Tullgränd
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 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....
, connecting Skeppsbron
Skeppsbron
Skeppsbron is both a street and a quay in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, capital of Sweden, stretching from the bridge Strömbron in front of the Royal Palace southward to Slussen....
to Österlånggatan
Österlånggatan
Österlånggatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching southward from Slottsbacken to Järntorget, it forms a parallel street to Baggensgatan and Skeppsbron...
. It forms a parallel street to Packhusgränd
Packhusgränd
Packhusgränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching west from Skeppsbron to Österlånggatan, it forms a parallel street to Johannesgränd and Tullgränd....
and Norra Bankogränd
Norra Bankogränd
Norra Bankogränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Connecting Skeppsbron to Österlånggatan and Järntorget, it forms a parallel street to Tullgränd and Södra Bankogränd....
.
The alley appears in historical records as Tollhuus grenden in 1626, stora Tullhus gränden in 1693, Store Siötullsgränden in 1704, Stora Tull gr[änd] in 1733, and finally as Tullgränd in 1885. The name is derived from Tullhuset ("the Customs Building") located in the block north of the alley in 1686, and the warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
build in the 1780s. By the early 18th century, the alley was known as Solgränden ("The Sun Alley") after the tavern Lilla Solen ("The Small Sun") then present there. (See also Packhusgränd
Packhusgränd
Packhusgränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching west from Skeppsbron to Österlånggatan, it forms a parallel street to Johannesgränd and Tullgränd....
and Solgränd
Solgränd
Solgränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. It connects the Stortorget square to the street Prästgatan...
.)