Bredgränd is an alley

Alley

An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane found in urban areas, often for pedestrians only, which usually runs between or behind buildings. In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or a right of way or ancient footpath in an urban setting...

 in Gamla stan

Gamla stan

Gamla stan , until 1980 officially Staden mellan broarna , is the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla stan consists primarily of the island Stadsholmen. The surrounding islets Riddarholmen, Helgeandsholmen, and Strömsborg are officially part of, but not colloquially included in, Gamla stan...

, the old town of Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

, Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. Stretching from Skeppsbron

Skeppsbron

Skeppsbron is both a street and a quay in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, capital of Sweden, stretching from the bridge Strömbron in front of the Royal Palace southward to Slussen....

 to Österlånggatan

Österlånggatan

Österlånggatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching southward from Slottsbacken to Järntorget, it forms a parallel street to Baggensgatan and Skeppsbron...

, it forms a parallel street to Skeppar Karls Gränd

Skeppar Karls Gränd

Skeppar Karls Gränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from Skeppsbron to Österlånggatan, it forms a parallel street to Telegrafgränd and Bredgränd....

 and Kråkgränd

Kråkgränd

Kråkgränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching between Skeppsbron and Österlånggatan, it forms a parallel street to Bredgränd and Nygränd....

.

Origin of the name

The alley appears in historical records as östan mur i bredha grandena ("east of the wall in the broad alley") in 1476 and as Östre Bredgränden ("East Broad-Alley" in 1570. The alley was called Tunnbindargränden from 1612 (Tunnbindargränd, "The Barrel Binding Alley") until 1711 when street names were regulated and it is named Bredgränd. It was given the name Bredgränd because it actually is wider than neighbouring alleys closest to the waterfront while the vault in the western end makes the name slightly hilarious. It was far from the only historical alley to be called 'wide' however; during 1400-1700, in the old town alone, Ferkens Gränd

Ferkens Gränd

Ferkens Gränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden, connecting Skeppsbron to Österlånggatan. It forms a parallel street to Drakens gränd, Lilla Hoparegränd, Pelikansgränd, and Gaffelgränd....

 was called Breda gränden östantill ("The Wide Alley on the East"); Funckens Gränd

Funckens Gränd

Funckens Gränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Leading south from the street Västerlånggatan to the square Kornhamnstorg, it forms a parallel street to Torgdragargränd and Triewaldsgränd....

 Breda gränden vid Kornhamn ("The Wide Alley at Kornhamn

Kornhamnstorg

Kornhamnstorg is a public square in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.Old names : Kornhaffn , Jernboen , Åkaretorget , Kornhampns torget...

"); and Skräddargränd

Skräddargränd

Skräddargränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from Västerlånggatan to Stora Nygatan, it forms a parallel street to Bedoirsgränd and Tyska Brinken....

 Breda gränden västantill ("The Wide Alley on the West"). On Södermalm

Södermalm

Södermalm, often shortened to "Söder", is a district in central Stockholm. It covers the large island formerly called "Åsön". With a population of 99,685, it is one of the most densely populated districts of Scandinavia...

, Bellmansgatan was also called 'Bredgränd'.

History

Archaeological excavations in 1944 unveiled a part of the city wall from the late Middle Ages. This section of the wall was built in stone, two metres at the base, and narrowing off towards the top. Other sections of it was built in brick and occasionally even half-timbered.

External links

• http://www.hitta.se/SearchCombi.aspx?__VIEWSTATE=%2FwEPDwUKMTg4NDI3NTMzNWRk&UCSB%3AWflWhite=1a1b&UCSB%3AWflPink=4a&SearchType=4&UCSB%3ABBX1=&UCSB%3ABBY1=&UCSB%3ABBX2=&UCSB%3ABBY2=&UCSB%3ATextBoxWho=&UCSB%3ATextBoxWhere=Bredgr%E4nd+Stockholm&UCSB%3AButtonSearch=%A0%A0hitta%21%A0%A0&CombiDetails%3AMapControl%3Acx=1629188&CombiDetails%3AMapControl%3Acy=6580526&CombiDetails%3AMapControl%3ApointsHidden=&CombiDetails%3AMapControl%3Az=3hitta.se - Location map and virtual walk]
• Stockholmskällan - historical photos