The Museum of Medieval Stockholm ( sv, Stockholms medeltidsmuseum), centrally located north of the Royal Palace, was constructed around old monuments excavated in an extensive

archaeological dig In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

(dubbed ''Riksgropen'', "National/State Pit") in the late 1970s. Part of Stockholm's

city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

, dating from the early 16th century, was also found. In order to make the finds accessible to the general public, a planned subterranean garage had to give way to the Museum of Medieval Stockholm, which was inaugurated in 1986. Museum director Margareta Hallerdt created a visionary state-of-the-art museum, designed by artist Kerstin Rydh, that received both national and international acclaim and won the

European Museum of the Year Award The European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) is presented each year by the European Museum Forum (European Museum Forum, EMF) under the auspices of the Council of Europe. The EMYA is considered the most important annual award in the European mu ...

in 1986. The museum was closed from June 15, 2007, until early 2010 during the restoration of the bridge

Norrbro Norrbro (Swedish for "North Bridge") is an arch bridge over Norrström in central Stockholm. It extends north from the northern front of the Royal Palace passing over Helgeandsholmen in front of the Riksdag building, and from there over to Gustav ...

. During this period, the exhibition was rebuilt while a minor temporary exhibition was available in

Kulturhuset House of Culture (Swedish: Kulturhuset) is a cultural center situated to the south of Sergels torg in central Stockholm, Sweden. The House of Culture has been described as a symbol for Stockholm as well as of the growth of modernism in Sweden. ...

Sergels torg Sergels torg ("Sergel's Square") is a major public square in Stockholm, Sweden, constructed in the 1960s and named after 18th-century sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel, whose workshop was once located north of the square. Overview Sergels torg ha ...

. The museum enables visitors to experience medieval Stockholm, with its brick houses and booths, workshops, harbour and

gallows A gallows (or scaffold) is a frame or elevated beam, typically wooden, from which objects can be suspended (i.e., hung) or "weighed". Gallows were thus widely used to suspend public weighing scales for large and heavy objects such as sacks ...

. It relates the medieval history of the city from the 1250s to the 1520s. In 2010, to celebrate 800 years since the birth of

Birger Jarl Birger Jarl, also known as ''Birger Magnusson'' (21 October 1266), was a Swedish statesman, ''jarl'', and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, w ...

, the founder of Stockholm, the museum opened an exhibition with a reconstruction of his face. The Museum of Medieval Stockholm produces theme exhibitions with a medieval emphasis and arranges lectures, symposia and programmes. It engages in broad educational activities, in which children, youth and schools are a key target group. The museum has a shop that sells books relating to the Middle Ages, and also postcards and jewelry.

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The Museum of Medieval Stockholm
Museums in Stockholm City museums in Sweden History museums in Sweden Medieval Sweden {{sweden-museum-stub

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External links