Kalmar
This article is about the Swedish town. For the famous Scandanavian political union of the middle-ages, see Kalmar Union.Kalmar is a city in
Småland in south east
Sweden, situated by the
Baltic Sea. It has 34,000 inhabitants, and is the seat of
Kalmar Municipality with a total of 60,000 inhabitants. It is also the capital of
Kalmar County, which is comprised of 12 municipalities with in total 236,000 inhabitants.
From the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries, Kalmar was one of Sweden's most important cities. Between 1602 to 1913 it was the capital of
Kalmar Diocese, with a bishop, and the Kalmar Cathedral from 1702 is still a fine example of
classicistic architecture. It became a fortified city, with the still mighty
Kalmar Castle as the center. After the
Treaty of Roskilde 1658 Kalmar's importance diminished, until the industry sector was initiated in the 19th century.
Geographically Kalmar is the main route to the island of
Öland thanks to the
Öland Bridge.
History
|
Seal of Kalmar, 13th century |
The area around Kalmar has been inhabited since ancient times. Diggins have found traces of
stone age gravefields. The oldest sources of there being a town are however from the 11th century. According to a medieval
folk tale, the Norwegian patron
Saint Olav allegedly had his ships moved to the
Kalmar Strait in
1027. Written contemporary records are sparse, but on a
runestone from the 11th century, there is a mention of the same strait. Whether Kalmar was a town or just a small settlement adjacent to the Kalmar Strait is debatable. So is also the origin of the name Kalmar -- the most likely explanation is that it is an
old Swedish word for "stone banks". However, when Icelandic saga-writer
Snorri Sturluson visited Kalmar in
1219, he referred to it as
Kaupbær, which means
merchant town. In the 13th century, Kalmar is known to have flourished as one of Sweden's wealthiest cities, thanks to rich merchants mainly from Germany.
The oldest city seal of Kalmar is from somewhere between 1255-1267, making it the oldest known city seal in
Scandinavia.
In the 12th century the first foundations of a castle were established, with the construction of a round tower for guard and lookout. The tower was continuously expanded on in
13th century, and as such, Queen
Margaret called an assembly there between head of states of Sweden and Norway, and on
July 13,
1397, the
Kalmar Union treaty was signed, which would last until 1523. Kalmar's strategical location, near the Danish border (which was close as
Terra Scania belonged to Denmark), and its harbour and marchancy, also led it into several feuds. There are two events independently labelled
Kalmar bloodbath: The first in 1505, when King
John of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden let execute the mayor and city council of Kalmar; the second in 1599 by command of Duke Charles, later to became King
Charles IX of Sweden.
In the 1540s, first King
Gustav Vasa, and later his sons
Erik XIV of Sweden and
John III of Sweden would organize a rebuilding of the castle into the magnificent
Renaissance castle it is today.
Kalmar became a
diocese in
1602, a position it held until 1903. In
1634,
Kalmar County is founded, with Kalmar as the natural capital. In 1660, the Kalmar Cathedral was begun by drawings of
Nicodemus Tessin the Elder. It would be inaugurated in
1702.
In 1611-1613, it suffered in the
Kalmar War, which began with Danish troops besieged the Kalmar Castle. And 1611 is mentioned as the darkest year of Kalmar's history, but by no means the only dark year; much blood has been shed in the vicinity of the castle. The last was during the
Scanian War in the 1670s, leading its sieges to a total of 22 -- yet, it was never conquered.
In
1658, the
Scanian lands were annexed by Sweden, and the strategical importance of Kalmar gradually diminished as the borders were drawn to a southern latitude. In 1689, the King established his main
naval base south in
Karlskrona and Kalmar had been freed of its place as one of Sweden's main military outpost.
Today
In more recent times, Kalmar has been an industrial city with
Kalmar Mekaniska Verkstad making steam engines and large machinery. It has a
university with over 9,000 students (
University of Kalmar) and a research facility for
Telia Sonera.
*
Ivar Kreuger*
Jenny Nyström*
Kalmar Municipality*
Kalmar Airport*
Kalmar Mekaniska Verkstad*
Spawn of Possession*
University of Kalmar*
article Kalmar,
Nordisk familjebok*
Kalmar - Official site
*
Kalmar Castle*
Kalmar City - pictures from nightlife in Kalmar*
University of Kalmar*
CityRapporten - local publication about Kalmar
