Borgeby Castle

Borgeby Castle is situated in Lomma municipality, Sweden. Its origins lie in the Viking Age, when the site was established around 980 AD as one of King Harald Bluetooth’s trelleborgs—circular fortresses built as strongholds during his reign. These ring-shaped fortifications served both military and administrative purposes and were strategically placed near the Lödde River, between the towns of Lund and Landskrona.

Initially, the fortress was connected with the rule of Toke Gormsen, a figure appointed by Harald Bluetooth as king of Skåne. Toke governed from Borgeby until his death in 986. Unlike many other trelleborgs, Borgeby continued to be inhabited after the Viking Age, as shown by archaeological finds including a late Viking coin scale and locally minted coins from the mid-11th century. This continuity suggests the site remained an important local center into the early medieval period.

In the early 1100s, a stone defensive tower was erected at the heart of the original Viking ring fortress, signaling continued military and administrative use. By the 13th century, a large brick castle was constructed on roughly a quarter of the fortress’s original footprint. This medieval castle was surrounded by a high brick wall, measuring between 10 and 11 meters, and protected by a substantial moat. Several brick buildings from this period were added, including a gate tower that still stands today.

The castle’s history includes conflict, notably in 1452 when the Swedish army under King Karl Knutsson (Bonde) burned it down. Afterward, the site saw the construction of an archbishop’s chapel and a large tower, probably used as the archbishop’s residence. This tower survives but was heavily modified in 1870 when architect Helgo Zettervall carried out extensive restorations, removing much of the original medieval masonry.

Following the Danish Reformation in 1536, control of the castle shifted from church to private hands. In 1540, King Christian III mortgaged it to Jörgen Kock, the mayor of Mälmö. During the 1550s, Hans Spiegel, chamberlain to King Frederik II, built the current main building on the castle grounds. The site’s turmoil continued with damage during the Scanian War in 1678, when Danish forces burned Borgeby, leaving mainly walls standing. Restoration work quickly followed.

In the 18th century, brick stables were added to the estate in 1744. The property entered private ownership again in 1886 when farmer Lars Pehrsson purchased it at auction. It eventually passed to his daughter, Hanna Larsdotter, who was married to artist and author Ernst Norlind. After their son Staffan’s death in 1978, a foundation acquired the castle. Later, Lomma municipality took ownership in 2007 before selling it in 2012 to a private company, Borgeby Slott AB.

Interest in uncovering the site’s deeper past began with aerial photographs in 1974 that revealed traces of the ancient ring rampart. Archaeological excavations took place in 1984 and the early 1990s, exploring cultural layers and dating existing structures. In 1998, further digs confirmed Borgeby as one of Harald Bluetooth’s trelleborgs, identifying details such as a distinctive V-shaped moat found at similar Danish fortresses. Over its long history, Borgeby Castle has featured not only in written records but also in cinematic works, including a 2012 documentary tracing its thousand-year story.