Jump to content

Kalmar

Coordinates:56°39′41″N16°21′46″E/ 56.66139°N 16.36278°E/56.66139; 16.36278
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Swedish city. For other uses, seeKalmar (disambiguation).

Kalmar
Clockwise from top: aerial view of the Kalmar Cathedral, Kalmar Castle, the old water tower in central Kalmar, Öland Bridge and the water tower in Berga.
Clockwise from top: aerial view of theKalmar Cathedral,Kalmar Castle,the old water tower in central Kalmar,Öland Bridgeand the water tower in Berga.
Coat of arms of Kalmar
Coat of arms
Kalmar is located in Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar is located in Sweden
Kalmar
Kalmar
Coordinates:56°39′41″N16°21′46″E/ 56.66139°N 16.36278°E/56.66139; 16.36278
CountrySweden
ProvinceSmåland
CountyKalmar County
MunicipalityKalmar Municipality
Charter1100
Area
[1]
• City19.50 km2(7.53 sq mi)
Elevation
8 m (26 ft)
Population
(2020)[1]
• City41,852
• Density1,866/km2(4,830/sq mi)
•Metro
72,098
Time zoneUTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code
39x xx
Area code(+46) 480
Websitekalmar.se

Kalmar(/ˈkælmɑːr/,USalso/ˈkɑːlmɑːr/,[2][3]Swedish:[ˈkǎlmar]ⓘ) is acityin the southeast ofSweden,situated by theBaltic Sea.It had 41.388 inhabitants in 2020[1]and is the seat ofKalmar Municipality.It is also the capital ofKalmar County,which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 236,399 inhabitants (2015). Kalmar is the third largest urban area in the province and cultural region ofSmåland.

From the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries, Kalmar was one of Sweden's most important cities. Between 1602 and 1913 it was theepiscopal seeofKalmar Diocese,with a bishop, and theKalmar Cathedralfrom 1702 is an example ofclassicisticarchitecture. It became afortified city,with theKalmar Castleas the center. After theTreaty of Roskildein 1658, Kalmar's importance diminished, until the industry sector was initiated in the 19th century. The city is home to parts ofLinnaeus University.

The city plays host to theLive at Heartfestival, one of Sweden's largest musical showcase events.

Kalmar is adjacent to the main route to the island ofÖlandover theÖland Bridge.

History[edit]

The area around Kalmar has been inhabited sinceancient times.Excavations have found traces ofStone Agegravefields. However, the oldest evidence for there being a town is from the 11th century. According to a medievalfolk tale,the Norwegian kingSaint Olavhad his ships moved to Kalmar. The oldest city seal of Kalmar is from somewhere between 1255 and 1267, making it the oldest known city seal inScandinavia.[citation needed]

In the 12th century the first foundations of a castle were established, with the construction of a round tower for guard and lookout. The tower was continuously expanded in the 13th century, and as such, QueenMargaretcalled an assembly there between the heads of state of Sweden and Norway, and on 13 July 1397, theKalmar Uniontreaty was signed, creating a union which would last until 1523. Kalmar's strategic location, near the Danish border (at the time theScanian lands,i.e. the provinces ofBlekinge,HallandandScania,were part of Denmark), and its harbour and trade, also involved it in several feuds. There are two events independently labelled theKalmar Bloodbath, 1505:the first in 1505, when KingJohn of Denmark, Norway, and Swedenhad the mayor andcity councilof Kalmar executed; thesecond in 1599by command of Duke Charles, later to become KingCharles IX of Sweden.

Kalmar Castletoday

In the 1540s, first KingGustav Vasa,and later his sonsErik XIV of SwedenandJohn III of Swedenwould organize a rebuilding of the castle into the magnificentRenaissancecastle it is today.

Kalmar became adioceseof theChurch of Swedenin 1603, a position it held until 1915. In 1634,Kalmar Countywas founded, with Kalmar as thenatural capital.In 1660, theKalmar Cathedralwas begun by drawings ofNicodemus Tessin the Elder.It would be inaugurated in 1703.

In 1611–1613, it suffered in theKalmar War,which began with a Danish siege of Kalmar Castle. 1611 is mentioned as the darkest year of Kalmar's history, but by no means the only dark year; much blood has been shed in the vicinity of the castle. The last was during theScanian Warin the 1670s, so there have been 22 sieges altogether; however the castle was never taken.

After theTreaty of Roskildein 1658, the strategic importance of Kalmar gradually diminished as the borders of Sweden were redrawn further south. In 1689, the King established his mainnaval basefurther south inKarlskronaand Kalmar lost its status as one of Sweden's main military outposts.

Kalmar Cathedral[edit]

Kalmar Cathedraltoday

The new city of Kalmar was built on Kvarnholmen around the mid-1600s. The transfer from the old town was largely completed by 1658. The new, fortified town was planned following currentbaroquepatterns. Cathedral and town hall face each other across the new main square,Stortorget.

The cathedral was designed byNicodemus Tessin the Elderand is one of the foremost examples of baroque classicism in Sweden. Its design reflects the complex interaction between the new style, liturgical considerations, tradition and the fortress-city requirements. The work began in 1660, but it was interrupted on several occasions, including when theScanian War(1675–1679) raged. Construction resumed, and Kalmar Cathedral stood finished in 1703.

Today[edit]

In more recent times, Kalmar has been an industrial city withKalmar Verkstadmakingsteam engines,trains and large machinery, later bought byBombardierwho closed the factory in 2005. A shipyard,Kalmar Shipyard[sv],was founded in 1679 and closed 1981.Volvoopened theirKalmarfactory for building cars i.e. 264, 740, 760, 960 in 1974, but closed it 1994 and due to further relocation of industry jobs in the 1990s and 2000s around 2000 industrial jobs were lost. Kalmar has auniversitywith over 9,000 students and a research facility forTelia Sonera.

Kalmar has embarked on a comprehensive program to reducefossil fueluse. A local trucking firm, which employs nearly 450 people, has installed computers that trackfuel efficiencyand have cut diesel use by 10 percent, paying off the cost of the devices in just a year. The company is now looking to fuel its future fleet withbiodiesel.[4]

A largewood pulpplant harnesses the steam and hot water it once released as waste to provide heating, through below-ground pipes, and generates enough electricity to power its own operations and 20,000 homes.[4]

Bicycle lanesare common; for example, the Kalmarsundsleden,[5]and cars line up at Kalmar city's publicbiogaspump.Building codesnow requirethermal insulationand efficient windows for new construction or retrofits.Street lightsuse low-energy sodium bulbs, and car dealers promote fuel-efficient andhybrid vehicles.[4]

In 2011 Guldfågeln Arena was initiated. It is the new stadium of the football team of the city, Kalmar FF. The capacity of the stadium is 12,000 people and it is currently one of the newest stadiums in Sweden. The stadium was also built to host concerts and did so in the summer of 2011 when Swedish artists Håkan Hellström and The Ark performed.

Climate[edit]

Kalmar has anoceanic climateusing the -3°C isotherm or a warm-summer humid continental climate using the 0°C isotherm.[6]Summers are warm and winters are fairly cold with temperatures normally hovering around zero. Kalmar is among the hottest Swedish cities, with an all-time record set at 35.2 °C (95.4 °F).[7]The average summer temperatures however are typical for southern Sweden.

Climate data for Kalmar (2002–2020); extremes since 1901
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 11.6
(52.9) 		17.0
(62.6) 		20.6
(69.1) 		25.7
(78.3) 		32.5
(90.5) 		33.0
(91.4) 		35.2
(95.4) 		33.1
(91.6) 		28.5
(83.3) 		23.5
(74.3) 		17.4
(63.3) 		13.2
(55.8) 		35.2
(95.4)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 8.5
(47.3) 		8.7
(47.7) 		14.9
(58.8) 		18.9
(66.0) 		23.5
(74.3) 		27.2
(81.0) 		28.1
(82.6) 		27.2
(81.0) 		22.7
(72.9) 		17.6
(63.7) 		12.5
(54.5) 		9.2
(48.6) 		29.4
(84.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 2.3
(36.1) 		2.8
(37.0) 		6.4
(43.5) 		11.4
(52.5) 		16.3
(61.3) 		20.6
(69.1) 		22.6
(72.7) 		22.1
(71.8) 		18.0
(64.4) 		11.9
(53.4) 		7.2
(45.0) 		3.9
(39.0) 		12.1
(53.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.5
(31.1) 		−0.2
(31.6) 		2.3
(36.1) 		6.2
(43.2) 		10.8
(51.4) 		15.1
(59.2) 		17.5
(63.5) 		16.9
(62.4) 		13.3
(55.9) 		8.3
(46.9) 		4.6
(40.3) 		1.3
(34.3) 		8.0
(46.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −3.2
(26.2) 		−3.1
(26.4) 		−1.8
(28.8) 		1.0
(33.8) 		5.3
(41.5) 		9.6
(49.3) 		12.3
(54.1) 		11.7
(53.1) 		8.6
(47.5) 		4.6
(40.3) 		2.0
(35.6) 		−1.3
(29.7) 		3.8
(38.9)
Mean minimum °C (°F) −14.9
(5.2) 		−13.8
(7.2) 		−10.0
(14.0) 		−5.2
(22.6) 		−1.7
(28.9) 		3.0
(37.4) 		6.6
(43.9) 		4.9
(40.8) 		1.2
(34.2) 		−3.8
(25.2) 		−6.7
(19.9) 		−11.4
(11.5) 		−17.7
(0.1)
Record low °C (°F) −31.0
(−23.8) 		−26.5
(−15.7) 		−27.6
(−17.7) 		−12.7
(9.1) 		−5.8
(21.6) 		−1.2
(29.8) 		2.6
(36.7) 		0.4
(32.7) 		−5.7
(21.7) 		−8.8
(16.2) 		−17.3
(0.9) 		−25.3
(−13.5) 		−31.0
(−23.8)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 36.3
(1.43) 		33.9
(1.33) 		27.1
(1.07) 		24.8
(0.98) 		37.8
(1.49) 		42.1
(1.66) 		75.3
(2.96) 		60.2
(2.37) 		32.9
(1.30) 		53.4
(2.10) 		57.1
(2.25) 		42.3
(1.67) 		523.2
(20.61)
Source 1: SMHI[8]
Source 2: SMHI Monthly Data 2002–2020[9]OGIMET[10]

Gallery[edit]

History[edit]

Main sights[edit]

General views[edit]

  • Main square
    Main square
  • Houses on the main square
    Houses on the main square
  • Street in Kalmar
    Street in Kalmar
  • Square in Kalmar
    Square in Kalmar
  • Scenic photograph of Kalmar Castle in the summer sun
    Scenic photograph ofKalmar Castlein the summer sun
  • Mermaid sculpture Kalmar
    Mermaid sculpture Kalmar

Sports[edit]

The following sports clubs are located in Kalmar:

Notable people[edit]

Twin towns – sister cities[edit]

Kalmar istwinnedwith eleven cities:[11]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^abc"Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km22005 och 2010 "(in Swedish).Statistics Sweden.14 December 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 27 January 2012.Retrieved10 January2012.
  2. ^"Kalmar"[dead link](US) and"Kalmar".LexicoUK English Dictionary.Oxford University Press.Archived fromthe originalon 4 August 2022.
  3. ^"Kalmar".Merriam-Webster Dictionary.Retrieved31 January2019.
  4. ^abcGoing green: Entire Swedish city switches to biofuels to become environmentally friendlyArchived6 March 2009 at theWayback Machine
  5. ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 20 September 2013.Retrieved12 April2013.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^"Kalmar, Sweden Climate Summary".Weatherbase.Retrieved21 April2015.
  7. ^"Monthly Weather Data - July 2014 (all-time records section)"(PDF).SMHI.Retrieved21 April2015.
  8. ^"SMHI Open Data"(in Swedish). Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.Retrieved3 June2021.
  9. ^"Yearly and Monthly Statistics"(in Swedish). SMHI. 3 June 2021.
  10. ^"02670: Kalmar Flygplats (Sweden)".OGIMET. 26 February 2021.Retrieved26 February2021.
  11. ^"Våra vänorter".kalmar.se.Archived fromthe originalon 27 April 2014.Retrieved27 April2014.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toKalmar.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forKalmar.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kalmar&oldid=1217806344"