Rålambshovs gård

Gazing across Rålambshovs gård, can you imagine female prisoners toiling here? In the late 1700s, a saltpeter works operated on this very ground. Rålambshovs gård, now a beautiful wooden structure, replaced earlier buildings destroyed by fire. Originally built in 1801, Rålambshovs gård was designed by architect Carl Christoffer Gjörwell. Commissioned by Evert Georgii, the building was named Agatheberg, after Georgii’s wife. He added gardens, a grand veranda facing the water, and a pillared balcony. From this vantage point, Georgii enjoyed stunning views of Stockholm. Before the current Rålambshovs gård, the land held a brickworks in the 1430s, later a brick kiln and dwelling house. Åke Rålamb, who leased the property in 1706, gives the area its present name. Interestingly, he was evicted after ten years for unpaid rent. In the early 1900s, Rålambshovs gård even served as the mayor’s residence. The Allmänna Barnhuset, a children’s home, occupied the larger Rålambshov in the 1920s. The construction of Västerbron in the 1930s nearly led to the demolition of Rålambshovs gård. Thankfully, it survived, with the bridge’s northern abutment passing close to the roof. Today, Rålambshovs gård stands as a reminder of Kungsholmen’s layered past.