Köping, Sweden

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 59°31′N 15°59′E / 59.517, 15.983
Köping
Malma kyrka in Köping
Köping
Country	Sweden
Municipality	Köping Municipality
County	Västmanland County
Province	Västmanland
Charter	January 19, 1474
Area ^[1]
- Total	11.85 km² (4.6 sq mi)
Population (2005-12-31)^[1]
- Total	17,358
- Density	1,465/km² (3,794.3/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Köping is a town in Västmanland province, Sweden and the seat of Köping Municipality, Västmanland County.

[edit] History

Köping means merchant place. It was mentioned for the first time in the 13th century. It probably was referred to such a name as it did not yet have a charter. The central location of Köping deems it appropriate for merchancy for people from different parts of the country.

Köping, with central and southern Sweden was Christianised in the 11th century. A church built around the year 1300, the Köping Church, still remains from the early days.

Köping got its charter on January 19, 1474.

In the 17th century Köping municipality produced large amounts of iron that was transported to other countries.

In the 19th century Köping established itself as an industrial city, with a large mechanical workshop and a prosperous harbor. A fire in 1889 destroyed large parts of Köping, whereafter it was rebuilt using stone material under supervision of architect Theodor Dahl.

In the 20th century all kinds of companies have established themselves in Köping. Volvo built a large industry there in the 1920's; the arguably most known bed manufacturer in Sweden, Hästens, in 1924; and a number of gold groceries between 1940-1960.