Strömsborg

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Strömsborg surrounded by the two bridges Centralbron and Vasabron. View from the Stockholm City Hall.

Northern part of Strömsborg as of 2005.

Strömsborg (Swedish: "The Stream castle") is a small islet in central Stockholm, Sweden, located north of Stadsholmen, and west of Helgeandsholmen, between the bridges Centralbron, a motorway passing through central Stockholm, and Vasabron. Strömsborg is part of Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm and is connected to the rest of the world by the bridge Strömsborgsbron leading over to Vasabron.

1 History
2 References
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] History

On a map dated 1733 Strömsborg is represented as uninhabited and called Stenskär ("Stone Skerry"). In 1740 it was bought by the merchant Berge Olofson Ström, who, according to a description from 1896 (G. Nordensvan), ten years later had a stone house built on the island ("suitable in size") surrounded by lime trees. Whenever the small island received its present name, it must have been in reference both to Strömmen, the watercourse surrounding it, and to the merchant in question and his building, with the appearance of a castle (Ströms borg).^[1]^[2]

Further, Nordensvan tells the island have been the site for several restaurants, skittle alleys, and public baths, and "...was a small idyllic spot, particularly at that time, when no bridge lead to the islet, but one had to travel by rowing boat with a motley Dalecarlian woman at the oars." The idyll he describes was soon transformed as the current palace, designed by builder Johan Andersson and the architect Claes Grundström was built 1895-97, and then redesigned by the architect Ragnar Östberg 1929-30.^[1]^[2]

The islet remained the HQ of Swedish Sports Confederation for many years, while the ground floor was being used as a restaurant. In 1953 a renown dance hall was built, while the upper floors was used for offices until 1994. Since 1996 the entire building have been restored to its pre-1953 appearance but used as offices only.^[2]

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b (1992) "Innerstaden", Stockholms gatunamn, 2nd ed., Stockholm: Kommittén för Stockholmsforskning, 176. ISBN 91-7031-042-4.
^ ^a ^b ^c Strömsborg. Stockholms stad (2006-04-10). Retrieved on January 15, 2007.