Only The Best is Good Enough

Count Bonde hired Harald Boklund and August Lindvall, two prominent architects from Skåne (in Southern Sweden), to build Teleborg Castle. Following his meticulous instructions, they brought in granite and brick from Torpa near Växjö and from Västervik. The country’s most skilled plasterers and painters were hired, tile ovens were transported from Gothenburg, while the blacksmith work came from Copenhagen. In total, the construction cost just over 192 772 Swedish Crowns – an immense sum at the time.

The Count and his wife Anna moved in once the castle was completed. However, their happiness was short lived. The Count died just nine short years later. Anna survived him by eight years, passing away in 1917. Since the couple did not have children, the Count’s nephew Christer inherited it.

Christer initially tried to market Teleborg as a castle guesthouse, attracting guests with electric lights, beautiful scenery, and ice-skating on Lake Trummen. The castle was then leased out as a girl’s boarding school for 10 years before Christer took possession of the castle in 1931 for his own use. Christer developed the castle grounds before his son, Fredrik Ulf Bonde, took over in 1956. From then until 1964, the castle was primarily used as a summer residence under the care of family member Ulla Bonde. The city of Växjö bought the castle in 1964 and, today, the castle is owned by Videum AB and leased by Runosson & Co.