During my Stockholm walkabouts I'm at one point or another close to water — along the quays or passing over water via bridges or by ferries. The city is built on many interconnected islands and is often referred to as the “city between the waters” or “the Venice of the north.”

Right up to the mid-1800s, the streets of Stockholm were paved with rough cobblestones full of potholes. Therefore, the city's waterways were a much easier way to get from island to island. “Roddarmadammer” was the name for the women handling the transportation of the people and goods between the islands; they established a ferry drivers guild back in the early 1600s.

In the steady, long boats, they rowed two and two with long, lithe oars. Some schedules and fares were not in place from the beginning and were based on the rowing madams’ own priorities. The boats retired when it suited the rowing ladies,
who were known for their brusque and coarse language. A visiting count, Fransisco de Miranda, described them as “Good women that are rowing like hell,” during his visit to Stockholm in 1787.

In 1759, Stockholm Trade College issued regulations and a code of conduct for the rowboats ("roddarbåterne"), and it is said among other things that "boats must be numbered, commodious, good and strong and constantly kept tidy. It was up to the rowing madams to keep a calm, peace and sober manner of life, have sober people to the service, which reconciled with each other and not exclaim in strife and profanity." And in early 1722 there was a published official fare (Taxa) document published.

For 150 years, until the late 1700s, local traffic in Stockholm was managed by these two-team rowing madams. Each team either owned its own boat, or the boat was owned by a third person (most likely an older rowing madam with a team in her services). In the 1870s there were about 100 boats servicing the local traffic in Stockholm, and there were at the time about 200 women claiming the title “roddarmadam.”

In the early 1900s with the arrival of the steam engine, then the combustion engine, the whole scenario for transportation changed in Stockholm. Over time many new bridges were built so it became easier to transport people and goods between the islands.

To this day, the best way to see Stockholm is to stay close to the water and really witness the beauty of the city.

By Leif Rosqvist
editor of the Newsletters of New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society and SRIO in Portland, Oregon.
I will also thank my wife’s uncle Nils-Olof Engström for the old photos that enriched the view of the area as well as the story.