Rosenbad today
The Government moves in.
The Prime Minister's Office. Left, a statue of Per Albin Hansson, former Prime Minister.
Since the Swedish Government moved into Rosenbad the two have become synonymous. In this building the Prime Minister has his office, the Government holds its cabinet meetings and press conferences are held. The Prime Minister's chancery, the Office of the Minister for Justice and sections of the Ministry of Justice are also located here. However, in their entirety the Government Offices comprise ten ministries spread over ten blocks.
The equivalent to the Government Offices in the old days was Kungl. Maj:ts kansli which was housed in the Royal Palace. Lack of space soon became a problem and activities were moved in the eighteenth century to Mynthuset, later called the Chancery, at Mynttorget close to the Palace.
Conversion to the Government Offices
The state had begun to take over parts of Rosenbad in 1919, and in 1922 the newly established Ministry of Trade moved in. Rosenbad restaurant closed in 1956 providing an opportunity for the Government Offices to spread out. During the period up to 1980 a conversion of the interior to functional premises for government business was carried out. This conversion was later reconsidered and much of the original decoration restored. The earlier chancery was abandoned for good in 1981 and the Prime Minister's Office moved to Rosenbad.
The conversion of Rosenbad to government offices also meant that security was tightened. Today the general public normally only have access to parts of the ground floor, chiefly the Rosenbad Infoshop on the corner of Drottninggatan - Fredsgatan, the entrance hall opposite Rosenbad park and the staff dining-room. However, those who book a study visit get to see more. in two occassions - in June 2002 and in June 2003 - the doors were thrown open to the public, with guided tours, lectures and exhibitions.
New activities on old entertainment premises
The former music café, Bella Venezia, has been turned into a room for press conferences as well as an adjoining room - the Press Centre - which in Evert Taube's day was a bar named 'Måsses fyllekyrka' (Månsson's drinking chapel). Presumably due to the beautiful ceiling paintings by Filip Månsson based on Ferdinand Boberg's sketches, which can still be seen today.
Rosenbad's White Dining-Hall and Grill Room are now staff dining-rooms. They have been carefully renovated and still radiate much of their original splendour. The assembly rooms on the first floor which were used by the Swedish Newspapermen's Professional Association for many years have been converted into a dining-room for the Government and its guests. Here Cabinet Ministers meet for lunch to discuss topical political issues - known as working lunches.
The main entrance to Rosenbad, the entrance to the staff dining-room and Rosenbad conference centre are located in the three former banking halls. Much of the interior has been preserved.
