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The county residence - where late empire meets kingship and women's struggle

On the corner of Köpmangatan and Samuel Permans gata, Östersund's oldest stone house rises with a kind of discreet confidence - yellow, grand and with a gilded "Länsresidens" above the gate that says: things are happening in here. Or at least has happened. Since 1848, in fact.

When Jämtland became its own county in 1810, it soon realized that it needed something more than timber sheds to impress both royalty and paper pushers. The solution was a residence: a home for the county governor, an office for the county's heavy administration and a banquet hall for dignitaries with a taste for canapés. The architect Johan Adolf Hawerman was commissioned to design the building, and the result was a magnificent example of late Empire architecture - two storeys high, plastered, with a pediment and everything.

When it was completed in 1848, it was like someone had put an opera house in the middle of a farming village. Östersund then consisted mostly of wooden houses, dirt roads and cow pats, so the residence stood out like a white coat at a barn dance. But time passed and the house grew - first with two wings in 1901, then a major remodeling and extension in 1930-31 where the buildings were linked to the coherent palace we see today.

And as if the building itself didn't have enough history, one of Sweden's most fascinating women lived here: Hanna Rydh. A pioneer in both archaeology and gender equality, she became the wife of the county governor when she married the then county governor Mortimer Munck af Rosenschöld in 1931 (the name alone requires a deep breath). But Hanna was not content with serving coffee - she was involved in Jamtli, in the cultural heritage and - lo and behold - applied for the post of county governor herself when her husband was due to resign. It wasn't until 1974 that Sweden had its first female governor - ironically, the same year that the residence became a listed building.

Royalty have stayed here, guests have feasted, servants have toiled and - rumor has it - the occasional spy may have eavesdropped through the walls. In the attic there are still guest rooms, including a so-called king's room, ready for distinguished guests and possibly very spoiled relatives.

A stone's throw away stands something completely different: the old police station from 1970, built in a brutalist style with cortén steel, straight lines and a color scheme that breathes "municipal faith in the future". Together, the residence and the police station form an unusual urban pair - the golden plaster of the 19th century meets the rust-brown squareness of the 20th century. It's as if an opera singer has moved in next to a punk band.

Today, the residence lives on as both workplace and home. The County Administrative Board's office is on the ground floor, while the Governor lives upstairs - a floor that is still used for representation, celebrations and garden receptions. In the residence park, which faces Lake Storsjön, old trees grow with patient poise and here and there sculptures stand and whisper stories from bygone times.

The residence still shines over Östersund - not just literally, but as a symbol of the moment when the small trading town stepped into its role as a city of residence. And sure, it might just be a building. But what a building.

 
Photos provided by Föreningen Gamla Östersund
FACTS

Östersund's county residence was built in 1846-1848 to designs by architect Johan Adolf Hawerman and is the city's oldest preserved stone house. The building was built in late Empire style as a residence and representative venue for the county governor after Jämtland became its own county in 1810. Originally, the residence consisted of a main building facing Köpmangatan, but in 1901 two wings were added, which were later joined to the main building in a major rebuilding in 1930-31 designed by Gustaf Holmdahl. In 1974, the residence was declared a listed building. Among the former residents is Hanna Rydh, who was active in archaeology and cultural heritage and was involved in Jamtli. Today, the residence is used as a residence for the county governor and for the county administrative board's offices and representation. Behind the building is a park with a garden and sculptures. Adjacent to the residence is the former police station from the 1970s, which clearly contrasts in style and era.