Kolmätargränd is a small

alley An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in the older parts of towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road ( back lane ...

Gamla stan Gamla stan (, "The Old Town"), until 1980 officially Staden mellan broarna ("The Town between the Bridges"), is the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla stan consists primarily of the island Stadsholmen. Officially, but not colloquially, Gamla st ...

, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Passing under a low vault it connects the street

Västerlånggatan Västerlånggatan ("the Western Long Street") is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching southward between the squares Mynttorget and Järntorget, it follows the course of the city's now demolished 13th-century defe ...

to the square and courtyard

Brantingtorget Brantingtorget (Swedish: "Square of Branting") is the courtyard of the Chancery House annex (''Kanslihusannexet''), acting as one of the public squares in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. History The square is named after ...

forming a parallel street to Klockgjutargränd and Stenbastugränd. Mentioned as ''Kholmetare Grenden'' in 1646 and ''Kåålmäterenss grändh'' in 1652, the alley is named after the assessor and magistrate ''Hans Kohlmeter'' (1626–1686), who according to a source dated 1661 had his house built over the alley. While this name seems to have been established around 1700, the commonly used name for the alley during the 17th century was ''Johan Sekreterares Gränd'' (''Johannis secretereres grend'', "Alley of Secretary John"), and a century earlier ''Herman Ruggens gränd'' (1584).

History

The present alley is one of the shortest in the old town and it has reached an all but legendary status among a large number of Swedes through the still popular troubadour

Carl Michael Bellman Carl Michael Bellman (; 4 February 1740 – 11 February 1795) was a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, poet and entertainer. He is a central figure in the Swedish song tradition and remains a powerful influence in Swedish music, as well ...

(1740–1795) and his 34th epistle named ''Till Movitz, när elden var lös i hans kvarter uti Kolmätargränden'' ("To

Movitz ''Fredmans epistlar'' (English: ''Fredman's Epistles'') is a collection of 82 poems set to music by Carl Michael Bellman, a major figure in Swedish 18th century song. Though first published in 1790, it was created over a period of twenty years ...

, when fire ravaged his block in Kolmätargränden"). The eleven verses of the song details how a fire among the brothels in the alley and the succeeding hullabaloo, embarrassingly unveils the presence of the otherwise distinguished customers, symbols for various prominent ranks left behind in the gutters, and, in the end, how Movitz escapes the scene, likened to

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (, ; from ) was a Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus (mythology), Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy (both ...

leaving the burning

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Çan ...

, overburdened with all his musical instruments: Furthermore, the extent of the alley was considerably tail-docked during WW2, when the planned enlargement of Kanslihuset (The "Chancellery House") caused the old blocks in the neighbourhood to be levelled to the ground, the so-called "Battle of Kolmätargränd" led by

Vera Siöcrona Vera may refer to: Names * Vera (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Vera (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) **Vera (), archbishop of the archdiocese of Tarr ...

ending in the current compromise, the circular courtyard (

) of the Chancellery annex ('' Kanslihusannexet'') surrounded by the still intact remaining buildings.

References

External links

* Streets in Stockholm {{Stockholm-road-stub

History

See also

References

External links