Sollefteå is a locality

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 Sollefteå Municipality

Sollefteå Municipality

Sollefteå Municipality is a Swedish municipality in Västernorrland County. Its seat is located in Sollefteå.The former City of Sollefteå was amalgamated with the surrounding entities in 1974 to form the present municipality...

 in Västernorrland County

Västernorrland County

Västernorrland County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Province :...

, 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 8,530 inhabitants in 2005.

The earliest written account on Sollefteå is found in a script dating back to 1270. During this time the name of the village was given as De Solatum - a name that can be interpreted as a composition of Sol (sun) and at (property) i.e. literally The sunlit region.

With Sollefteå being located at the lowest rapids of the Ångermanälven thereby making it the last outpost to which it was possible to sail the village developed into a municipality

Municipality

A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

. The town change from a commercial town into a town dominated by the military when the two regiments T 3 (Logistics) and I 21 (Infantry) were located there in 1898 and 1911 respectively.

In 1902 Sollefteå obtained the status of market town or köping

Köping

This article deals with the Swedish denomination for a market town. For the city, see Köping, Sweden. For the municipality, see Köping Municipality....

before finally being granted a town charter in 1917 thereby making it a city.

It is now the seat of the much larger Sollefteå Municipality. Sollefteå is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city.

The Pharmacy

The Pharmacy building was erected in 1889. It is a brick house, two and a half floors high. The style of the building is influenced by the late 19th century architectural style and is dominated by the neo-Gothic

Gothic Revival architecture

The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...

 style. The house was designed by Niclas Wahrgren.

The many various architectural styles represented in the building is seen in the medieval inspired crenellated corner tower, Norman arches, North German gothic styles, blind windows with pointed arches, as well as in the gate's portico

Portico

A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...

 supported by column

Column

A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...

s. There are also renaissance

Renaissance

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...

 elements in the design manifested for instance in the staircase's orientalic/antique and geometric mosaics with meanders. The overall style of the building attaches itself to the palace-like buildings erected on Strandvägen in 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 in the Stenstaden i Sundsvall

Sundsvall

-External links:* - Official site from Nordisk Familjebok - Sundsvalls tourist information bureau. - The alternative guide to Sundsvall. - Blog with photos from Sundsvall....

 at the same time.

In 1984, the building was declared a historic building and thereby protected from demolition or major alterations. It is today the home of the local library as well as the city's museum.

Hotel Appelbergs

The hotel is a classical hotel located in the centre of Sollefteå, along the pedestrian district. It is also the oldest hotel in the city, built in 1882 by timberman and innkeeper Erik Appelberg.

The hotel became a hub for timber-merchants as well as local potentates. Notable guests includes Crown Princess Stéphanie of Austria

Princess Stéphanie of Belgium

Stéphanie was a Belgium princess by birth, and then made Crown Princess of Austria through her marriage to the heir of the Habsburg dynasty, Archduke Rudolf...

, King Oscar II

Oscar II of Sweden

Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...

 & Gustav V of Sweden and Kaiser Wilhelm II. The hotel also provided accommodation for King Chulalongkorn

Chulalongkorn

Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...

 of Siam and four of his princes during their tour of Ångermanland in the ewarly 20th century. Their joruney is rememberd, in the hotel with a plaque, and in the village of Utanede with a royal pavilion

King Chulalongkorn Memorial Building

The King Chulalongkorn Memorial Building is a Thai pavilion in Utanede, Sweden built to commemorate the 1897 visit of King Chulalongkorn of Thailand to the town....

.

The building is a good representative for the early architecture of Sollefteå, composed as it is of wood.

• Sollefteå Church
  Sollefteå church
  The Sollefteå church was built, using granite, in the 13th century but was heavily re-modelled in the late 18th century when it was transformed into a rococo building with a high hipped roof. The church was extended to the south and west and a vestry was added in the east. The chapel was also given...
  
  

Twin towns — Sister cities

Sollefteå is twinned

Town twinning

Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 with: Põltsamaa

Põltsamaa

-External links:...

, Estonia

Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

 Nykarleby

Nykarleby

Nykarleby is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Ostrobothnia region. The municipality is bilingual, with the majority speaking Swedish and the minority Finnish ....

, Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 Esashi

Esashi, Hokkaido (Soya)

is a town in Esashi District, Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. As of 2007, its estimated population is 9,641 and its area is 1115.67 km². The name comes from the Ainu word Esaushi, meaning "cape" - History :...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 Steinkjer

Steinkjer

is a town and a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Steinkjer, which is also the seat of the county government...

, Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 Rudniki

Rudniki

-External links:*...

, 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...

 Madison

Madison, Mississippi

Madison is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, USA. The population was 14,691 at the 2000 census. The population is currently 16,930. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is currently the highest income city in the state...

, Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

, U.S. Slovenske Konjice

Slovenske Konjice

Slovenske Konjice is a town and a municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area was part of the traditional region of Lower Styria.- Slovenske Konjice municipality :...

, Slovenia

Slovenia

Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

Notable people from Sollefteå

Laura Fitinghoff, 1848-1908, writer

Pelle Molin, 1864-1896, writer and artist

Helena Jonsson

Helena Jonsson

Helena Ekholm is a Swedish biathlete. She was born in Helgum, Sollefteå Municipality. She is the reigning world champion in pursuit. She also won the Women's Biathlon World Cup in the 2008-09 season....

, Biathlon

Emma Johansson

Emma Johansson

Emma Johansson is a Swedish professional cyclist. She won the silver medal in the women's road race at the 2008 Summer Olympics...

, 1983-, cyclist. Won the first Swedish medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics

2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...

.

Pelle Svensson

Pelle Svensson

Per Oskar "Pelle" Svensson is a Swedish former Greco-Roman wrestler and lawyer...

, 1943-, lawyer and distinguished wrestler

Mona Sahlin

Mona Sahlin

Mona Ingeborg Sahlin is a Swedish politician and the former leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party.Sahlin has been a Member of Parliament, representing Stockholm County, from 1982 to 1996 and again since 2002. She has also held various ministerial posts in the Swedish government from 1990...

, 1957-, chairman of Swedish Social Democratic Party

Swedish Social Democratic Party

The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889...

 and Member of Parliament

Parliament of Sweden

The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...

Urban Bäckström

Urban Bäckström

Urban Bäckström is a Swedish economist who is the current CEO of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise. He is a former Governor of the Bank of Sweden.-Personal:...

, 1955-, former Governor of the Bank of Sweden

Sveriges Riksbank

Sveriges Riksbank, or simply Riksbanken, is the central bank of Sweden and the world's oldest central bank. It is sometimes called the Swedish National Bank or the Bank of Sweden .-History:...

, president of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise

Confederation of Swedish Enterprise

The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise is a major interest organisation for business and industry in Sweden. It has 48 member associations representing close to 55.000 member companies with more than 1.5 million employees....

Ingrid Thulin

Ingrid Thulin

Ingrid Lilian Thulin was a Swedish film actress.-Biography:Thulin was born in Sollefteå, Ångermanland, northern Sweden, the daughter of Nanna and Adam Thulin, a fisherman...

, 1926-2004, actress

Marie-Helene Östlund

Marie-Helene Östlund

Marie-Helene Östlund, née Westin , is a retired Swedish cross-country skier. Östlund won a very unexpected world title on the 20 km in Oberstdorf, West Germany, in 1987. For the feat, she was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal, shared with the Swedish ice hockey team...

, 1966-, skier

Per Svartvadet

Per Svartvadet

Per Eric Svartvadet is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for Modo Hockey in the Swedish Elitserien, where he also is the team captain....

, 1975-, ice-hockey player

Mattias Timander

Mattias Timander

Erik Mattias Timander is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Leksands IF of the HockeyAllsvenskan.-Playing career:...

, 1974-, ice-hockey player

Therese Sjölander

Therese Sjölander

Eva Therése Sjölander is an ice hockey player from Sweden. She won a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.-External links:*, Feb. 13, 2008....

, 1981-, ice-hockey player