Stop 1 of 10

The former Lund District Court

Where testimony begins

The courthouse frames the novel. Its prologue places Adam outside Courtroom 2, waiting to testify in his daughter's murder trial. The building is described as standing in central Lund close to the police building and railway station, with slate, copper details and a small clock tower.

This building served as Lund District Court until 2018, when the court moved a few hundred metres north. It is therefore the former courthouse used by the novel, not the present location of Lund District Court.

The story begins not with the crime but with testimony. We enter a world where language, memory and credibility matter immediately. As you look at the building, consider: is telling the truth always the same as doing the right thing?

Good to know

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Extra background — not part of the original printed guide.

  • The courthouse was designed by Lund architect Hans Westman and built in 1957–58. Torna and Bara District Court moved here in 1958; Lund District Court was formed in 1971 when that rural court merged with the city's court.
  • Westman's architecture was deliberately playful for a court building, mixing slate, copper, mosaic-like timber patterns, pyramid forms and an irregular stone wall.
  • A surprising new chapter began in April 2025, when part of the former courthouse became what Lund Municipality described as Sweden's first art gallery dedicated to children and young people.

On to the next stop

Let's cross toward Lund Central Station and continue east to Bantorget, the green square beside the Grand Hotel.

Where you are

Waiting for location…