Överskärargränd
Encyclopedia
Överskärargränd is an alley
in Gamla stan
, the old town in central Stockholm
, Sweden
. Stretching from Västerlånggatan
to Stora Nygatan
passing on the south side of Gåstorget
, it forms a parallel street to Gåsgränd
and Sven Vintappares Gränd
.
The alley is named Erik Ingemundssons gränd ("Alley of Erik Ingemundsson") in 1619, in reference to the mayor (1581–1622) who owned a property in the alley. While the present name appears in historical records as Öfwerskiärare gränden in 1684, and a certain Absalon överskärare is mentioned in 1643 as having bought a property near that of the major, it remains uncertain which of the masters of the trade gave his name to the alley. Notwithstanding, an överskärare was an occupation which could be translated to "wool cloth finisher", a man who would go over carded
wool
with a pair of scissors to remove upstanding hairs in order to make the cloth perfectly smooth, masters of the trade being merchants with their own workshops.
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 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...
passing on the south side of 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....
, it forms a parallel street to Gåsgränd
Gåsgränd
Gåsgränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Connecting the streets Västerlånggatan, Stora Nygatan, and Lilla Nygatan, it forms a parallel street to Ignatiigränd and Överskärargränd, and leads down to the square Munkbron on the western waterfront of the old town...
and Sven Vintappares Gränd
Sven Vintappares Gränd
Sven Vintappares Gränd is a small alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from Västerlånggatan to Stora Nygatan, it forms a parallel street to Överskärargränd and Didrik Ficks Gränd, while passing on the north side of the small square Sven Vintappares Torg.First...
.
The alley is named Erik Ingemundssons gränd ("Alley of Erik Ingemundsson") in 1619, in reference to the mayor (1581–1622) who owned a property in the alley. While the present name appears in historical records as Öfwerskiärare gränden in 1684, and a certain Absalon överskärare is mentioned in 1643 as having bought a property near that of the major, it remains uncertain which of the masters of the trade gave his name to the alley. Notwithstanding, an överskärare was an occupation which could be translated to "wool cloth finisher", a man who would go over carded
Carding
Carding is a mechanical process that breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres so that they are more or less parallel with each other. The word is derived from the Latin carduus meaning teasel, as dried vegetable teasels were first used to comb the raw wool...
wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
with a pair of scissors to remove upstanding hairs in order to make the cloth perfectly smooth, masters of the trade being merchants with their own workshops.
External links
- Stockholmskällan - Historical photo of a portico in the alley
- 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=%D6versk%E4rargr%E4nd&UCSB%3AButtonSearch=%A0%A0hitta%21%A0%A0&CombiDetails%3AMapControl%3Acx=1628852&CombiDetails%3AMapControl%3Acy=6580451&CombiDetails%3AMapControl%3ApointsHidden=&CombiDetails%3AMapControl%3Az=3hitta.se - Location map and virtual walk]