vreeswijk, a famous songwriter in the 20th century. Freden has during the centuries been a central place for many of Sweden's famous writers, painters and songwriters; most significant for its story is Anders Zorn because he bought Freden and saved it from shutting down in 1919.

He planned every last detail of the refurbishment, and after three years the plans came into fruition, so that on December 11, 1922, the new Den Gyldene Freden was opened. Zorn never got to experience the inauguration as he died in the autumn of 1920, but his plans were implemented in all respects. The house hosting Freden is nowadays owned and thus secured for the future by The Swedish Academy. Since the beginning of the 1900s, every Thursday, The Academy (who nominate the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature) convene here for their weekly dinner, upstairs, on the Bellman floor.

About the stamps
The stamp is part of a definitive series of two, issued on March 24, 2010, designed by Gustav Mårtensson and depicting King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.

References
Den Gyldene Freden - Wikipedia
Den Gyldene Freden - Official website

Sender: Marius Vasilescu
Sent from Stockholm (Stockholm / Sweden), on 02.11.2013

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