Medborgarplatsen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (January 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Medborgarplatsen, lit. Civic square, is one of the largest squares in Stockholm, known for nightlife, cinemas etc. It is located on Södermalm and often colloquially referred to as "Medis".

The square is also a common place for demonstrations and on May Day, the Left Party usually start their parade from here, accompanied by other smaller leftist and communist parties, as they walk to Kungsträdgården.

Medborgarplatsen was also the place where Anna Lindh, the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, held her last public speech, before she was murdered on September 10, 2003. Today there is a memorial monument for Anna Lindh at Medborgarplatsen.

The name of the square used to be Södra Bantorget (The Southern Railway Square) but was changed to its present name in 1940.

Hammarby celebrated its first victory in the Allsvenskan in front of about 35.000 supporters here in 2001.

Close to the square is a metro station of the same name. The station was opened as an underground tram station in 1933 and was converted for the new metro system in 1950 as one of the first stations on the net. The original exits did not open onto the square itself, but on the nearby street Folkungagatan. In 1995 another exit was built, in the park Björns Trädgård, just across the street Götgatan from Medborgarplatsen.

The Stockholm Mosque is housed in an old powerstation the corner of the adjacent Björns Trädgård.

Medborgarplatsen has a small ice-skating rink, which is turned into a sort of terrace for regular benches in the summer. Right next to the square is also a library.