This is the place where the famous Stockholm establishment called Bellmansro used to stand. It got its name due to the proximity to the bust of Carl Michael Bellman, the popular Swedish troubadour and entertainer.
The first catering hall was opened here in 1828 by the royal court confectioner Carlmark and named after him. After the inauguration of the Bellmans bust in 1829, Carlmarks became a very popular place during the summer, especially on Bellmans Day, which is celebrated every year on 26 July.
Three decades later, the business was taken over by the confectioner Sundberg who turned the small patisserie into an inn under the name Bellmansro. He ran Bellmansro through the 1860s and 1870s and was succeeded by the cellar master Mårten Nilsson. He had Bellmansro rebuilt with, among other things, magnificent stairs and larger terrace.
In the early 1900s the establishment had fallen into disrepute. It was bought by Thèrese Hacksell who set up "chambres séparés" in the house. The restaurant gained a dubious reputation and was often referred to as an "immorality nest". Thèrese Hacksell was arrested in 1914 for "keeping a house where fornication was practiced". She managed to get out with just a fine, but the incident got a great deal of attention in the press.
In the 1930s the fortunes turned around again. Having joined the Sten Hellberg’s restaurant empire, Bellmansro became a fine dining place with top-notch furnishings and space for 500 people indoors and further 1,500 in the outdoors section.
Bellmansro, 1940
Photo: IMS, institutionen för mediestudie. Author unknown.
The place appears in various artworks from that time, paintings and postcards.
"Bellmansro, Djurgården" (Stockholm)
Signed Olle Olsson Hagalund. Executed in the 1940s.
Postcard
When Hellberg died in 1947, the business was taken over by Knut Lindqvister, who shortly afterwards sold Bellmansro.
Sadly, the place burned down in 1955 and has never been rebuilt. The bust is still there and the place is still called Bellmansro, but nothing else reminds of the establishment that was once here.
Sources: Wikipedia, Stockholmskällan
