Trädgårdstvärgränd "Garden's Cross-Alley") is a small 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 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 north from 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,...

 to Trädgårdsgatan

Trädgårdsgatan

Trädgårdsgatan is a small street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. It stretches west from Skeppar Olofs Gränd to Källargränd, just south of the Royal Palace and north of the square Stortorget. Forming a parallel to Slottsbacken and Köpmangatan, it is intercepted by Trädgårdstvärgränd...

, it forms a parallel street to Skeppar Olofs Gränd

Skeppar Olofs Gränd

Skeppar Olofs Gränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from Köpmangatan to Trädgårdsgatan, it forms a parallel street to Peder Fredags Gränd and Trädgårdstvärgränd....

 and Källargränd

Källargränd

Källargränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, connecting Slottsbacken, the slope south of the Royal Palace, to the square Stortorget...

. It is located just south of Slottsbacken

Slottsbacken

Slottsbacken is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.It stretches east from the Stockholm Cathedral and the Royal Palace down to the street Skeppsbron which passes along the eastern waterfront of the old town...

 and Bollhustäppan

Bollhustäppan

Bollhustäppan is a small public space in Gamla stan Is the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Named after Bollhuset, a historical theatre, it is located south of Slottsbacken just behind the Finnish Church, while two gates connects it to Trädgårdsgatan....

, not far from Stortorget

Stortorget (Stockholm)

Stortorget is a small public square in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is the oldest square in Stockholm, the historical centre around which the medieval urban conglomeration gradually came into being...

.

The alley is, together with Trädgårdsgatan, named after the vegetable gardens located here during the 16th century and belonging to the properties along the northern side of Köpmangatan and to the Royal Palace

Stockholm Palace

The Stockholm Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. . Stockholm Palace is located on Stadsholmen , in Gamla Stan in the capital, Stockholm...

. Just like Trägårdsgatan, Trädgårdstvärgränd remained a nameless street for many years, before a man named Hans Helsing in 1456 bought a property in an alley said to be located "on the street running from Merchant's street (Köpmangatan)" (oppå the gathunne som løper fra køpmanna gatwnne). In 1488, the alley is named Swen helsingx grendh after the magistrate

Magistrate

A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...

Sven Helsing inhabiting it, and in 1490 it is referred to as Suen helsingx bryggehus och brun mot twergrenden ("Sven helsing's brewery and well next cross-alley"). The current names of the two streets seem to have come into use during the 18th century, both appearing on maps dated 1733 and 1780.

External links

• Stockholmkällan - Historical photos
• http://www.hitta.se/SearchCombi.aspx?__VIEWSTATE=%2FwEPDwUKMTg4NDI3NTMzNWRk&UCSB%3AWflWhite=1a1b&UCSB%3AWflPink=4a&SearchType=4&UCSB%3ABBX1=&UCSB%3ABBY1=&UCSB%3ABBX2=&UCSB%3ABBY2=&UCSB%3ATextBoxWho=&UCSB%3ATextBoxWhere=Tr%E4dg%E5rdstv%E4rgr%E4nd&UCSB%3AButtonSearch=%A0%A0hitta%21%A0%A0&CombiResults%3AUserControlMapControl%3Acx=1628977&CombiResults%3AUserControlMapControl%3Acy=6580848&CombiResults%3AUserControlMapControl%3ApointsHidden=&CombiResults%3AUserControlMapControl%3Az=2hitta.se - Location map and virtual walk]