Stockholm Cathedral is undergoing major renovation work; the need for it became obvious in 2016 when a large stone was found on the ground which had previously been part of the cathedal’s roof. In the course of the work, three time capsules have been recovered and opened.
Ironically, all three tell stories of previous renovations that resulted from finding parts of the cathedral at ground level. The first, shown above, is from 1742, and explains that a new tower had just been built to replace one that had to be torn down in 1736.
The second capsule, from 1903, contained a newspaper, some letters and an old piece of sheet metal marked ‘gammal plat,’ which means ‘old sheet metal,’ and is believed to have recently come off the 1740s roof, which the 1903 work replaced.
In 1930, the process was repeated when a piece of gilded metal from the spire was found on the ground. When the spire was renovated, the piece of metal went into a new capsule, along with a number of daily and weekly newspapers, a rusty nail, and a 10-page description of the renovation work.
When the current work is finished next January, there will be a new capsule, containing children’s drawings, photos of the renovation workers and a current newspaper, sealed away to await the next time something falls from the sky at Stockholm Cathedral.
