Vänersborg
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| Vänersborg | |
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  Vänersborg
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | Sweden |
| Municipality | Vänersborg Municipality |
| County | Västra Götaland County |
| Province | Västergötland |
| Area [1] | |
| - Total | 11.57 km² (4.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2005-12-31)[1] | |
| - Total | 21,672 |
| - Density | 1,873/km² (4,851/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Vänersborg is a city (pop. 22,000) in Västergötland, Sweden and the seat of Vänersborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County. Until 1997 it was the capital of Älvsborg County, which was dissolved in 1998. The city is located on the southern shores of the Vänern lake.
[edit] History
Vänersborg was founded by citizens from Brätte, who moved there between 1642-1644. Vänersborg was formally confirmed the city status in Sweden in 1644. The remains of Brätte is still a popular attraction.
The names Vänersborg means "fortress at Vänern". It comes from the fortlet which was begun on in 1644 for protection.
The coat of arms is also from 1644, depicting a golden ship with two Swedish flags.
Around 1800, Vänersborg had a population of 1,500 inhabitants. After the inauguration of the canal at Trollhättan and the Göta älv, creating a waterway between Vänern and Gothenburg, its importance further grew.
In 1834, most of the city with its wooden houses burnt down. Thereafter it was rebuilt according to a check pattern.
From 1693 to 1999, Vänersborg was the capital of Älvsborg County, until the county was merged into Västra Götaland County.
[edit] Notability
The poet Birger Sjöberg (1885-1929) was born in Vänersborg. He wrote appreciative about Vänersborg, most notably in Fridas bok (1922), wherein the comparisment "Vänersborg -- little Paris" is found. The park in the northern part of Vänersborg, Skräckleparken, offers a picturesque view over lake Vänern, and therein also stands this statue of mentioned Frida.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km2 2000 och 2005 (xls) (Swedish). Statistics Sweden. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
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Vänersborg is one of 134 towns with the historical City status in Sweden. |
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