Glimmingehus: Nordens bäst bevarade medeltida borg?

Glimmingehus is a 16th century tower house located in the southeast corner of Scania, Sweden. It is a rectangular stone building with stepped gables whose foundations were laid in 1499, standing three floors high with a basement and an attic. The building is generally presented as ‘the best-preserved medieval manor in Scandinavia’, and in previous research as well as in the public’s view it is firmly planted in a medieval context. This paper highlights how research and antiquarian appraisals made in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s created this narrative and discusses how it still today influences and even limits our understanding of Glimmingehus. It is not unusual for medieval buildings to have been subjects of restorations and antiquarian considerations in the late 19th and early 20th century. The conclusion is that these must be considered as parts of the building’s biography, and important pieces for the understanding of the building.