Växjö
Encyclopedia
Växjö (ˈvɛkːˈɧøː) is a city
and the seat of Växjö Municipality
, Kronoberg County
, Sweden
with 64 200 inhabitants in 2010. It is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Kronoberg County
. Furthermore it is the episcopal see
of the Diocese of Växjö. It has a population of about 64 200, out of a municipal
total of 83,000 inhabitants. The town is home to Linnaeus University
.
that farmer
s took in the winter to get to the marketplace that later became the city.
In contrast to what was believed a century ago, there is no evidence of a special pre-Christian significance of the site. The pagan cultic center
of Värend
may have been located at Hov, a village nearby.
Even though the city has been an Episcopal see since the 12th century, it did not get its city charter until 1342, issued by Magnus Eriksson
. During the Middle Ages Växjö did not have many pious institutions. A Franciscan
monastery was established in 1485. There was a hospital of the Holy Ghost
, first mentioned in 1318. In the 14th century Växjö got its first school, Växjö katedralskola, that was much visited. By 1643 it received gymnasium
status.
At the beginning of Gustav Eriksson's
war of liberation, the peasantry joined forces under the guidance of the union-hostile bishop Ingemar Pedersson, the mountain men and the peasantry of Dalarna
, Hälsingland
and Gästrikland
, who urged fidelity to the their leader Gustav Eriksson.
During the Dacke War
, a peasant uprising, the city was in the hands of Nils Dacke
and his supporters from the summer of 1542 until after New Year 1543. The city residents and the clergy seem to have adopted a cautious neutrality, even though common sympathies rested with Dacke.
Several times during the Northern Wars
, Scanian War
s and thereafter, the city has been plagued by fire (in 1277, 1516, 1570, 1612, 1658, 1690, 1749, 1753, 1799, 1838 and 1843). After the last fire in 1843, when 1140 citizens were rendered homeless, Växjö got its current street plan.
The Barbarella
nightclub was prominent in southeastern Sweden in the 1970s, attracting a number of major international bands.
has 15,000 students (2008).
Industries include Alstom
and Aerotech Telub. Växjö houses Sweden's National Glass Museum and claims to be the capital of the "Kingdom of Crystal
" as well as of the "Kingdom of Furniture".
The Swedish Emigrant Institute
was established in 1965 and resides in the House of Emigrants near the Växjö lake in the heart of the city. It contains archive
s, library, museum, and a research center relating to the emigration
period between 1846 and 1930, when 1.3 million (or 20%) of the Swedish population emigrated, mainly to the USA. Archives, dating to the 17th century, of birth and death records as well as household records are available on microfiche.
Immediately north of Växjö is Kronoberg Castle
, a ruined fortress constructed in the 15th century. This castle
was used as base by rebel Nils Dacke
during the Dacke War
. The fortress has thick walls and an interesting array of artillery
portal
s that face out onto the lake Helgasjön to the north. The city also holds another castle, Teleborg Castle
built in 1900 and situated near the University.
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 Växjö Municipality
Växjö Municipality
Växjö Municipality is a municipality in Kronoberg County in southern Sweden, where Växjö is the seat.The municipality was created in 1971 by the amalgamation of the City of Växjö with the surrounding municipalities...
, Kronoberg County
Kronoberg County
Kronoberg County is a County or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Skåne, Halland, Jönköping, Kalmar and Blekinge. Its capital is the city Växjö.- Province :For History, Geography and Culture see: Småland...
, 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 64 200 inhabitants in 2010. It is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Kronoberg County
Kronoberg County
Kronoberg County is a County or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Skåne, Halland, Jönköping, Kalmar and Blekinge. Its capital is the city Växjö.- Province :For History, Geography and Culture see: Småland...
. Furthermore it is the episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
of the Diocese of Växjö. It has a population of about 64 200, out of a municipal
Municipalities of Sweden
The municipalities of Sweden are the local government entities of Sweden. The current 290 municipalities are organized into 21 counties...
total of 83,000 inhabitants. The town is home to Linnaeus University
Linnaeus University
Linnaeus University is a public university in the Småland region of Sweden. It has two campuses, one in Växjö and one in Kalmar. Linnaeus University was established in 2010 by a merger of former Växjö University and Kalmar University College , and has been named in honour of Carl Linnaeus.-...
.
Etymology
The city's name is believed to be constructed from the words "väg" (road) and "sjö" (lake), meaning the road over the frozen Växjö LakeVäxjö Lake
Växjö lake is a lake in Växjö Municipality, Sweden....
that farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s took in the winter to get to the marketplace that later became the city.
History
Heathen hofs
Heathen hofs or Germanic pagan temples were the temple buildings of Germanic paganism; there are also a few built for use in modern Germanic neopaganism...
of Värend
Värend
Värend was in the Middle Ages the most populous of the constituent small lands of the province Småland, in Sweden. Early on, Växjö became its center. Around 1170, Värend broke out of the diocese of Linköping, and formed its own diocese of Växjö...
may have been located at Hov, a village nearby.
Even though the city has been an Episcopal see since the 12th century, it did not get its city charter until 1342, issued by Magnus Eriksson
Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus Eriksson as Magnus IV was king of Sweden , including Finland, as Magnus VII King of Norway , including Iceland and Greenland, and also ruled Scania . He has also vindictively been called Magnus Smek...
. During the Middle Ages Växjö did not have many pious institutions. A Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery was established in 1485. There was a hospital of the Holy Ghost
Order of the Holy Ghost
The order was responsible for running hospitals - Hospitals of the Holy Ghost - throughout Europe for centuries, and in its heyday the number of its houses ran into many hundreds...
, first mentioned in 1318. In the 14th century Växjö got its first school, Växjö katedralskola, that was much visited. By 1643 it received gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
status.
At the beginning of Gustav Eriksson's
Gustav I of Sweden
Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....
war of liberation, the peasantry joined forces under the guidance of the union-hostile bishop Ingemar Pedersson, the mountain men and the peasantry of 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....
, Hälsingland
Hälsingland
' is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. It borders to Gästrikland, Dalarna, Härjedalen, Medelpad and to the Gulf of Bothnia...
and Gästrikland
Gästrikland
' is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Uppland, Västmanland, Dalarna, Hälsingland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Gästrikland is the southernmost of the Norrland provinces....
, who urged fidelity to the their leader Gustav Eriksson.
During the Dacke War
Dacke War
Dackefejden was a peasant uprising led by Nils Dacke in Småland, Sweden, in 1542 against the rule of Gustav Vasa. Dacke and his followers were dissatisfied with the heavy burden of the taxes, the introduction of lutheranism and the confiscations of the churches property...
, a peasant uprising, the city was in the hands of Nils Dacke
Nils Dacke
Nils Dacke was the leader of a 16th century peasant revolt in Småland, southern Sweden called the Dacke War , fought against the Swedish king Gustav I. It was the most widespread and serious civil war in Swedish history and almost toppled the king.-Background:Gustav Vasa had come to power at the...
and his supporters from the summer of 1542 until after New Year 1543. The city residents and the clergy seem to have adopted a cautious neutrality, even though common sympathies rested with Dacke.
Several times during the Northern Wars
Northern Wars
Northern Wars is a term used for a series of wars fought in northern and northeastern Europe in the 16th and 17th century. An internationally agreed nomenclature for these wars has not yet been devised...
, Scanian War
Scanian War
The Scanian War was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark-Norway, Brandenburg and Sweden. It was fought mainly on Scanian soil, in the former Danish provinces along the border with Sweden and in Northern Germany...
s and thereafter, the city has been plagued by fire (in 1277, 1516, 1570, 1612, 1658, 1690, 1749, 1753, 1799, 1838 and 1843). After the last fire in 1843, when 1140 citizens were rendered homeless, Växjö got its current street plan.
The Barbarella
Barbarella (nightclub)
Discotheque Barbarella was a discoteque in Växjö, Sweden, prominent in the 1970s. In a city of very limited entertainment, Barbarella played a central role. The disco opened in 1971 in an industrial area in the outskirts and drew crowds from many parts of southeastern Sweden...
nightclub was prominent in southeastern Sweden in the 1970s, attracting a number of major international bands.
Demography
| class="wikitable"> | |
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 22 784 |
| 1965 | 29 354 |
| 1970 | 39 019 |
| 1975 | 40 328 |
| 1980 | 42 632 |
| 1985 | - |
| 1990 | 46 735 |
| 1995 | 49 865 |
| 2000 | 51 790 |
| 2005 | 55 600 |
| 2010 | 64 200 |
Notable locations
Linnaeus UniversityLinnaeus University
Linnaeus University is a public university in the Småland region of Sweden. It has two campuses, one in Växjö and one in Kalmar. Linnaeus University was established in 2010 by a merger of former Växjö University and Kalmar University College , and has been named in honour of Carl Linnaeus.-...
has 15,000 students (2008).
Industries include Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
and Aerotech Telub. Växjö houses Sweden's National Glass Museum and claims to be the capital of the "Kingdom of Crystal
Kingdom of Crystal
The Kingdom of Crystal is a geographical area today containing a total of 15 glassworks in the municipalities of Emmaboda, Nybro, Uppvidinge and Lessebo in southern Sweden. Their history can be traced back to the 18th century at least...
" as well as of the "Kingdom of Furniture".
The Swedish Emigrant Institute
Swedish Emigrant Institute
Swedish Emigrant Institute is a research center and museum which is designed to preserve records and memorabilia relating to Swedish-American migration.-Background:...
was established in 1965 and resides in the House of Emigrants near the Växjö lake in the heart of the city. It contains archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
s, library, museum, and a research center relating to the emigration
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
period between 1846 and 1930, when 1.3 million (or 20%) of the Swedish population emigrated, mainly to the USA. Archives, dating to the 17th century, of birth and death records as well as household records are available on microfiche.
Immediately north of Växjö is Kronoberg Castle
Kronoberg Castle
Kronoberg Castle is a medieval ruin located on an island in lake Helgasjön, north of the town of Växjö in Småland, Sweden. Kronoberg County, in which it is located, was named after the castle....
, a ruined fortress constructed in the 15th century. This castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
was used as base by rebel Nils Dacke
Nils Dacke
Nils Dacke was the leader of a 16th century peasant revolt in Småland, southern Sweden called the Dacke War , fought against the Swedish king Gustav I. It was the most widespread and serious civil war in Swedish history and almost toppled the king.-Background:Gustav Vasa had come to power at the...
during the Dacke War
Dacke War
Dackefejden was a peasant uprising led by Nils Dacke in Småland, Sweden, in 1542 against the rule of Gustav Vasa. Dacke and his followers were dissatisfied with the heavy burden of the taxes, the introduction of lutheranism and the confiscations of the churches property...
. The fortress has thick walls and an interesting array of 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...
portal
Portal (architecture)
Portal is a general term describing an opening in the walls of a building, gate or fortification, and especially a grand entrance to an important structure. Doors, metal gates or portcullis in the opening can be used to control entry or exit. The surface surrounding the opening may be made of...
s that face out onto the lake Helgasjön to the north. The city also holds another castle, Teleborg Castle
Teleborg Castle
The Castle of Teleborg is beautifully situated near the lake Trummen, 4–5 km south of the city centre of Växjö, Sweden.Despite its middle-age style, the castle was built in 1900 by architect firm Lindvall & Boklund. The castle was built as a wedding present from count Fredrik Bonde af Björnö...
built in 1900 and situated near the University.
Climate
Notable natives
- Joachim BjörklundJoachim BjörklundJoachim Björklund is a former Swedish professional footballer. For many years he formed a successful central defensive partnership with Patrik Andersson for the Swedish national team. Björklund was selected for the UEFA Euro 1992, 1994 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000...
, footballer - Jonas BjörkmanJonas BjörkmanJonas Lars Björkman is a former World Number 4 Swedish professional tennis player. He is also a former World No. 1 in doubles. Björkman retired from professional tennis after competing at the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup Doubles championships....
, tennis player with 50 doubles titles including Grand SlamGrand Slam (tennis)The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
s - Karl-Birger BlomdahlKarl-Birger BlomdahlKarl-Birger Blomdahl was a Swedish composer and conductor born in Växjö. He was educated in biochemistry, but was primarily active in music and by his experimental compositions he became one of the big names in Swedish modernism. His teachers included Hilding Rosenberg...
, 20th century music composer - Bjorn EnglenBjorn EnglenBjorn Englen is the bass player for Soul Sign and Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force. Bjorn has also played for guitarist Tony MacAlpine, MSG/Survivor vocalist Robin McAuley, Uli Jon Roth and Quiet Riot to name a few.- Biography :Bjorn Englen was born in Växjö, Sweden...
, bass player of Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force - Knute HeldnerKnute Heldner-Biography:Knute August Heldner was born in Sweden. He lived in the village Vederslöv, Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Småland, Sweden. His early formal training was at Karlskrona Technical School and the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm. He migrated to America around 1902. He lived...
, 20th century Swedish AmericanSwedish AmericanSwedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent, especially the descendants of about 1.2 million immigrants from Sweden during 1885-1915. Most were Lutherans who affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; some were Methodists...
artist - Owe JonssonOwe JonssonOwe Jonsson was a Swedish sprinter, ice hockey player and bandy player.Prior to his death, Jonsson was a rapidly improving sprinter who competed over 100, 200 and 400 metres. He broke the Swedish national record six times over 200 metres, his strongest event...
, track and field athlete and European champion - Martin KellermanMartin KellermanMartin Kellerman is a Swedish cartoonist, known for the comic strip Rocky.-Biography:Kellerman was influenced by American and Swedish underground cartoonists such as Peter Bagge, Max Andersson, Robert Crumb, Harvey Pekar, Joe Matt and Mats Jonsson. Kellerman states that his work resembles "a...
, comic stripComic stripA comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
creator - Carolina KlüftCarolina KlüftCarolina Evelyn Klüft is a Swedish athlete competing in triple jump, long jump and formerly in heptathlon and pentathlon. She won the Olympic heptathlon title in 2004...
, track and field athlete and Olympic gold medalist at Athens 2004 - Pär LagerkvistPär LagerkvistPär Fabian Lagerkvist was a Swedish author who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1951.Lagerkvist wrote poems, plays, novels, stories, and essays of considerable expressive power and influence from his early 20s to his late 70s...
, author and winner of the Nobel Prize in LiteratureNobel Prize in LiteratureSince 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
, 1951 - Otto LindbladOtto LindbladOtto Lindblad , was a Swedish composer. He is most famous for the musical score of Kungssången, the Swedish royal anthem....
, 19th century music composer - Carolus LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, botanist, physician and zoologist - Christina NilssonChristina NilssonChristina Nilsson, Countess de Casa Miranda, was a Swedish operatic soprano. She possessed a brilliant bel canto technique and was considered a rival to the Victorian era's most famous diva, Adelina Patti...
, 19th century soprano celebrity - Thomas RavelliThomas RavelliThomas Ravelli is a retired Swedish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.His 21-year professional career was almost exclusively associated with Öster and Göteborg, for whom he amassed Allsvenskan totals of 430 games....
, football goalkeeper - Peder SjögrenPeder SjögrenPeder Sjögren , born as Gösta Sjögren, was a Swedish writer who fought in the Spanish Civil War and the Continuation War. Many of his books were based on those experiences.-Life and works:...
, 20th century author and playwright - Jonas SwenssonJonas SwenssonJonas Swensson was a noted minister of the Lutheran Church and president of the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church....
, President of the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran ChurchAugustana Evangelical Lutheran ChurchThe Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church was a Lutheran church body in the United States that was one of the churches that merged into the Lutheran Church in America in 1962... - Håkan SyrénHåkan SyrénGeneral Håkan Erik Gunnar Syrén is a General of the Swedish Amphibious Corps and chairman of the European Union Military Committee...
, a military GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces - Mats WilanderMats WilanderMats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title...
, tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player with seven Grand SlamGrand Slam (tennis)The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
victories 1982–1988 - Björn WirdheimBjörn WirdheimBjörn Karl Michael Wirdheim is an auto racing driver. Wirdheim is the son of Örnulf Wirdheim, a Swedish racing driver. He began racing karts, competing in his first race, at the age of 10...
, racing driver - The ArkThe Ark (band)The Ark was a Swedish glam rock band formed in 1991 by Jepsson Mikael , and Lasse Ljungberg, when Ola Salo and Leari were only fourteen years old. Martin Axén officially joined the band in 1997, and Sylvester Schlegel in 1999. In late 2005, Jens Andersson joined The Ark as an official member...
, rock band - Melody ClubMelody ClubMelody Club is a Swedish pop/synth rock band from Växjö formed in January 2000. Their break-through came in 2002 with the song Palace Station, which was also a big success in Germany. The band has frequent radio airplay in Sweden, Germany, Japan, Norway and Denmark.Melody Club's style can be...
, rock band - SilencerSilencerSilencer may refer to:* Muffler, a device for reducing the amount of noise emitted by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine* Silencer , a DNA sequence capable of binding transcription regulation factors termed repressors...
, depressive black metal band
Sports clubs
The following sports clubs are located in Växjö:- Östers IFÖsters IFÖsters IF is a Swedish football club located in Växjö. The club, formed 20 April 1930 , is currently playing in the second Swedish league called Superettan. In 1968, Öster won Allsvenskan as newcomers. The club is affiliated to the Smålands Fotbollförbund...
- football - Hovshaga AIFHovshaga AIFHovshaga AIF is a Swedish football club located in Växjö in Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County.-Background:Hovshaga AIF is one of Småland's biggest sporting clubs and is based at the Hagavallen and Hovshaga sports hall. HAIF is active in football, bandy and tennis...
- football, bandy and tennis - Växjö Lakers - ice hockey
External links
- Växjö Municipality – Official siteVäxjö article in Nordisk familjebokNordisk familjebokNordisk familjebok is a Swedish encyclopedia, published between 1876 and 1957.- History :The first edition was published in 20 volumes between 1876 and 1899. The first edition is known as the "Iðunn edition" because of the picture of Iðunn on the cover...