Sven Vintappares Gränd

Sven Vintappares Gränd (Swedish: Sven Wine-Tapper's Alley) is a small alley in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from Västerlånggatan to Stora Nygatan, it forms a parallel street to Överskärargränd and Didrik Ficks Gränd, while passing on the north side of the small square Sven Vintappares Torg.

Sven Vintappares Gränd in February 2007.

First mentioned as Swen wintapperes grendh in 1588, the alley is most likely named after Sven Staffansson, a man said to be Kung:e M:ttz tro tienere och wintappere (e.g. "His Majesty's true servant and wine-tapper") and mentioned as having bought a property in the alley.[1] His widow is known to have been given a house on Helgeandsholmen in 1620.[2]

The writer and poet Anna Maria Lenngren (1754–1817) mentions the alley in a poem describing Mårten Holk, an anonymous man living in the alley who drank only water, however upon joining the army he is taught to drink everything but water while obtaining 'a smart coat and a grand desk':[3][4]

The author and actress Vera Siöcrona (1914–2003), settled in the alley in the mid 1940s, after her old address at Kolmätargränd had been demolished. She bravely battled the plans to demolish substantial parts of the old town and published the book Mitt Gamla stan ("My Old Town") in 1966. The troubadour Evert Taube (1890–1976), who flirted with her, mentions their encounter in his song Vera i Vintappargränd.[5]