The 18th-century pawn bank for Stockholm's poor

From 1772 to 1890, the site served as the General-assistancekontoret, a form of pawn bank where poor residents could borrow money. The complex, known as Gamla Auktionsverket, consists of four joined houses on Riddarholmen in central Stockholm. It is located by the water on the western part of the island, between Birger Jarls torn and Wrangelska palatset, below Schering Rosenhanes palats.

The oldest building dates to the 1750s, commissioned by Berge Olofson Ström. He built two identical new constructions on opposite sides of Birger Jarls torn. The northern building became known as Överkommissariens hus, while the western building formed the oldest part of Gamla Auktionsverket. During this period, the row grew southward with the construction of three more houses. The original house also received an extra floor, which partially removed its resemblance to Överkommissariens hus, though the ground floors still show similarities.

The buildings received a new tenant in 1890 when Auktionsverket moved in, remaining there until the 1950s. In 1997, Svea hovrätt and Justitiekanslern moved in and renovated the building. The renovation was led by Cyrillus Johansson, who gave the houses a common facade facing the land side while preserving their original facades toward the water. The property has been managed by Svea hovrätt and Justitiekanslern since 1997.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons