Historia

The history of Munkedal and Munkedal’s Manor

In 1234, the Norwegian king Håkon Håkonsson had a monastery built in Dragsmark on Bokenäset. A monastery county was formed in which land properties from, among other things, Munkedal was included.
These landed properties were the supply for the monks. They sailed via the Gullmarsfjord to Munkedal where they, among other things. fished salmon. It is believed that these monks gave the town its name, which was originally called Foss parish.

It is said that the monks had a herb garden by the hill above Munkedal’s mansion, and that they also utilized the hydropower in some way. Where the river flows past Herrgården there have been mills and saws already in the 16th century. At the beginning of the 19th century, new saws were built and sawmill homes were erected that still remain. Now forges were also built, wadmals stamp, paint and liquor distillery which were subsequently converted to cereal warehouse and foundry respectively.

In 1805 Niklas Herman Nordberg bought the property and built a new saw and mill as well as a home for millers and sawmasters. In 1819, his son Herman Julius took over and in 1823 Munkedals Herrgård was built on the foundation of an old building. In 1829, HJ Nordberg built Munkedal’s factory. Here, forged nails are initially manufactured, but a few years later the business is expanded with the manufacture of bar iron. An office building is being erected in 1836, which we today call the Gästromsflygeln.

The building that is now used as an office by Munkedal Skog was initially a place of delivery of milk and butter to the staff and later it was used as a garage.
In the 1860s, profitability in conducting the iron industry in Munkedal declined and it became a difficult time for the resort, but in 1871 Munkedal’s paper mill was started and in the 1880s as many as 200 people were employed. The mill created the foundation for today’s society and is still today the most important industry in society.

Over the years, the manor has been used as a residence for the mill’s directors with families. In 1944, the shipowner Haakon Onstad took over Munkedal’s paper mill and then moved in with his family. Heirs to Haakon Onstad now own Munkedal’s Manor. In the late 1960s, the mill’s former director Göran Langenskiöld moved in with his family. He is the last to use Herrgården as a private residence. Herrgården has also been used as a representation and banquet hall by Munkedals AB, but since the renovation in 2005, Herrgården has been run under the auspices of Munkedal forest which runs hotels, conferences and banqueting operations.