during the 13th century, österlånggatan was little more than the eastern shoreline, and archaeological excavations have unveiled the original beaten track some three metres below today's pavement. the shore line was, however, gradually pushed eastward by land fillings of gravel and rubbish. in the 14th century, the street had become the 'long street east of the wall' (e.g. "österlånggatan"), far from the water, paved and lined-up with workshops, shops, and dwellings. german merchants lived in and around järntorget, while swedish merchant's from bergslagen, the mining district north of the capital, resided on österlånggatan, and only a few of the noble families settled here during the middle ages. one of them was gunilla johansdotter bese (1473–1553), who lived in the now closed alley still carrying her name, fru gunillas gränd, between numbers 43 and 45.