Already when Långbro Hospital opened in 1909, it was difficult to cope with the most demanding patients. Some parts of the large hospital buildings were adapted for the troubled inmates, but an ever-increasing influx of new patients who were violent and very aggressive created major security problems. It was then decided to build the so-called “storm” blocks, two smaller buildings specifically designed for this patient group.
The patients in these wards had very limited freedom of movement, they were constantly supervised and the number of staff was significantly higher than in a quiet ward. All caregivers were men, even in the female ward.
The need for this type of care decreased rapidly with introduction of the new and more effective drugs. During the late 1960s, the wards were decommissioned and the buildings demolished in various stages in the late 1960s and 1970s. One of the “storm” blocks was situated here between the newly built houses, and the other one a bit closer to the road (Vantörsvägen).
Photo: H Nordenadler. Stockholms Stadsmuseum 1968
One of the famous patients of the “Storm” blocks was Giuseppe Capocci, who killed the Italian ambassador on Christmas Day of 1947 while on permitted leave from the hospital. Read his story here:
https://reveal.world/story/1472
