At first glance, the low, squat house on the opposite side of the cathedral does not stand out in any way. However, it has a very dark past. During the 1800s, it was a prison for wayward students, as well as teachers and priests who did not follow the rules. During this period, there were very detailed regulations about what was and was not allowed at the school. For example, it was forbidden to spend time outdoors after 9 pm, and after 6 pm, one was required to report where one was going. It was forbidden to spend time in taverns or locations for leisure activities. The school prison was called proban or prubban (the word proba comes from Latin and means school prison). The proban in Västerås is the only one in Sweden that has been preserved.
During a period, the building was also used to store bodies until the burial (bier house) and as a chapel. 
Proban as postcard motif, 1910.
Written by Alexa
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