Backa was one of Gothenburg’s 20 districts[1], and one of the seven parts of the island Hisingen[2], but from January 1, 2011 Backa merged with two other districts of Gothenburg, Kärra-Rödbo and Tuve-Säve to form Norra Hisingen.[3] This change was part of bigger reconstruction turning the 20 districts of Gothenburg to only 10 districts.[4]
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In 2008 there were 23,570 people living in Backa. The population structure is slowly changing and the amount of elders will increase, and Backa has decided to increase the need of accommodations to the elders with special needs.[5]
Both high and low block of flats can be found in Backa, with rented apartments and with condominiums, and the district includes many residential areas.[5]
There is a sports clubs and other associations; in year 2008 there was approximately 160 associations that engageed people in everything from sports activities such as Hisings Backa FC, which has many active youths playing soccer, to culture and religion questions.[5]
You can get to Backa through Göta älvbron, which is a bridge that connects Hisingen with the rest of Gothenburg[6], by walking, bicycling, taking the bus or by driving the car.[7] By car you follow the motorway E6[8] trough Tingstadtunneln.
The first time Backa is mentioned is in Röde bok which is a record over the Oslo-bishop Eysteins’s freehold properties.[9] Backa belonged to Norway in the 1300s and many wars were fought between Norway, Denmark and Sweden during that period. Backa then became a strategically important area where especially Göta Älv and the river mouth were waged over.[2] It was not until 1658 that the Backa became a part of Sweden.[10]
In 1938 Gothenburg city took a principle decision about incorporating Backa with Gothenburg but due to the people living in Backa and the municipal commissioner, who believed that everything was good in Backa[11], it took 10 more years until it was turned into a suburb of Gothenburg.[12] Up to the 1960s Backa was still a district with farmland[13], due to its fertile area[14], but because of the Million Programme[15], which was a project where Sweden planned to build one million accommodations during the years 1965 - 1975[16], houses and building were being constructed in Backa, and this in turn lead to the population increasing rapidly.[17] The north part of Backa expanded 1968-1971, while in the south part they constructed the square Brunnsbo Torg with surrounding accommodations between the years 1963-1965.[14]
In 1864 the construction of Backa Kyrka was done[18], but it was not inaugurated until four years later; in 1868.[19] According to drawings by the architect J F Åbom[20], the church was valued to cost 40453 Swedish crowns. Many reparations and changes have been made to the church ever since it was built; the originally high tower was replaced with the current one in 1927; the current retable became established in 1906[21], and in 1955 the cross was built on the roof of the church. For the 100th year anniversary in 1964, the church received generous allowances, which was used to repaint the roof and the benches.[18]
Before Backa Kyrka was built there two other churches that stood around the area where the current one is[22]; Medeltidskyrkan, which was built around 1692[23], and 1700-tals kyrkan, which was later destroyed to make room for the new and bigger church.[19]
At Selma Lagerlöfs Torg a center with shops, library, school, kindergarten, health insurance fund and post office has been built.[6] A cultural house, called Backa Kulturhus, can also be found at Selma Lagerlöfs Torg where children can playact and dance.[5]
Backa Folkets Hus (People's House)[24] or Tingstads Folkets Hus, which it was called in the beginning[25], was inaugurated in 1924 after years of collecting money to build a meeting hall for all people living in Backa and outside Backa as well. At that time people could go there to dance, play chess and to watch film shows.[26] In 1971 Backa Folkets Hus was sold to Gothenburg and the union dissolved, but after a few years’ people went back to the meeting hall and this resulted in recreating it. Many school youths went there in the beginning of the 1990s. There they could be in charge of activities such as graffiti and break dance.[27]