Gamla Teatern - Pride of the God Templars
It was a different time, a different Östersund. The year was 1884, and something big was about to happen at what was then Nytorget - now Gustaf III's Square. A building was being erected that would change the city, not just because of its size - monumental though it was - but because of what it stood for. It was the great triumph of the temperance movement, a building so ambitious that it was called "the world's largest religious house". And it was built, like so many other people's projects, with willpower, shovels, bazaars and a huge dose of community.
It was the temperance organization IOGT that was behind the idea. They were to host a national grand lodge meeting and wanted to put Östersund on the map. But there was no money. So what did they do? Well, they literally went all out. Volunteers dug the foundation shaft by hand. Women organized fundraisers and bazaars. Local sawmills donated timber. And in less than a year, the Neo-Renaissance-inspired colossus was completed: 44 meters long, 28 meters wide, two stories high, complete with ventilation system, orchestra pit and seating for over a thousand people.
The inauguration on June 22, 1884 was a spectacle. More than 3 000 people gathered - in a town that at the time had barely 2 800 inhabitants. It was crowded, hot, solemn. From the very beginning, the Old Theatre became a center of the city's cultural and social life. It hosted theater performances and political meetings, concerts and circuses, film screenings and boxing matches. It was here that people saw their first silent movie and heard their first punk concert.
The Order of God Templars wanted to do more than just promote sobriety - they wanted to make culture accessible to everyone. In the Old Theater, "ordinary people" could take part in performances that were otherwise reserved for the fine salons in the big cities. Here, popular education and popular celebration met.
But times change. In 1944, the city bought the building, and by the 1970s it was considered dilapidated and outdated. Plans for demolition began to whisper in the corridors. But the people of Östersund, who had once built the building with their bare hands, rose up again. A local action group took up the fight. Demonstrations were held, letters were written, and the house was saved.
Today, the Old Theater is a carefully renovated gem. The old order hall has become a concert hall and hotel room. The limestone floor and cast-iron columns have been preserved, as has much of the building's original 19th-century charm. And according to staff, one guest remains who never checked out - a female figure in a long dress is said to wander between the balconies of the salon. Whether it's an old actress or a Good Templar guard, no one knows. But the story is in the walls.
From temperance ideals to hard rock, from demolition threats to renaissance - Gamla Teatern is more than a building. It is a story of commitment, culture and stubbornness. A living reminder of what people can achieve together.
Photos provided by Föreningen Gamla Östersund
The Old Theater in Östersund was built in 1884 as an order house for the temperance lodge IOGT, for a national grand lodge meeting. The building was completed in less than a year thanks to voluntary efforts and local donations, and when it was inaugurated it was the largest religious house in the world. Located on today's Gustaf III Square, it quickly became a central venue for the city's cultural life, hosting theater, concerts, film screenings and meetings. After a period of decay, the building was threatened with demolition in the 1980s, but was saved by local protests. Today, the Old Theater has been renovated and is used as a hotel and event venue, retaining much of its original character.