 18th century housing facingRiddarfjärden | |
  Södermalm  Södermalm | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Baltic Sea |
| Coordinates | 59°18′47″N18°04′05″E / 59.31306°N 18.06806°E /59.31306; 18.06806 |
| Area | 5.71 km2 (2.20 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Sweden | |
| Borough | Södermalm borough |
| Municipality | Stockholm Municipality |
Södermalm, often shortened to justSöder, is the southern district ofStockholm City Centre.
The Södermalm district covers the island of the same name (formerly calledÅsön), which, however, is not fully separated from the peninsula ofSödertörn (or the rest of the Swedish mainland), as water to both its north and south does not flow freely but passes through alock and aman-made waterway.
Södermalm is connected to its surrounding areas by a number of bridges. It connects toGamla stan to the north bySlussen, a grid of road and rail and a lock separating the lakeMälaren from theBaltic Sea, toLångholmen to the northwest by one of the city's larger bridges,Västerbron, to the isletReimersholme to the west, toLiljeholmen to the southwest by the bridgeLiljeholmsbron, to Årsta byÅrstabron andSkansbron, toJohanneshov byJohanneshovsbron andSkanstullsbron to the south, and, finally, toSödra Hammarbyhamnen to the east by Danvikstull Bridge.
Administratively, Södermalm is part ofStockholm Municipality. It constitutes, together withGamla stan and some other districts, from 2007 the administrative districtSödermalms stadsdelsområde, often translated asSödermalm borough.
The name Södermalm (asSuthaermalm) is first mentioned in 1288 in a letter from Bishop Anund of Strängnäs. Until the early 17th century Södermalm was mainly a rural, agricultural area.[1] Its first urban areas were planned and built in the mid 17th century, comprising a mixture of working class housing, such as the little red cottages of which a few can still be seen in northeastern Södermalm, and the summer houses and pavilions of wealthier families, such asEmanuel Swedenborg's pavilion, which is now in the outdoor museumSkansen. During this time, it was also the location of perhaps the first theatre in Scandinavia,Björngårdsteatern. Södermalm is often poetically namedSöders höjder ("heights of the south"), which reflects its topography of sheer cliffs and rocky hills. Indeed, the hills of Södermalm provide remarkable views ofStockholm's skyline.
In the 18th century, the working-class cottages that clung toMariaberget, the steep cliffs facingRiddarfjärden, were replaced by the large buildings that are still present today. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that urbanization grasped the entire width of Södermalm, and even today parts of Södermalm have a rural feeling to them, as for instance the landscape of tinyallotments that climb the slopes ofEriksdal.
Södermalm was once known as the "slum" area of Stockholm. However today, Södermalm is known as the home ofbohemian,alternative culture and a broad range ofcultural amenities. Meanwhile, the growing demand for housing, as well as an increasinggentrification of Stockholm's central parts, makes apartments in Södermalm more and more difficult or expensive to come by. Thus what was once aworking-class district is now somewhat a district of the privileged.[2]
There are four parishes of theChurch of Sweden on the island (from west to east):
Södermalm is roughly divided into the following neighbourhoods (from west to east):
In May of 2024, two elks were found wandering around Södermalm.[6][7][8] This type of incident had happened previously, in 2023 as well as in 2022.[9]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
