On January 29, during ‘the year of grace’ 1746, Thomas Leopold was on his way here to Bohus. He is imprisoned in an open prison cart, in the middle of the icy winter. Thomas will now begin his second stay here at Bohus, which will last for a full 35 years. Although Thomas is a Christian, he openly and provocatively testifies that the Church of Sweden and its priests do not have a firm foundation in the Bible and are full of falsehoods and delusions.

There is concern that his “heresies” will spread like wildfire across the kingdom, which could lead to rebellion against the crown or even the wake God’s wrath. In 1728 Leopold is arrested and sentenced by the King to be imprisoned at the fortress.

After 8 years at Bohus, he sits for a few years at Kalmar Castle and then at a mental hospital in Stockholm but shows no signs of repentance. In an effort to minimise the influence he might have in Kalmar and Stockholm, he is sent back to Bohus fortress. The sight of Bohus must have been a heavy one, as he was dragged into the cell for the second time.

The only human contact Thomas has is with the prison staff’s short greetings. The castle preacher visits him a few times a year, to ask if Leopold is willing to return to the Church’s teachings and submit to its ceremonies. But the answer is always the same, low-key and determined. Ultimately, the castle preacher’s short visits also stop.

Leopold is now left to be forgotten. The only glimpse of the outside world that Thomas has for the next 35 years is through the gap here.  He is finally dragged out of his cell at the age of 77, dead of old age. He was buried without ceremony or hymns as he was not considered a true Christian.