Värmland
Encyclopedia
is a historical province
or landskap in the west of middle Sweden
. It borders Västergötland
, Dalsland
, Dalarna
, Västmanland
and Närke
. It is also bounded by Norway
in the west. Latin
name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland
, the province's current land is Svealand
. The origin of the province's name is uncertain. It may refer to the large local lake by the name of Värmeln.
; however, in many instances a county has virtually the same border as the province, which is the case with Värmland and its corresponding county Värmland County
. The main exception is a smaller part to the south east which belongs to Örebro County
.
. In 1567 it was revised into an eagle
. In the late 17th century the eagle was black. In 1936 it got its current blazon
, when the eagle became blue. Blazon: "Argent, an Eagle displayed Azure beaked, langued and membered Gules."
. Most streams of importance lead to Vänern. However, the province is rich in small lakes, ponds and streams. The scenic nature with mountains and lakes is usually regarded among the most picturesque in Sweden, and has inspired painters and writers since the 19th century.
, the Central Swedish Mining District. Its terrain is rather hilly, but a few high-altitude hills are present: Hvitklinten (414 m.), Dalkarlsberget (450 m.) and Vålbergsrös (476 m.).
This part of Värmland is rich in minerals, most notably iron ore which exists in large quantities. Some notable sites in this area are around Långban
and Nordmark Hundred. In the southeast, the ridge of Kilsbergen
marks the border with Närke
.
The early history was not only strongly influenced by the proximity to Västergötland, but also with its western neighbour Norway
. When Sweden was at war with Norway
, it had a strong effect on Värmland too. In 1225, Haakon IV of Norway
(Haakon the Old) invaded Sweden and burnt down all villages if they did not pay a ransom. This feud was eventually settled in 1249.
Värmland was originally considered a part of Götaland
, and had a strong connection to its southern neighbour Västergötland
. Eastern Värmland traditionally belongs to the Bergslagen
area, Sweden's central mining district.
In 1582, Värmland was granted its first city privileges, Kristinehamn
, but those were revoked. The second city, Karlstad
, on the north shore of lake Vänern
, was granted by Duke Charles, later king Charles IX of Sweden
, in 1584. It became the capital of the province and its name is derived from the King, and literally means Charles' City. The third city was Filipstad
in 1611; however, its privilege was revoked in 1694 after a devastating fire. King Charles IX took great personal intererest in expanding mining in the province and the industry developed sigificially during his reign.
The early 17th century marked the beginning of a substantial immigration from Finland
. The areas where they centred were known as Finnskog. They kept their Finnish customs and language until the late 19th century. The last native resident to speak Finnish here died in the 1980s.
The most significant coup d'état
of modern Swedish history had its beginning in Karlstad
. The man behind the uprising was a liberal
nobleman and a prominent man of the opposition, the former officer Georg Adlersparre
. He was backed up by the radical captain Henrik Anckarsword and used the part of the western army that was stationed in Värmland to occupy Karlstad on the night of the 7th March 1809. From there he officially proclaimed revolution, a proclamation which held the view that the wars and oppression had ruined the country and that the government therefore had to be overthrown. On 9 March, Adlersparre and his enthusiastic soldiers (many of Finnish origin) finally began their successful march towards Stockholm
, and in the events that followed, the king Gustav IV Adolf
abdicated under pressure.
Under the Continental system
(1806–1814), timber industry flourished in Värmland and during the modern era, forestry became industrialized and is still the economical backbone of the province.
Bordering on Norway, Värmland was affected by Sweden's last war, Crown Prince Jean Baptiste Bernadottes
military campaign against Norway in 1814. The province saw large troop movement and many soldiers originating from the province were involved in battles. Värmland Regiment
had three battalions attached to the 9th Brigade under Colonel Klingspor and one battalion - the Värmlandske Jaegerne - attached to the 10th Brigade under Colonel Gahn af Colqhoun
. Both brigades formed part of the 5th Army Division under Major General Rosenblad. The Swedish Army
formed three columns and crossed the Norwegian border at Magnor
on the night between 30 Juli and 1 August. The 9th Brigade participated in the siege of Fredrikstad Fortress
, which capitulated on 4 August, while other parts of the regiment followed a few days later Vegesacks department north and participated in battles at Rakkestad
, Langenäs and Askim
. A battalion of the regiment, commanded by Major Lagerlöv, managed to courageously fight back a Norwegian attack from the bridgehead at Langenäs. The 10th Brigade went in the direction of Morast. It participated in the battle of Lier
south of Kongsvinger
and retreated then to the border, where the battalion participated in the battle of Midskog on 5 August and suffered heavy losses.
During World War II
, western Värmland was again the area of heavy military deployment. An agreement from the dissolution of the union with Norway in 1905 stated that no fortification was allowed on the border between the two nations, but after the German occupation of Norway, old fortifications were renovated and several new constructed. Most notably is the fortlet Hultet in Eda Municipality
, rearmed and reconstructed 1940-1941, and equipped with a network of machine gun emplacements, casemate
s and other concrete bunker
s, surrounded by barbed wire
, walls and several lines of tank traps
. The fortifications have been renovated by locals and are now open to the public.
The film Gränsen (Eng. Beyond the Border) from 2011, telling the story about the life of the young soldiers guarding the border between Sweden and Nazi-occupied Norway in 1942, takes place in northern Värmland and was filmed near Torsby
.
, Esaias Tegnér
, Gustaf Fröding
and Nobel Prize
winner Selma Lagerlöf
. Lagerlöf's novel, Gösta Berlings Saga
, is a neo-romantic
saga
that takes place in Värmland in the 1820s and 1830s. It was also made into a film
starring Greta Garbo
.
Education, theatre and a somewhat glamorous lifestyle were buoyed by the landed gentry and the wealth being generated through a lively local iron trade, and also by the position of the landscape on the edge between civilization and wilderness, which inspired art, literature and folklore. During the second half of the 19th century, the iron processing industry was largely put out of business by the revolution in the steel industry which made Central Europe and the United States vastly superior in this field, and the overall economic crisis throughout Europe of the 1870s and 1880s, and the subsequent emigration to North America, shook the landscape. The consequence, however, was to make authors like Lagerlöf and Fröding more aware of the heritage of their province, and they both drew on what they felt to be an oral tradition of story-telling and local legends. This emphasis on richly textured, often romantic or burlesque tales which nonetheless transcend the local has remained a focus of later writers, such as Göran Tunström
(1937–2000) and Lars Andersson
(b.1954).
The musical traditions have inspired a number of prominent musicians, such as singers Zarah Leander
, Monica Zetterlund
and Rigmor Gustafsson.
s or districts. Värmland was historically divided into chartered cities and districts. One district formed part of Bergslagen
and was a mountain district, and all the other districts were hundreds.
Provinces of Sweden
The provinces of Sweden, landskap, are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces and they have no administrative function, but remain historical legacies and the means of cultural identification....
or landskap in the west of middle 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 borders 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....
, Dalsland
Dalsland
Dalsland is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland in southern Sweden. Lying to the west of Lake Vänern, it is bordered by Värmland to the north, Västergötland to the southeast, Bohuslän to the west, and Norway to the northwest....
, Dalarna
Dalarna
', English exonym: Dalecarlia, is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. Another English language form established in literature is the Dales. Places involving the element Dalecarlia exist in the United States....
, Västmanland
Västmanland
' is a historical Swedish province, or landskap, in middle Sweden. It borders Södermanland, Närke, Värmland, Dalarna and Uppland.The name comes from "West men", referring to the people west of Uppland, the core province of early Sweden.- Administration :...
and Närke
Närke
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the southwest, and Värmland to the northwest...
. It is also bounded by 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...
in the west. Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland
Götaland
Götaland , Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gautland or Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises provinces...
, the province's current land is Svealand
Svealand
Svealand , Swealand or Sweden proper is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, Tylöskog, Kolmården, separated Svealand from Götaland...
. The origin of the province's name is uncertain. It may refer to the large local lake by the name of Värmeln.
Administration
Provinces serve no administrative function in Sweden today. Instead, that function is served by Counties of SwedenCounties of Sweden
The Counties of Sweden are the first level administrative and political subdivisions of Sweden. Sweden is divided into 21 counties. The counties were established in 1634 on Count Axel Oxenstierna's initiative, superseding the historical provinces of Sweden to introduce a modern administration...
; however, in many instances a county has virtually the same border as the province, which is the case with Värmland and its corresponding county Värmland County
Värmland County
Värmland County is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark to the west.- Province :...
. The main exception is a smaller part to the south east which belongs to Örebro County
Örebro County
Örebro County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland.- Province :...
.
Heraldry
Arms were granted in 1560, when it depicted a wolverine. This was however too similar to that of MedelpadMedelpad
' is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders to Hälsingland, Härjedalen, Jämtland, Ångermanland and the Gulf of Bothnia....
. In 1567 it was revised into an eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
. In the late 17th century the eagle was black. In 1936 it got its current blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
, when the eagle became blue. Blazon: "Argent, an Eagle displayed Azure beaked, langued and membered Gules."
Geography
The largest lake is VänernVänern
Vänern is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the EU and the third largest lake in Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland in the southwest of the country.- History :...
. Most streams of importance lead to Vänern. However, the province is rich in small lakes, ponds and streams. The scenic nature with mountains and lakes is usually regarded among the most picturesque in Sweden, and has inspired painters and writers since the 19th century.
Western Värmland
There are several mountain plateaus in the western part of Värmland, which is in the Scandinavian mountain range. The highest elevations are found in the northern parts, with plateaus of 500–700 meters. Here also the highest mountain top is found, the Granberget at Höljes, 701 meters.Eastern Värmland
The eastern part of Värmland is counted into the BergslagenBergslagen
Bergslagen is a historically, culturally, and linguistically distinct mining district located north of Lake Mälaren in northern Svealand, Sweden. In Bergslagen mining and metallurgic industry have been important since the Middle Ages...
, the Central Swedish Mining District. Its terrain is rather hilly, but a few high-altitude hills are present: Hvitklinten (414 m.), Dalkarlsberget (450 m.) and Vålbergsrös (476 m.).
This part of Värmland is rich in minerals, most notably iron ore which exists in large quantities. Some notable sites in this area are around Långban
Långban
Långban is a mining area in Värmland in Sweden. It belongs to Filipstad Municipality, with the nearest city being Filipstad, 21 km south. It was systematically mined through 1711-1972, but has traces from the 15th century. It is the birthplace of Swedish-American inventor John EricssonIt has...
and Nordmark Hundred. In the southeast, the ridge of Kilsbergen
Kilsbergen
Kilsbergen is a low mountainous ridge that separates Närke from Värmland. It is the southernmost extension of the taiga in Scandinavia and shows a flora and fauna that are unusual for the latitude. There are several skiing and hiking facilities in Kilsbergen. Kilsbergen is especially known for its...
marks the border with Närke
Närke
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the southwest, and Värmland to the northwest...
.
Population
The population of Värmland is 311,652 as of December 31, 2009. It is distributed over three counties as follows:| County | Population |
|---|---|
| Värmland County Värmland County Värmland County is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark to the west.- Province :... , partly |
273,097 |
| Örebro County Örebro County Örebro County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland.- Province :... , partly |
38,152 |
| Västra Götaland County Västra Götaland County Västra Götaland County is a county or län on the western coast of Sweden.The county is the second largest of Sweden's counties and it is subdivided into 49 municipalities . Its population of 1,550,000 amounts to 17% of Sweden's population... , peripherally |
403 |
History
The province was scarcely populated in the pre-historic age compared to Sweden's southern half. Its 5,500 registered ancient remains are few, compared to other areas. The province was considered to be of minor importance in the Swedish Realm. There are however interesting histories told by Snorri Sturlasson about Värmland in the 13th century. It extends back to Ingjald Illråde a legendary king in the 7th century.The early history was not only strongly influenced by the proximity to Västergötland, but also with its western neighbour 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...
. When Sweden was at war with 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...
, it had a strong effect on Värmland too. In 1225, Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon Haakonarson , also called Haakon the Old, was king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. Under his rule, medieval Norway reached its peak....
(Haakon the Old) invaded Sweden and burnt down all villages if they did not pay a ransom. This feud was eventually settled in 1249.
Värmland was originally considered a part of Götaland
Götaland
Götaland , Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gautland or Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises provinces...
, and had a strong connection to its southern neighbour 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....
. Eastern Värmland traditionally belongs to the Bergslagen
Bergslagen
Bergslagen is a historically, culturally, and linguistically distinct mining district located north of Lake Mälaren in northern Svealand, Sweden. In Bergslagen mining and metallurgic industry have been important since the Middle Ages...
area, Sweden's central mining district.
In 1582, Värmland was granted its first city privileges, Kristinehamn
Kristinehamn
Kristinehamn is a locality and the seat of Kristinehamn Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden with 17,836 inhabitants in 2005.- Geography :Kristinehamn is situated by the shores of lake Vänern...
, but those were revoked. The second city, Karlstad
Karlstad
Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...
, on the north shore of lake Vänern
Vänern
Vänern is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the EU and the third largest lake in Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland in the southwest of the country.- History :...
, was granted by Duke Charles, later king Charles IX of Sweden
Charles IX of Sweden
Charles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland...
, in 1584. It became the capital of the province and its name is derived from the King, and literally means Charles' City. The third city was Filipstad
Filipstad
Filipstad is a locality and the seat of Filipstad Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden with 6,177 inhabitants in 2005.Filipstad was granted city privileges in 1611 by Charles IX of Sweden, who named it after his son Duke Carl Philip .After a major fire destroyed forest and town in 1694, Filipstad...
in 1611; however, its privilege was revoked in 1694 after a devastating fire. King Charles IX took great personal intererest in expanding mining in the province and the industry developed sigificially during his reign.
The early 17th century marked the beginning of a substantial immigration from 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...
. The areas where they centred were known as Finnskog. They kept their Finnish customs and language until the late 19th century. The last native resident to speak Finnish here died in the 1980s.
The most significant coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of modern Swedish history had its beginning in Karlstad
Karlstad
Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...
. The man behind the uprising was a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
nobleman and a prominent man of the opposition, the former officer Georg Adlersparre
Georg Adlersparre
Count Georg Adlersparre was a Swedish army commander.Adlersparre was born in Hovermo . Having entered the army at the age of 15, he received from King Gustav III, in 1791, a secret commission to excite the Norwegians to rebellion...
. He was backed up by the radical captain Henrik Anckarsword and used the part of the western army that was stationed in Värmland to occupy Karlstad on the night of the 7th March 1809. From there he officially proclaimed revolution, a proclamation which held the view that the wars and oppression had ruined the country and that the government therefore had to be overthrown. On 9 March, Adlersparre and his enthusiastic soldiers (many of Finnish origin) finally began their successful march towards 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 events that followed, the king Gustav IV Adolf
Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden also Gustav Adolph was King of Sweden from 1792 until his abdication in 1809. He was the son of Gustav III of Sweden and his queen consort Sophia Magdalena, eldest daughter of Frederick V of Denmark and his first wife Louise of Great Britain. He was the last Swedish...
abdicated under pressure.
Under the Continental system
Continental System
The Continental System or Continental Blockade was the foreign policy of Napoleon I of France in his struggle against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland during the Napoleonic Wars. It was a large-scale embargo against British trade, which began on November 21, 1806...
(1806–1814), timber industry flourished in Värmland and during the modern era, forestry became industrialized and is still the economical backbone of the province.
Bordering on Norway, Värmland was affected by Sweden's last war, Crown Prince Jean Baptiste Bernadottes
Charles XIV John of Sweden
Charles XIV & III John, also Carl John, Swedish and Norwegian: Karl Johan was King of Sweden and King of Norway from 1818 until his death...
military campaign against Norway in 1814. The province saw large troop movement and many soldiers originating from the province were involved in battles. Värmland Regiment
Värmlands regemente
Värmlands regemente , designations I 22, I 2 and I 2/Fo 52, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was disbanded in 2000...
had three battalions attached to the 9th Brigade under Colonel Klingspor and one battalion - the Värmlandske Jaegerne - attached to the 10th Brigade under Colonel Gahn af Colqhoun
Carl Pontus Gahn
Carl Pontus Gahn was a Swedish military officer who participated in the Russo-Swedish War in Finland in 1788-1789, the Finnish War campaign in Norway in 1808 and the unsuccessful invasion of Norway at Eidskog in 1814 where he was imprisoned...
. Both brigades formed part of the 5th Army Division under Major General Rosenblad. The Swedish Army
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world and a branch of the Swedish Armed Forces; it is in charge of land operations. General Sverker Göranson is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army.- Organization :...
formed three columns and crossed the Norwegian border at Magnor
Magnor
Magnor is a village in the municipality of Eidskog, Norway, not far from the Swedish border. Its population is 961. It is known as a production site for glass, made at Magnor Glassverk and aluminium, made at Hydro Aluminium....
on the night between 30 Juli and 1 August. The 9th Brigade participated in the siege of Fredrikstad Fortress
Fredrikstad Fortress
Fredrikstad fortress was a fortification in Fredrikstad, Norway. It was the base of the Østfold Regiment, with defence related responsibilities for the east side of Oslo Fjord.-History:...
, which capitulated on 4 August, while other parts of the regiment followed a few days later Vegesacks department north and participated in battles at Rakkestad
Rakkestad
Rakkestad is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rakkestad. It is divided into the parishes of Rakkestad, Degernes, and Os. The municipality is the county's second largest by area and one of Norway's largest agricultural...
, Langenäs and Askim
Askim
is a town and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Askim. Askim was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 ....
. A battalion of the regiment, commanded by Major Lagerlöv, managed to courageously fight back a Norwegian attack from the bridgehead at Langenäs. The 10th Brigade went in the direction of Morast. It participated in the battle of Lier
Battle of Lier
The Battle of Lier was fought on 2 August 1814 between Sweden and the newly independent Norway as part of the Swedish-Norwegian War of 1814. The battle was the first major action of the war, and the Norwegian victory served as an important part to boost morale among the Norwegian troops...
south of Kongsvinger
Kongsvinger
is a town and is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger....
and retreated then to the border, where the battalion participated in the battle of Midskog on 5 August and suffered heavy losses.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, western Värmland was again the area of heavy military deployment. An agreement from the dissolution of the union with Norway in 1905 stated that no fortification was allowed on the border between the two nations, but after the German occupation of Norway, old fortifications were renovated and several new constructed. Most notably is the fortlet Hultet in Eda Municipality
Eda Municipality
Eda Municipality is a municipality in Värmland County in west central Sweden, on the Norwegian border. Its seat is located in the town of Charlottenberg....
, rearmed and reconstructed 1940-1941, and equipped with a network of machine gun emplacements, casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s and other concrete bunker
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
s, surrounded by barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
, walls and several lines of tank traps
Dragon's teeth (fortification)
Dragon's teeth are square-pyramidal fortifications of reinforced concrete first used during the Second World War to impede the movement of tanks and mechanised infantry...
. The fortifications have been renovated by locals and are now open to the public.
The film Gränsen (Eng. Beyond the Border) from 2011, telling the story about the life of the young soldiers guarding the border between Sweden and Nazi-occupied Norway in 1942, takes place in northern Värmland and was filmed near Torsby
Torsby
Torsby is a locality and the seat of Torsby Municipality in Värmland County, Sweden with 4,012 inhabitants in 2005.Fortum Ski Tunnel Torsby, the world's longest ski tunnel, is located in Torsby. Sebra Film is located in Torsby. Football manager Sven-Göran Eriksson and footballer Marcus Berg are...
.
Culture and literature
The province has powerful literary and musical traditions and has spawned some of the most well-known and loved authors of Sweden. In the 19th century several leading authors had their origin here, and retained links to Värmland, among them Erik Gustaf GeijerErik Gustaf Geijer
Erik Gustaf Geijer was a Swedish writer, historian, poet, philosopher, and composer. His writings served to promote Swedish National Romanticism. He also was an influential advocate of Liberalism.-Biography:...
, Esaias Tegnér
Esaias Tegnér
Esaias Tegnér , was a Swedish writer, professor of Greek language, and bishop. He was during the 19th century regarded as the father of modern poetry in Sweden, mainly through the national romantic epos Frithjof's Saga. He has been called Sweden's first modern man...
, Gustaf Fröding
Gustaf Fröding
Gustaf Fröding was a Swedish poet and writer, born in Alster outside Karlstad in Värmland. The family moved to Kristinehamn in the year 1867. He later studied at Uppsala University and worked as a journalist in Karlstad....
and Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner Selma Lagerlöf
Selma Lagerlöf
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf was a Swedish author. She was the first female writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and most widely known for her children's book Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige ....
. Lagerlöf's novel, Gösta Berlings Saga
Gösta Berlings saga
Gösta Berling's Saga is the debut novel of Selma Lagerlöf, published in 1891. The novel is a notable and still much read example of the 1890s wave of Swedish Neo-romanticism. Using wolves, snow, supernatural elements and eccentric upper-class characters to project an exotic image of 1820s...
, is a neo-romantic
Neo-romanticism
The term neo-romanticism is used to cover a variety of movements in music, painting and architecture. It has been used with reference to very late 19th century and early 20th century composers such as Gustav Mahler particularly by Carl Dahlhaus who uses it as synonymous with late Romanticism...
saga
Norse saga
The sagas are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking voyages, the battles that took place during the voyages, about migration to Iceland and of feuds between Icelandic families...
that takes place in Värmland in the 1820s and 1830s. It was also made into a film
Gösta Berlings saga (film)
The Saga of Gosta Berling is a 1924 Swedish romantic drama film directed by Mauritz Stiller and released by AB Svensk Filmindustri, starring Lars Hanson, Gerda Lundequist and Greta Garbo in her native break-out role on film. The film is based on the 1891 debut novel of the same name by the Swedish...
starring Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
.
Education, theatre and a somewhat glamorous lifestyle were buoyed by the landed gentry and the wealth being generated through a lively local iron trade, and also by the position of the landscape on the edge between civilization and wilderness, which inspired art, literature and folklore. During the second half of the 19th century, the iron processing industry was largely put out of business by the revolution in the steel industry which made Central Europe and the United States vastly superior in this field, and the overall economic crisis throughout Europe of the 1870s and 1880s, and the subsequent emigration to North America, shook the landscape. The consequence, however, was to make authors like Lagerlöf and Fröding more aware of the heritage of their province, and they both drew on what they felt to be an oral tradition of story-telling and local legends. This emphasis on richly textured, often romantic or burlesque tales which nonetheless transcend the local has remained a focus of later writers, such as Göran Tunström
Göran Tunström
Göran Tunström was a Swedish author. He grew up in Sunne, Värmland County. Tunström's style is personal and intimate, and has a clear autobiographical tone...
(1937–2000) and Lars Andersson
Lars Andersson
Lars Andersson may refer to:* Laurentius Andreae , Swedish clergyman and scholar* Lars Andersson i Hedensbyn , Swedish politician*Lars Andersson...
(b.1954).
The musical traditions have inspired a number of prominent musicians, such as singers Zarah Leander
Zarah Leander
Zarah Leander was a Swedish actress and singer.Leander began her career in the late 1920s, and by the mid 1930s her success in Europe, particularly in Germany and the Scandinavian countries, led to invitations to work in the United States...
, Monica Zetterlund
Monica Zetterlund
Eva Monica Zetterlund was a Swedish singer and actress.-Biography:Zetterlund was a singer particularly noted for her jazz work. She began by learning the classic jazz songs from radio and records, initially not knowing the language and what they sang about in English...
and Rigmor Gustafsson.
Dukes
Since 1772, Sweden's Princes have been created Dukes of various provinces in Sweden. This is solely a nominal title.- Prince Carl Adolf (1798)
- Crown Prince Gustaf (from his birth in 1858 until he became King in 1907)
- Prince Carl PhilipPrince Carl Philip, Duke of VärmlandPrince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland , is the second child of three children and only son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden. Born Crown Prince of Sweden, he retained his title and first place in succession for seven months until 1 January 1980...
(1979-)
Notable natives
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Sub-divisions
Sweden's provinces were sub-divided into hundredHundred (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...
s or districts. Värmland was historically divided into chartered cities and districts. One district formed part of Bergslagen
Bergslagen
Bergslagen is a historically, culturally, and linguistically distinct mining district located north of Lake Mälaren in northern Svealand, Sweden. In Bergslagen mining and metallurgic industry have been important since the Middle Ages...
and was a mountain district, and all the other districts were hundreds.
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