Gåsgränd
Encyclopedia
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 in central 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....
. Connecting the streets Västerlånggatan
Västerlånggatan
Västerlånggatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching southward between the squares Mynttorget and Järntorget, it follows the course of the city's now demolished 13th century defensive wall....
, Stora Nygatan
Stora Nygatan
Stora Nygatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.Old names : nyegatun , nyia gaatan, den nya Konnungsgatun, stora konungsgatun , den store Nye gatan , Konnungsgatun , Nye gaten, KongsGaten , Kongs- eller stoora Nygatan, stora Kongs- el' Nygatan , Stora...
, and Lilla Nygatan
Lilla Nygatan
Lilla Nygatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from the square Munkbron south to Kornhamnstorg, the street in intercepted by Yxsmedsgränd, Kåkbrinken, Schönfeldts Gränd, Tyska Brinken, and Lejonstedts Gränd, while forming a parallel street to Stora Nygatan...
, it forms a parallel street to Ignatiigränd
Ignatiigränd
Ignatiigränd 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 Göran Hälsinges Gränd and Gåsgränd....
and Överskärargränd
Överskärargränd
Överskärargränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden...
, and leads down to the square Munkbron
Munkbron
Munkbron is a public square on the western waterfront of Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Connected to the square are Stora Gråmunkegränd, Gåsgränd, Lilla Nygatan, Yxsmedsgränd, and Munkbrogatan; while the traffic route Munkbroleden separates it from the canal...
on the western waterfront of the old town. On the upper stretch of the alley is a small square, Gåstorget
Gåstorget
Gåstorget is a small public square in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, situated between the two alleys Överskärargränd and Gåsgränd....
.
In the 15th and 16th century, the alley was named Grågåsens gränd ("Alley of the Grey-Goose") after a woman, Ragnhild Grågås, who lived in the alley around 1500. It is mentioned in 1492 as Gragasenne grendh and referred to a few years later as nest nordan hwstrv Ragnil Gragossenne gardh ("next north of wife Ragnil Gragossenne's homestead"). In 1513, a Gragasene grend is mentioned as is an old house Ragnil Gragas geffuit hade j testament ("...given had in [the] testament"). During the 17th century however the most commonly used name for the alley was Anders Siggessons gränd ("Alley of Anders Siggesson", 1594), and a hundred years later Saltmätargränd ("Salt Gauger's Alley", 1669), most likely after a Bertil Mattsson who bought a property in the alley in 1652. On a map dated 1733, the western part is marked as Saltmätargränd, while the eastern is called Gåsgränd, the former made a section of the latter in 1885.