Munkbron
Encyclopedia
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...
on the western waterfront of 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....
. Connected to the square are Stora Gråmunkegränd
Stora Gråmunkegränd
Stora Gråmunkegränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching west from Västerlånggatan down to Munkbron and Munkbroleden, it is crossed by Stora Nygatan, and forms a parallel street to Storkyrkobrinken and Helga Lekamens Gränd.The alley is named after the...
, 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...
, 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...
, Yxsmedsgränd
Yxsmedsgränd
Yxsmedsgränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.Stretching south from Västerlånggatan to Stora Nygatan, it forms a parallel street to Didrik Ficks Gränd and Kåkbrinken and is crossed by Lilla Nygatan and Munkbrogatan.Throughout its history it appears under various...
, 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...
; while the traffic route Munkbroleden
Munkbroleden
Munkbroleden is a densely trafficked street passing along the western waterfront of Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden...
separates it from the canal Riddarholmskanalen. The square is divided into a northern and a southern part by the block Aurora in which the so called Petersen House is found.
In the 15th century, the name 'Munkbron' referred to the bridge passing over to Riddarholmen
Riddarholmen
Riddarholmen is a small islet in central Stockholm, Sweden. The island forms part of Gamla Stan, the old town, and houses a number of private palaces dating from the 17th century...
were the Greyfriars abbey was located. As the latter islet, until the 1630s called Gråmunkeholmen ("Greyfriar's islet"), received its present name, 'Munkbron' was being used for the quay passing along the western waterfront of the city (See also Riddarholmsbron
Riddarholmsbron
Riddarholmsbron is a bridge in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, leading from the square Riddarhustorget on Stadsholmen to the smaller neighbouring island Riddarholmen.- Wooden bridges :...
). The present square, together with the quay passing along the shore and various present or historical spaces nearby, were known under several different names, including Muncke brons Hampnen ("Monk's Bridge Harbour", 1646), Våghusplatsen ("Scales Space", ?), Munkbrotorget ("Monk's Bridge Square", 1654), Munkbrohamnsplatsen ("Monk's Bridge Harbour Space"). In 1921, when the squares Munkbron and 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...
were called Övre/Nedre Munkbrotorget ("Upper/Lower Monk's Bridge Square"), it was suggested the two should be renamed Munkbrotorget and Flugmötet ("Fly's Meeting", in reference to the latrine heap located on the southern square) respectively, a proposal however rejected in favour of the present name colloquially used.