Märsta
Encyclopedia
Märsta is a suburb of Metropolitan Stockholm, a locality
and the seat of Sigtuna Municipality
, Stockholm County
, Sweden
with 23,416 inhabitants in 2008. The town is situated close to Stockholms main international airport, Arlanda. Even if its origins go back to around 500 AD Märsta is a wide spread modern residential area. Märsta has a mix of multi-storey dwellings and smaller houses. It is in a phase of expansion and new residential areas are built both in central parts of Märsta and in the surrounding areas like for instance Steningehöjden. Märsta can be reached by commuter trains from Stockholm running at quarterly intervals during daytime and by bus from Stockholm Arlanda Airport. The central parts of Märsta has a shopping area "Märsta Centrum" with various shops, pub and restaurants. Another smaller shopping area is "Valsta Centrum". East of the central parts of Märsta there is an industrial area and a bit further east close to the airport a shopping mall "Eurostop". Most parts of Märsta and the municipality of Sigtuna can be reached with local bus services originating at the railway station and also connecting with commuter trains.
. The center of the town is located in a valley called Märstadal and the area Sätuna, which also holds the train station of the town.
The rest of the town's buildings spread upon and below the hills that form the valleys in Märsta. The stream that flows through the town out to Steningevik is called Märstaån.
It is also located along the motorway E4
about 37 km north of central Stockholm
, 33 km south of Uppsala
and about 4 km from Arlanda Airport.
of Märsta resulted from merging the seals of the two hundreds
of Ärlinghundra and Seminghundra, which are today located in Märsta. The combined seal, showing a key and axe crossed in gold on a blood-red ground, is known to have been in use from 1568.
The key was the symbol of Ärlinghundra and symbolised "the key to heaven's gates". The axe was the symbol of Seminghundra and symbolized the axe which killed Saint Olaf
; Seminghundra was also known as an execution place for convicts during the Middle Ages.
Märsta existed as a municipality of its own between 1952 and 1970. The coat of arms was created in 1954 and became obsolete as municipal arms when Märsta was merged into Sigtuna Municipality
in 1971.
and due to the location of traditional Viking-land has rich archaeological remains from the Bronze Age
, Iron Age
and Viking age
. There are many runestones and older ruins of stone castles and walls in the Märsta area.
The area of today's modern Märsta consisted of big farms and small communities, that were (and still are) typical for the landscape of the province Uppland
.
Märsta was just one of these farms but due to the location and importance of travelling between Stockholm and Uppsala, the farm had to turn into an inn. The important travelling road can be traced back to the Viking age and even older ages.
During the days of the Swedish Empire
many of the old nobles became land owners in the area and built palaces like Steninge, Skånelaholm, Rosersberg and Venngarn.
Even Sweden's oldest public school is located in Husby-Ärlinghundra, the parish of Märsta. It was built in 1697 and is today a museum.
The first telegraph pole in Sweden was placed in Märsta 1853 and the train station got built in the 1860s. It is currently the northern termini of the commuter railways in Stockholm, and a minor interchange to SJ. The name Märsta got along only because it was common for travellers even though they were placed on neighbouring farms.
The Märsta municipality was formed in 1952 due to a fusion of the parishes of Husby-Ärlinghundra, Norrsunda, Odensala and Skånela. In 1967 the parishes of Vidbo, Lunda and Skepptuna also merged into the municipality. In 1971 the cities of Sigtuna and Märsta were forged together and formed Sigtuna Municipality
with Märsta as the seat of the ruling council.
In 1957 the swedish government decided to build Stockholms new international airport, Stockholm Arlanda, at Halmsjön east of Märsta. In its decision the government mentioned the building of a town where the employees at the new airport could live. The town was located to Märsta. A plan for the residential area was made in 1960 and during the 1960:s the population of Märsta was almost four times doubled. A large part of the buildings in Märsta was built in the 1960:s. Expansion of Märsta to the east is restricted due to the 55 dB(A) noise area restrictions in force. There are not many older houses in the central parts of Märsta but south of Märsta you find Steninge Castle
with an environment dating back to 1690. Steninge Castle is a popular tourist attraction.
There is a public theatre facility, Sigtuna Municipal Theatre, "Kulturum" which is Märstas venue for theater, concerts and conferences. The theater was completed in autumn 1980 and was inaugurated in November of that year. The salon has 454 seats. Local productions, performances and conferences are held at "Kulturum". The theater is used for many different purposes, such as local productions, performances, arts school concerts, conferences and more. Once a month the City Council uses the Sigtuna Municipal Theatre as meeting room. Kulturum is in the same building as Märstas gymnasium, (Arlandagymnasiet).
Like many similar sized swedish towns and central communities Märsta has pre school and pedagogical care facilities available to its citizens and also high schools and a gymnasium, (Arlandagymnasiet). Märsta also has a school for adult education. There is a public library in the town centre, (Märsta Centrum).
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 Sigtuna Municipality
Sigtuna Municipality
Sigtuna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Märsta.The municipality is a part of Metropolitan Stockholm....
, Stockholm County
Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
, 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 23,416 inhabitants in 2008. The town is situated close to Stockholms main international airport, Arlanda. Even if its origins go back to around 500 AD Märsta is a wide spread modern residential area. Märsta has a mix of multi-storey dwellings and smaller houses. It is in a phase of expansion and new residential areas are built both in central parts of Märsta and in the surrounding areas like for instance Steningehöjden. Märsta can be reached by commuter trains from Stockholm running at quarterly intervals during daytime and by bus from Stockholm Arlanda Airport. The central parts of Märsta has a shopping area "Märsta Centrum" with various shops, pub and restaurants. Another smaller shopping area is "Valsta Centrum". East of the central parts of Märsta there is an industrial area and a bit further east close to the airport a shopping mall "Eurostop". Most parts of Märsta and the municipality of Sigtuna can be reached with local bus services originating at the railway station and also connecting with commuter trains.
Name
The origin of the name Märsta goes back to around 500 AD. At that time most of the valleys in Märsta were still under water, which explains the name. Mär- is found in the Swedish word "mjärde" which is a fishing tool, and -sta means a place (area or somekind of habitat) like the Swedish word "stad". Märsta means "place to fish" or "fishing-place".Geography
Märsta is situated north of Steningevik, which is a bay of the lake MälarenMälaren
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...
. The center of the town is located in a valley called Märstadal and the area Sätuna, which also holds the train station of the town.
The rest of the town's buildings spread upon and below the hills that form the valleys in Märsta. The stream that flows through the town out to Steningevik is called Märstaån.
It is also located along the motorway E4
European route E4
European route E 4 passes from north to south through Sweden from the border with Finland, total length . The Finnish part lies entirely within Tornio in northern Finland, and is actually only long...
about 37 km north of central 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...
, 33 km south of Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
and about 4 km from Arlanda Airport.
Coat of arms
The coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Märsta resulted from merging the seals of the two hundreds
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
of Ärlinghundra and Seminghundra, which are today located in Märsta. The combined seal, showing a key and axe crossed in gold on a blood-red ground, is known to have been in use from 1568.
The key was the symbol of Ärlinghundra and symbolised "the key to heaven's gates". The axe was the symbol of Seminghundra and symbolized the axe which killed Saint Olaf
Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...
; Seminghundra was also known as an execution place for convicts during the Middle Ages.
Märsta existed as a municipality of its own between 1952 and 1970. The coat of arms was created in 1954 and became obsolete as municipal arms when Märsta was merged into Sigtuna Municipality
Sigtuna Municipality
Sigtuna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Märsta.The municipality is a part of Metropolitan Stockholm....
in 1971.
History
The area has been populated since the stone ageStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
and due to the location of traditional Viking-land has rich archaeological remains from the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
and Viking age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
. There are many runestones and older ruins of stone castles and walls in the Märsta area.
The area of today's modern Märsta consisted of big farms and small communities, that were (and still are) typical for the landscape of the 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...
.
Märsta was just one of these farms but due to the location and importance of travelling between Stockholm and Uppsala, the farm had to turn into an inn. The important travelling road can be traced back to the Viking age and even older ages.
During the days of the Swedish Empire
Swedish 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"...
many of the old nobles became land owners in the area and built palaces like Steninge, Skånelaholm, Rosersberg and Venngarn.
Even Sweden's oldest public school is located in Husby-Ärlinghundra, the parish of Märsta. It was built in 1697 and is today a museum.
The first telegraph pole in Sweden was placed in Märsta 1853 and the train station got built in the 1860s. It is currently the northern termini of the commuter railways in Stockholm, and a minor interchange to SJ. The name Märsta got along only because it was common for travellers even though they were placed on neighbouring farms.
The Märsta municipality was formed in 1952 due to a fusion of the parishes of Husby-Ärlinghundra, Norrsunda, Odensala and Skånela. In 1967 the parishes of Vidbo, Lunda and Skepptuna also merged into the municipality. In 1971 the cities of Sigtuna and Märsta were forged together and formed Sigtuna Municipality
Sigtuna Municipality
Sigtuna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Märsta.The municipality is a part of Metropolitan Stockholm....
with Märsta as the seat of the ruling council.
In 1957 the swedish government decided to build Stockholms new international airport, Stockholm Arlanda, at Halmsjön east of Märsta. In its decision the government mentioned the building of a town where the employees at the new airport could live. The town was located to Märsta. A plan for the residential area was made in 1960 and during the 1960:s the population of Märsta was almost four times doubled. A large part of the buildings in Märsta was built in the 1960:s. Expansion of Märsta to the east is restricted due to the 55 dB(A) noise area restrictions in force. There are not many older houses in the central parts of Märsta but south of Märsta you find Steninge Castle
Steninge Castle
Steninge Palace is a Baroque palace overlooking Lake Mälaren near Märsta outside of Stockholm, Sweden....
with an environment dating back to 1690. Steninge Castle is a popular tourist attraction.
Culture and education
There is a private cinema, "Biokällan i Forum" in Märsta.There is a public theatre facility, Sigtuna Municipal Theatre, "Kulturum" which is Märstas venue for theater, concerts and conferences. The theater was completed in autumn 1980 and was inaugurated in November of that year. The salon has 454 seats. Local productions, performances and conferences are held at "Kulturum". The theater is used for many different purposes, such as local productions, performances, arts school concerts, conferences and more. Once a month the City Council uses the Sigtuna Municipal Theatre as meeting room. Kulturum is in the same building as Märstas gymnasium, (Arlandagymnasiet).
Like many similar sized swedish towns and central communities Märsta has pre school and pedagogical care facilities available to its citizens and also high schools and a gymnasium, (Arlandagymnasiet). Märsta also has a school for adult education. There is a public library in the town centre, (Märsta Centrum).
Business and employment
There are some local businesses in Märsta and also a major factory producing paint, Beckers Industrial Coatings AB , producing industrial paint. There are also some transport and spedition companies in the area. But most employment opportunities for people living in Märsta are at Stockholm Arlanda Airport and in Stockholm City.External links
- Sigtuna Municipality - Official site
- Märsta.nu - Information site
- History About Native Home Districts Of Märsta - Official site