Baggensgatan

Baggensgatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central , Sweden. Forming a southern extension to the street Bollhusgränd near the square Köpmantorget, it stretches to the southern end of Svartmangatan. It forms a parallel street to Själagårdsgatan and Österlånggatan, while being intercepted by Tyska Skolgränd.

Appearing in historical records as Jakob Baggæs gathe in 1596, the street was named after the then admiral Jakob Bagge (1502–1577) (later governor at the ) who was given a lot by King Gustav Vasa at number 30 in 1536. It is mentioned as Baggenss gatu 1638.

Together with Bollhusgränd, Baggensgatan formed a thoroughfare passing just inside the eastern city wall, just like Prästgatan passed just inside the western wall. The difference in altitude between these thoroughfares and those who passed just outside the city walls, is biggest between Österlånggatan and Baggensgatan, almost ten metres. In the southern end, the lowest section of the street, was the .

On Number 14 lived the opera diva Elisabeth Olin, at the age of 33 she became the first prima donna at the inauguration of the opera of King Gustav III on January 18, 1773. Her voice was described as supernatural and though she retired from singing after ten years, she is said to have kept her beauty until her death at the age of 87.

The building on Number 23 was known as Ahlströms jungfrubur ("The Maiden Cage of Ahlström"). It was bought in 1762 by a captain Magnus Ahlström who is described as having created a "virtual temple of Venus with space for the priestesses on all three floors". Though the brothel made Ahlström rich, it often resulted in squads of prostitutes spending time at the Långholmen prison while all the taverns and other brothels gave the street a bad reputation for a long time.

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