Galgbacken (Gallow Hill)

The death penalty is outlawed in most of the world these days, and has been for so long that many people can’t remember the times when it was not. In Sweden, this was 1862.

The gallow hill was the main punishment site of Stockholm, dating back to sometime in the 17th century. (Before that there was another site.) It is about an hour’s walk away from the city center and back in the day death row prisoners would walk from their cells to the hill. Once there they would get a last drink at a local bar and then it would be time. 

The gallows were disassembled after the death penalty was repealed but the site was never forgotten. It got renewed notoriety in the 1930s when the area was being developed for housing and skeletons were found in the area. 

The site was then declared a national monument and marked off with some stones. Unfortunately, there is nothing else there to see apart from the sign pointing you to the history of the area.