Eskilstuna
Encyclopedia
Eskilstuna (ˈɛskilsˈtʉːna) is a city
and the seat of Eskilstuna Municipality
, Södermanland County
, Sweden
with 60,185 inhabitants in 2005. Eskilstuna has a large Sweden Finn
population.
The town is located on the River Eskilstunaån
, which connects Lake Hjälmaren and Lake Mälaren.
Eskilstuna's history dates back to medieval times when English monk
Saint Eskil
made "Tuna" his base and diocese of the South coast of Lake Mälaren. Saint Eskil was stoned to death by the pagan vikings of neighbouring town Strängnäs
, 30 km east of Eskilstuna, trying to convert them to Christianity
. Saint Eskil was buried in his monastery
church in Tuna. Later the pagan city of Strängnäs
was Christianised and was given the privilege of becoming diocese
of South Lake Mälaren. Later "Eskil" was added in to the word "Tuna". However, the town of Eskilstuna did not receive municipal privileges due to its proximity to the medieval city of Torshälla
. The monastery of Saint Eskil was completely destroyed by Swedish king Gustav Vasa during the Protestant Reformation
and was replaced with the royal castle of Eskilstuna House.
The city's first city privileges were granted in 1659, and its boundaries included Tunafors and the newly-founded town of Karl Gustavs Stad ("City of Karl Gustav"), located on the west side of the river. Karl Gustavs Stad was built around the iron forges of master smith Reinhold Rademacher, encouraged by King Karl X Gustav. The first products of the forges were small arms
and artillery
.
Karl Gustavs Stad was a free town from 1771, where manufacturers and craftsmen were allowed to establish tax-free workshops and factories. The town was merged with the rest of Eskilstuna in 1879.
The city grew enormously during the Industrial Revolution
and became one of the most important industrial cities of Sweden, earning the nickname "Stålstaden" ("The City of Steel
"). Aside from firearms, the city also produced cutlery
, scissors, key
s, machine tool
s and precision instruments. As a tribute to the steel industry, the figure of a steel worker is included in the city's coat of arms. Eskilstuna is sometimes called The Sheffield of Sweden, Sheffield being a (much larger) industrial city famous for the quality (and quantity) of the steel produced there. Both cities at their peak were home to numerous different companies involved in steel production.
Eskilstuna remains an important industrial city with internationally known companies such as Volvo
Wheel loaders, main site for the heavy construction equipment division of Volvo, Assa
(locks, keys), and Stainless steel
manufacturer Outokumpu
, Thin Strip Nyby in Torshälla.
The modern co-establishment of the Mälardalen University
(Mälardalens högskola) together with the twice as large neighbouring city of Västerås
, has also given Eskilstuna an academic touch. The city also has a combined zoo
and amusement park
- Parken Zoo.
Eskilstuna is also home to EFK (Eskilstuna Flygklubb), Sweden's largest glider Flying Club which hosted the World Gliding Championships
in 2006.
The stadium Tunavallen
was a venue for the 1958 FIFA World Cup
, hosting one match between Paraguay
and Yugoslavia
. Sports clubs using Tunavallen include Eskilstuna City FK
and IFK Eskilstuna
. Eskilstuna Södra FF
are based at Skogsängens IP.
railway line between Stockholm
and Hallsberg
. European route E20
also passes the city.
's Anni-Frid Lyngstad
. Other musicians from the town include singer Towa Carson
& drummer Mika "Gas" Karppinen. Pianist David Wenngren, aka 'Library Tapes' also hails from Eskilstuna.
A number of sportspeople originate from Eskilstuna, including footballers Sebastian Larsson
, Kennet Andersson
and Mika Väyrynen
, tennis
player Kent Carlsson
, motorcyclist Tommy Jansson
, table-tennis player Kjell Johansson, speed-skater Tomas Gustafson
, bowler
Robert Andersson
and golf
er Anna Nordqvist
Anna of Finland
, royal sister of the monarch of Poland
, Sweden
and Lithuania
, Sigismund III Vasa
, was from Eskilstuna, as is linguist
Fredrik Lindström
and former Miss Universe
Yvonne Ryding
.
The rock bands Kent
and Hel
were both founded in Eskilstuna.
Progressive metal
band, Pain of Salvation
, was founded in Eskilstuna.
Urban areas in Sweden
Urban area is a common English translation of the Swedish term tätort. The official term in English, used by Statistics Sweden, is, however, locality. There are 1,940 localities in Sweden . They could be compared with census-designated places in the United States.A tätort in Sweden has a minimum of...
and the seat of Eskilstuna Municipality
Eskilstuna Municipality
Eskilstuna Municipality is a municipality in Södermanland County in southeast Sweden, between the lakes Mälaren and Hjälmaren...
, Södermanland County
Södermanland County
Södermanland County is a county or län on the south east coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Östergötland, Örebro, Västmanland, Uppsala, Stockholm and to the Baltic sea....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
with 60,185 inhabitants in 2005. Eskilstuna has a large Sweden Finn
Sweden Finns
Sweden Finns are a Finnish speaking minority in Sweden. The Finnish-speaking Swedes are not to be confused with the Swedish speaking Finland-Swedes in Finland . In 2008 there were over 675 000 people in Sweden who were either born in Finland or have at least one parent or grandparent who was born...
population.
The town is located on the River Eskilstunaån
Eskilstunaån
Eskilstunaån is a small river, length 32 km, running through Eskilstuna, Sweden. It drains Lake Hjälmaren into Lake Mälaren....
, which connects Lake Hjälmaren and Lake Mälaren.
History
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
Saint Eskil
Saint Eskil
Saint Eskil was an Anglo-Saxon monk particularly venerated during the end of the 11th century in the Province of Södermanland, Sweden. He was the founder of the first Diocese of the lands surrounding Lake Mälaren, today the Diocese of Strängnäs...
made "Tuna" his base and diocese of the South coast of Lake Mälaren. Saint Eskil was stoned to death by the pagan vikings of neighbouring town Strängnäs
Strängnäs
Strängnäs is a locality and the seat of Strängnäs Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 12,296 inhabitants in 2005. It is located by Lake Mälaren and is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Strängnäs, a former Roman Catholic and present Lutheran Diocese, with the Strängnäs Cathedral, built...
, 30 km east of Eskilstuna, trying to convert them to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Saint Eskil was buried in his monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
church in Tuna. Later the pagan city of Strängnäs
Strängnäs
Strängnäs is a locality and the seat of Strängnäs Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 12,296 inhabitants in 2005. It is located by Lake Mälaren and is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Strängnäs, a former Roman Catholic and present Lutheran Diocese, with the Strängnäs Cathedral, built...
was Christianised and was given the privilege of becoming diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of South Lake Mälaren. Later "Eskil" was added in to the word "Tuna". However, the town of Eskilstuna did not receive municipal privileges due to its proximity to the medieval city of Torshälla
Torshälla
Torshälla is a locality situated in Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 7,614 inhabitants in 2005.Torshälla is for historical reasons normally referred to as a stad even though it does not have a population of 10,000 which is the limit defined by Statistics Sweden.Before the...
. The monastery of Saint Eskil was completely destroyed by Swedish king Gustav Vasa during the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
and was replaced with the royal castle of Eskilstuna House.
The city's first city privileges were granted in 1659, and its boundaries included Tunafors and the newly-founded town of Karl Gustavs Stad ("City of Karl Gustav"), located on the west side of the river. Karl Gustavs Stad was built around the iron forges of master smith Reinhold Rademacher, encouraged by King Karl X Gustav. The first products of the forges were small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
.
Karl Gustavs Stad was a free town from 1771, where manufacturers and craftsmen were allowed to establish tax-free workshops and factories. The town was merged with the rest of Eskilstuna in 1879.
The city grew enormously during the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
and became one of the most important industrial cities of Sweden, earning the nickname "Stålstaden" ("The City of Steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
"). Aside from firearms, the city also produced cutlery
Cutlery
Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...
, scissors, key
Key (lock)
A key is an instrument that is used to operate a lock. A typical key consists of two parts: the blade, which slides into the keyway of the lock and distinguishes between different keys, and the bow, which is left protruding so that torque can be applied by the user. The blade is usually intended to...
s, machine tool
Machine tool
A machine tool is a machine, typically powered other than by human muscle , used to make manufactured parts in various ways that include cutting or certain other kinds of deformation...
s and precision instruments. As a tribute to the steel industry, the figure of a steel worker is included in the city's coat of arms. Eskilstuna is sometimes called The Sheffield of Sweden, Sheffield being a (much larger) industrial city famous for the quality (and quantity) of the steel produced there. Both cities at their peak were home to numerous different companies involved in steel production.
Eskilstuna remains an important industrial city with internationally known companies such as Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
Wheel loaders, main site for the heavy construction equipment division of Volvo, Assa
ASSA
ASSA can refer to:* Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia* Actuarial Society of South Africa* Allied Social Sciences Association* Armed Services Security Agency, UK* Assa Abloy - Swedish manufacturer of locks and security doors...
(locks, keys), and Stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
manufacturer Outokumpu
Outokumpu
Outokumpu is a group of companies headquartered in Espoo, Finland, aimed at stainless steel. The company has approx. 8 000 employees in about 30 different countries worldwide...
, Thin Strip Nyby in Torshälla.
The modern co-establishment of the Mälardalen University
Mälardalen University
Mälardalen University College , or MdH, is a university college located in Västerås and Eskilstuna, Sweden. It has 13,000 students and over 1,000 employees, of which around 40 are professors...
(Mälardalens högskola) together with the twice as large neighbouring city of Västerås
Västerås
Västerås is a city in central Sweden, located on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province Västmanland, some 100 km west of Stockholm...
, has also given Eskilstuna an academic touch. The city also has a combined zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
and amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
- Parken Zoo.
Sport
The most successful sports clubs of the city are the Smederna Speedway motorcycle racing club, which had to withdraw from the top league due to bankruptcy in 2009, and the still very successful handball club GUIF, which remains in the top division.Eskilstuna is also home to EFK (Eskilstuna Flygklubb), Sweden's largest glider Flying Club which hosted the World Gliding Championships
World Gliding Championships
The World Gliding Championships is a gliding competition held every two years or so by the FAI Gliding Commission. The dates are not always exactly two years apart, often because the contests are sometimes held in the summer in the Southern Hemisphere....
in 2006.
The stadium Tunavallen
Tunavallen
Tunavallen is a multi-use stadium in Eskilstuna, Sweden. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 7,800 people.The original stadium was the smallest venue for 1958 FIFA World Cup. In 2002 a new arena was built....
was a venue for the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
, hosting one match between Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
. Sports clubs using Tunavallen include Eskilstuna City FK
Eskilstuna City FK
Eskilstuna City FK is a Swedish football club located in Eskilstuna. The club is currently playing in Division 1.-Background:The club, formed on 1 November 1907 as IK City, is currently playing in Division 2 Södra Svealand, the fourth highest Swedish league. IK City played one season in the highest...
and IFK Eskilstuna
IFK Eskilstuna
IFK Eskilstuna is a Swedish football club located in Eskilstuna in Södermanland County. In their early seasons IFK had a proud record as a Allsvenskan club but they now play in Division 3 Västra Svealand which is the fifth tier of Swedish football....
. Eskilstuna Södra FF
Eskilstuna Södra FF
Eskilstuna Södra FF is a Swedish football club located in Eskilstuna in Södermanland. The club is currently playing in Division 2, the fourth tier of Swedish football.-Background:...
are based at Skogsängens IP.
Transport
Eskilstuna is served by the SvealandsbananSvealandsbanan
Svealandsbanan is the Swedish name of the Svealand Railway, which runs between Södertälje and Valskog via Mariefred Läggesta, Strängnäs and Eskilstuna. The length is 115 km....
railway line between Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and Hallsberg
Hallsberg
Hallsberg is a bimunicipal locality and the seat of Hallsberg Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with 7,122 inhabitants in 2005. It is also partly located in Kumla Municipality.-Overview:...
. European route E20
European route E20
The European route E 20 is part of the United Nations International E-road network.It runs roughly west-east through Ireland, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia and finally Russia. The length is . The road is not continuous, at three points, a sea crossing is required. ...
also passes the city.
Notable natives
In the arts, Eskilstuna has been home to ABBAABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
's Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
. Other musicians from the town include singer Towa Carson
Towa Carson
Towa Carson , born on 31 March 1936 in Eskilstuna, Sweden, is a Swedish schlager singer. She debuted in 1954 and had the most success in the 1950s and 1960s, when she recorded many duets with Lasse Lönndahl...
& drummer Mika "Gas" Karppinen. Pianist David Wenngren, aka 'Library Tapes' also hails from Eskilstuna.
A number of sportspeople originate from Eskilstuna, including footballers Sebastian Larsson
Sebastian Larsson
Sebastian Bengt Ulf Larsson is a Swedish footballer who plays for Premier League club Sunderland and the Sweden national team. Larsson is renowned for being a set piece specialist.-Arsenal:...
, Kennet Andersson
Kennet Andersson
Bernt Kennet Andersson is a Swedish former football player and a key member of the Swedish national team that finished third in the 1994 World Cup....
and Mika Väyrynen
Mika Väyrynen
Mika Väyrynen is a Finnish footballer who plays for English Championship side Leeds United. He is a Finland international.-Club career:...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player Kent Carlsson
Kent Carlsson
Kent Carlsson is a former tennis player from Sweden.- Playing career :Carlsson was a successful junior winning the Kalle Anka Cup, which is a Swedish junior tournament through the under 11, under 13s twice and under 15. He still holds the record for the most titles wins at 4 in front of Thomas...
, motorcyclist Tommy Jansson
Tommy Jansson
Per Tommy Jansson was a motorcycle speedway rider. He was one of Sweden's most exciting speedway prospects in the 1970s but was killed in the Swedish Final a World Championship Qualifying Round meeting....
, table-tennis player Kjell Johansson, speed-skater Tomas Gustafson
Tomas Gustafson
Sven Tomas Gustafson is a retired speed skater, and one of the most successful distance skaters of the 1980s. He was born in Katrineholm, Sweden.-Early career:...
, bowler
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
Robert Andersson
Robert Andersson
Robert Theodor Andersson was a Swedish water polo player, diver, and freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1906 Summer Olympics, in the 1908 Summer Olympics, in the 1912 Summer Olympics, and in the 1920 Summer Olympics.He was part of the Swedish team, which was able to win three consecutive...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er Anna Nordqvist
Anna Nordqvist
Anna Maria Nordqvist is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.-Amateur career:...
Anna of Finland
Anna of Finland
Anna Vasa or Anna of Sweden also Anne was a Swedish princess. She was the sister of the monarch of Poland, Sweden and Lithuania, Sigismund III Vasa, and starosta of Brodnica and Golub.-Biography:...
, royal sister of the monarch of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
, was from Eskilstuna, as is linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
Fredrik Lindström
Fredrik Lindström
Fredrik Lindström is a Swedish linguist, comedian, film director and presenter.In the 2000s, Lindström has become a household name in Sweden through his documentary series Värsta språket about the Swedish language on Sveriges Television...
and former Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
Yvonne Ryding
Yvonne Ryding
Yvonne Agneta Ryding is a beauty queen from Sweden who was crowned Miss Universe 1984 on July 9, 1984...
.
The rock bands Kent
Kent (band)
Kent is a Swedish alternative rock band founded in Eskilstuna in 1990, with the name Coca-Cola Kids, later Jones & Giftet , and Havsänglar...
and Hel
Hel (band)
Hel is a Swedish vikingarock band, based in Eskilstuna, Södermanland. The band's name is derived from the Norse goddess Hel.- History :Hel formed in 1999 following the disintegration of Völund Smed, three of the Hel's five members having previously played in that band...
were both founded in Eskilstuna.
Progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band, Pain of Salvation
Pain of Salvation
Pain of Salvation is a Swedish progressive rock band featuring Daniel Gildenlöw, who is the lyricist, chief composer, guitarist, and lead vocalist. Their sound is characterised by powerful, accentuated guitar work, broad vocal range, abrupt switching between heavy and calm passages, intense...
, was founded in Eskilstuna.
External links
- Eskilstuna - Official site (in Swedish, French, German, English and Finnish)
- Tågtider för Eskilstuna C