When Josephine left the hospital she moved into 59B Brännkyrkagatan, not far from her previous home on Pilgränd. In the first picture the horse was in front of 64 Brännkyrkagatan and 66 Brännkyrkagatan was just beyond that, so Josephine would have lived near the location of the photographer. The cobblestone streets have remained intact.
 |
| 64 and 66 Brännkyrkagatan |
 |
| Brännkyrkagatan east of Timmermansgatan |
Brännkyrkagatan was the first place we headed on our first full day in Stockholm. After getting off the tram on Hornsgatan, we walked past rows of really cool shops dealing in clothing, art, and locally-made jewelry. None of them were open when we passed by or I could have easily brought a few things home. It was also our first chance to experience Stockholm architecture up close and personal.
We walked past Maria Magdalene Church on Hornsgatan where Josephine was christened. If I would have known that then I would have spent some time there and taken better pictures.
 |
| 59B Brännkyrkagatan today |
Diane and Scott also visited Brännkyrkagatan and they were nice enough to share some of their photos.
That last Brännkyrkagatan photo of Scott's is from the same vantage point of this one taken between 1885 and 1905. Except for the demolition of the first building on the right (and the mode of transportation) this part of the city has remained virtually unchanged for more than 100 years.
Josephine lived on Brännkyrkagatan a little less than a year. About a month before she moved to another part of Stockholm, Erik Hallman moved to 46 Timmermansgatan, just a few blocks away.
Did they meet here? The Mormon community was relatively quite small, so surely they met at a church meeting sometime during that month. Their son would later report that they did not meet in Stockholm, but I can't help but wonder if one of them may have at least noticed the other from afar.
In December of 1884 Josephine moved to an entirely different part of Stockholm in the Adolf Fredrik Parish, northwest of what would now be called "downtown." She lived at Rorstränd Bruk for a short time and in a residence in the alley behind Karlbergsvägen (sorry, no photos available). She was a "fabrik arbetare" or factory worker.
On 31 December 1885 Josephine moved to 50 Kammakargatan.
 |
| 50 Kammakargatan |
This was her very last home in Sweden. It would be here that she would make her final preparations to leave her homeland forever in search of a new life and a fresh start. How hard would it have been for her to know - to know - that she would never see her daughter again?
In the spring of 1886 Helena Albertina Josefina Engström walked away from 50 Kammakargatan in Stockholm, made her way to Central Station, and never looked back.
Comments
Post a Comment