Televerkets hus, Göteborg, Telegraph station in central Gothenburg, Sweden
Televerkets hus occupies the entire block 36 Telegrafen in the Inom Vallgraven district, bounded by Kungsgatan, Kaserntorget and Kaserngränden. The five-storey building from 1909–1912 has facades of rough-hewn granite and red brick, with a copper-clad revolving-door drum at the corner entrance. The telephone hall measures 16 by 44 metres.
The site held the Borgerskapets kasern, a stone barracks designed by Carl Wilhelm Carlberg and completed in 1799 for 171,350 riksdaler. After the Göta Artillery Regiment left for Kviberg in 1895, the property was sold to the Royal Telegraph Service. The present five-storey Jugendstil building by Hans Hedlund was erected in 1909–1912, and the telegraph station operated until 31 January 1986.
The building displays stone friezes created by artist Carl Eldh, while sculptor Carl Fagerberg carved two bears into the staircase that catch visitors' attention as they move through.
The exterior facade with its large brick surfaces and granite work is easily visible from the street, making it simple to spot. Visitors should be aware that the interior functions as an active office building and may have limited public access.
The pneumatic tube system linked the national expedition and the central ordering desk, carrying written order slips between them. At its peak around 1,000 telephone operators worked here day and night, and the manual department was fully installed by 1923. The original operations were wound down in the late 1990s.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,541 contributors worldwide.