Ny Varberg
Encyclopedia
Ny Varberg was a city founded sometime between 1429 and 1434 about five kilometres north of present-day Varberg
, Sweden
. It was abandoned around 1612. The city was located at a crossroads where the roads from Småland
and Västergötland
met the royal road through Halland
. To have access to the sea, a canal
700 metres long was built between Kattegat
and Himleån
. It is unclear who founded the city or why.
Just outside the city there was (until 1525) a Carmelite monastery
, as well as a chapel
and a hospital
. The city's area grew from less than 6000 m2 during the 15th century to 12000 m2 at the beginning of the 17th century.
From the middle of the 16th century and onwards the city suffered devastation on many occasions. In 1545 a major fire broke out, and large parts of the city were destroyed during the Northern Seven Years' War
. Through support from the Danish state and attempts at forced resettlement, a phase of reconstruction was begun at the end of the 16th century. However, another fire broke out in 1597 and during the Kalmar War
the city was so ravaged that king Christian IV of Denmark
decided to move the city to its present-day location.
Varberg
Varberg is a locality and the seat of Varberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden with 26,041 inhabitants in 2005.Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their 'typical west coast' sandy beaches. In Varberg the coast changes from wide sandy beaches to rocky terrain that continues north into...
, 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....
. It was abandoned around 1612. The city was located at a crossroads where the roads from 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...
and Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
met the royal road through 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:...
. To have access to the sea, a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
700 metres long was built between Kattegat
Kattegat
The Kattegat , or Kattegatt is a sea area bounded by the Jutland peninsula and the Straits islands of Denmark on the west and south, and the provinces of Västergötland, Scania, Halland and Bohuslän in Sweden on the east. The Baltic Sea drains into the Kattegat through the Øresund and the Danish...
and Himleån
Himleån
Himleån is a river in Sweden.-References:...
. It is unclear who founded the city or why.
Just outside the city there was (until 1525) a Carmelite 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...
, as well as a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
and a 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....
. The city's area grew from less than 6000 m2 during the 15th century to 12000 m2 at the beginning of the 17th century.
From the middle of the 16th century and onwards the city suffered devastation on many occasions. In 1545 a major fire broke out, and large parts of the city were destroyed during the Northern Seven Years' War
Northern Seven Years' War
The Northern Seven Years' War was the war between Kingdom of Sweden and a coalition of Denmark–Norway, Lübeck and the Polish–Lithuanian union, fought between 1563 and 1570...
. Through support from the Danish state and attempts at forced resettlement, a phase of reconstruction was begun at the end of the 16th century. However, another fire broke out in 1597 and during the Kalmar War
Kalmar War
The Kalmar War was a war between Denmark–Norway and Sweden. Though Denmark soon gained the upper hand, she was unable to defeat Sweden entirely...
the city was so ravaged that king Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
decided to move the city to its present-day location.
Source
- Varberg - en kommuns historia, Varbergs kommun, 1993. Varberg: Carlssons Boktryckeri AB. ISBN 91-630-1470-X