Danvikens hospital was a historical Swedish hospital,

insane asylum The lunatic asylum (or insane asylum) was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital. The fall of the lunatic asylum and its eventual replacement by modern psychiatric hospitals explains the rise of organized, institutional psychiatry ...

and

retirement home A retirement home – sometimes called an old people's home or old age home, although ''old people's home'' can also refer to a nursing home – is a multi-residence housing facility intended for the elderly. Typically, each person or couple in ...

in Stockholm, active in 1558–1861. The area belonged to Stockholms kommun until 1984, when it was transferred to Nacka kommun. The Danvikens hospital was founded by the initiative of King

Gustav Vasa Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksför ...

in 1558. The current building is designed by

Göran Josuæ Adelcrantz Göran Josuæ Adelcrantz (November 15, 1668 – February 26, 1739) was a Swedish Architect. He was born in Stockholm and studied architecture under Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. In 1704-1707 Adelcrantz traveled to Germany, France and Italy. He wa ...

(1668–1739) and dates back to 1718–1725. From the 1740s, the hospital also functioned as an Insane asylum. The hospital is frequently mentioned within literature and during the 18th and 19th centuries; the name ''Danviken'' was used in common language as a synonym for a "Mad House". A famous description of the Danviken Asylum was ''Fältskärns berättelser'' (The tales of a

Feldsher According to the World Health Organization, a feldsher (german: Feldscher, pl, Felczer, cs, Felčar, russian: фельдшер, sv, Fältskär, Finnish: ''Välskäri'') is a health care professional who provides various medical services limi ...

) by

Zacharias Topelius Zachris Topelius (, ; 14 January 181812 March 1898) was a Finnish author, poet, journalist, historian, and rector of the University of Helsinki who wrote novels related to Finnish history. Given name Zacharias is his baptismal name, and this ...

from the 1780s. The facilities was emptied in 1861 and the asylum closed in 1863 because of the decaying buildings. It is now used as an Art Gallery.

References

* {{Authority control 1558 establishments in Sweden 1861 disestablishments in Sweden 19th-century disestablishments in Sweden Psychiatric hospitals in Sweden Infrastructure completed in 1725 Hospital buildings completed in the 18th century Defunct hospitals in Sweden Hospitals in Stockholm History of Stockholm Hospitals established in the 16th century 16th century in Stockholm