Sweden: The European significance of the wreck site of the Eric Nordevall

The wreck of the paddle steamer E. Nordevall (1836-1856), which lies in Lake Vättern at the depth of 45 meters in Sweden, is an example of the first steamships in Northern Europe. E. Nordevall was built of oak and it was commissioned in Norrköping in1836. The wreck of the E. Nordevall is unique in several respects. The ship represents the first generation of civilian steamships developed in England and Scotland. Paddle steamers of the type were part of the transition to the new mechanical means of transportation, reflecting the industrial revolution and the period's advances in engineering. The ship is also an example of change in transportation on the lakes and canals of Sweden. The use of E. Nordevall and her sister ships permitted a fixed timetable for the Stockholm-Gothenburg route. The wreck is very well preserved, with the hull and paddles still almost intact. The ship's engine room houses two engines of the side-lever-type. The type was the first of marine steam engines in Europe. Of the type, there is no other original specimen left to our days.