Kristinehamn
Encyclopedia
Kristinehamn is a locality
and the seat of Kristinehamn Municipality
, Värmland County
, Sweden
with 17,836 inhabitants in 2005.
. To be precise, it is situated where the small rivers Varnan and Löt drain into the lake.
It has a harbour and is a railroad and road transportation center.
Nearby towns include Karlskoga
and Karlstad
and is located exactly in the middle of Oslo
, Stockholm
and Gothenburg
with 250 km to each of them.
Kristinehamn got a Royal Charter
for the first time in 1582 but lost it in 1584, and regained it in 1642, and changed its name in honour of the monarch Queen Christina
of Sweden. It thus qualifies as one of Sweden's historical cities. Its city arms were designated with a bojort, which is a Dutch ship in use in the 17th century.
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 Kristinehamn Municipality
Kristinehamn Municipality
Kristinehamn Municipality is a municipality in Värmland County in west central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Kristinehamn....
, 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 :...
, 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 17,836 inhabitants in 2005.
Geography
Kristinehamn is situated by the shores of lake 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 :...
. To be precise, it is situated where the small rivers Varnan and Löt drain into the lake.
It has a harbour and is a railroad and road transportation center.
Nearby towns include Karlskoga
Karlskoga
Karlskoga is a locality and the seat of Karlskoga Municipality in Örebro County, Sweden with 27,500 inhabitants in 2005.-Geography:It is located at the northern shore of lake Möckeln, and the small settlement was initially called Möckelns bodar...
and 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...
and is located exactly in the middle of Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, 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 Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
with 250 km to each of them.
History
The location has had a resident population for centuries, at least since the stone age time. The town was then built alongside the bridge over river Varnan. Its name was Broo (or Bro) until 1642, and "Bro" literally means "Bridge" in Swedish.Kristinehamn got a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
for the first time in 1582 but lost it in 1584, and regained it in 1642, and changed its name in honour of the monarch Queen Christina
Christina of Sweden
Christina , later adopted the name Christina Alexandra, was Queen regnant of Swedes, Goths and Vandals, Grand Princess of Finland, and Duchess of Ingria, Estonia, Livonia and Karelia, from 1633 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustav II Adolph and his wife Maria Eleonora...
of Sweden. It thus qualifies as one of Sweden's historical cities. Its city arms were designated with a bojort, which is a Dutch ship in use in the 17th century.
Sites of interest
- By the shores of lake VänernVänernVänern 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 :...
stands this 15 meter high Pablo PicassoPablo PicassoPablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
statue since 1965. The statue was concipated from Picasso, but built and inaugerated without him visiting the construction site. Picasso never visited Kristinehamn. Its 15 meters make it the tallest Picasso Sculpture in the world. - The oldest runestone in the county of Värmland, the Järsberg RunestoneJärsberg RunestoneThe Järsberg Runestone is a runestone in the elder futhark near Kristinehamn in Värmland, Sweden.-Inscription:It contains the following runic text as transliterated into Latin letters:As translated into English:...
, is located in Järsberg around 1 km outside the city, with origin back to 500 AC. The latest interpretation of the runes was made by Sven B. F. Jansson. Quotation: "My name is "Ljuv". My name is "Ravn". Me "Eril" am making the runes". A pearl from the same period of time has been found in the area. - Kristinehamn Church was designed by professor Carl Georg BruniusCarl Georg BruniusCarl Georg Brunius was a classical scholar, art historian, archaeologist and architect working in the university town of Lund in southern Sweden....
and was first opened in 1858. The church also has a museum in the sanctuary gallery that is worth a visit because of its unique architecture.