Skanör-Falsterbo
Encyclopedia
Skanör med Falsterbo is a statistical locality
(Swed
tätort, locality code 3672), situated in Vellinge Municipality
, Skåne County
, Sweden
with 6,861 inhabitants in 2005. It consists of the two old towns of Skanör
and Falsterbo
which have grown together, but are still regarded as different communities by locals.
consisting of the two medieval towns of Skanör
and Falsterbo
. Both towns are located on the elongated reef-like western part of the Falsterbo Peninsula, (Falsterbonäset), Falsterbo to the south and Skanör to the north. The towns are separated by a several kilometers long bank built of earth and seaweed, and have never geographically been considered the same town.
The peninsula forms the southwesternmost tip of the Scandinavian Peninsula
. It marks the border between the Baltic Sea
and the Øresund, the sound that separates the Danish island Zealand from the southern Swedish province of Scania
.
, with 28 km to Skanör
and 30 km to Falsterbo
, based on the local distance signs along the motorway. During the 20th century the towns have become affluent suburb
s for people working in the Malmö
-Lund
region, as well as a popular site among older people who have retired from higher positions abroad or in the capital.
The peninsula is divided by the Falsterbo Canal
, a waterway at the base of the Falsterbo Peninsula that shortens the route between the Øresund and the Baltic Sea. The canal goes between the bays Höllviken (north) and Kämpingebukten (south).
can be traced back to the end of the 12th century and Falsterbo
is believed to have arisen shortly before. In around 1220 the Danish king built the Skanör
fortress. S:ta Gertrud church in Falsterbo
dates back to the 13th century, possibly the 12th.
both towns grew in importance and wealth as during late summer and autumn the peninsula was an important centre of trade and herring
fishing in the annual Scania Market
(Skånemarknaden). The market was held on the beach stretch between Skanör
and Falsterbo
and was dominated by the north German Hanseatic cities, primarily Lübeck. The Danish king delegated specific areas along the beach to these cities, so called "fit" or "fed", where they had the right to carry out trade during the Scania Market
. A large fishing village was located along the beaches of Øresund.
Soon thereafter a castle was raised in Falsterbo
. In 1311 the castle was destroyed by the Hanseatic League
(specifically the trade towns of Rostock
, Wismar
and Greifswald
) in the war between these and the Danish king Erik Menved. After the war the king raised a new and larger castle in 1318 called Falsterbohus. The old castle in Skanör
thus lost its importance thereafter. Olav IV of Norway
, son of queen Margaret I of Denmark
, died in 1387 in Falsterbohus.
After the herring
population declined during the 16th century the Scania Market
was dismantled and subsequently the two cities lost their former importance, but retained the town privileges, with joint administration.
and Falsterbo
were in 1754 united economically under the same mayor
. Even so, they have geographically never been considered the same town, and they did not grow together until the late 1960s.
Falsterbo and Skanör remained small fishing towns until the rail line from Malmö
–Vellinge
was built in 1904. Between 1904 and 1971 Skanör
and Falsterbo
each had their own train stations. Along the railroad, new residential areas grew up. Due to its small size Skanör and Falsterbo were the last city in Sweden to get a City Council
(1934), but it had its own jurisdiction
and a City Court (sw. rådhusrätt) up until 1947. It is now a locality within Vellinge Municipality and has no administration of its own. The railroad was eventually closed down in 1971 and dismantled the year after.
a track was laid to the new cement factory located in the Skanör
harbour. There are rumours that the cement factory was used as a depot for military equipment in case the war reached Sweden
. Others claim that the factory was built under German influence only to serve as a disguise for a giant artillery
foundation and that the bricks in the walls were placed upright to save costs. The canon together with its counterpart in Køge
in Denmark
had as a purpose to guard the Øresund. In any case the cement factory was dismantled a few years thereafter. Of the cement factory only the foundation still exists today.
via the 5 km long reef south of Falsterbo
. The very same reef, and the fine sand beaches on the peninsula, offers some of the best sea bathing of Sweden
.
Falsterbo also has an annual horse show (show jumping and dressage), the Falsterbo Horse Show
. Skanör hosts the annual, Skanörs sillamarknad.
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...
(Swed
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
tätort, locality code 3672), situated in Vellinge Municipality
Vellinge Municipality
Vellinge Municipality is a municipality in Skåne County in southern Sweden. Its seat is located in the town Vellinge.The municipality is a result of the latest local government reform in Sweden...
, Skåne County
Skåne County
Skåne County is the southernmost administrative county or län, of Sweden, basically corresponding to the historical province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Kronoberg and Blekinge. The seat of residence for the Skåne Governor is the town of Malmö...
, 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 6,861 inhabitants in 2005. It consists of the two old towns of Skanör
Skanör
Skanör is a town in Vellinge Municipality and part of the conurbation Skanör med Falsterbo in southwestern Scania, Sweden. City facilities include hotels, restaurants, a harbour, an old church and an elementary school. A greenbelt called Skanörs vångar will be a new residential area in Skanör.-The...
and Falsterbo
Falsterbo
Falsterbo is a town located at the south-western tip of Sweden in Vellinge Municipality in Skåne County. Falsterbo is situated in the southern part of the Falsterbo peninsula. It is part of Skanör med Falsterbo, one of Sweden's historical cities.-History:...
which have grown together, but are still regarded as different communities by locals.
Background
It is a conurbationConurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
consisting of the two medieval towns of Skanör
Skanör
Skanör is a town in Vellinge Municipality and part of the conurbation Skanör med Falsterbo in southwestern Scania, Sweden. City facilities include hotels, restaurants, a harbour, an old church and an elementary school. A greenbelt called Skanörs vångar will be a new residential area in Skanör.-The...
and Falsterbo
Falsterbo
Falsterbo is a town located at the south-western tip of Sweden in Vellinge Municipality in Skåne County. Falsterbo is situated in the southern part of the Falsterbo peninsula. It is part of Skanör med Falsterbo, one of Sweden's historical cities.-History:...
. Both towns are located on the elongated reef-like western part of the Falsterbo Peninsula, (Falsterbonäset), Falsterbo to the south and Skanör to the north. The towns are separated by a several kilometers long bank built of earth and seaweed, and have never geographically been considered the same town.
The peninsula forms the southwesternmost tip of the Scandinavian Peninsula
Scandinavian Peninsula
The Scandinavian Peninsula is a peninsula in Northern Europe, which today covers Norway, Sweden, and most of northern Finland. Prior to the 17th and 18th centuries, large parts of the southern peninsula—including the core region of Scania from which the peninsula takes its name—were part of...
. It marks the border between 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...
and the Øresund, the sound that separates the Danish island Zealand from the southern Swedish province of 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...
.
Geography
The locality is situated south of the city of MalmöMalmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, with 28 km to Skanör
Skanör
Skanör is a town in Vellinge Municipality and part of the conurbation Skanör med Falsterbo in southwestern Scania, Sweden. City facilities include hotels, restaurants, a harbour, an old church and an elementary school. A greenbelt called Skanörs vångar will be a new residential area in Skanör.-The...
and 30 km to Falsterbo
Falsterbo
Falsterbo is a town located at the south-western tip of Sweden in Vellinge Municipality in Skåne County. Falsterbo is situated in the southern part of the Falsterbo peninsula. It is part of Skanör med Falsterbo, one of Sweden's historical cities.-History:...
, based on the local distance signs along the motorway. During the 20th century the towns have become affluent suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s for people working in the Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
-Lund
Lund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
region, as well as a popular site among older people who have retired from higher positions abroad or in the capital.
The peninsula is divided by the Falsterbo Canal
Falsterbo Canal
Falsterbo Canal is a short canal that allows ships to pass inside Falsterbo, Skanör and Ljunghusen from the Baltic to the Öresund. Falsterbo, Skanör and Ljunghusen lie on the Skanör-Falsterbo peninsula ....
, a waterway at the base of the Falsterbo Peninsula that shortens the route between the Øresund and the Baltic Sea. The canal goes between the bays Höllviken (north) and Kämpingebukten (south).
Origin
The origin of SkanörSkanör
Skanör is a town in Vellinge Municipality and part of the conurbation Skanör med Falsterbo in southwestern Scania, Sweden. City facilities include hotels, restaurants, a harbour, an old church and an elementary school. A greenbelt called Skanörs vångar will be a new residential area in Skanör.-The...
can be traced back to the end of the 12th century and Falsterbo
Falsterbo
Falsterbo is a town located at the south-western tip of Sweden in Vellinge Municipality in Skåne County. Falsterbo is situated in the southern part of the Falsterbo peninsula. It is part of Skanör med Falsterbo, one of Sweden's historical cities.-History:...
is believed to have arisen shortly before. In around 1220 the Danish king built the Skanör
Skanör
Skanör is a town in Vellinge Municipality and part of the conurbation Skanör med Falsterbo in southwestern Scania, Sweden. City facilities include hotels, restaurants, a harbour, an old church and an elementary school. A greenbelt called Skanörs vångar will be a new residential area in Skanör.-The...
fortress. S:ta Gertrud church in Falsterbo
Falsterbo
Falsterbo is a town located at the south-western tip of Sweden in Vellinge Municipality in Skåne County. Falsterbo is situated in the southern part of the Falsterbo peninsula. It is part of Skanör med Falsterbo, one of Sweden's historical cities.-History:...
dates back to the 13th century, possibly the 12th.
Growth
During the late middle agesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
both towns grew in importance and wealth as during late summer and autumn the peninsula was an important centre of trade and herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
fishing in the annual Scania Market
Scania Market
Scania Market was a major fish market for herring which took place annually in Scania during the Middle Ages. From around 1200, it became one of the most important events for trade around the Baltic Sea and made Scania into a major distribution center for West-European goods bound for eastern...
(Skånemarknaden). The market was held on the beach stretch between Skanör
Skanör
Skanör is a town in Vellinge Municipality and part of the conurbation Skanör med Falsterbo in southwestern Scania, Sweden. City facilities include hotels, restaurants, a harbour, an old church and an elementary school. A greenbelt called Skanörs vångar will be a new residential area in Skanör.-The...
and Falsterbo
Falsterbo
Falsterbo is a town located at the south-western tip of Sweden in Vellinge Municipality in Skåne County. Falsterbo is situated in the southern part of the Falsterbo peninsula. It is part of Skanör med Falsterbo, one of Sweden's historical cities.-History:...
and was dominated by the north German Hanseatic cities, primarily Lübeck. The Danish king delegated specific areas along the beach to these cities, so called "fit" or "fed", where they had the right to carry out trade during the Scania Market
Scania Market
Scania Market was a major fish market for herring which took place annually in Scania during the Middle Ages. From around 1200, it became one of the most important events for trade around the Baltic Sea and made Scania into a major distribution center for West-European goods bound for eastern...
. A large fishing village was located along the beaches of Øresund.
Soon thereafter a castle was raised in Falsterbo
Falsterbo
Falsterbo is a town located at the south-western tip of Sweden in Vellinge Municipality in Skåne County. Falsterbo is situated in the southern part of the Falsterbo peninsula. It is part of Skanör med Falsterbo, one of Sweden's historical cities.-History:...
. In 1311 the castle was destroyed by the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
(specifically the trade towns of Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
, Wismar
Wismar
Wismar , is a small port and Hanseatic League town in northern Germany on the Baltic Sea, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,about 45 km due east of Lübeck, and 30 km due north of Schwerin. Its natural harbour, located in the Bay of Wismar is well-protected by a promontory. The...
and Greifswald
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
) in the war between these and the Danish king Erik Menved. After the war the king raised a new and larger castle in 1318 called Falsterbohus. The old castle in Skanör
Skanör
Skanör is a town in Vellinge Municipality and part of the conurbation Skanör med Falsterbo in southwestern Scania, Sweden. City facilities include hotels, restaurants, a harbour, an old church and an elementary school. A greenbelt called Skanörs vångar will be a new residential area in Skanör.-The...
thus lost its importance thereafter. Olav IV of Norway
Olav IV of Norway
Olaf II Haakonsson was king of Denmark as Olaf II and king of Norway as Olaf IV . Olaf was son of King Haakon VI of Norway and the grandson of King Magnus IV of Sweden. His mother was Queen Margaret I of Denmark which made him the grandson of King Valdemar IV of Denmark...
, son of queen Margaret I of Denmark
Margaret I of Denmark
Margaret I was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden and founder of the Kalmar Union, which united the Scandinavian countries for over a century. Although she acted as queen regnant, the laws of contemporary Danish succession denied her formal queenship. Her title in Denmark was derived from her...
, died in 1387 in Falsterbohus.
After the herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
population declined during the 16th century the Scania Market
Scania Market
Scania Market was a major fish market for herring which took place annually in Scania during the Middle Ages. From around 1200, it became one of the most important events for trade around the Baltic Sea and made Scania into a major distribution center for West-European goods bound for eastern...
was dismantled and subsequently the two cities lost their former importance, but retained the town privileges, with joint administration.
Recent history
The two medieval towns SkanörSkanör
Skanör is a town in Vellinge Municipality and part of the conurbation Skanör med Falsterbo in southwestern Scania, Sweden. City facilities include hotels, restaurants, a harbour, an old church and an elementary school. A greenbelt called Skanörs vångar will be a new residential area in Skanör.-The...
and Falsterbo
Falsterbo
Falsterbo is a town located at the south-western tip of Sweden in Vellinge Municipality in Skåne County. Falsterbo is situated in the southern part of the Falsterbo peninsula. It is part of Skanör med Falsterbo, one of Sweden's historical cities.-History:...
were in 1754 united economically under the same mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. Even so, they have geographically never been considered the same town, and they did not grow together until the late 1960s.
Falsterbo and Skanör remained small fishing towns until the rail line from Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
–Vellinge
Vellinge
Vellinge is a locality and the seat of Vellinge Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 6,115 inhabitants in 2005.It was ranked the number 2 "best place to live" in Sweden - and the best in the south of Sweden - in Fokus magazine's 2009 survey....
was built in 1904. Between 1904 and 1971 Skanör
Skanör
Skanör is a town in Vellinge Municipality and part of the conurbation Skanör med Falsterbo in southwestern Scania, Sweden. City facilities include hotels, restaurants, a harbour, an old church and an elementary school. A greenbelt called Skanörs vångar will be a new residential area in Skanör.-The...
and Falsterbo
Falsterbo
Falsterbo is a town located at the south-western tip of Sweden in Vellinge Municipality in Skåne County. Falsterbo is situated in the southern part of the Falsterbo peninsula. It is part of Skanör med Falsterbo, one of Sweden's historical cities.-History:...
each had their own train stations. Along the railroad, new residential areas grew up. Due to its small size Skanör and Falsterbo were the last city in Sweden to get a City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
(1934), but it had its own jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
and a City Court (sw. rådhusrätt) up until 1947. It is now a locality within Vellinge Municipality and has no administration of its own. The railroad was eventually closed down in 1971 and dismantled the year after.
Skanör Cement factory
During the first world warWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
a track was laid to the new cement factory located in the Skanör
Skanör
Skanör is a town in Vellinge Municipality and part of the conurbation Skanör med Falsterbo in southwestern Scania, Sweden. City facilities include hotels, restaurants, a harbour, an old church and an elementary school. A greenbelt called Skanörs vångar will be a new residential area in Skanör.-The...
harbour. There are rumours that the cement factory was used as a depot for military equipment in case the war reached 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....
. Others claim that the factory was built under German influence only to serve as a disguise for a giant 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...
foundation and that the bricks in the walls were placed upright to save costs. The canon together with its counterpart in Køge
Køge
Køge Municipality is a municipality in Region Sjælland on the east coast of the island of Zealand approx. 40 km. southwest of Copenhagen. The municipality covers an area of 255 km² , and has a total population of 56,637...
in Denmark
Denmark
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...
had as a purpose to guard the Øresund. In any case the cement factory was dismantled a few years thereafter. Of the cement factory only the foundation still exists today.
Notability
Falsterbo is known for the Falsterbo Bird Observatory, since most migratory birds leave the Scandinavian PeninsulaScandinavian Peninsula
The Scandinavian Peninsula is a peninsula in Northern Europe, which today covers Norway, Sweden, and most of northern Finland. Prior to the 17th and 18th centuries, large parts of the southern peninsula—including the core region of Scania from which the peninsula takes its name—were part of...
via the 5 km long reef south of Falsterbo
Falsterbo
Falsterbo is a town located at the south-western tip of Sweden in Vellinge Municipality in Skåne County. Falsterbo is situated in the southern part of the Falsterbo peninsula. It is part of Skanör med Falsterbo, one of Sweden's historical cities.-History:...
. The very same reef, and the fine sand beaches on the peninsula, offers some of the best sea bathing of 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....
.
Falsterbo also has an annual horse show (show jumping and dressage), the Falsterbo Horse Show
Falsterbo Horse Show 2010
The 2010 Falsterbo Horse Show was the 2010 edition of the Falsterbo Horse Show, the Swedish official show jumping horse show. It was held as CSIO 5* and CDI 5*....
. Skanör hosts the annual, Skanörs sillamarknad.