Örebro

Örebro literally means a bridge over gravel banks, which is how the geography looks, with the rivulet Svartån draining into the lake Hjälmaren. The location became a natural seat of commerce in the (Scandianvian) middle ages, and is mentioned in print in the 13th century. Old buildings from the early days include the foundations of the city church, a building undergone several modifications. The natural center of the city is otherwise the magnificent Örebro Castle, situated on an islet in the Svartån, and dividing the town in a northern and a southern part. This castle was constructed during the reign of King Gustav Vasa in the 1560s.

Örebro cirka 1700, in Suecia antiqua et hodierna, with the castle in the middle.

Notable events in Örebro’s history include the national diet meeting at Örebro in 1810, where Bernadotte was elected King of Sweden as Charles XIV.

Although a trade town, Örebro remained small until the second half of the 19th century, when it grew rapidly as a centre of the national shoe manufacturing industry (see: History of Närke).
[edit]

Sites of interest

Örebro Castle

Örebro’s old town Wadköping is located on the banks of the Svartån. It hosts many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions.

The water tower of Örebro, nicknamed Svampen (The Mushroom) is a popular destination as an outlook tower. In 1958, a replica of the tower was built in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Örebro University is one of Sweden’s most recent, being upgraded from högskola (university college) in 1999. It currently has around 14,000 students and a staff of 1,300.
[edit]

Notable natives
Christian Berglund, professional hockey player
Hjalmar Bergman, author
Leni Björklund, Minister for Defence
Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, (1390s–1436) rebellious politician and later Swedens first rikshövitsman (Primeminister)
Ronnie Peterson, racecar driver
Olaus Petri, (16th century) Principal reformator in Sweden
Manne Siegbahn, Nobel Prize in Physics laureate
Gunnar A. Sjögren, Saab designer
Millencolin – punk rock band
Biljana Plavšić – Former president of Bosnia and Hergezovina, now a prisoner for 11 years, just outside Örebro.
Mary Stavin, Former Miss World and she appeared in two James Bond movies, Octopussy and as agent Kimberley Jones in A View to a Kill.
The Accidents punk band
Nasum grindcore band