Hartwickska huset

Can you imagine a building that has witnessed centuries of history? In front of you stands Hartwickska huset, a true testament to the resilience and evolution of Stockholm. Hartwickska huset was once a modest malmgård – an estate with an orchard – that served a prominent family in the city. It was erected in 1769 for Margareta Kierman, a widow of a prominent iron merchant, and built by the renowned master mason Johan Wilhelm Friese. But the building you see today wasn’t always so grand. The original structure had a more prominent front but was altered over the years. Originally it was a one-story house with a large hall surrounded by three smaller rooms and a spacious cellar. In the 1790s, the building was acquired by the prominent banking commissioner C.O. Hartwick, who gave the building its name and expanded it to include two protruding gable sections on the garden side. With the expansion, the house was expanded to include stables, a carriage house, a bakery, and a drying shed for tobacco leaves. The property extended almost all the way down to Torkel Knutssonsgatan, a bustling street just a short distance away. Imagine people bustling along this street, carrying their goods, their voices echoing in the air. Hartwickska huset served many purposes over time. In 1854, it became a primary school. Then, during the Second World War, it was used by a Swedish-Norwegian association. It continued to house school rooms, service accommodations, handicraft workshops, and Stockholm City’s sewing workshop until, in 2004, AB Stadsholmen took ownership. Today, the house is used by Maria Högalids Föreningsråd and each room is named after people who have lived or worked there. You can still see the original fronton with three windows on Sankt Paulsgatan, a faint reminder of the building’s past. The building stands tall, telling tales of merchants, children learning, and community gatherings. Come closer, and let the stories of Hartwickska huset whisper to your heart.