Långholmen
Encyclopedia
Långholmen is an island in central 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...

, between Södermalm
Södermalm
Södermalm, often shortened to "Söder", is a district in central Stockholm. It covers the large island formerly called "Åsön". With a population of 99,685, it is one of the most densely populated districts of Scandinavia...

 and Kungsholmen
Kungsholmen
Kungsholmen is an island in Lake Mälaren in Sweden, part of Stockholm City. It is situated north of Riddarfjärden and considered part of the historical province Uppland....

.

Långholmen is a green oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...

 in the city, and a popular spot for walks, picnics and swimming. The small beaches, located right outside the former prison, are usually crowded in summer. However, up until 1975, Långholmen was used as a prison island. Since 1989 Långholmen Prison
Långholmen prison
Långholmen Prison, officially Långholmen Central Prison , was historically one of the biggest prison facilities in Sweden with more than 500 cells, located on the island of Långholmen in Stockholm. It was built 1874-1880 as the central prison of Sweden, and was in use until 1975...

 has been a 112 room hotel and hostel, renovated in 2007/2008. In the former prison hospital there is now a restaurant and pub.

Långholmen was originally rocky and barren, but in the eighteenth century, prison inmates covered the island with mud dredged from the surrounding waterways. After several years, the fertile soil transformed much of the island into lush gardens with a somewhat exotic flora, due to the introduction of various seeds that were spread via trade and merchant ships passing by the island. This peculiarity still persists, and today the island is considered a lush retreat.

In 1993 a JAS 39 Gripen
JAS 39 Gripen
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...

 fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

 crashed
Accidents and incidents involving the JAS 39 Gripen
The JAS 39 Gripen is a fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab.As of May 2010, five Gripens were destroyed in crashes, two of them before the delivery to the Swedish Air Force. These aircraft included one prototype, one production aircraft and three in service with the...

 on Långholmen during a display at the Stockholm Water Festival
Stockholm Water Festival
The Stockholm Water Festival was an annual street festival held in Stockholm, Sweden, in August from 1991 to 1999. The festival featured many activities in central Stockholm, but was eventually cancelled after the 1999 festival due to lack of funds....

. The plane caught fire on impact, but the fire could soon be put out. The pilot successfully ejected, and despite large crowds of spectators no one was seriously injured. A sculpture in stainless steel by Thomas Qvarsebo, depicting a paper plane
Paper plane
A paper plane, paper aeroplane , paper airplane , paper glider, paper dart or dart is a toy aircraft, usually a glider made out of paper or paperboard; the practice of constructing paper planes is sometimes referred to as aerogami , after origami, the Japanese art of paper folding.-History:The...

 with its nose drilled into the ground, was placed on the spot in 1994.

Långholmen Football club was founded in 2002 and is now an important part of the sporting and social life of the expatriate community in Stockholm. The club was founded by a group of expats who regularly met on the gravel pitch on the island. Although English is generally the main language used by Långholmen players and the majority of members have tended to be from the British Isles, the club has always been proud of its international mix of players. The decision to have the club's home shirt with black and white stripes is indeed homage to the island and its history.
Having started out in Stockholm Division 8, the lowest football league at the time, Långholmen Football club have achieved numerous promotions and will now play in the Swedish national football league Swedish football league system
Swedish football league system
The Swedish football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Sweden which is controlled by the Swedish Football Association and consists of 276 teams in 22 leagues divided into five levels...

 in Division 3 Östra Svealand with current assistant manager Stuart Lascelles taking over as head coach from Chris Latham for the start of the 2010 season.

See also

  • Långholmsbron
    Långholmsbron
    Långholmsbron is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Connecting the major island Södermalm to the minor island Långholmen, it forms an extension to the street Bergsundsgatan....

  • Pålsundsbron
    Pålsundsbron
    Pålsundsbron is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over the small water course Pålsundet, the bridge connects the major island Södermalm to the minor island Långholmen....

  • Reimersholme
    Reimersholme
    Reimersholme is a small island in central Stockholm, lying to the west of Södermalm and to the south of the neighbouring island Långholmen. As of 2006 Reimersholme is inhabited by 2,324 people, living in 1,527 dwellings, and with an average annual income of SEK 306,500. 12 percent of the...

  • Västerbron
    Västerbron
    Västerbron is an arch bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. With a total length exceeding 600 m, 340 m of which stretches over water, it is one of the major bridges in Stockholm, offering one of the most panoramic views of the central part of the city centering on Gamla stan, the old town...


External links

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