Kungsholmen
Encyclopedia
Mälaren
Lake Mälaren is the third-largest lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Its area is 1,140 km² and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from east to west...
in 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....
, part of Stockholm City. It is situated north of Riddarfjärden
Riddarfjärden
Riddarfjärden, literally the Knight Firth, is a bay of Lake Mälaren in central Stockholm. Stockholm was founded in 1252 on an island in the stream where Lake Mälaren drains into the Baltic Sea . The island is today called Stadsholmen and constitutes Stockholm's Old Town...
and considered part of the historical province Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
.
Its area is 3.9 km² with a perimeter of 8.9 km. The highest point is at Stadshagsplan (47 m). The total population is 56,754 (December 31, 2007).
Administratively, it is subdivided into the five districts Kungsholmen, Marieberg
Marieberg
Marieberg is a locality situated in Örebro Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with 1,181 inhabitants in 2005....
, Fredhäll, Kristineberg and Stadshagen
Stadshagen
Stadshagen is a district in Stockholm, in the northwest part of Kungsholmen. One of Stockholm's major hospitals, Saint Göran Hospital, opened in 1888 in this district. The area is also known for its many wild black rabbits, which are considered nuisances...
.
Prominent buildings and structures
- Stockholm City HallStockholm City HallStockholm City Hall is the building of the Municipal Council for the City of Stockholm in Sweden. It stands on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island, next to Riddarfjärden's northern shore and facing the islands of Riddarholmen and Södermalm. It houses offices and conference rooms as well as...
, by architect Ragnar ÖstbergRagnar ÖstbergRagnar Östberg was a Swedish architect who is most famous for designing Stockholm City Hall. He is the most famous architect within the so-called "national romanticist" movement in Sweden...
, and built 1911-1923. - Stockholm Court HouseStockholm Court HouseStockholm Court House is situated on Kungsholmen in Central Stockholm, Sweden. The building was constructed between 1909 and 1915. The architecture is influenced by the Castles of the Vasa era and it bears a resemblance to Vadstena Castle...
from 1909-1915. - Kristineberg Palace from around 1750.
- FunctionalistFunctionalism (architecture)Functionalism, in architecture, is the principle that architects should design a building based on the purpose of that building. This statement is less self-evident than it first appears, and is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern...
buildings along the southern waterfront Norr MälarstrandNorr MälarstrandNorr Mälarstrand is a street on Kungsholmen in central Stockholm, Sweden. Bordering Riddarfjärden, the eastern-most bay of Lake Mälaren, Norr Mälarstrand is a southbound boulevard stretching 1,4 km west from the Stockholm City Hall to the southern end of the street Sankt Eriksgatan...
. - Art DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
buildings flanking the bridge Sankt EriksbronSankt EriksbronSankt Eriksbron is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Passing over Barnhusviken it connects Kungsholmen to Norrmalm. The present construction was inaugurated in 1937...
. - Dagens Nyheter Tower, completed in 1964.
- VästerbronVästerbronVästerbron is an arch bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. With a total length exceeding 600 m, 340 m of which stretches over water, it is one of the major bridges in Stockholm, offering one of the most panoramic views of the central part of the city centering on Gamla stan, the old town...
, completed in 1935.
Bridges leading to Kungsholmen
- From Norrmalm:
- StadshusbronStadshusbronStadshusbron , formerly known as Nya Kungsholmsbron is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden located just north of the Stockholm City Hall...
- KlarabergsviaduktenKlarabergsviaduktenKlarabergsviadukten is a reinforced concrete bridge and a viaduct in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over Klara Sjö, it connects Norrmalm to Kungsholmen....
- KungsbronKungsbronKungsbron is a double bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over Klara Sjö, it connects Norrmalm to Kungsholmen.- History :...
- BlekholmsbronBlekholmsbronBlekholmsbron is a pedestrian bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over Klara Sjö, it connects Norrmalm to Kungsholmen....
- BarnhusbronBarnhusbronBarnhusbron is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Passing over Barnhusviken, it connects Kungsholmen to Norrmalm. It is 23 metres wide and 290 metres long with a maximum span of 64.5 metres...
- Sankt EriksbronSankt EriksbronSankt Eriksbron is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Passing over Barnhusviken it connects Kungsholmen to Norrmalm. The present construction was inaugurated in 1937...
- Stadshusbron
- From SolnaSolna MunicipalitySolna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, located just north of the capital Stockholm. Its seat is located in the 'city' of Solna....
:- EkelundsbronEkelundsbronEkelundsbron is a bridge in Stockholm, Sweden. Passing over the canal Karlbergskanalen, it connects the city district Stadshagen on Kungsholmen to the northern suburb Solna....
- Ekelundsbron
- From Bromma:
- TranebergsbronTranebergsbronTranebergsbron is a double arch bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over the strait Tranebergssund it connects the major island Kungsholmen to the western suburb Bromma...
- Tranebergsbron
- From Lilla EssingenLilla EssingenLilla Essingen is a small island in central Stockholm, Sweden, next to the larger neighbouring island Stora Essingen.Both Essingen islands are mainly residential areas, the smaller densely packed with blocks of flats while the larger is scattered with villas...
:- MariebergsbronMariebergsbronMariebergsbron is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Formerly known as Lilla Essingebron, it connects the islands Kungsholmen to Lilla Essingen. The current name is due to the vicinity to the city district Marieberg....
- FredhällsbronFredhällsbronFredhällsbron is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. It connects the island Lilla Essingen to Fredhäll, a district on the island Kungsholmen, and, forming a section of the Essingeleden motorway, connects the Lilla Essingen interchange to the tunnel Fredhällstunneln.The bridge is made of...
(part of the EssingeledenEssingeledenEssingeleden is a motorway that goes from Solna to Stockholm, Sweden, crossing the westmost parts of central Stockholm, by going over Kungsholmen, Lilla Essingen, and Stora Essingen....
motorway.)
- Mariebergsbron
- From SödermalmSödermalmSödermalm, often shortened to "Söder", is a district in central Stockholm. It covers the large island formerly called "Åsön". With a population of 99,685, it is one of the most densely populated districts of Scandinavia...
:- VästerbronVästerbronVästerbron is an arch bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. With a total length exceeding 600 m, 340 m of which stretches over water, it is one of the major bridges in Stockholm, offering one of the most panoramic views of the central part of the city centering on Gamla stan, the old town...
- Västerbron
Establishment
Franciscan monksFranciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
began living on the island in the 15th century. Because of this, the island was named Munklägret (the Monks' encampment). The monks subsisted on cattle-breeding and fishing. They also managed the brickyard
Brickyard
A brickyard is a place or yard where the earthen building material called bricks are made, fired, and stored, or sometimes sold or otherwise distributed from.-See also:...
Själakoret at Rålambshov. As a result of the Swedish Reformation
Swedish Reformation
The Protestant reformation in Sweden was introduced beginning in 1527 during the reign of king Gustav I of Sweden. The Swedish reformation ment the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the foundation of the Swedish Church. It is considered the ending point of the Swedish Middle Ages. The...
, which was concluded at the parliament in 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...
1527, the monks were expelled and the area became property of the crown.
At the end of the 16th century, Johan III
John III of Sweden
-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
(son of Gustav Vasa
Gustav I of Sweden
Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....
) established an additional brickyard on the northern bank of the island. In 1635 the first bridge to Munklägret was built.
A few years later Queen Kristina donated large areas of land in the western part of the island to some of the generals from the Thirty Years War. They built magnificent entail
Entail
Entail may refer to:* Fee tail, a term of art in common law describing a limited form of succession....
s and laid out great gardens. 1644 the crown donated the eastern part of Munklägret to the authorities of the city of Stockholm, which then also gets its first city plan. Three years later the remainder of the island was donated.
In order to facilitate migration to Munklägret privileges were given to artisans and manufacturers. For example, they were allowed to set up operations there without having to belong to the guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
s and they were exempted from tax
Tax exemption
Various tax systems grant a tax exemption to certain organizations, persons, income, property or other items taxable under the system. Tax exemption may also refer to a personal allowance or specific monetary exemption which may be claimed by an individual to reduce taxable income under some...
for ten years. In 1672 Munklägret became a separate parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
(Kungsholmen) and the whole island was renamed Kungsholmen.
Industrialization
When the Swedish EmpireSwedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
collapsed in the beginning of the 18th century the crown embarked on a generous economic policy to develop Kungsholmen. The entails were turned into factories
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
and hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s. In Hornsberg a cotton manufacture was established, at Marieberg a porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
factory.
In the early 19th century the military began to settle in Kungsholmen, which at the time was still a sparsely populated idyll.
When Samuel Owen
Samuel Owen
Samuel Owen, born 12 May 1774 in Norton in Hales, Shropshire, England, died 15 February 1854 in Stockholm, was a British-Swedish engineer, inventor and industrialist...
settled in Kungsholmen, it had begun developing into a marked district factories and workers. This development was accentuated when the Bolinder brothers start building up their business at Klara Sjö, west of the Kungsbron
Kungsbron
Kungsbron is a double bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over Klara Sjö, it connects Norrmalm to Kungsholmen.- History :...
, (King's Bridge) in the mid-19th century. The company AB Separator
Alfa Laval
Alfa Laval AB is a Swedish company, founded in 1883 by Gustaf de Laval and Oscar Lamm. The company is a leading producer of specialized products and solutions used to heat, cool, separate and transport such products as oil, water, chemicals, beverages, foodstuffs, starch and...
was established at the end of the 19th century . AB Separator would soon become a worldwide group of companies and at the beginning of the 20'th century had more than 2,000 employees.
The industrial breakthrough led to a huge population explosion. The population grew from just over 4,000 people in 1860 to 26,000 in 1890. During the 1880s several apartment blocks were built to remedy the housing shortage. Claës Lundin wrote about these houses: "With one or two exceptions, they give no honor to the decade." Kungsholmen was commonly referred to as "Svältholmen." ("Famine Island")
Modern Kungsholmen
In the early 20th century a radical structural change took place on Kungsholmen. The traits from the old industrial district are swept away and instead housing and public institutions were erected. St. Görans’ church was built in 1910. At the division of the Kungsholmen parish in 1925, the new parish was named after the church.The residential areas in Fredhäll and in Kristineberg were built in the 1930s after a functionalist city plan. The bridges Västerbron and Tranebergsbron were also built the same decade, and Sankt Eriksbron received its current dimensions. The Stockholm metro
Stockholm Metro
The Stockholm Metro is a metro system in Stockholm, Sweden. The first line opened in 1950, and today the system has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. There are seven lines numbered from 10 to 19, in three groups identified by a color: the Green, Red and Blue lines...
was drawn through Kungsholmen in the 1950s, first out to Vällingby
Vällingby
Vällingby is a suburban district in Västerort in the north-western part of Stockholm Municipality, Sweden.Vällingby was planned in the early 1950s as a new town...
and later also to Järvafältet. At this time the military moved out and the large hospital Serafen is supplanted (on another location) by the more modern Saint Göran Hospital
Saint Göran Hospital
Saint Göran Hospital is a hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located at Kungsholmen in central Stockholm....
.
See also
- Geography of StockholmGeography of StockholmThe City of Stockholm is situated on fourteen islands and on the banks to the archipelago where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea. The city centre is virtually situated on the water.- Islands and islets :- Lakes and watercourses :...
- History of StockholmHistory of StockholmThe history of Stockholm, capital of Sweden, for many centuries coincided with the development of what is today known as Gamla stan, the Stockholm Old Town...