Yxsmedsgränd 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 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....

.

Stretching south from 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....

 to 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...

, it forms a parallel street to Didrik Ficks Gränd

Didrik Ficks Gränd

Didrik Ficks Gränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from Västerlånggatan to Stora Nygatan, it forms a parallel street to Sven Vintappares Gränd and Yxsmedsgränd while passing on the south side of the small square Sven Vintappares Torg.Mentioned as Dirich...

 and 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,...

 and is crossed by 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...

 and Munkbrogatan

Munkbrogatan

Munkbrogatan is a street in the western part of Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching south between Munkbron and Mälartorget squares, it forms a parallel street to Munkbroleden and Lilla Nygatan, crossed by Yxsmedsgränd, Kåkbrinken, and Schönfeldts Gränd.Named after...

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Throughout its history it appears under various names : Yskemes grenden (1612), Öskiemyss gränden (1623), Yxe Smedes Grenden (1646), Yxe-Smeds gr[änd], Ödesgr[änd], Uttermarks gr[änd] (1733), Yxsmedsgränd (1885).

History

The present name is a corruption of the original Yskemes grenden probably meaning "The Alley of [Jöran] Yskemes", mentioned as "the late Jörenn Yschemesses" in 1606 and said to have owned a property in the alley. Except the man leaving a widow called Marie, nothing much is known about him. The name can arguably be of Estonian

Estonian language

Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...

 or Finnish

Finnish language

Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...

origin, originally meaning öitsi-mees, "night watchman" (e.g. over cattle). The part of the alley between the two Nygatan streets was however called Herr Amunds gränd ("Alley of Mr. Amund") as early as 1593, a name which appears as late as 1622. Another name appearing 1557 and 1589, Hans Skuttes gränd and Olof Skottes gränd, might be referring to the same alley. In 1684, the part below Lilla Nygränd was named Uttermarksgränden after the accountant Daniel Benktsson Uttermark owing a property there. The uppermost part of the alley between Västerlånggatan and Stora Nygatan, the part originally called Yskemes gränd, is known as Sigfrid Olofssons gränd in 1589 and 1621 while a property there is being referred to as Yskemetshuset ("house of Yskemet") in 1616 and 1618. The name then appears under various forms during the middle of the century, the corrupted version dominating historical documents by 1673. On a map dated 1733 the alley is still divided into three parts with individual names - Yxsmedsgränd being used exclusively for the upper part - only to get united as Yxsmedsgränd in 1885.

External links

• hitta.se - location map and virtual walk