Spektens Gränd 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 of 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....

. With its location just west of church Storkyrkan

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...

, it connects the streets Trångsund

Trångsund

Trångsund is a part of Huddinge to the south of Stockholm located between the two lakes Magelungen and Drevviken. The region Trångsund/Skogås has about 21 500 inhabitants. From Trångsund it is a 20 minute travel to Stockholm central by train.-Sports:...

 and 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...

. It is a parallel street 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...

, 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...

, Solgränd

Solgränd

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

 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,...

.

The alley was created when the block between Ankargränd and Kåkbrinken was split in two in 1675. One of the houses built at the occasion was sold to the merchant Gert Specht in 1685, from whom the alley got its unintelligible name. A Gert Specht said to be a resident on Norrmalm is also mentioned in the records in 1594, probably the father or grandfather of the former.

In the alley are two indeed small courtyards. One featuring cast iron

Cast iron

Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...

 decorations, including a lion head, a fence decorated with the star of David

Star of David

The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...

, and a small gate flanked by two lampposts The other has a portal carrying the inscription ISSH MDP 1667.

External links

• Stockholmskällan - Historical photos
• hitta.se - Location map and virtual walk
• Stockholm City Archive - A brief article on the building in the northern corner between Prästgatan and Spektens Gränd.