Köpmantorget
Encyclopedia
Köpmantorget (Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
: "Merchant's Square") is a small public square
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...
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....
, located between the street Köpmangatan
Köpmangatan
Köpmangatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. A parallel street to Trädgårdsgatan, it is stretching from the central square Stortorget to Köpmantorget, intercepted by Trädgårdstvärgränd, Skeppar Olofs Gränd, Peder Fredags Gränd, Själagårdsgatan, Staffan Sasses Gränd,...
and to slopes collectively named Köpmanbrinken
Köpmanbrinken
Köpmanbrinken is a street composed of two slopes, in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Both slopes connects the street Österlånggatan west up to the small Köpmantorget and the street Köpmangatan....
, both of who leads down to the street 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...
. Two streets are leading north and south; Bollhusgränd
Bollhusgränd
Bollhusgränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Named after Bollhuset, a historical theatre, it connects Slottsbacken to Köpmantorget, and as Baggensgatan extends the alley further south beyond Köpmangatan, together they form a parallel street to Österlånggatan...
and Baggensgatan
Baggensgatan
Baggensgatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Forming a southern extension to the street Bollhusgränd near the square Köpmantorget, it stretches to the southern end of Svartmangatan...
respectively.
This small square was, notwithstanding the name, never used as a market. Instead, when it first appears in historical records on a map dated 1733 as Kiöpmanne T., it was named after its location on the eastern end of Köpmangatan, the street leading to Stortorget, the square which used to be the main market place in Stockholm for centuries. Before 1685, the two blocks north and south of the square were united and on the location was a vault (Köpmanvalvet) during the Middle Ages forming one of the city gates (Köpmanporten). The penultimate name referring to the square appears in historical records as late as 1728 in the form Kiöpmans Hwalwet.