Johannes skola

Hidden within Vasastan, at Roslagsgatan 61, stands Johannes skola. It’s more than just bricks and mortar. It’s a vessel carrying echoes of Stockholm’s past. Johannes skola opened its doors in 1891. The city was experiencing rapid growth. Its northeastern edge, then nicknamed “Siberia” due to its distance from the city center, was filling with simple apartment buildings. These housed primarily working-class families, often with lodgers, leading to cramped living conditions. The responsibility for building schools fell upon the city’s parishes. Johannes and Jakobs parishes commissioned architect Carl Möller. He had recently designed Johannes kyrka. He crafted Johannes skola as a brick fortress. The striking ground floor is made of rustic limestone. The school was designed to accommodate 1,400 students across 32 classrooms. It included two workshops, a dining hall, and even a bathhouse in the basement. Two separate buildings in the courtyard housed gymnasiums with changing rooms and teacher housing. The construction cost a hefty 409,811 kronor. Further classrooms were added along Cedersdalsgatan between 1899 and 1900. Today, Johannes skola continues to serve the community. Around 430 students from preschool to sixth grade fill its halls. Bilingual education in Swedish and English is offered. The schoolyard, once the site of teacher housing and gymnasiums, now offers a playground and access to nearby green spaces like Bellevueparken and Vanadislunden. Imagine the generations of children who have passed through these doors. They learned their ABCs within these walls. They played in the same courtyard. They perhaps even dreamed of a future beyond “Siberia”. Johannes skola is a testament to Stockholm’s growth and commitment to education, a living piece of history still shaping young minds today.