Åmål
Encyclopedia
Åmål is a locality and the seat of Åmål Municipality
in Västra Götaland County
, Sweden
with 9,380 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated on the western shore of Lake Vänern.
In 2005 Åmål received second prize in the international competition, The International Awards for Liveable Communities (also known as the LivCom Awards). A Blues
Festival has been held annually in Åmål since 1992.
, and became one of the now defunct Cities of Sweden on April 1, 1643, and the only city in the historical province of Dalsland
. Its location close to the borders of the Denmark-Norway alliance made it vulnerable to attack and it accordingly suffered over the ensuing centuries: first in 1645, when it was almost completely demolished, again in 1676 and 1679; and the last time in 1788 when it was conquered by the Danes, who then held it for a short while.
The town suffered devastating fires in 1777, 1809, 1846 and 1901. After the last severe fire in 1901, whereby 1000 people became homeless, and one third of the city was burnt to the ground, it was rebuilt with wider streets and larger houses in a Jugend style of architecture. The area of wooden houses, the so-called Plantaget, south of the river, the Åmålsån, that runs through the town into the lake, was spared by the fire and today forms the "old town" area.
, is set in Åmål. The movie depicts the town as extremely boring and eventless. It was largely filmed in the nearby town of Trollhättan
; the few scenes shot in Åmål were not used. Even before the film was completed, it created controversy in the town of Åmål. Local politicians campaigned to get the title of the film changed because they argued that it would show the town in an unfair way, and even undermine the town as an economic centre.[1] Further pressure was brought on the makers of the film, the Film i Väst film studio, who are partly financed by Swedish local authorities, including Åmål. However, the local complaints had no effect on the content or release of the film. Since the release of the film the town of Åmål has even tried to embrace the publicity generated, despite the fact that the town's name is missing from the English title. Still, in the early 2000s the town founded the pop music festival "Fucking Åmål Festival".
Åmål Municipality
Åmål Municipality is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Åmål.The present municipality was created in 1971 through the amalgamation of the former City of Åmål and the former rural municipality of Tössbo .-Geography and natural...
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....
with 9,380 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated on the western shore of Lake Vänern.
In 2005 Åmål received second prize in the international competition, The International Awards for Liveable Communities (also known as the LivCom Awards). A Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
Festival has been held annually in Åmål since 1992.
History
Åmål was founded in the 17th century by Queen ChristinaChristina 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...
, and became one of the now defunct Cities of Sweden on April 1, 1643, and the only city in the historical province of Dalsland
Dalsland
Dalsland is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland in southern Sweden. Lying to the west of Lake Vänern, it is bordered by Värmland to the north, Västergötland to the southeast, Bohuslän to the west, and Norway to the northwest....
. Its location close to the borders of the Denmark-Norway alliance made it vulnerable to attack and it accordingly suffered over the ensuing centuries: first in 1645, when it was almost completely demolished, again in 1676 and 1679; and the last time in 1788 when it was conquered by the Danes, who then held it for a short while.
The town suffered devastating fires in 1777, 1809, 1846 and 1901. After the last severe fire in 1901, whereby 1000 people became homeless, and one third of the city was burnt to the ground, it was rebuilt with wider streets and larger houses in a Jugend style of architecture. The area of wooden houses, the so-called Plantaget, south of the river, the Åmålsån, that runs through the town into the lake, was spared by the fire and today forms the "old town" area.
Show Me Love (Fucking Åmål)
The 1998 film Fucking Åmål (known in the English-speaking world as Show Me Love), directed by Lukas MoodyssonLukas Moodysson
- External links :*...
, is set in Åmål. The movie depicts the town as extremely boring and eventless. It was largely filmed in the nearby town of Trollhättan
Trollhättan
Trollhättan is a city and the seat of Trollhättan Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 44,498 inhabitants in 2005. It is located 75 km north of Sweden's second-largest city, Gothenburg....
; the few scenes shot in Åmål were not used. Even before the film was completed, it created controversy in the town of Åmål. Local politicians campaigned to get the title of the film changed because they argued that it would show the town in an unfair way, and even undermine the town as an economic centre.[1] Further pressure was brought on the makers of the film, the Film i Väst film studio, who are partly financed by Swedish local authorities, including Åmål. However, the local complaints had no effect on the content or release of the film. Since the release of the film the town of Åmål has even tried to embrace the publicity generated, despite the fact that the town's name is missing from the English title. Still, in the early 2000s the town founded the pop music festival "Fucking Åmål Festival".