In medieval Stockholm monks and nuns were a common sight. The Dominican monastery, or the Black Friar's convent, was the 2nd largest building after the castle Tre Kronor. It had been founded in 1343, and the abbey opened a year later. The Dominican brothers wore a long, black cover over a white garment and were therefore called Black Friars. It's after them the street we just walked on and where their convent was situated, is called Svartmansgatan - it means "the street of black men".
Convents and monasteries were a part of the Catholic church, and the reformation in 1527 meant the end for them. The last Black Friar's left the convent in 1533, and their church was demolished in 1547. Left of the once so big building are the cellars, with the entrance via a discrete door on Benickebrinken number 4. When the convent existed, the cellars hosed a shelter.
When king Gustav Vasa closed the convent, he also had a plate melted down which belonged to the Black Friars'. The plate was made from 11 kilos of silver and showed how Jesus was lifted from the cross. The plate was believed to cure diseases, even to make people rise from the dead. The king used the silver to pay off a war debt.
At the time of the reformation there also were Franciscan monks, or Grey Friars, in Stockholm. In Saint Klara's convent there were about 30 nuns.
Photo Dominikanerkyrkan, Vadersolstavlan by Unknown is licensed under public domain
