Wikipedia

Växjö

Växjö(Swedish pronunciation:[ˈvɛ̂kːɧøː])[2][3]is a city and the seat ofVäxjö Municipality,Kronoberg County,Sweden. It had 71,282 inhabitants (2020) out of amunicipalpopulation of 97,349 (2024). It is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of Kronoberg County and theepiscopal seeof theDiocese of Växjöand the location ofVäxjö Cathedral.The town is home toLinnaeus University.

Växjö
City
Coat of arms of Växjö
Coat of arms
Motto:
Europe's Greenest City
Växjö is located in Kronoberg
Växjö
Växjö
Växjö is located in Sweden
Växjö
Växjö
Coordinates:56°52′37″N14°48′33″E/ 56.87694°N 14.80917°E/56.87694; 14.80917
CountrySweden
ProvinceSmåland
CountyKronoberg County
MunicipalityVäxjö Municipality
Area
[1]
• City
30.28 km2(11.69 sq mi)
Elevation
167 m (548 ft)
Population
(22 November 2020)[1]
• City
71,282
• Density2,011/km2(5,210/sq mi)
•Metro
97,349
Time zoneUTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code
35x xx
Area code(+46) 470
Websitewww.vaxjo.se

Etymology

edit

The city's name is believed to be constructed from the wordsväg( "road" ) andsjö( "lake" ), meaning the road over the frozenVäxjö Lakethat farmers used in the winter to get to the marketplace which later became the city.

History

edit

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

Anepiscopal seesince the 11thcentury, the city did not get its city charter until 1342, when it was issued byMagnus Eriksson.The cathedral ofSt Sigfriddates from about 1300, and has been subsequently restored.[7]Otherwise, during the Middle Ages, Växjö did not have many pious institutions. AFranciscanmonastery was established in 1485. Ahospital of the Holy Ghostwas first mentioned in 1318. In the 14th century Växjö got its first school,Växjö katedralskola.In 1643 it receivedgymnasiumstatus.

At the beginning ofGustav Eriksson'swar of liberation, the peasantry joined forces, under the guidance of the union-hostile bishop Ingemar Pedersson, with the mountain men and peasantry ofDalarna,Hälsingland,andGästrikland,who urged fidelity to their leader Gustav Eriksson. During theDacke War,a peasant uprising, the city was under the authority ofNils Dackeand his supporters from the summer of 1542 until after New Year 1543.

Växjö surrounded by lakes as seen from anaeroplanemoving between Norway and Poland. West is up in the image.

Several times during theNorthern Warsand theScanian 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

edit

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

In its December 2015 report,Police in Swedenplaced the Växjö districtArabyin themost severe category of urban areas with high crime rates.[10]

Historic buildings

edit
Main article:Växjö Cathedral
Växjö Cathedral

Växjö Cathedralis located near the centre of the city.

Immediately north of Växjö isKronoberg Castle,a ruinedfortressconstructed in the 15th century. This castle was used as a base by the rebel,Nils Dacke,during theDacke War.The fortress has thick walls andartilleryportalsthat face north towardslake Helgasjön.

Teleborg Castleis also located near the city. It was built near theLinnaeus Universityin 1900, it now functions as a hotel and conference facility.

Amenities

edit
Växjö Railway Station And City Hall

TheSwedish Emigrant Institute[11]was established in 1965 byCarl-Otto Johansson Boistrup[citation needed],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 theemigrationperiod 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

edit

Industries includeGE PowerandAerotech Telub,as well asVolvo Articulated Haulerswhich is located inBraås29 kilometres (18 miles), north of Växjö. One of the best-known service providers isFortnoxandVisma.

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 Parkfocuses on supporting entrepreneurs focusing on circular economy, smart city, forestry and digitalization.

Education

edit

The city has three municipality-runsecondary schools( "gymnasiums" ):Teknikum,Katedralskolan,andKungsmadskolan.Linnaeus Universityhad a student body of 42,000 students as of 2012(including itsKalmarcampus)[15]or 15,000 students (full-time equivalents) as of 2010.[16]

There are many public and private middle/high schools, such asKronoberg Skola.

Demography

edit
Historical population
YearPop.±%
196022,784—
196529,354+28.8%
197039,019+32.9%
197540,328+3.4%
198042,632+5.7%
1985-—
199046,735—
YearPop.±%
199549,865+6.7%
200051,790+3.9%
200555,600+7.4%
201060,887+9.5%
201565,345+7.3%
201666,275+1.4%
202071,282+7.6%
Source:[17]

Population numbers by city districts

edit
  • Teleborg: 12,834
  • Hovshaga: 9,541
  • Hov: 8,020
  • Araby: 6,520
  • Norr: 4,518
  • Väster: 4,829
  • Öster: 4,489
  • Söder: 3,694
  • Sandsbro: 3,090
  • Högstorp: 2,710
  • Öjaby: 2,213
  • Centrum: 2,086
  • Räppe: 1,260
  • Kronoberg/Evedal: 279
  • Regementstaden: 88
  • Västra mark: 69
  • Norremark: 29

Transport

edit

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.[18]

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

Environmental policy

edit

In 1996 the city adopted a policy for the elimination of the use of fossil fuels by 2030.[19][20]This decision was taken in reaction to pollution andeutrophicationin the lakes that surround the town.Greenhouse gasemissions were cut by 41% from 1993 to 2011, and were reduced by 55% by 2015. The city's economy has grown during this time.[21]

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.Biogasandrenewable energyfuel 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.[22]

By 2014, Växjö's CO2emissions had dropped to 2.4tonnes per capita, well below theEUaverage of 7.3tonnes.[23]

The Greenest City in Europe

edit

Växjö has called itself "The Greenest City in Europe" since 2007.[24]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 theEuropean 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

edit

Sport and leisure

edit

The following sports clubs are located in Växjö:

Speedway

edit

Climate

edit

Växjö has ahumid 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 anoceanic climate(Cfb)[33]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 theBritish Islesthan 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.[citation needed]

Climate data for Växjö (2002–2018 averages, extremes since 1901)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 9.6
(49.3) 		13.8
(56.8) 		20.0
(68.0) 		27.9
(82.2) 		29.0
(84.2) 		32.5
(90.5) 		33.5
(92.3) 		34.4
(93.9) 		27.6
(81.7) 		21.9
(71.4) 		14.0
(57.2) 		11.3
(52.3) 		34.4
(93.9)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 6.4
(43.5) 		6.9
(44.4) 		13.4
(56.1) 		19.3
(66.7) 		24.6
(76.3) 		26.9
(80.4) 		28.6
(83.5) 		27.4
(81.3) 		22.7
(72.9) 		16.4
(61.5) 		10.8
(51.4) 		7.5
(45.5) 		29.5
(85.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 0.5
(32.9) 		1.1
(34.0) 		5.4
(41.7) 		11.9
(53.4) 		17.0
(62.6) 		20.0
(68.0) 		22.5
(72.5) 		21.0
(69.8) 		17.0
(62.6) 		10.4
(50.7) 		5.5
(41.9) 		2.3
(36.1) 		11.2
(52.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.7
(28.9) 		−1.4
(29.5) 		1.6
(34.9) 		6.8
(44.2) 		11.6
(52.9) 		14.7
(58.5) 		17.5
(63.5) 		16.4
(61.5) 		12.8
(55.0) 		7.2
(45.0) 		3.4
(38.1) 		0.3
(32.5) 		7.4
(45.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −3.8
(25.2) 		−3.8
(25.2) 		−2.3
(27.9) 		1.6
(34.9) 		6.2
(43.2) 		9.4
(48.9) 		12.4
(54.3) 		11.8
(53.2) 		8.6
(47.5) 		4.2
(39.6) 		1.3
(34.3) 		−1.8
(28.8) 		3.7
(38.6)
Mean minimum °C (°F) −13.8
(7.2) 		−12.1
(10.2) 		−10.0
(14.0) 		−3.6
(25.5) 		0.2
(32.4) 		4.2
(39.6) 		7.7
(45.9) 		6.7
(44.1) 		2.2
(36.0) 		−3.5
(25.7) 		−6.4
(20.5) 		−10.6
(12.9) 		−16.2
(2.8)
Record low °C (°F) −34.0
(−29.2) 		−28.8
(−19.8) 		−29.8
(−21.6) 		−19.0
(−2.2) 		−6.0
(21.2) 		−0.8
(30.6) 		3.5
(38.3) 		0.0
(32.0) 		−4.8
(23.4) 		−10.3
(13.5) 		−17.8
(0.0) 		−24.5
(−12.1) 		−34.0
(−29.2)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 50.5
(1.99) 		36.0
(1.42) 		31.7
(1.25) 		28.8
(1.13) 		51.6
(2.03) 		67.3
(2.65) 		89.6
(3.53) 		77.9
(3.07) 		49.4
(1.94) 		64.6
(2.54) 		57.0
(2.24) 		54.6
(2.15) 		659
(25.94)
Mean monthlysunshine hours 32 57 143 203 236 238 234 191 153 88 37 24 1,636
Source 1: SMHI[34]
Source 2: SMHI Monthly Data[35]

References

edit
  1. ^ab"Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km22005 och 2010 "(in Swedish).Statistics Sweden.14 December 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 27 January 2012.Retrieved10 January2012.
  2. ^"Växjö, Sweden: A Model of Sustainability".BuildingGreen.10 April 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 15 July 2022.Retrieved15 July2022.
  3. ^"Gopher Music Notes".15 July 1994.Archivedfrom the original on 5 March 2023.Retrieved29 July2022– via Google Books.
  4. ^"Växjö".Nordisk Familjebok.1922.Archivedfrom the original on 22 December 2023.Retrieved26 December2023.
  5. ^Lars-Olof Larson (1999). "Land och län under kristendomen millennium".Landen kring sjöarna.Kronobergs läns hembygdsförbund i samarbete med Smålands museum. p. 69.ISBN91-86870-10-6.
  6. ^Martin Hanson (2007).Det medeltida Småland – en arkeologisk guidebok.Historiska media. p. 137.ISBN978-91-85377-93-0.
  7. ^Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Vexiö".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 16.
  8. ^"459-460 (Nordisk familjebok / Uggleupplagan. 33. Väderlek – Äänekoski)".Runeberg.org.Archivedfrom the original on 24 October 2012.Retrieved1 December2012.
  9. ^Merrill, Samuel (2020)."FollowingThe Woman with the Handbag:Mnemonic Context Collapse and the Anti-Fascist Activist Appropriation of an Iconic Historical Photograph ".In Merrill, Samuel; Keightley, Emily; Daphi, Priska (eds.).Social Movements, Cultural Memory and Digital Media: Mobilising Mediated Remembrance.Springer Nature. p. 119.ISBN978-3-030-32827-6.Archivedfrom the original on 17 February 2024.Retrieved4 October2020.
  10. ^Utsatta områden - sociala risker, kollektiv förmåga och oönskade händelser(PDF).Police in Sweden - Nationella Operativa Avdelningen - December 2015. p. 29. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 19 August 2016.
  11. ^"Svenska Emigrantinstitutet".swemi.nu.Archived fromthe originalon 26 August 2005.
  12. ^"Hem".Kulturparken Småland(Press release). Archived fromthe originalon 3 April 2009.
  13. ^"Welcome to the Kingdom of Crystal!".Archived fromthe originalon 23 October 2005.
  14. ^"Lammhult".Lammhult.se.Archivedfrom the original on 9 January 2013.Retrieved1 December2012.
  15. ^"Färre studenter till 2015"(PDF).kalmar.se.Kalmar municipality. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 19 November 2016.Retrieved19 November2016.
  16. ^"Linnéuniversitetet - Uppslagsverk - NE.se".Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2012.Retrieved9 March2020.
  17. ^"Växjö inhabitants (2013)".vaxjo.se.Archivedfrom the original on 11 February 2007.Retrieved1 December2013.
  18. ^"Invigning och öppet hus i nya kommunhuset".Mynewsdesk(in Swedish). 13 October 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 8 June 2023.Retrieved8 June2023.
  19. ^"The Swedish city touted as 'Europe's greenest'".The Local.24 January 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 23 May 2022.Retrieved15 October2015.
  20. ^"The European cities moving faster on clean energy than their governments".The Guardian.6 July 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 3 July 2022.Retrieved15 October2015.
  21. ^"Zero Net Emissions With Economic Growth? Europe's Greenest City Shows the Way".CSRwire. 6 July 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 29 June 2017.Retrieved15 October2015.
  22. ^Burch, Sarah L.; Harris, Sara E. (2021).Understanding Climate Change: Schience, policy, and practice(Second ed.). Toronto Buffalo London: University of Toronto Press. pp. 228–229.ISBN978-1-4875-2279-7.
  23. ^"7 examples of sustainability in Sweden 2017 Växjö got the Green Leaf Award 2018 from EU-commission".Swedish Institute.24 September 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 6 August 2020.Retrieved15 October2015.
  24. ^Slavin, Terry (25 November 2015)."What can the world learn from Växjö, Europe's self-styled greenest city?".Rockefeller FoundationviaThe Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 3 July 2022.Retrieved28 July2018.
  25. ^"Dette er svensken som gjorde det Norling aldri klarte".3 February 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 23 February 2017.Retrieved22 February2017.
  26. ^"Karl-Birger Blomdahl".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on 25 February 2017.Retrieved24 February2017.
  27. ^"Jonas Jonasson: My 100-year-old hero, and the secret of happiness".The Telegraph.Retrieved22 February2017.[dead link‍]
  28. ^"Melody Club".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on 23 February 2017.Retrieved22 February2017.
  29. ^"Spionchefen Håkan Syrén blir ny ÖB".Dagens Nyheter.17 November 2003.Archivedfrom the original on 25 February 2017.Retrieved24 February2017.
  30. ^Spurgeon, Brad (2 June 2003)."Motor Racing: Celebration costs driver victory on finish line".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 23 February 2017.Retrieved22 February2017.
  31. ^"HISTORY SPEEDWAY and LONGTRACK".Speedway.org.Archivedfrom the original on 10 September 2005.Retrieved5 January2024.
  32. ^Oakes, Peter (1978).1978 Speedway Yearbook.Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.ISBN978-0904584509.
  33. ^"Vaxjo, Sweden Climate Summary".Weatherbase.Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2015.Retrieved3 April2015.
  34. ^"SMHI Open Data for Växjö A"(in Swedish).Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.Archived fromthe originalon 11 April 2019.Retrieved2 May2019.
  35. ^"Yearly and Monthly Statistics"(in Swedish).Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.Archived fromthe originalon 22 December 2013.Retrieved2 May2019.
edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related toVäxjö.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Växjö&oldid=1258915479"