Kungälv
Encyclopedia
Kungälv is a city and the seat of Kungälv Municipality
in Västra Götaland County
, Sweden
. It had 21,139 inhabitants in 2005.
was moved to the Bohus Fortress
. However, this is disputed due to the fact that other sources indicate that it was the capital of Norway at one point under Sigurd I Magnusson.
Sigurd I Magnusson (Sigurd Jorsalfare/Sigurd the Crusader) was the King of Norway (1103-1130) and is the most well known crusader king of Scandinavia. He was also the first European king to join the crusades at a time where Kungälv was Norwegian territory.
Sigurd returned to Norway in 1111 where he made his capital in Konghelle (Kungälv in present-day Sweden) and built a castle there, where he kept a relic given to him by King Baldwin, a splinter reputed to be from the True Cross. Sigurd died in 1130 and was buried in Hallvardskirken (Hallvards church) in Oslo.
Sigurd I Magnusson marks the first verifiable royal presence in Kungälv which might indicate that the name originated from this era.
In the 1120s Pomerania
n ships from Szczecin, from the southern coast of the Baltic Sea
attacked the Danish coast. On 10 August 1135 Duke Ratibor
assaulted the Norwegian towns. Konghelle, was captured and burnt to the ground by the forces of prince Ratibor, assisted by a fleet of 550 ships with cavalry on board (each carrying forty-four men and two horses). They laid the town in ruins, killed a large part of the population, and abducted most of the survivors as thralls to Szczecin
. Snorri Sturluson
, writing a century later, said that Konghelle never completely recovered.
The Bohus Fortress combined with "Bräckboden" is the most popular tourist attraction in Kungälv.
Kungälv Municipality
Kungälv Municipality is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Kungälv....
in 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...
, 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 had 21,139 inhabitants in 2005.
History
According to Swedish official sources the city was founded in 1612, when the former settlement at KungahällaKungahälla
Kungahälla was a medieval Norwegian settlement in southern Bohuslän at a site which is presently located in Kungälv Municipality in Västra Götaland County in Sweden...
was moved to the Bohus Fortress
Bohus Fortress
Bohus Fortress lies along the old Norwegian - Swedish border in Kungälv, Bohuslän, Sweden, north east from Hisingen where the Göta river splits into two branches...
. However, this is disputed due to the fact that other sources indicate that it was the capital of Norway at one point under Sigurd I Magnusson.
Sigurd I Magnusson (Sigurd Jorsalfare/Sigurd the Crusader) was the King of Norway (1103-1130) and is the most well known crusader king of Scandinavia. He was also the first European king to join the crusades at a time where Kungälv was Norwegian territory.
Sigurd returned to Norway in 1111 where he made his capital in Konghelle (Kungälv in present-day Sweden) and built a castle there, where he kept a relic given to him by King Baldwin, a splinter reputed to be from the True Cross. Sigurd died in 1130 and was buried in Hallvardskirken (Hallvards church) in Oslo.
Sigurd I Magnusson marks the first verifiable royal presence in Kungälv which might indicate that the name originated from this era.
In the 1120s Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
n ships from Szczecin, from the southern coast of the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
attacked the Danish coast. On 10 August 1135 Duke Ratibor
Ratibor I, Duke of Pomerania
Ratibor I of the House of Pomerania was Duke of Pomerania. He was married to Pribislawa, and was the ancestor of the Ratiborides sideline of the Griffins....
assaulted the Norwegian towns. Konghelle, was captured and burnt to the ground by the forces of prince Ratibor, assisted by a fleet of 550 ships with cavalry on board (each carrying forty-four men and two horses). They laid the town in ruins, killed a large part of the population, and abducted most of the survivors as thralls to Szczecin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
. Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
, writing a century later, said that Konghelle never completely recovered.
The Bohus Fortress combined with "Bräckboden" is the most popular tourist attraction in Kungälv.
Famous people
- Mikael AnderssonMikael AnderssonMikael Andersson is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey forward who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, Hartford Whalers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders, and Philadelphia Flyers...
, Former NHL-forward and Olympian was raised in Kungälv. - Niklas AnderssonNiklas AnderssonPer Niklas Andersson is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey left winger. In his career, he spent time with several National Hockey League teams as well as various minor professional teams in North America, but mostly played for Frölunda HC in the Swedish Elitserien.- Playing career...
, Former NHL-forward and younger brother of Mikael was born and raised in Kungälv. - P. J. Axelsson, Former Boston Bruins forward and Olympian was born and raised in Kungälv.
- Fredrik SjostromFredrik SjöströmFredrik Sjöström is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger playing with Frölunda HC of the Elitserien. He previously played in the National Hockey League for the Phoenix Coyotes, New York Rangers, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs.-Playing career:Sjöström is a big but speedy forward who...
, Current NHL-forward was raised in Kungälv. - Carin KochCarin KochCarin Koch is a Swedish professional golfer who plays mainly on the U.S. based LPGA Tour and is also a member of the Ladies European Tour.-Amateur career:Carin Koch had a successful amateur career...
, Professional golfer was born and raised in Kungälv. - Ernst SkarstedtErnst SkarstedtErnst Skarstedt was a Swedish-American author, journalist and editor of Swedish language books and newspapers...
, Swedish-American author, journalist and editor was born in Kungälv. - Pontus WernbloomPontus WernbloomPontus Anders Mikael Wernbloom is a Swedish footballer who plays for AZ in the Eredivisie.-Career:After playing for a local club, he joined the youth team of IFK Göteborg in 2004, before being promoted to the senior team in 2005. He quickly made a name for himself with his hard tackles, fighting...
, Professional football player.
Sports
The following sports clubs are located in Kungälv:- Ytterby ISYtterby ISYtterby IS is a Swedish football team from Kungälv, currently playing in Division 2 Norra Götaland. The team was founded in 1947.-Background:...
- IK KongahällaIK KongahällaIK Kongahälla is a Swedish football club located in Kungälv.-Background:IK Kongahälla currently plays in Division 4 Göteborg A which is the sixth tier of Swedish football. They play their home matches at the IP Kongevi in Kungälv....
- Kungälvs simsällskapp