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Southern City Hall, copper engraving by Willem Swidde, from Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna. But we see that it is before the fire — look at the lantern on the roof!
The City Museum’s historic home at Slussen tells a vibrant story of prison cells, Russian merchants, and playing-card factories. Discover the building’s long and colourful history!
Located in the former Southern City Hall (Södra stadshuset), this landmark is Stockholm’s oldest surviving public building. Its history officially began with the completion of the Southern City Hall in 1680 — though its origins stretch back even earlier.
Tessin the Elder’s vision of a magnificent general factor office. National Museum’s archive.
The grand trading palace that never was
The original 1662 drawings by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder reveal plans for a structure twice the size of what stands today: a monumental Baroque palace crowned with four towers. It was designed to house a manufacturing office, intended to drive Swedish exports.
However, these ambitious plans never materialised. Instead, the city intervened, commissioning a smaller building: a main wing facing Götgatan and two flanking wings projecting towards the Russian trading quarter, Ryssgården.
Devastated by fire
Almost immediately after the building's completion in 1680, a fire broke out at Ryssgården and quickly spread. Among other damage, the distinctive lantern on the roof of the Southern City Hall was destroyed.
Under the direction of Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, the building was painstakingly restored, emerging with a refined new appearance.
Witchcraft trials and pub life
By this time, the lower court (Södra kämnärsrätten) and its feared city prison had moved into the premises. It was here, during the witchcraft trials of 1675–1676, that eight women were condemned to death. Today, that part of the prison on the second floor houses our exhibition on the Münchenbryggeriet brewery.
Directly adjacent and below the court lay the popular tavern Södra stadshuskällaren (also known as Malmens källare), a favourite haunt of the famed poet Carl Michael Bellman and his companions. Today, visitors can experience a recreation of the tavern as it appeared in 1748 at the Källarstugan exhibit on the first floor.
The tavern was not always peaceful; on 30 October 1842, a notorious and violent brawl erupted between military officers and patrons. When the city guard arrived, the riot was so chaotic that they didn't dare intervene. (Contemporary illustration: Ferdinand Tollin.)
Graffiti
On one of the prison walls, a captive carved a bleak phrase in Russian: “It is miserable to dwell in a stone house”, meaning that prison life was hard. These prisoners were later exiled to Visingsborg castle on the island of Visingsö in Lake Vättern.
The Russian influence
Ryssgården was ravaged by fire again in 1694 and 1759. In the aftermath, Russian merchants took over the wing warehouses and the courtyard, and the area was considered Russian property until the 1870s.
However, the merchants also faced turbulent times. Following the Battle of Narva in 1700, Russian prisoners of war were confined within the building's cells. Today, their historic graffiti can still be viewed in the shop’s stockroom, half a storey up from the courtyard.
Anatomical theater with a dissection table in the middle and an amphitheater along the walls. (Pictured: The Anatomy Theatre at the Gustavianum in Uppsala)
Dissections and Freemasons
An anatomical theatre opened in the southern wing in 1685, facing Peter Myndes backe. Today, this area is used for offices. Here, spectators gathered in an amphitheatre around a central dissection table to watch educational anatomical examinations of executed criminals.
Later, the building needed to house Russian prisoners of war. The theatre was moved to the third floor. Today, this space holds temporary exhibitions. A Russian Orthodox church subsequently moved into the vacated premises.
Meanwhile, the grand hall underwent several changes. It served as a Masonic lodge, a ballroom, and a concert venue. Later, it became a Catholic church. Today, this same room serves as the museum’s auditorium.
The Corps de Garde brigade preserve order on the city’s streets. Or rather, they do the job a notch better than the guards called “paltar”. Illustration: Hjalmar Morner.
The Corps de Garde
In 1730, the newly established fire brigade Corps de Garde got a room in the corner of Götgatan and Peter Myndes backe. Remnants of their stay can still be seen today in the staircase hall towards Götgatan, on the balustrade where swords were sharpened.
Dance party in Stadshussalongen which can be reached via a stone staircase from today’s Södermalmstorg. Advertisement in Stockholms Dagblad February 16, 1847.
Dance, schools and housing
In 1846, the Södra Theatern opened inside the former Catholic church. For 20 years, the venue hosted dance evenings and performances.
Over the decades, the building also housed several schools. A navigation school once occupied the room that now hosts the Kungstornet café exhibition. The final school moved out in 1935.
Tenants had lived in the building since 1711, but they eventually had to move out as well. One example is the Pihlqvist family, finally leaving in 1940. Today, visitors can explore their story in the exhibition at the top of the building.
Wine shop on the corner of Götgatan 1 and Hornsgatan. Photo: Larssons Ateljé, year 1913—1914.
Silk and coffins
For many others, the building was a workplace. A silk weaving mill opened in the southern wing's attic as early as 1687. Many children were put to work there. However, the venture ended up losing a great deal of money for the city.
Later, the building housed workshops producing playing-cards and coffins. It also hosted various shops with entrances from Götgatan and Brunnsbacken (today’s Södermalmstorg).
The wing facing Södermalmstorg was home to Dalheim & Engström’s well-known wine shop. The business even produced its own punch on the premises.
Seaside location: Southern City Hall and Brunnsbacken. Copy by Einar Uggla after Ince’s original from 1833.
Regulating trade and industry
To the public, however, the Southern City Hall was primarily a government building. In 1739, the Manufacturing and Trade Court was added to the southern wing. Today, this space houses an exhibition where visitors can try on hats.
The court governed and monitored the city’s craft industry until 1846. Upstairs in the attic, the court kept two holding cells. These rooms were used to lock up workers who opposed the factory owners.
A few years later, the Södra kämnärsrätten (a lower magistrate court) was replaced by other courts. More efficient tax offices also moved into the building during this time.
Southern City Hall is not doing so well. In front of the building we see the train tracks. Photo: Axel Malmström, 1918.
Trains, manure and decay
The arrival of the railway in 1871 cut the building off from the waterfront. Over time, it gradually fell into disrepair.
The open arcades on the lower floors were boarded up. On the ground floor, the vaulted arches were closed off to create public toilets.
The municipal sewage department even moved into the building. They sold manure from a room on the mezzanine floor just above today’s main entrance. Ironically, this same space was later used to serve cheap hot lunches.
Meanwhile, the old Russian warehouses were repurposed. They became a punch factory, a food storage facility, and a municipal laundry.
Performance at Stadsmuseets gård. Photo: Lennart af Petersens, 1972.
The building is saved
In the early 1900s, the city discussed demolishing the building to make way for the upcoming Slussen reconstruction. To save the Southern City Hall, one proposal suggested turning it into a railway station.
Fortunately, a new committee pushed to transform the building into a city museum instead. Their efforts succeeded. The Stockholm City Museum officially opened to the public in 1942.
Later, in 1963, the main entrance was moved from Götgatan to the museum’s courtyard. The stairs leading down from Ryssgården square were also added at this time.
