Långholmens spinnhus

Långholmens rasp- och spinnhus, commonly known as Långholmens spinnhus, was a women's prison in Långholmen, , Sweden. The prison was established in 1649 when the Malmgården in Alstavik at Långholmen was erected, and was closed in 1825. The building became state property in 1724 and was used as a spinnhus (thread-spinning house). Malmgården was later expanded to increase its capacity. In 1825 the spinnhus was relocated to Norrmalm. After the move, the Långholmen Prison started to operate on the grounds.

The Långholmen Prison was modelled after the rasp and spinnhus in the Netherlands. It was created mainly as a means of controlling the numbers of beggars, the homeless and the unemployed. From 1723 onward, any unmarried homeless woman who did not have an employer, a legal profession or personal property, were labelled as defenseless, a status which was considered criminal at the time, and were subsequently sent to this prison. The incarcerated women were divided into different groups depending on their ages and abilities. Amongst the better known prisoners were the Gråkoltarna, religious dissenters who were imprisoned in 1733. The institution included training programmes for women prisoners which included occupational training with an emphasis on sewing. In 1746, the premises of the spinnhus were expanded to their present form.

In 1698, the King of Sweden initiated the process of establishing a spinnhus in Stockholm. Once built, products from the jail were to be sold to wool factories and also used to fill the clothing needs of the defence forces. It was initially proposed that the spinnhus should be built at Rörstrand, Stockholm. However, due to lack of state funding, the builders accepted an offer to use Johan Spalding's estate at Alstavik, Långholmen instead.

The property was bought in 1724 by a business college for 37,000 daler. The institution was officially named "Långholmens spinnhus". The women taken to the spinnhus were primarily from the ranks of the homeless, the beggars, and the unemployed.

The imprisoned women were awakened as early as four a.m. to start work at five, and would work until seven or at times nine p.m. They were divided into various groups depending on their age and ability. The elderly and sick who were unable to work processing wool were given the task of spinning linen instead.

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