Uddevalla

Uddevalla

Overlooking the centre of Uddevalla
Uddevalla
Coordinates: 58°21′N 11°55′E / 58.350°N 11.917°ECoordinates: 58°21′N 11°55′E / 58.350°N 11.917°E
Country Sweden
Province Bohuslän
County Västra Götaland County
Municipality Uddevalla Municipality
Area[1]
 • Total 16.92 km2 (6.53 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2010)[1]
 • Total 31,212
 • Density 1,845/km2 (4,780/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)

Uddevalla is a city and the seat of Uddevalla Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 31,212 inhabitants in 2010.[1]

It is located at the bay of the south-eastern part of the sea known as Skagerrak. The beaches of Uddevalla are filled with seashells, and Uddevalla has one of the largest shellbanks in the world.

Uddevalla has a small port and once hosted a large shipyard called Uddevallavarvet, which in 1960 was the largest employer in Bohuslän. But in the 1970s all shipyards in Sweden experienced a recession which also led to the closure of Uddevallavarvet in 1985.

History

Uddevalla around 1700 from Suecia antiqua et hodierna

Uddevalla got its city rights in 1498 but was probably a place of trade long before that. Historically Uddevalla was part of Norway. Because of its location close to Sweden and Denmark, it was often besieged. In 1612 it was burnt by Swedish troops under the command of Jesper Mattson Krus and in 1644 it was again burnt, by the Swedish commander Harald Stake. In 1658, at the treaty of Roskilde, it was ceded to Sweden. A year later the Norwegians retook it, but in 1660 it was once again ceded to Sweden in the peace treaty of Copenhagen. Norway later repeatedly reconquered Uddevalla and the nearby fortress on Galleberg, the last time in 1788.

In the 18th and 19th century, Uddevalla's main importance lay in its herring fishing. But what also marked the city were the great fires which several times damaged the city. Most notably in 1806, when the entire city, four houses spared, was burnt to the ground, and 4,000 people were made homeless.

In the 19th century, Uddevalla had trouble getting out of its recession and struggled with poverty and alcoholism. The reasons were mainly that the herring fishing had decreased, the canal of Trollhättan opened, together with the after effects of the 1806 fire.

Sometime around 1870-1880, Uddevalla began to attract industries. Much of the development in that century can be attributed to the Scottish businessman William Thorburn, who is said to have been amazed by the city's beauty and hence settled there with his wife Jessy Macfie in 1822.[2] He founded a number of industries, mostly textile in the beginning. Another factor contributing to Uddevalla's recovery was the railroad, the Bohus Line. A prominent individual in Uddevalla history was Ture Malmgren, newspaper publisher and progressive liberal politician.

In the 1958 FIFA World Cup, Uddevalla was one of twelve Swedish cities to host matches, which were played at the Rimnersvallen stadium.[3]

Today

After the Swedish shipyard crisis in the 1980s, forcing the closure of Uddevallavarvet, Uddevalla suffered economic setback. The population has been steady, slowly increasing, over the last thirty years.

Education

All the high schools in Uddevalla have been united under one name Uddevalla Gymnasieskola or High School of Uddevalla, which is now the largest high school in Sweden, with 4000 students, divided as follows:

There are also many primary schools in Uddevalla, for example Äsperödskolan, Västerskolan, Fridaskolan, Ramnerödsskolan, Norgårdenskolan, Norrskolan, Sommarhemsskolan.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Uddevalla is twinned with:

Sports

The following sports clubs are located in Uddevalla:

A major stadium is the Agnebergshallen, which is where various games take place, including handball.

See also

References

Notes
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km2 2005 och 2010" (in Swedish). Statistics Sweden. 14 December 2011. Archived from the original on 10 January 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  2. ↑ Thorburn, Frank (2010). "Thorburn-Macfie Family Society". thorburn-macfie.se. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "World Cup 1958 finals". rsssf.com. 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "Uddevalla’s Twin Cities Outside Nordic Countries". Uddevalla kommun. 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
Bibliography

External links

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