History of the Oxenstierna Building

A few people walk and cycle outside a three-story building with an orange facade

Oxenstiernska huset (‘the Oxenstierna Building’) is located directly opposite Uppsala Cathedral by Riddartorget square in Uppsala. It was completed in 1664, as one of the scant few stone buildings in the city at the time.

In 1708, Uppsala University purchased the building in order to establish the first academic hospital in Sweden, Nososcomium Academicum.

Black and white photo of bare trees and bushes on Riddartorget with Skytteanum and Oxenstierna Building in the background

The Oxenstierna Building circa 1890. At that time, the local newspaper Upsala Nya Tidning's printing house was on the ground floor. Värmland's nation also had rooms in the building until 1930, when it got its own premises. Photo: Alfred Dahlgren (1861-1908)

Today, the building houses the Department of Law, which is why it is often referred to as Juridicum.

The last major reconstruction of Juridicum was completed at the turn of the year from 1981-1982. Ever since the Law Library moved out in the 1990’s, this part of the house has been rebuilt in order to increase the number of study rooms and offices.