Museum of Medieval Stockholm

The Museum of Medieval Stockholm
Medeltidsmuseet
	Entrance to the Museum of Medieval Stockholm
Established	22 May 1986
Location	Stockholm, Sweden
Coordinates	59°19′42″N 18°4′13″E / 59.32833°N 18.07028°E
Website	medeltidsmuseet.stockholm.se

The Museum of Medieval Stockholm (Swedish: Stockholms medeltidsmuseum), centrally located north of the Royal Palace, was constructed around old monuments excavated in an extensive archaeological dig (dubbed Riksgropen, "National/State Pit") in the late 1970s. Part of Stockholm's city wall, dating from the early 16th century, was also found. In order to make the finds accessible to the general public, a planned subterranean garage had to give way to the Museum of Medieval Stockholm, which was inaugurated in 1986. Museum director Margareta Hallerdt created a visionary state-of-the-art museum, designed by artist Kerstin Rydh, that received both national and international acclaim and won the European Museum of the Year Award in 1986.

The museum was closed from June 15, 2007, until early 2010 during the restoration of the bridge Norrbro. During this period, the exhibition was rebuilt while a minor temporary exhibition was available in Kulturhuset at Sergels torg.^[1]

The museum enables visitors to experience medieval Stockholm, with its brick houses and booths, workshops, harbour and gallows. It relates the medieval history of the city from the 1250s to the 1520s. In 2010, to celebrate 800 years since the birth of Birger Jarl, the founder of Stockholm, the museum opened an exhibition with a reconstruction of his face.^[2]

The Museum of Medieval Stockholm produces theme exhibitions with a medieval emphasis and arranges lectures, symposia and programmes. It engages in broad educational activities, in which children, youth and schools are a key target group. The museum has a shop that sells books relating to the Middle Ages, and also postcards and jewelry.

The museum closed at its current location in November 2023 in order to pack up and move to its new location in Börshuset at Stortorget in the Old Town. The move was necessitated by the take over of the museum's space by The Administrative Office of the Swedish Parliament. It is unknown when the museum will reopen in its new location as it will be taking over the space currently occupied by the Nobel Prize Museum, which itself is relocating.^[3]

References

^ "Current information". The Museum of Medieval Stockholm. Retrieved 2007-04-08.
^ "Birger Jarl's Face". The Museum of Medieval Stockholm. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
^ "Medieval Museum will move". The Medieval Museum. Retrieved 16 December 2023.