El último colegio de internado

A low, dark-looking house opposite the cathedral does not seem to stand out at first sight. 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 rules about what was and was not allowed at school. For example, it was forbidden to stay outside after 9 pm at night, and after 6 pm one was required to tell where one was going. It was forbidden to spend time at taverns or places 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.

At one time, the building was also used for storing corpses until burial (bisättningshus) and as a chapel.

Postcard image of the proban, 1910.