Rådhuset - the Town Hall

It's the early 1900s. Östersund has had a railway connection for nearly 30 years, and plans for a town hall are taking shape. A competition is held, won by architect Frans Bertil Wallberg, and after three years of construction, the building is completed in 1912.

The city now has an impressive landmark. Including its weather vane, the building reaches 51 meters — visible from all across town. Its onion-shaped dome is a nod to the old bell towers of Jämtland.

The town hall housed more than just city officials. Under one roof: the city doctor's vaccination room, a government-run liquor outlet, the police station, a jail, and two floors down — a prison with windowless isolation cells.

The grand building in national romantic style became an important symbol for the fast-growing city. Not everyone agreed though — some called it a vanity project, while others were simply proud.

Over time, the town hall became a natural part of city life — a place for weddings, citizenship ceremonies, and political decisions. Budgets have been argued over, marriages celebrated, and new residents welcomed within its walls.

For the city's 200th anniversary in 1986, the tower received a carillon that plays melodies over the square every day. And during renovations in 2017, workers discovered bricked-up passages — secrets that still spark the imagination.

Today, the Town Hall is a beloved landmark — photographed, celebrated, and standing firm as Östersund's red backbone. From questioned vanity project to city icon — sometimes it's the extravagant that ends up feeling just right.

Östersund Town Hall was built between 1909 and 1912 in red brick with a tower and granite details, designed by architect Frans Bertil Wallberg in the national romantic style and built by Johan August Hellström. The building was inaugurated in 1912 and housed the city's board, court and police detention center. Although it was initially called a show-off building, it soon became a beloved landmark in the city center.

Over the years, the town hall has been the center of local politics, ceremonial ceremonies and cultural events, and is still the seat of the city council today. At the city's 200th anniversary in 1986, a carillon was installed in the tower that plays daily, and during later renovations, hidden rooms have been found that have contributed to the building's myth.

Photos provided by the association of Gamla Östersund.
Gamla Östersund through the foundations managed by the association.