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| Missing image Växjö_in_Sweden.png See also:Municipalities of Sweden | Coat of arms Missing image Växjö_City_Arms.jpg caption | |
| Seat | Växjö | |
| County | Kronoberg County | |
| Province | Smalandia | |
| Area Rank | 1,676 km² 54th of 290 | |
| Population Rank | 76,755 (2005) 22nd of 290 | |
| Density | 46/km² | |
Växjö Municipality [˘vɛkʃøː] is a municipality in southern Sweden where the city Växjö is seat. It has been of historical and religious significance since the middle ages.
Today, Växjö is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Kronoberg County and of central Smalandia (Småland).
History
The city's name is belived to be constructed by the words "väg" (road) and "sjö" (lake), meaning the road over the frozen Växjö lake that farmers took in the winter to get to the market place that later became the city.
Växjö received its city charter in 1342, but was an important market and commercial centre already at the pass of the first millennium. In the 12th century the construction of Växjö Cathedral was begun and hence Växjö grew to become an important religious centre in the Diocese of Växjö. The city arms displays Saint Sigfrid, a national saint, wearing the traditional Catholic outfit, and in his left hand holding a miniature of the Cathedral. Sigfrid allegedly lived and died in Växjö, and was buried in the cathedral at his death.
The religious significance led to the creation of other institutions such as Växjö Old Lyceum, one of Sweden's oldest educational institutions with Carolus Linnaeus, the father the biological classification , as one of its students.
Notable locations
Växjö University has 14.000 students (2004).
Industries include Alstom and Aerotech Telub. Växjö houses Swedens only glass museum [1] (http://www.smalandsmuseum.se/engelsk.html) and is the capital of the "Kingdom of Crystal" [2] (http://www.glasriket.se/Valkom/V_RamE.htm) and the "Kingdom of Furniture" [3] (http://www.lammhult.se).
The Swedish Emigrant Institute [4] (http://www.swemi.nu/eng/) was established in 1965 by the governor Gunnar Helén and resides since then in the House of Emigrants near the Växjö lake in the heart of the city. It contains archives, library, museum, and a research center relating to the emigration period between 1846 and 1930, when 1.3 million (or 20%) of the Swedish population emigrated, to USA mainly.
Notable natives
- Karl-Birger Blomdahl, 20th century music composer
- Carolina Klüft, track and field athlete and Olympic gold medalist in Athens 2004
- Pär Lagerkvist, author and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, 1951
- Otto Lindblad, 19th century music composer
- Christina Nilsson, 19th century soprano celebrity
- Mats Wilander, tennis player who won 7 Grand Slam titles from 1982-88
See also
External links
- Växjö (http://www.vaxjo.se/) - Official site
- Tourism Växjö (http://www.turism.vaxjo.se/)de:Växjö