Stortorget in Malmö

in Swedish

When trade increased in the mid-16th century, a larger square was needed in Malmö. Jørgen Kock, who was mayor of the then Danish city, decided to build Stortorget on its current site. The Catholic church and monastery Helgeandshuset, which had occupied as much as 1/3 of what is today the square, were demolished when the Reformation had achieved its breakthrough.

Gustav Vasa negotiated with the Danes in Malmö in 1524 and on one occasion became so angry that he pulled a knife on a merchant from Lübeck. Read more about this bloodless knife drama ...

At the same time as this magnificent square was to be built, it was decided that the town hall would be moved there. The town hall has remained in its location ever since, but has been renovated and beautified in stages; most recently by the cathedral architect Helgo Zettervall↗ svW in the 1860s.

DThe old town hall had been located between Adelgatan and Petri Church. There was the city's commercial center along the wide "Algade" (Adelgatan). Now the city's center of power and commerce moved one block when Stortorget was built.

Expanded trade and market halls

Despite its size of 200x200 steps (measured by Carl von Linné himself), trade increased so much that Lilla TorgBiBB had to be built next to Stortorget as early as the 1590s. Trade was enormous by the standards of the time and took place in the city square, where farmers and merchants who had traveled there for the day conducted their trade. There were no shops in the modern sense, but the city's craftsmen and merchants had permanent stalls along the city streets.

Sreet names like Skomakaregatan, Grynbodgatan and Själbodgatan still bears witness to the activities of that time.
New regulations came into force at the beginning of the 20th century and it was forbidden for health reasons to sell meat and fish openly on the streets and squares. This was a major blow to trade in the squares and three market halls were opened. One of them was built on Lilla Torg and it was bustling with commerce until it was demolished in the 1960s. Today, the picturesque Lilla Torg is filled with restaurants and outdoor cafes. You can see impressive Facade sculptures on Stortorget 11BiBB.

Water art

The important city fountain was naturally placed on the newly built Stortorget. The water was led in thick wooden logs all the way from what is now Pildammarna, which was the city's water reservoir well into the 19th century. Pipes also ran from the city's larger estates, which received fresh water for their wells - a fantastic luxury at the time.

The wooden pipes were replaced at the end of the 19th century by metal pipes from the new water tower in Pildammarna, when it was discovered that the wooden pipes had been one of the sources of infection in the great cholera epidemic. At Gamla kyrkogårdenBiBB is the gravesite of Three doctorsBiBB who died in a cholera epidemic in Malmö around 1850.

A central feature such as the city fountain was richly decorated - a so-called water art. In Malmö, the fountain was crowned with a carved "Morian↗ svW". Undeniably an exotic element.

The well was removed, but was replaced in the mid-1960s by a new well that is now located a few meters from the old water fountain. The original location is marked by 10 white marble stones in the square. Even the new well - made by the sculptor Stig Blomberg↗ svW has a small Morian and is richly decorated.

Today it serves only as water art and eye candy and is a popular tourist sight and is featured on many holiday cards and selfie backgrounds.

If you see a man on horseback at Stortorget

... it is either a mounted policeman or king Charles X Gustav ↗ enW The latter has sat upright in its place since 1896. No small achievement.

The advertising paintings at the Lejonet pharmacy

In 1900, the first advertising signs were painted on the facade of Apoteket Lejonet. John Tesch, who was a pharmacist and owner of the Tesch palaceBiBB did as many other homeowners in the growing city towards the end of the 19th century.

John Tesch had a fire gable used as an advertising space for the city's businessmen and thus received advertising revenue. Up to eight layers of advertising were put up before the wall was painted over in 1914.

The paint was peeling and in the 1990s was in such poor condition that the old layers of advertising were in danger of completely disappearing. Most of the city's facade murals are now built over or painted over, but this wall, which was restored to its original condition in 1994, stands as a monument to old advertising history.
It is probably the only completely recreated advertising facade in Europe.

Royal knife drama

Streetsign in the corner near the entrance to Scandic Kramer Hotel

Gustav Vasa had become king of Sweden in 1523, which he remained until 1560. At that time, Sweden had about 800,000 inhabitants and only 5% lived in cities. The king had received a promise from the Hanseatic League in Lübeck to be provided with soldiers for his conquest of Gotland. However, Visby was not taken. The king considered that the Hanseatic League had not fulfilled its promises and when he saw the German diplomat Herman Iserhel (whom he had known from before) on Stortorget, he became furious and pulled a knife. Iserhel escaped with only a little fright.

The source of this story is the king's own chronicler, Peder Svart. He is the one who has written himself into our school memories by telling about how Gustav Vasa hid in the haystack, was stung but survived, and many other stories.

No one would expect a writer of power to tell everything as it was. In many cases today it is enough for us to see it as a good story. The deeper source criticism is better reserved for more serois topics.

Referenser

• About BiBB, a media company and an encyclopedia 4.0
• Photo: Jonas Andréasson and Johan Schlasberg | Text: Johan Schlasberg

Published: 2005.06 Updated: 2025.06.29

Kategorier 25 Platser och Offentliga rum 20 Malmö 44

---



Tip others about BiBB
- an encyclopedia 4.0



You know a lot, we may add a little^®