Eskilstuna Municipality
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| Missing image Eskilstuna_in_Sweden.png See also:Municipalities of Sweden | Coat of arms
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| Seat | Eskilstuna | |
| County | Södermanland County | |
| Province | Sudermannia | |
| Area Rank | 1,103.8 km² 93rd of 290 | |
| Population Rank | 91,168 (2005) 16th of 290 | |
| Density | 82/km² | |
Eskilstuna Municipality [˘ɛskilstʉːna] is a Municipality in central Sweden between the lakes Mälaren and Hjälmaren, where the City Eskilstuna is the seat of government.
The city of Eskilstuna received its privileges in 1659 and is today the largest city in the Sudermannia province, counting a population of 58,980 (1996).
The city is located along the Svealand railway line (Svealandsbanan) between Stockholm and Hallsberg. European route E20 also passes the city.
Eskilstuna seems to be the new western frontier of the capital Stockholm metropolitan region, being located 120 kilometres west of the capital. The connections to the capital have improved in the last years – a trainride there now takes about an hour – and Eskilstuna has drawn many new inhabitants who commute to their workplaces in Stockholm.
History
Eskilstuna's history goes back to the medieval times when the city was home to a monastery. This town was then better known as Tunafors and was located east of the river, however not receiving any privileges due to its proximity to the medieval city of Torshälla. The monastery was completely destroyed during the reformation and replaced with the royal residence Eskilstunahus Castle.
The city's first privileges, in 1659, included the newly founded city west of the Eskilstunaån River, surrounding the forges of Reinold Rademacher, called the City of Karl Gustav (Karl Gustavs stad) after the reigning king. The City of Karl Gustav was a free town from 1771, where manufacturers or craftsmen were allowed to establish workshops without having to pay taxes, so long as they had a workshop in every farm. It was generally refered to as Freetown. It was merged with the rest of Eskilstuna – the parts east of the river – in 1879.
The city grew enormously as the Industrial revolution rolled on and Eskilstuna advanced into being one of the most important industrial cities of Sweden, earning the nickname "Stålstaden" – the City of Steel – for its manufactoring of scissors, keys, knives and other steel tools. As a tribute to the steel industry, a steel worker is the foundation of the City Arms.
The city remains an important industrial city with worldwide companies such as Volvo (trucks. automobiles) and Assa (locks, keys). The modern establishment of the University College of Mälardalen (Mälardalens högskola) has also given Eskilstuna an academic touch. The city also has a combined zoo and amusement park - Parken Zoo, most famous for its white tigers.
The most successful sports clubs of the cities are the speedway club Smederna - the Blacksmiths, and the handball club Guif; both playing in the top divisions of Sweden for many years.
Sources:
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Owl Edition
This article contains content from the Owl Edition of Nordisk familjebok, a Swedish encyclopedia published between 1904-1926 now in Public Domain.
External links
- Eskilstuna (http://www.eskilstuna.se) - Official sitede:Eskilstuna