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Södra/Norra Benickebrinken are two sloping streets in Gamla stan, in the old town in central
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, stretching from
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. Major sights include the statue of Saint George ...
up to Svartmangatan.


Etymology

The present name is derived from a ''Jören Benick'', a man who had a tavern here named ''Solen'' ("The Sun") after the sign hanging in the street. The tavern was located in a block demolished at the end of the 19th century and located on the eastern side of the then extremely narrow slopes. It was later taken over by Jören's grandsons, both mentioned as the city's official innkeepers in the beginning of the 17th century. The slopes were originally named ''Svartbrödrabrinken'' and ''Svartmunkabrinken'' ("Black Brother's/Monk's Slope") after the Black Friars' Monastery located on the western side of the southern slope until the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
(1520–1530). The monastery was built on land given to the Dominicans following the coronation of King Magnus Eriksson (1316–1377) in 1336. A cellar from the monastery, which served as a lodging and still contains the original stoves, is found under the present building at number 4. A pattern of sets in the street
Prästgatan Prästgatan (Swedish: "The Priest's Street") 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. Prästg ...
still shows the extent of the monastery walls, and human bones discovered during an archaeological excavation in 1993 showed the graveyard of the monastery extended well into the northern part of the present southern slope.


History

Before King Sigismund's (1566–1632) arrival in Stockholm in 1593, a large number of lodgings and taverns across the city were urged to undertake improvements. To guide foreign guests, the taverns were requested to put signs in the streets displaying symbols "like is the manner abroad". By the early 17th century, however, the number of taverns and lodging houses had not kept pace with demand, so the mayor reintroduced an ordinance stipulating two inns in every block. Shortly thereafter the Benicke tavern together with five other taverns were given a
charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
, recording that the premises to be used exclusively for the purpose — "all wine, beer, and other foreign beverages be sold and tapped" (''all wijn, ööll och andra fremmande drycker selias och upptappas''). In various contemporary sources, the house of Benicke not only gradually gave its name to the slopes, but was also used as a point of reference. In 1564, a house was said to be located "by Blackfriars slope right across Jörenn Beneke's house" (''wiid Swartmunka brincken twerth vtöffver Jörenn Benekes huss''). In 1605, a house offered for sale was said to be located "in Jörenn Benichson's slope, on the north side of Jörenn Benichsons house" (''i Jören Benichsons brinck, på nörre sidhenn om Jörenn Benichsons hus''), and his name appears again in 1622 when another building is put up for sale. Finally, on a map dated 1733 the slopes were labelled with their present names (''Nor och Söder Benike Brincken''). The
Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
opened a pantry on Number 2 in 1891 and a night refuge for homeless men the following year, both institutions remained in operation until the 1970s. Today the building is used as a board-and-lodging accommodation for alcoholics. Public toilets were installed under the slope in 2005–2006.


See also

* List of streets and squares in Gamla stan * Solgränd


References

;Note: ''While the two streets on the hillock are officially regarded as two separate streets, for the purpose of this article they are treated together because of their limited extent and shared history.''


External links

* hitta.se – Location map and virtual walk: *
Norra Benickebrinken
*
Södra Benickebrinken

Stockholmskällan – Historical photos
{{Coord, 59, 19, 24.4, N, 18, 04, 24.7, E, display=title, region:SE_type:landmark Streets in Stockholm