Engeström had a photographic memory and spent years determining the age of the many historic buildings in Visby. He was said to know everything about Gotland, but few knew his true nature. From a young age, he had a passion for antiquities and reportedly committed his first theft when he was just 13 years old.

Engeström had befriended a local coin dealer, who “let him come and go as he pleased”. Little did the dealer know that Engeström was stealing from him every Thursday when visiting the Royal Coin Cabinet. He was eventually caught but, considering his young age, the thief faced no consequences.

The oldest homes in Europe still standing