De gröna korsen – en dold historia i Stockholms gator och parker
Upptäck Stockholms hemligheter! Lär dig tyda de gröna korsen och deras koppling till ett 250 år gammalt ordenssällskap.
Under mina stadsvandringar händer det ofta att någon i gruppen plötsligt stannar, pekar och frågar:
”Vad är det där gröna korset?”
Vi kan stöta på dem på Långholmen, vid Svindersvik, på Kungsholmen och på andra platser i Stockholm. De är små, diskreta och lätta att missa – men de bär på en lång historia som sträcker sig tillbaka till 1700-talet.
An old order – in the middle of today's city
The green crosses belong to the Arla Coldinu Order, a fraternal order founded in Stockholm in 1765. The Order has roots in medieval seafaring traditions and maritime brotherhoods, and combines navigation history with a social and cultural network.
The seat is currently located at Piperska muren on Kungsholmen, and nearby is a staircase that bears the Order's name – a discreet but clear sign of their long presence in the city.
Many famous Stockholmers have been members, and even our current king is a member.
Why crosses?
The crosses originally functioned as navigation markers – practical landmarks that helped seafarers navigate correctly, especially when entering and passing through the archipelago.
They also had a symbolic role: to show that the place was "marked" by the order, a kind of greeting from the brotherhood.
In other parts of the country and in the archipelago, the crosses may be white, but in Stockholm they are often painted green. The color is partly practical – it is clearly visible against light stone and asphalt – and partly symbolic, as green is associated with hope, the power of nature and the seafarer's safety.
Här kan du se dem i Stockholm
If you know what to look for, you will find green crosses in several places. So, the next time you see a green cross, you can think that you are standing at a 250-year-old sign that unites shipping, secret rituals and Stockholm's history.
- Reimersholmes högsta punkt – ett kors restes här vid en festlighet i slutet av 1700-talet.
- Långholmen – previously also at Kastellholmen, remnant of the Arla Coldinu Order.
- The promenade between Svindersvik and Nacka boat club – a cross that many passers-by have noticed.
- Kungsholmen – under the Russian embassy in Marieberg, where a new cross was erected in 2017 on the site of an older one from 1811.
A guide anecdote
On my walks, I usually have the group stop when we find a cross. I explain that it is not a religious cross, but a greeting from an old order that still lives and works in Stockholm. And that, just by noticing it, we are suddenly aware of a layer of the city's history that many pass by without seeing.
💡 Tips: Next time you walk on Långholmen, at Svindersvik or through Kungsholmen – keep your eyes open. The green crosses are small, but they carry stories of seafarers, brotherhoods and secrets that still have their place in today's Stockholm.