Blekinge
Encyclopedia
is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden
(landskap), situated in the south of the country. It borders Småland
, Scania
and the Baltic Sea
.
The name "Blekinge" comes from the adjective bleke, which corresponds to the nautical term
for "dead calm".
serve no administrative function. Blekinge is, however, the only province, besides Gotland
, which covers exactly the same area as the administrative county
, which is Blekinge County
.
During the sixteenth century, the province used a coat of arms depicting a crowned hill rising from the sea, and the symbol is known from several official Danish documents. The colours are uncertain, but expert Anders Thiset suggested a green hill on a red shield. This symbol was only used during the Danish administration and was replaced with the current coat of arms by the Swedish administration.
Blekinge was granted its current arms at the funeral of Charles X Gustav of Sweden
in 1660, based on a seal from the 15th century. Symobolically the three crowns from the Coat of arms of Sweden
had been placed on the trunk of the tree to mark the change in status of the former Danish province, that now belonged to Sweden. The arms is represented with a ducal coronet. Blazon
: "Azure, an Oak Tree eradicated Or ensigned with three Crowns palewise of the same."
and is sometimes called the "Garden of Sweden".
at some point in the early 1000s - most likely 1026. Its status before then is unknown. It then remained a Danish province for over 600 years, and together with the provinces of Skåne and Halland
, it made up the eastern part of the Danish kingdom where Scanian Law
prevailed. As a borderprovince Blekinge was often raided and looted by Swedish troops during Danish-Swedish wars. In 1658 it was ceded to Sweden according to the Treaty of Roskilde
and has remained Swedish ever since.
During the Danish era Sölvesborg
was the seat of the administration in the western part of the provice and Kristianopel
in the eastern part. Whereas The Lister Hundred belonged to Skåne. Notable castles during this period was Elleholm
, Sölvesborg
, Lyckeby
and Avaskär
. Towns in Blekinge with city privileges
were: Ronneby
(1387), Sölvesborg
(1445), Elleholm
and Kristianopel.
After the Swedish takeover two new towns Karlshamn
(chartered in 1664) and Karlskrona
(1680) was build, and the population of Ronneby and Kristianopel was forcibly relocated to them. Karlskrona has for more than 300 years been the principal naval base
in Sweden, and in 1998 it became a site of the UNESCO
World heritage program.
. Blekinge's hundreds were: Bräkne Hundred, Eastern Hundred, Lister Hundred, Medelstad Hundred.
, near the historical site of Elleholm. West of this divide, the dialect was historically closely related to Danish and eastern Scanian, which is most likely an effect of the former administrative links to Skåne. East of this divide, the dialect has more in common with Småland
. Today, this divide is not as significant as before, with the exception of Listerlandet with its special language. The eastern dialect of Danish
can also be found on the Danish island of Bornholm
.
The variety is called Blekingska but should rather be divided into Western Blekingska (or Västblekingska) and Eastern Blekingska (or Östblekingska).
Provinces of Sweden
The provinces of Sweden, landskap, are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces and they have no administrative function, but remain historical legacies and the means of cultural identification....
(landskap), situated in the south of the country. It borders Småland
Småland
' is a historical province in southern Sweden.Småland borders Blekinge, Scania or Skåne, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means Small Lands. . The latinized form Smolandia has been used in other languages...
, Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
and the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
.
The name "Blekinge" comes from the adjective bleke, which corresponds to the nautical term
Glossary of nautical terms
This is a glossary of nautical terms; some remain current, many date from the 17th-19th century. See also Wiktionary's nautical terms, :Category:Nautical terms, and Nautical metaphors in English.- A :...
for "dead calm".
Administration
The historical provinces of SwedenProvinces of Sweden
The provinces of Sweden, landskap, are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces and they have no administrative function, but remain historical legacies and the means of cultural identification....
serve no administrative function. Blekinge is, however, the only province, besides Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
, which covers exactly the same area as the administrative county
Counties of Sweden
The Counties of Sweden are the first level administrative and political subdivisions of Sweden. Sweden is divided into 21 counties. The counties were established in 1634 on Count Axel Oxenstierna's initiative, superseding the historical provinces of Sweden to introduce a modern administration...
, which is Blekinge County
Blekinge County
Blekinge County is a county or län in the south of Sweden. It borders the Counties of Skåne, Kronoberg, Kalmar and the Baltic Sea. The capital is Karlskrona...
.
Heraldry
Blekinge was granted its current arms at the funeral of Charles X Gustav of Sweden
Charles X Gustav of Sweden
Charles X Gustav also Carl Gustav, was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. After his father's death he also succeeded him as Pfalzgraf. He was married to Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, who...
in 1660, based on a seal from the 15th century. Symobolically the three crowns from the Coat of arms of Sweden
Coat of arms of Sweden
The greater national coat of arms and the lesser national coat of arms are the official coats of arms of Sweden.- Escutcheon :...
had been placed on the trunk of the tree to mark the change in status of the former Danish province, that now belonged to Sweden. The arms is represented with a ducal coronet. Blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
: "Azure, an Oak Tree eradicated Or ensigned with three Crowns palewise of the same."
Geography
Blekinge has a scenic archipelagoArchipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
and is sometimes called the "Garden of Sweden".
History
Blekinge became part of the kingdom of DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
at some point in the early 1000s - most likely 1026. Its status before then is unknown. It then remained a Danish province for over 600 years, and together with the provinces of Skåne and Halland
Halland
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
, it made up the eastern part of the Danish kingdom where Scanian Law
Scanian Law
Scanian law is the oldest Danish provincial law and one of the first Nordic provincial laws to be written down. It was used in the geographic region of Danish Skåneland, which at the time included Scania, Halland, Blekinge and the island of Bornholm. It was also used for a short period on the...
prevailed. As a borderprovince Blekinge was often raided and looted by Swedish troops during Danish-Swedish wars. In 1658 it was ceded to Sweden according to the Treaty of Roskilde
Treaty of Roskilde
The Treaty of Roskilde was concluded on 26 February or 8 March 1658 during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Charles X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde...
and has remained Swedish ever since.
During the Danish era Sölvesborg
Sölvesborg
Sölvesborg is a locality and the seat of Sölvesborg Municipality in Blekinge County, Sweden with 7,883 inhabitants in 2005.Sölvesborg is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city...
was the seat of the administration in the western part of the provice and Kristianopel
Kristianopel
Kristianopel is a village in Karlskrona Municipality in the southeastern Swedish province of Blekinge.-History of the town:Kristianopel is located in the easternmost part of Blekinge, which was the easternmost part of Denmark in beginning of the 17th century...
in the eastern part. Whereas The Lister Hundred belonged to Skåne. Notable castles during this period was Elleholm
Elleholm
Former Danish town in Blekinge, Sweden. The town existed between 1450 and 1600, when it was abandoned.The town was based around a former castle, called Sjöborg which today is a Hill fort....
, Sölvesborg
Sölvesborg
Sölvesborg is a locality and the seat of Sölvesborg Municipality in Blekinge County, Sweden with 7,883 inhabitants in 2005.Sölvesborg is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city...
, Lyckeby
Lyckeby
Lyckeby is a village in Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, southeastern Sweden....
and Avaskär
Avaskär
Avaskär is a village, with chapel and cemetery, in Kristianopel parish in eastern Blekinge in Sweden.The city is mentioned first in 1350 and existed until 1600, when the city together with Lyckå lost its city charter in favor of the newly fortress city Kristianopel. During the 1300s, the Danes...
. Towns in Blekinge with city privileges
City status in Sweden
Stad is a Swedish term which nominally means town but can also encompass the English word "city". Since 1971 stad has had no administrative or legal significance in Sweden and there exists no commonly accepted definition of the term.-History :...
were: Ronneby
Ronneby
Ronneby is a locality and the seat of Ronneby Municipality in Blekinge County, Sweden with 11,767 inhabitants in 2005.Ronneby is regarded as the heart of "the Garden of Sweden", and in 2005 the park "Brunnsparken" in Ronneby was voted Sweden's most beautiful park. 2006 the park was voted Europe's...
(1387), Sölvesborg
Sölvesborg
Sölvesborg is a locality and the seat of Sölvesborg Municipality in Blekinge County, Sweden with 7,883 inhabitants in 2005.Sölvesborg is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city...
(1445), Elleholm
Elleholm
Former Danish town in Blekinge, Sweden. The town existed between 1450 and 1600, when it was abandoned.The town was based around a former castle, called Sjöborg which today is a Hill fort....
and Kristianopel.
After the Swedish takeover two new towns Karlshamn
Karlshamn
Karlshamn is a locality and the seat of Karlshamn Municipality in Blekinge County, Sweden with 12,957 inhabitants of the city core and 30 918 in the municipality ....
(chartered in 1664) and Karlskrona
Karlskrona
Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
(1680) was build, and the population of Ronneby and Kristianopel was forcibly relocated to them. Karlskrona has for more than 300 years been the principal naval base
Naval base
A naval base is a military base, where warships and naval ships are deployed when they have no mission at sea or want to restock. Usually ships may also perform some minor repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usually stay on the ships but are undergoing maintenance while...
in Sweden, and in 1998 it became a site of the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World heritage program.
Subdivisions
Hundreds were the historical subdivision of a Swedish provinceProvinces of Sweden
The provinces of Sweden, landskap, are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces and they have no administrative function, but remain historical legacies and the means of cultural identification....
. Blekinge's hundreds were: Bräkne Hundred, Eastern Hundred, Lister Hundred, Medelstad Hundred.
Language
In Blekinge two main dialects exist. The dividing line between them has historically been the MörrumsånMörrumsån
Mörrumsån is a river in Blekinge County and Kronoberg County, Sweden. It is roughly 185 km long, with its tributary in the lake Asnen, from which it flows south, into the Baltic Sea.-External links:*...
, near the historical site of Elleholm. West of this divide, the dialect was historically closely related to Danish and eastern Scanian, which is most likely an effect of the former administrative links to Skåne. East of this divide, the dialect has more in common with Småland
Småland
' is a historical province in southern Sweden.Småland borders Blekinge, Scania or Skåne, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means Small Lands. . The latinized form Smolandia has been used in other languages...
. Today, this divide is not as significant as before, with the exception of Listerlandet with its special language. The eastern dialect of Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
can also be found on the Danish island of Bornholm
Bornholm
Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea located to the east of the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland. The main industries on the island include fishing, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay, and dairy farming. Tourism is...
.
The variety is called Blekingska but should rather be divided into Western Blekingska (or Västblekingska) and Eastern Blekingska (or Östblekingska).
External links
- Blekinge - Official tourist site