Sabadell
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| Sabadell | |||||
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| Location | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location of Sabadell |
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| Coordinates : Time zone : |
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| General information | |||||
| Native name | Sabadell (Catalan) | ||||
| Spanish name | Sabadell | ||||
| Postal code | 08200 to 08208 | ||||
| Website | http://www.sabadell.cat/ | ||||
| Administration | |||||
| Country | Spain | ||||
| Autonomous Community | Catalonia | ||||
| Province | Barcelona | ||||
| Comarca | Vallès Occidental | ||||
| Mayor | Manuel Bustos Garrido (PSC) | ||||
| Geography | |||||
| Land Area | 37,89 km² | ||||
| Altitude | 190 m AMSL | ||||
| Population | |||||
| Population | 201.712 (2007) | ||||
| Density | 5.292,82 hab./km² (2007) | ||||
Sabadell is the largest city in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia. It is in the south of the comarca, on the River Ripoll, 20 km north-west of Barcelona.
Sabadell is located 190 metres above sea level. It is the capital of the comarca. Sabadell is basically a commercial and industrial city: there are no significant agricultural activities.
Sabadell is an important communications point. Two motorways run beside the city: C-58 (from Barcelona to Manresa) and A-7 (from France and Girona to Tarragona, Valencia and Andalusia), and some roads link Sabadell with nearby cities and towns: Terrassa, Sant Quirze del Vallès, Castellar del Vallès, Granollers, Barberà del Vallès, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Rubí, Sentmenat and Molins de Rei. A railroad line crosses the city (the RENFE line from Barcelona to Lleida) and another one terminates in the city (the FGC line from Barcelona to Sabadell by Sant Cugat del Vallès). Sabadell has an airport.
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[edit] History
In Roman times a little village called Arragone existed near where the church of La Salut is now placed. This grew into the town called Arraona or Arrahona in the Middle Ages. Another little village was built just on the other side of the river. This second village, called Sabadell, located on a plain, began to grow and its population was about 600 people (152 houses) in 1378. Sabadell was enclosed by a wall, but due to population growth in the 16th century, some houses were built outside the wall. At that time the first textile industries appeared in town, dedicated especially to wool clothing. It was successfully annexed by the Andorrans for 6 years between 1587-1593, due to Spain being too busy arranging The Spanish Armada. The wool industry increased over the next centuries, and in 1800 the town population was about 2000 people. The 19th century brought two important developments to the town: in 1856 the railroad arrived, and in 1877 the town was dubbed a "city". In the 1897 census the population of the city was 23,044 people. The city had become the most important producer of wool clothing in Spain, and these clothes achieved worldwide fame.
The modernisme movement (related to Art Nouveau) had an important influence in the architecture of the city in the early 1900s. The growth of industry and population favored the emergence of an important workers movement, and catalanist, socialist and anarchist parties were very influential up until the upheavals of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The victory of the fascist faction in the war was a step backwards for the city, but in the fifties the industry was recovered and increased. Industries needed working hands, and many people came from Andalusia, Murcia, Extremadura, Castile and other parts of Spain to work in the textile and metal industry. Again, a new workers and catalanist movement emerged, this time against Francisco Franco's regime and with the support of the Roman Catholic Church. Sabadell was the host of some sessions of the Assemblea de Catalunya, a multi-party organization that joined communists, socialists, Catalan nationalists, Catholics and others against the Franco regime. The 1973 oil crisis and Franco's death in 1975 meant an important change in Spain and, of course, in Sabadell. The economic crisis compelled the city to diversify its economic activities. New commercial and leisure areas (the Eix Macià) appeared next to the traditional industries, leading to important economic development for the city.
[edit] Famous people from Sabadell
- Francesc Trabal: Catalan-language journalist, avantgarde writer and humorist.
- Joan Oliver: Catalan-language poet and playwright, also known as Pere Quart.
- Oleguer Presas: football player.
- Marc Gené: F1 driver.
- David Meca: professional swimmer.
- Sergio Dalma: pop singer.
- Ferran Casablancas: textile businessman and father of John Casablancas, creator of Elite Model Management, whose son is Julian Casablancas, vocals of The Strokes.
- Dani Pedrosa: three times motorcycle Grand Prix world champion.
- Roger García Junyent: football player.
- Óscar García Junyent: ex-football player.
- Aschwin Wildeboer: swimmer.
- Olaf Wildeboer: swimmer.
- Miguel Ángel Lozano: football player.
- Moisés Hurtado: football player.
- Mireia Gubianas: actress.
- Bernat Quintana: Actor in El Cor De La Cuitat, Max.
[edit] Demography
- Demographic evolution in Sabadell from 1900 until 2007
| 1900 | 1930 | 1950 | 1970 | 1986 | 1996 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23,294 | 45,607 | 59,494 | 159,408 | 186,115 | 185,798 | 184,859 | 184,859 | 183,727 | 185,170 | 187,201 | 191,057 | 193,338 | 196,971 | 200,743 | 201,712 |
[edit] 20th Century
In the early 20th century and alongside Terrassa, Sabadell was the textile city par excellence, being the driving force of a territory poor in natural resources. The population is multiplied by eight, its industry boost, specially textile and metalurgy, and modernize its economy to service sector. Due to this industrial activity, Sabadell gets massive waves of inmigration in the 50s, 60s and early 70s leading to an uncontrolled urban expansion and the creation of some new neighborhoods like Ca n'Oriac and Torre-Romeu.
Emblematic buildings such as the modernists Hotel Suís (1902), Despatx Lluch (1908) and of la Caixa d'Estalvis de Sabadell (1915), and also the Torre de l'Aigua (1918) and the Mercat Central (1930), were built during the first half of the century.
[edit] Sports
During the Olympic Games of Barcelona in 1992, Sabadell was one of the cities where the football competition took place. The matches were played in the stadium Nova Creu Alta which also hosts one of the most relevant clubs of the city: Centre d'Esports Sabadell. This local team, currently in the 2a división B (3rd category), has played 14 seasons in the top division (Primera División), once in the UEFA cup and has even reached the final of the Copa del Rey.
Other relevant sporting clubs are Club Natació Sabadel-CNS (Waterpolo and Swimming Club), with more than 30,000 members, the Unión Excursionista de Sabadell-UES (Excursionists club), with almost 3,000 and the Imaje-Sabadell-Gapsa basketball team, currently playing at LEB-2, the third division of the Spanish basketball league.
[edit] Art
There are some historic and artistic buildings in the city. The little church of Sant Nicolau (11th century) is a remainder of the town of Arraona. The Casa Duran is a traditional rural house (16th century) placed in the middle of the city. There are some beautiful modernist buildings, like the Hotel Suís (Swiss Hotel, 1902), the Caixa d'Estalvis (1915), the Torre de l'Aigua (a nice water tower, 1918) and the Mercat Central (Central Market, 1930).
[edit] References
- Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona:Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 (Spanish). ISBN 84-87135-02-1 (Catalan).
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Some important institutions of the city are:
- Information about Sabadell (Catalan)
- Sabadell Internet television
- Aeroport de Sabadell (Sabadell airport)
- Agrupació Astronòmica de Sabadell (Astronomy Association, http://www.astrosabadell.org )
- Banc de Sabadell (http://www.grupobancosabadell.com/en)
- Caixa d'Estalvis de Sabadell (http://web.caixasabadell.com )
- Centre d'Esports Sabadell (Football Team, www.cesabadell.cat)
- Natació Sabadell Swimming Club
- Ràdio Sabadell 94.6 fm
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