Lejonstedts Gränd
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....
. Stretching from 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...
to Mälartorget
Mälartorget
Mälartorget is a public square in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, named after its location on the western waterfront of the old town facing Lake Mälaren. Connected to the square are the streets and alleys Munkbrogatan, Schönfeldts Gränd, Tyska Brinken, and Lejonstedts...
and 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...
, it forms a parallel street 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...
and Kornhamnstorg
Kornhamnstorg
Kornhamnstorg is a public square in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.Old names : Kornhaffn , Jernboen , Åkaretorget , Kornhampns torget...
.
The alley is named after Country marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
(lantmarskalk) and Councillor of the Realm Anders Lejonstedt (1649–1725), before knighthood named Volimhaus, who together with his brother Jakob (ennobled Gyllenborg) owned the block taking up the north-eastern part of the street in the late 17the century.
Together with its neighbourhood, the alley is a product of the reconstruction of the western part of the old town following the great fire of 1625. Before this, the unregulated urban structure of the city stretched down 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 the eastern part of the alley, succeeded by the shore, unfit for any major construction and mostly used for sheds and for the city's defence.
While the extent of the 14th-century city wall is not well documented, the area formed a part of the south-western harbour area where agricultural goods delivered from the Lake Mälaren
Mälaren
Lake Mälaren is the third-largest lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Its area is 1,140 km² and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from east to west...
area were unloaded (which gave the present square Kornhamnstorg
Kornhamnstorg
Kornhamnstorg is a public square in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.Old names : Kornhaffn , Jernboen , Åkaretorget , Kornhampns torget...
its name). During the period 1543–1553, a new defensive structure in wood was built along the western shore, which, however, burnt down after only two years, to be replaced by a new built in brick and stone, in turn outdated within 50 years and completely demolished after the fire in 1625. Archaeological remains of, arguably, this latter wall have been found under the buildings on the eastern part of the alley.