Växjö Explained

Official Name:Växjö
Settlement Type:City
Pushpin Map:Sweden Kronoberg#Sweden
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Sweden
Subdivision Type3:Municipality
Subdivision Name3:Växjö Municipality
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Kronoberg County
Subdivision Type1:Province
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:30.28
Population As Of:5 September 2017
Population Total:66275
Population Metro:90721
Population Density Km2:2011
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Coordinates:56.8769°N 14.8092°W
Elevation M:167
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:35x xx
Area Code:(+46) 470
Motto:Swedish: Europe's Greenest City

Växjö (in Swedish pronounced as /ˈvɛ̂kːɧøː/)[2] [3] is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden. It had 70,489 inhabitants (2019) out of a municipal population of 95,995 (2021). It is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of Kronoberg County and the episcopal see of the Diocese of Växjö and the location of Växjö Cathedral. The town is home to Linnaeus University.

Etymology

The city's name is believed to be constructed from the words Swedish: väg ("road") and Swedish: sjö ("lake"), meaning the road over the frozen Växjö Lake that farmers used in the winter to get to the marketplace which later became the city.

History

In contrast to what was believed a century ago,[4] there is no evidence of a special pre-Christian significance of the site. The pagan cultic center of Värend may have been located at Hov, a nearby village.[5] [6]

An episcopal see since the 11thcentury, the city did not get its city charter until 1342, when it was issued by Magnus Eriksson. The cathedral of St Sigfrid dates from about 1300, and has been subsequently restored.[7] Otherwise, during the Middle Ages, Växjö did not have many pious institutions. A Franciscan monastery was established in 1485. A hospital of the Holy Ghost was first mentioned in 1318. In the 14th century Växjö got its first school, Växjö katedralskola. In 1643 it received gymnasium status.

At the beginning of Gustav Eriksson's war of liberation, the peasantry joined forces, under the guidance of the union-hostile bishop Ingemar Pedersson, with the mountain men and peasantry of Dalarna, Hälsingland, and Gästrikland, who urged fidelity to their leader Gustav Eriksson. During the Dacke War, a peasant uprising, the city was under the authority of Nils Dacke and his supporters from the summer of 1542 until after New Year 1543.

Several times during the Northern Wars and the Scanian Wars, and thereafter, the city was affected by fire (in 1277, 1516, 1570, 1612, 1658, 1690, 1749, 1753, 1799, 1838 and 1843). After the last fire in 1843, when 1,140 citizens were rendered homeless, Växjö received its current street plan.[8]

Modern times

Växjö is the city in which the photograph "A Woman Hitting a Neo-Nazi With Her Handbag" was taken in 1985 by .[9]

In its December 2015 report, Police in Sweden placed the Växjö district Araby in the most severe category of urban areas with high crime rates.[10]

Historic buildings

See main article: Växjö Cathedral.

Växjö Cathedral is located near the centre of the city.

Immediately north of Växjö is Kronoberg Castle, a ruined fortress constructed in the 15th century. This castle was used as a base by the rebel, Nils Dacke, during the Dacke War. The fortress has thick walls and artillery portals that face north towards lake Helgasjön.

Teleborg Castle is also located near the city. It was built near the Linnaeus University in 1900, it now functions as a hotel and conference facility.

Amenities

The Swedish Emigrant Institute[11] was established in 1965 and is housed in the House of Emigrants near Växjö Lake in the heart of the city. It contains archives, a library, a museum, and a research center relating to the emigration period between 1846 and 1930, when 1.3million (or 20%) of the Swedish population emigrated, mainly to the United States. Archives dating to the 17thcentury contain birth and death records, as well as household records, that are available on microfiche.

Industry

Industries include GE Power and Aerotech Telub, as well as Volvo Articulated Haulers which is located in Braås 29km (18miles), north of Växjö. One of the best-known service providers is Fortnox and Visma.

Växjö houses Sweden's National Glass Museum[12] and claims to be the capital of the "Kingdom of Crystal"[13] as well as of the "Kingdom of Furniture".[14] Växjö Linnaeus Science Park focuses on supporting entrepreneurs focusing on circular economy, smart city, forestry and digitalization.

Education

The city has three municipality-run secondary schools ("gymnasiums"): Teknikum, Katedralskolan, and Kungsmadskolan. Linnaeus University had a student body of 42,000 students (including its Kalmar campus)[15] or 15,000 students (full-time equivalents) .[16]

Demography

Population numbers by city districts

Transport

The Coast to Coast track cuts through the municipality from north-west to south-east. SJ's long-distance trains travel between Gothenburg, Alvesta (with connections to the southern trunk line) and Kalmar, with stop in Växjö. Öresundståg's long-distance trains travel the Kalmar – Alvesta – Malmö - Copenhagen route. Regional trains Krösatågen travel the Växjö – Jönköping route. Trunk roads 23, 25, 27, 29, 30 and 37 meet in the municipality.

A new city hall and railway station building was completed in 2021.[17]

In air transport, the city is served by the nearby Växjö/Kronoberg Airport.

Environmental policy

In 1996 the city adopted a policy for the elimination of the use of fossil fuels by 2030.[18] [19] This decision was taken in reaction to pollution and eutrophication in the lakes that surround the town. Greenhouse gas emissions were cut by 41% from 1993 to 2011, and were reduced by 55% by 2015. The city's economy has grown during this time.[20]

Växjö uses a variety of strategies to make progress towards being fossil fuel-free. Waste from the local forest industry is burned to generate power. Half of Växjö's electricity and over 90% of the energy used for heating comes from trees. Biogas and renewable energy fuel the city's public transportation, and cycling is promoted as an alternative mode of transport. New buildings are constructed using wood and are designed to be energy efficient.[21]

By 2014, Växjö's CO2 emissions had dropped to 2.4tonnes per capita, well below the EU average of 7.3tonnes.[22]

The Greenest City in Europe

Växjö has called itself "The Greenest City in Europe" since 2007.[23] It has its foundation in a long history of commitment to environmental issues, and ambitious goals for a green future. It is a vision shared with the citizens and the local companies.

In 2017 Växjö was awarded the European Green Leaf Award 2018 by the European Commission. The prize is awarded to cities with less than 100 000 inhabitants that show good results and ambitions in terms of environment and are committed to generate green growth.

Notable people

Sport and leisure

The following sports clubs are located in Växjö:

Speedway

Climate

Växjö has a humid continental climate (Dfb), using temperature data from 1961 to 1990. Temperatures have risen in recent years, and using the -3 Celsius isotherm, it can also be classified as an oceanic climate (Cfb)[32] with 2002-2015 temperature data. It is milder, wetter, and cloudier than the rest of the country, with the number of hours of sunshine being associated more with the British Isles than with areas further north in Sweden. Considering its relative distance to all three coasts surrounding South Sweden, the climate is markedly maritime, with winter temperatures being relatively mild for an inland location. When compared with sunnier inland areas further north, Växjö has relatively cool summers.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 14 December 2011 . Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km2 2005 och 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120127055525/http://www.scb.se/Statistik/MI/MI0810/2010A01/Tatorternami0810tab1_4.xls . 27 January 2012 . 10 January 2012 . . sv . dmy-all.
  2. Web site: Växjö, Sweden: A Model of Sustainability. 10 April 2013. BuildingGreen. 15 July 2022. 15 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220715093755/https://www.buildinggreen.com/news-article/v%C3%A4xj%C3%B6-sweden-model-sustainability. live.
  3. Web site: Gopher Music Notes. 15 July 1994. Google Books. 29 July 2022. 5 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230305150114/https://books.google.com/books?id=2aUXAQAAMAAJ&q=VECK-shuh+vaxjo. live.
  4. Book: Nordisk Familjebok . Nordisk Familjebok . 1922 . Växjö . https://runeberg.org/nfcm/0257.html . 26 December 2023 . 22 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231222231701/https://runeberg.org/nfcm/0257.html . live .
  5. Book: Lars-Olof Larson . Landen kring sjöarna . 1999 . 91-86870-10-6 . 69 . Land och län under kristendomen millennium. Kronobergs läns hembygdsförbund i samarbete med Smålands museum .
  6. Book: Martin Hanson . Det medeltida Småland – en arkeologisk guidebok . 2007 . 978-91-85377-93-0 . 137. Historiska media .
  7. Vexiö . 28 . 16.
  8. Web site: 459-460 (Nordisk familjebok / Uggleupplagan. 33. Väderlek – Äänekoski) . 1 December 2012 . Runeberg.org . 24 October 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121024204816/http://runeberg.org/nfcm/0258.html . live .
  9. Book: Merrill, Samuel. Social Movements, Cultural Memory and Digital Media: Mobilising Mediated Remembrance. 2020. Springer Nature. 978-3-030-32827-6. Merrill. Samuel. Following The Woman with the Handbag: Mnemonic Context Collapse and the Anti-Fascist Activist Appropriation of an Iconic Historical Photograph. 119. Keightley. Emily. Daphi. Priska. https://books.google.com/books?id=Ve7RDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA111. 4 October 2020. 17 February 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240217074949/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ve7RDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA111#v=onepage&q&f=false. live.
  10. Book: Utsatta områden - sociala risker, kollektiv förmåga och oönskade händelser . Police in Sweden - Nationella Operativa Avdelningen - December 2015 . 29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160819054415/https://polisen.se/Global/www%20och%20Intrapolis/%C3%96vriga%20rapporter/Utsatta-omraden-sociala-risker-kollektiv-formaga-o-oonskade-handelser.pdf . 19 August 2016.
  11. Web site: Svenska Emigrantinstitutet . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20050826140702/http://www.swemi.nu/eng/ . 26 August 2005 . swemi.nu.
  12. Hem . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090403051821/http://www.smalandsmuseum.se/engelska/eng_frameset.htm . 3 April 2009 . Kulturparken Småland.
  13. Web site: Welcome to the Kingdom of Crystal! . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20051023224850/http://www.glasriket.se/Valkom/V_RamE.htm . 23 October 2005.
  14. Web site: Lammhult . 1 December 2012 . Lammhult.se . 9 January 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130109084658/http://lammhult.se/ . live .
  15. Web site: Färre studenter till 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161119182247/http://www.kalmar.se/Kalmar%20kommun/Demokrati/Statistik/Bostader/Nyhetsbrev/Farre_studenter_till_2015.pdf . 19 November 2016 . 19 November 2016 . kalmar.se . Kalmar municipality . dmy-all.
  16. Web site: Linnéuniversitetet - Uppslagsverk - NE.se. 9 March 2020. 23 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120923071031/http://www.ne.se/linneuniversitetet. live.
  17. Web site: 2021-10-13 . Invigning och öppet hus i nya kommunhuset . 2023-06-08 . Mynewsdesk . sv . 8 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230608085040/https://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/vaxjo_kommun/pressreleases/invigning-och-oeppet-hus-i-nya-kommunhuset-3135883 . live .
  18. News: 24 January 2014 . The Swedish city touted as 'Europe's greenest' . . 15 October 2015 . 23 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220523083737/https://www.thelocal.se/20140124/the-swedish-city-touted-as-europes-greenest/ . live .
  19. News: 6 July 2015 . The European cities moving faster on clean energy than their governments . The Guardian . 15 October 2015 . 3 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220703195513/https://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2015/jul/06/european-cities-clean-energy-governments-eu-climate-targets . live .
  20. News: 6 July 2011 . Zero Net Emissions With Economic Growth? Europe's Greenest City Shows the Way . CSRwire . 15 October 2015 . 29 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170629135539/http://www.csrwire.com/csrlive/commentary_detail/4785-Zero-Net-Emissions-With-Economic-Growth-Europe-s-Greenest-City-Shows-the-Way . dead.
  21. Book: Burch . Sarah L. . Understanding Climate Change: Schience, policy, and practice . Harris . Sara E. . 2021 . University of Toronto Press . 978-1-4875-2279-7 . Second . Toronto Buffalo London . 228–229.
  22. News: 24 September 2015 . 7 examples of sustainability in Sweden 2017 Växjö got the Green Leaf Award 2018 from EU-commission. . . 15 October 2015 . 6 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200806124939/https://sweden.se/society/7-examples-of-sustainability-in-sweden/ . dead .
  23. News: Slavin . Terry . 25 November 2015 . What can the world learn from Växjö, Europe's self-styled greenest city? . . 28 July 2018 . 3 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220703195609/https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/nov/25/what-can-the-world-learn-from-vaxjo-europes-self-styled-greenest-city . live .
  24. Web site: Dette er svensken som gjorde det Norling aldri klarte . 3 February 2017 . 22 February 2017 . 23 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170223042720/https://www.ba.no/sport/fotball/sk-brann/dette-er-svensken-som-gjorde-det-norling-aldri-klarte/s/5-8-512653 . live .
  25. Web site: Karl-Birger Blomdahl . 24 February 2017 . AllMusic . 25 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170225051922/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/karl-birger-blomdahl-mn0001747582 . live .
  26. Web site: Jonas Jonasson: My 100-year-old hero, and the secret of happiness . 22 February 2017 . The Telegraph.
  27. Web site: Melody Club . 22 February 2017 . AllMusic . 23 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170223044750/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/melody-club-mn0000637877 . live .
  28. News: Spionchefen Håkan Syrén blir ny ÖB . Dagens Nyheter . 17 November 2003 . 24 February 2017 . 25 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170225051831/http://www.dn.se/nyheter/politik/spionchefen-hakan-syren-blir-ny-ob/ . live .
  29. News: Motor Racing : Celebration costs driver victory on finish line . February 22, 2017 . The New York Times . 2 June 2003 . Spurgeon . Brad . 23 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170223050043/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/02/sports/motor-racing-celebration-costs-driver-victory-on-finish-line.html . live .
  30. Web site: HISTORY SPEEDWAY and LONGTRACK . Speedway.org . 5 January 2024 . 10 September 2005 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050910032243/http://www.speedway.org/history/ . live .
  31. Book: Oakes, Peter . 1978 Speedway Yearbook . 1978 . Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd . 978-0904584509.
  32. Web site: Vaxjo, Sweden Climate Summary . 3 April 2015 . Weatherbase . 23 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150923023307/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=46120&cityname=Vaxjo%2C+Sweden&units= . live .

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