Stortorget (Stockholm) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Stortorget is a small public square

Public Square

Public Square is the central plaza in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It takes up four city blocks; Superior Avenue and Ontario Street cross through it. Cleveland's three tallest buildings, Key Tower, 200 Public Square and the Terminal Tower, face the square...

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....

. It is the oldest square in Stockholm, the historical centre around which the medieval urban conglomeration gradually came into being. The square is today frequented by tens of thousands of tourists annually, and is occasionally the scene for demonstrations and performances, and traditionally renowned for its annual Christmas market

Christmas Market

A Christmas market, also known as Christkindlmarkt, Christkindlesmarkt, Christkindlmarket, and Weihnachtsmarkt, is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent...

offering traditional handicrafts and food

Food

Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...

Notable buildings and structures

Located in the centre of the plateau of Stadsholmen

Stadsholmen

Stadsholmen is the historical name of an island in the centre of Stockholm, Sweden. Together with the small islands Riddarholmen and Helgeandsholmen it forms the Old town of Stockholm....

, the square never was the stylish show-piece occupying the centre of many other European cities during the Middle Ages; it was created gradually, buildings and blocks around the square, still sloping west, occasionally added haphazardly. The exception being the Stock Exchange Building taking up the northern side of the square and concealing the Cathedral

Storkyrkan

Sankt Nikolai kyrka , most commonly known as Storkyrkan and Stockholms domkyrka , is the oldest church in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is an important example of Swedish Brick Gothic...

and the Royal Palace

Stockholm Palace

The Stockholm Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. . Stockholm Palace is located on Stadsholmen , in Gamla Stan in the capital, Stockholm...

The Stock Exchange Building and the well

Today, Stortorget is the location of the Stock Exchange Building (Börshuset), which houses the Swedish Academy

Swedish Academy

The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...

, the Nobel Museum

Nobel Museum

The Nobel Museum is a museum devoted to circulate information on the Nobel Prize, Nobel laureates from 1901 to present, and the life of the founder of the prize, Alfred Nobel...

, and the Nobel Library

Nobel Library

The Nobel Library is the public library of the Swedish academy instituted to assist the evaluation of Nobel laureates to the Prize in Literature and other awards granted by the academy...

. Designed by Erik Palmstedt

Erik Palmstedt

Erik Palmstedt was an outstanding Swedish architect working for the court circle of Gustav III, where he was in the forefront of Neoclassical style and at the heart of a social and intellectual circle that formed round him...

and built 1773–1776, it replaced the town hall that had occupied the lot for several hundreds years before and subsequently been relocated first to the Bonde Palace

Bonde Palace

The Bonde Palace is a palace in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Located between the House of Knights and the Chancellery House , it is, arguably, the most prominent monument of the era of the Swedish Empire , originally design by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and Jean De la...

and then to the present Court House

Stockholm Court House

Stockholm Court House is situated on Kungsholmen in Central Stockholm, Sweden. The building was constructed between 1909 and 1915. The architecture is influenced by the Castles of the Vasa era and it bears a resemblance to Vadstena Castle...

in 1915. The plan of the building, French Rococo

Rococo

Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...

in style, is a trapezium

Trapezium

The word trapezium has several meanings:* - a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides ....

, the rounded corner of which greatly widened the flanking 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...

s. While the building is generally designed much like a private palace

Palace

A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...

, the central pediment

Pediment

A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...

and the lantern-style cupola

Cupola

In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....

crowning the building underline its public status. The closed first floor, accommodating the Swedish Academy, contrasts the openness of the ground floor - a contrast enhanced during the restoration

Building restoration

Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...

in the 1980s.

The present well on the square was also designed by Palmstedt and built in connection to the new Stock Exchange Building. It dried up in 1856 due to land elevation, however. It was relocated to Brunkebergstorg but moved back to its original location in the 1950s and is today connected to the city water conduit.

Number 3-5

Built by the merchant Hans Bremer in the 1640s and originally featuring pointed cairn

Cairn

Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...

s, Number 3, on the right side of Köpmangatan

Köpmangatan

Köpmangatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. A parallel street to Trädgårdsgatan, it is stretching from the central square Stortorget to Köpmantorget, intercepted by Trädgårdstvärgränd, Skeppar Olofs Gränd, Peder Fredags Gränd, Själagårdsgatan, Staffan Sasses Gränd,...

still features the original cross vaults and a German inscription in the entrance hall. However, the building is today called Grillska huset ("The Grill House") after the goldsmith Antoni Grill, who immigrated from Augsburg

Augsburg

Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...

to Sweden in the 1680s during the era of Gustavus Adolphus

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden

Gustav II Adolf has been widely known in English by his Latinized name Gustavus Adolphus Magnus and variously in historical writings also as Gustavus, or Gustavus the Great, or Gustav Adolph the Great,...

to found the Grill Dynasty, said to descend from the Grillo family in Genoa

Genoa

Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....

. He bought the building which came to remain in the family's possession for more than a century. The cloverleaf-shaped gables were added in 1718 together with the blue livid colour and the Rococo

Rococo

Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...

portal. The Dynasty's most prominent member was the merchant Claës Grill (1705–1767), leader of the East India Company

Swedish East India Company

The Swedish East India Company was founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1731 for the purpose of conducting trade with the Far East...

, owner of several banks and many mining industries and shipping companies, and a great art collector. The building is today the headquarters of the Stockholm´s City Mission, an independent Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

charity devoted to support homeless and exposed citizens with food, accommodation, and education, also running advisory bureaus and others elsewhere in the old town.

In the second hand shop on Number 5 are painted joist

Joist

A joist, in architecture and engineering, is one of the horizontal supporting members that run from wall to wall, wall to beam, or beam to beam to support a ceiling, roof, or floor. It may be made of wood, steel, or concrete. Typically, a beam is bigger than, and is thus distinguished from, a joist...

s from the 1640s displaying animals, flowers, and fruits. There are many such restored ceilings in Gamla stan, but this one is one of the few accessible to the general public. On the first floor is the so called Bullkyrkan ("Bun Church") where the City Mission offers services every Sunday together with buns, sandwiches, and coffee. Rev. Karl-Erik Kejne, who served in the church in the 1950s, was quoted by public service radio saying working there was a grateful commission as the penniless and homeless crowded the church where other congregations were considerably more conspicuous by their absence.

Number 7

Until the mid-15th century, the south side of the square was lined with wooden shops, in the spacious basement

Basement

__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...

s of which peasant

Peasant

A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...

s kept their provisions and prepared meals. Among the numerous historical tenants

Leasehold estate

A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....

in the building was adventurer Filip Kern from Meissen

Meissen

Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...

, Saxony

Saxony

The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....

. He served as a barber

Barber

A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....

and a master builder

Architect

An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

for King

Monarch

A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...

John III

John III of Sweden

-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...

and is suspected to have poisoned King Eric XIV

Eric XIV of Sweden

-Family and descendants:Eric XIV had several relationships before his marriage. With Agda Persdotter he had four daughters:#Margareta Eriksdotter , married 1592 to Olov Simonsson, vicar of Horn....

. During the reign of Gustavus Adolphus

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden

, the Dutch merchant Abraham Cabiljau, one of the founders and first mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

s of Gothenburg

Gothenburg

Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...

, lived in the building. The French wig maker Jean Bedoire bought the building in 1682 and, just like his son and namesake who gave his name to the alley Bedoirsgränd

Bedoirsgränd

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

, made a fortune in trading wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

, salt

Salt

In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...

, and iron

Iron

Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...

. The building was completely rebuilt in 1937 when the façades

Facade

A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....

of the three buildings located south of the square were united to form the present façade. Occupying the three buildings in the block since 1944 is the Mäster Olofsgården ("Homestead of Master Olof"). It was founded as a youth centre by the priest Gabriel Grefberg in 1931 when Gamla stan was mostly a slum

Slum

A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...

, and the number of activities quickly grew to include elderly, mothers, scouts, workers, and many other groups. Following a generous donation, the organisation was able to gather its activities to the present location in 1944. Today its services include studies in the history of the old town and the "Gamla stan Society" (Gamla stan sällskapet). The cannon ball

Round shot

Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...

in the corner of Skomakargatan

Skomakargatan

Skomakargatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden, Stretching between the square Stortorget and the streets Kindstugatan and Tyska Brinken, it forms a parallel street to Prästgatan and Svartmangatan....

, according to popular legend

Legend

A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...

, dates back to the Stockholm Bloodbath

Stockholm Bloodbath

The Stockholm Bloodbath, or the Stockholm Massacre , took place as the result of a successful invasion of Sweden by Danish forces under the command of King Christian II...

in 1520, when it was fired at the Danish king Christian Tyrant

Christian II of Denmark

Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...

. Undoubtedly, it was more likely built into the wall by an early proprietor and subsequently put back into place after each restoration. The restaurant

Restaurant

A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

on the ground floor, Stortorgskällaren, is built over a medieval basement, part of which dates back to the 15th century. According to some sources, this was the location for the tavern Spanska druvan ("The Spanish Grape"), the oldest known tavern

Tavern

A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....

in Stockholm, which was (according to tradition) frequented by King John III

John III of Sweden

when he wanted to mingle with commoner

Commoner

In British law, a commoner is someone who is neither the Sovereign nor a peer. Therefore, any member of the Royal Family who is not a peer, such as Prince Harry of Wales or Anne, Princess Royal, is a commoner, as is any member of a peer's family, including someone who holds only a courtesy title,...

Number 14-22

The buildings on the west side are the only ones occupied by private persons.

Number 22, the green building on the left side of Kåkbrinken

Kåkbrinken

Kåkbrinken is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from the western waterfront Munkbroleden to the central square Stortorget, it forms a parallel street to Yxsmedsgränd, Solgränd, and Bedoirsgränd, while being crossed by Munkbrogatan, Lilla Nygatan, Stora Nygatan,...

, is from 1758 but is standing on medieval walls. It was occupied by the councillor Johan Berndes who developed the Swedish copper

Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...

production in the 17th century, then by the Saxon

Saxony

Polycarpus Crumbügel, close friend to King Charles XI

Charles XI of Sweden

Charles XI also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period in Swedish history known as the Swedish empire ....

who caused the so-called Reduction

Reduction (Sweden)

In the reductions in Sweden, fiefs that had been granted to the Swedish nobility were returned to the Crown.The first reduction under Charles X Gustav of Sweden in 1655 restored a quarter of "donations" made after 1632. In the Great Reduction of 1680 under Charles XI of Sweden the Crown...

when an important part of the Swedish nobility

Nobility

Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...

lost its estates

Estates of the realm

The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...

(for which he was raised to peerage as Cronhielm). During an archaeological excavation in 1998, a vaulted chamber measuring 1.8×1.6 metres (approx. 5'11"×5'3") was discovered in the basement. It was supplied with a channel which is believed to have connected it to privies and kitchen sinks in the building. Along with some wooden tubes found near Kornhamnstorg

Kornhamnstorg

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

, it is one of the few indications contradicting the traditional view of medieval Stockholm as a repulsive place where filth and refuse filled the streets.

The buildings on Number 18-20 were merged in the 17th century and subsequently named after Johan Eberhard Schantz, the secretary of Charles X Gustavus who also added the stepped gable and the grand portal on the left building. Parts of the interior still reflect the luxury which surrounded the royal secretary. The 82 white stones on Number 20, Ribbinska huset ("House of Ribbing") or Schantzka huset ("House of Schantz"), are occasionally said to symbolize the heads decapitated by the Danish king in 1520

Stockholm Bloodbath

The Stockholm Bloodbath, or the Stockholm Massacre , took place as the result of a successful invasion of Sweden by Danish forces under the command of King Christian II...

. The house was, however, built no later than 1479, when it appears in historical records. The former of the names refers to the councillor Bo Ribbing who gave the property to Schantz in 1627, who added the stones the following year.

The block on Number 14-16 is named after Æsculapius

Asclepius

Asclepius is the God of Medicine and Healing in ancient Greek religion. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts; his daughters are Hygieia , Iaso , Aceso , Aglæa/Ægle , and Panacea...

, the son of Apollo

Apollo

Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...

and the demigod

Demigod

The term "demigod" , meaning "half-god", is commonly used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human; as such, demigods are human-god hybrids...

of medicine

Medicine

Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

, which reflects the presence of the "Raven Pharmacy" (Apoteket Korpen) at this address for more than 300 years. While still present on 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....

just a few blocks away, the pharmacy

Pharmacy

Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...

was originally settled on Stortorget in 1638 when the court pharmacist Philip Schmidt offered not only medicine at this address, but also assorted sweets

SweetS

was a Japanese idol group. Put together through auditions, the group debuted in 2003 on the avex trax label. Although the group met minor success, they disbanded after three years with the release of a final single in June 2006....

and mulled wine

Mulled wine

Mulled wine, variations of which are popular in Europe, is wine, usually red, combined with spices and typically served warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas and Halloween.-Glühwein:...

. In the alley Solgränd

Solgränd

Solgränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. It connects the Stortorget square to the street Prästgatan...

, the initials of the pharmacist in 1764 and his wife are still found on the wall. The pharmacy was relocated to its present address in 1924.

Streets and alleys

Historical thoroughfare

Thoroughfare

A thoroughfare is a place of transportation intended to connect one location to another. Highways, roads, and trails are examples of thoroughfares used by a variety of general traffic. On land a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a rough trail to multi-lane highway with grade separated...

s stretch from Stortorget in all cardinal direction

Cardinal direction

The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the directions of north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials: N, E, S, W. East and west are at right angles to north and south, with east being in the direction of rotation and west being directly opposite. Intermediate...

s: Kåkbrinken

Kåkbrinken

("Slope of the [Ramshackle] House") stretches west down to Västerlånggatan

Västerlånggatan

. Skomakargatan

Skomakargatan

("Shoemaker's Street") and Svartmangatan ("Black Man's Street") stretch south to Tyska Brinken

Tyska Brinken

Tyska Brinken is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Extending Kindstugatan passed the German Church down to the square Mälartorget, it is crossed by Skomakargatan, Prästgatan, Västerlånggatan, Stora Nygatan, Lilla Nygatan, and Munkbrogatan, while forming a parallel...

("German Slope") and Kindstugatan

Kindstugatan

Kindstugatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching west from Brända Tomten to become Tyska Brinken in its western end, it is crossed by Svartmangatan and Skomakargatan.-Origin of the name:...

("Box on the ear Street"), both of which used to lead past the Blackfriars monastery to the southern gate. Köpmangatan

Köpmangatan

("Merchant's Street"), paralleled by Trädgårdsgatan

Trädgårdsgatan

Trädgårdsgatan is a small street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. It stretches west from Skeppar Olofs Gränd to Källargränd, just south of the Royal Palace and north of the square Stortorget. Forming a parallel to Slottsbacken and Köpmangatan, it is intercepted by Trädgårdstvärgränd...

("Garden Street") north of it, leads east to Köpmantorget

Köpmantorget

Köpmantorget is a small public square in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, located between the street Köpmangatan and to slopes collectively named Köpmanbrinken, both of who leads down to the street Österlånggatan...

("Merchant's Square"), Köpmanbrinken

Köpmanbrinken

Köpmanbrinken is a street composed of two slopes, in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Both slopes connects the street Österlånggatan west up to the small Köpmantorget and the street Köpmangatan....

("Merchant's Slope") and 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...

("Eastern Long Street"), and used be the only street leading through the eastern city wall down to Fisketorget

Fisketorget

Fisketorget or Fiskaretorget is a historical public square in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden...

, a former square and for hundreds of years the largest in Stockholm. Furthermore, a number of alley

Alley

s connect to the immediate surrounding blocks: On the northern side, Trångsund and Källargränd

Källargränd

Källargränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, connecting Slottsbacken, the slope south of the Royal Palace, to the square Stortorget...

stretch to Storkyrkobrinken

Storkyrkobrinken

Storkyrkobrinken is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.Leading from Högvaktsterrassen near the Royal Palace down to Myntgatan and Riddarhustorget it forms a parallel street to Salviigränd and Stora Gråmunkegränd and is crossed by Trångsund, Prästgatan, and...

and Slottsbacken

Slottsbacken

Slottsbacken is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.It stretches east from the Stockholm Cathedral and the Royal Palace down to the street Skeppsbron which passes along the eastern waterfront of the old town...

on either side of the Stock Exchange Building. On the west side, three alleys — Solgränd

Solgränd

Solgränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. It connects the Stortorget square to the street Prästgatan...

, Ankargränd

Ankargränd

Ankargränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden, connecting the streets Trångsund and Prästgatan, just west of church Storkyrkan...

, and Spektens gränd

Spektens Gränd

Spektens Gränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. With its location just west of church Storkyrkan, it connects the streets Trångsund and Prästgatan. It is a parallel street to Storkyrkobrinken, Ankargränd, Solgränd and Kåkbrinken....

— stretch down to Prästgatan

Prästgatan

Prästgatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, stretching from a cul-de-sac west of the Royal Palace to the street Österlånggatan in the southern corner of the old town. Prästgatan forms a parallel street to Västerlånggatan, Trångsund, Skomakargatan, and...

History

Archaeological excavations along Kåkbrinken have shown the original boulder ridge is found directly under the pavement near Stortorget while gradually located deeper and deeper westward to reach some 12–15 metres along the western shoreline. So, its rather reasonable to assume the still gently sloping square continues to reflect the shape of the original unsettled island.

Excavations on the square in 1995 and 1997 showed the medieval square is found only half a metre below the present cobbles. Just above the deepest layer coins from the reigns of Magnus Ladulås and Birger Magnusson

Birger Magnusson

Birger Magnusson may refer to:* Birger jarl , founder of Stockholm* Birger, King of Sweden , King of Sweden...

were found together with pieces of ceramics from the same era. Three additional layers of cobbles dating from the Middle Ages, while a coal mixed layer just below the lower cobble level have been radiocarbon dated

Radiocarbon dating

Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...

to 1066-1320. More superficial traces of poles indicate simple sheds occupied the area in the late 13th century until destroyed by fire in the early 15th century, while traces of an older building are believed to be from 1024-1291.

The square started as a junction where the tracks criss-crossing the island converged, a dawning street system which over time developed into the still present narrow streets Köpmangatan

Köpmangatan

, Svartmangatan, Skomakargatan

Skomakargatan

, Kåkbrinken

Kåkbrinken

, Trångsund, and Källargränd

Källargränd

Källargränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, connecting Slottsbacken, the slope south of the Royal Palace, to the square Stortorget...

. By 1400, the city had some 6,000 inhabitants and buildings in stone started to be erected around the square. Merchants and the well on the square made it a natural meeting place. The present name first appears in historical records as stora torghit in 1420 and as stoor tårgeett in 1646.

The decrees proclaimed twice per year from the town hall, called Rådstugan ("Council Homestead"), once located north of the square, together with recurrent manifestations, such as that of Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson

Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson

Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson was a Swedish rebel leader and later statesman. He was the leader of the Engelbrekt rebellion in 1434 against Eric of Pomerania, king of the Kalmar Union.-Biography:...

leader of the Engelbrekt Rebellion

Engelbrekt rebellion

The Engelbrekt rebellion was a rebellion in 1434-1436 led by Swedish nobleman Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson against Eric of Pomerania, the king of the Kalmar Union...

(1434–1436), made the square a politically vital location. As the Germans presence in the city was very important for long, the city council was composed by equal shares of Swedish citizens and German immigrants. Merchants, all burghers

Bourgeoisie

In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...

, dominated the assembly and craftsmen were occasionally entrusted minor commissions, while the remaining citizens were entirely excluded from any influence. Stockholm was at the time a one-horse town compared to splendid continental cities. The city's town hall was rebuilt following a fire in 1419 and gradually expanded over a period of 500 years until its relocation to the Bonde Palace

Bonde Palace

in 1732. During this era it was thus a four-storey building composed of several buildings forming a coherent complex. On the third floor were custodies known as Siskeburen ("The Siskin

Siskin

-Birds:The name siskin when referring to a bird is derived from an adaptation of the German dialect words sisschen, zeischen, which are diminuative forms of Middle High German and Middle Low German words, which are themselves apparently of Slavic origin...

Cage"), Loppan ("The Flea"), and Vita märren ("The Mare"), Vita hästen ("The White Horse"), Gamla Rådstugan ("Old Council Homestead"), Skottkammaren ("Scottish Chamber"), and Nya kölden ("The New Cold"). In the basement was the city wine storage next to the memorable tavern Storkällaren (named after the vicinity to Storkyrkan

Storkyrkan

)

In the middle of the square was the pillory

Pillory

The pillory was a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse, sometimes lethal...

called Kåken ("The [Ramshackle] House", see Kåkbrinken

Kåkbrinken

), first mentioned in connection to the so called "Käpplinge murders" (Käpplingemorden) in the first half of the 15th century - the story of a group German burghers who trapped a large number of prominent citizens in a hovel on Blasieholmen (at the time called Käpplinge) and burned them in. The Germans are said to have been led from the Royal Palace

Stockholm Palace

The Stockholm Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. . Stockholm Palace is located on Stadsholmen , in Gamla Stan in the capital, Stockholm...

to the pillory. Originally the pillory was placed atop a bricked prison where the despised executioner kept the sentenced, before shackling and whipping them, or even cutting their ears off, depending on the nature of their crimes. The pillory was relocated to the present Norrmalmstorg

Norrmalmstorg

Norrmalmstorg is a square in central Stockholm. The square connects shopping streets Hamngatan and Biblioteksgatan and is the starting point for tram travellers with the Djurgården line...

in 1771 when the Stock Exchange Building and the present well were completed.

Stortorget was the scene of the Stockholm Bloodbath
Stockholm Bloodbath
The Stockholm Bloodbath, or the Stockholm Massacre , took place as the result of a successful invasion of Sweden by Danish forces under the command of King Christian II...

in November 1520, when, during three days, the Danish-Swedish king Christian II

Christian II of Denmark

Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...

beheaded and hanged 90 people. This deed was accomplished notwithstanding the reprieve proclaimed by Queen Christina Gyllenstierna

Christina Gyllenstierna

Christina Nilsdotter of Fogelvik, Heiress of Tullgarn , was the wife of the Swedish regent Sten Sture the Younger, and after his death, leader of resistance to Christian II of Denmark...

following four months of Danish siege. Nevertheless, the Danish king wasn't directly responsible for the deed. The archbishop Gustav Trolle

Gustav Trolle

Gustav Eriksson Trolle was Archbishop of Uppsala, Sweden, in two sessions, during the turbulent Reformation events.After returning from studies abroad, in Cologne and Rome, he was in 1513 elected vicar in Linköping. One year later he became Archbishop of Uppsala...

, dethroned and imprisoned by the regent Sten Sture the Elder

Sten Sture the Elder

Sten Sture the Elder was a Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden from .-Background:...

who died during the siege, wanted to obtain a redress. So, during the coronation of the Danish king, the prominent guests were confronted with the bill of indictment of the archbishop and subsequently condemned for blasphemy. The death sentences were to be accomplished at once, so the square was cleared while a curfew forced all citizens to stay indoors. The executioners beheaded archbishops, councillors, noblemen, and city magistrates indiscriminately, including Erik Johansson Vasa, father of the succeeding king Gustav Vasa

Gustav I of Sweden

Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....

who escaped the fate of his father by hiding. All bodies were burned 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...

together with the body of the dead regent Sten Sture. The Danish king, satisfied with having pacified Sweden, returned to Denmark in December, drowning a few monks during the trip, while ignoring the dawning insurrection in Dalarna

Dalarna

', English exonym: Dalecarlia, is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. Another English language form established in literature is the Dales. Places involving the element Dalecarlia exist in the United States....

.

By the end of the 19th century the Swedish working class still lacked representation in the Parliament and the City Council. A committee formed in 1892 in vain urged the council to counteract unemployment and alleviate distress by initiating roadworks as well as taking other measures. The Labour demonstration of 1892 were subsequently fixed till February 1 when the council had a meeting in the Stock Exchange Building. To avoid the demonstration prohibition from 1848, people gathered on various locations to unite on the square. As they run across MPs and other bigwigs on Slottsbacken

Slottsbacken

, they were stopped by the police from reaching the square. Surrounding alleys quickly got clogged by demonstrators, however, and the cordon had to gave way to the crowd whose cries and protest songs quickly filled the square. The future PM Hjalmar Branting

Hjalmar Branting

was a Swedish politician. He was the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party , and Prime Minister during three separate periods . When Branting came to power in 1920, he was the first Social Democratic Prime Minister of Sweden...

got involved in a dispute before the crowd threatened to intrude the Stock Exchange Build from Trångsund. The police then got assistance from the Royal Body Guard who had demonstrators flee into the alleys to escape the horses and sabres. Dozens got arrested, but a consequence of the manifestation was a growing awareness among politicians concerning the situation of the working force.

External links

Bakery of the Stockholm´s City Mission
Conference and reception rooms of the Stockholm´s City Mission
Stortorgskällaren - official site
visit-stockholm.com - Panorama of Stortorget (QTVR
QuickTime VR
QuickTime VR is a type of image file format developed by Apple Inc. for QuickTime. It allows the creation and viewing of photographically-captured panoramas and the exploration of objects through images taken at multiple viewing angles...

)
Mäster Olofsgården

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Notable buildings and structures

The Stock Exchange Building and the well

Number 3-5

Number 7

Number 14-22

Streets and alleys

History

See also

External links