The era of the Swedish East India Company (Svenska Ostindiska Companiet) is the golden age of Gothenburg history, with ships bringing in the treasures of China. The ship Götheborg, named after the town, sank just outside the harbor in September 1745 with all its china, tea, and silk still on board. In the 1980s, archaeologists retrieved the treasures—amazingly, they were still there!—and documented the sunken ship thoroughly. Then this replica was built to sail to China once more. Today it occasionally leaves the shore, but you can visit and get a feeling for what life was like for the sailors of that time.
The 18th century replica East Indiaman Götheborg docked in the central harbour
Elisabeth Dunker/Göteborg & Co
Ostindiefararen, Göteborg III, vid kaj,
Steampipe Production Company/Göteborg & Co
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Sail into the 17th Century
The era of the Swedish East India Company (Svenska Ostindiska Companiet) is the golden age of Gothenburg history, with ships bringing in the treasures of China. The ship Götheborg, named after the town, sank just outside the harbor in September 1745 with all its china, tea, and silk still on board. In the 1980s, archaeologists retrieved the treasures—amazingly, they were still there!—and documented the sunken ship thoroughly. Then this replica was built to sail to China once more. Today it occasionally leaves the shore, but you can visit and get a feeling for what life was like for the sailors of that time.
