Örebro
Encyclopedia : R : RE : REB : Örebro
| City arms | ||
| [59°16′ N 15°13′ E] | ||
| Charter | 1404 | |
| Municipality | Örebro Municipality | |
| County | Örebro County | |
| Province | Närke | |
| Population | 95,354 | |
Örebro [œrə'bruː] is a Swedish city in Närke in central Sweden, situated at . It has 95,354 inhabitants (2000), with 126,000 inhabitants in the municipality. It is also the capital of Örebro County, encompassing 274,000 inhabitants.
Örebro received its Royal Charter and city privileges at latest 1404. It was the capital of Närke, and for long its only city.
History
Örebro literally means a bridge over gravel banks, which is how the geography looks, with the rivulet Svartån draining into the lake Hjälmaren. The location became a natural seat of commerce in the (Scandianvian) middle ages, and is mentioned in print in the 13th century. Old buildings from the early days include the foundations of the city church, a building undergone several modifications. The natural center of the city is otherwise the magnificent Örebro Castle, situated on an islet in the Svartån, and dividing the town in a northern and a southern part. This castle was constructed during the reign of King Gustav Vasa in the 1560s.Notable events in Örebro's history include the national diet meeting at Örebro in 1810, where Bernadotte was elected King of Sweden as Charles XIV.
Although a trade town, Örebro remained small until the second half of the 19th century, when it grew rapidly as a centre of the national shoe manufacturing industry (see: History of Närke).
Sites of interest
Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of the Svartån. It hosts many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions.
The water tower of Örebro, nicknamed Svampen (The Mushroom) is a popular destination as an outlook tower. In 1958, a replica of the tower was built in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Örebro University is one of Sweden's most recent, being upgraded from högskola (university college) in 1999. It currently has around 14,000 students and a staff of 1,300.
Notable natives
- Christian Berglund, professional hockey player
- Hjalmar Bergman, author
- Leni Björklund, Minister for Defence
- Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, (1390s–1436) rebellious politician and later Swedens first rikshövitsman (Primeminister)
- Ronnie Peterson, racecar driver
- Olaus Petri, (16th century) Principal reformator in Sweden
- Manne Siegbahn, Nobel Prize in Physics laureate
- Gunnar A. Sjögren, Saab designer
- Millencolin - punk rock band
- Biljana Plavšić - Former president of Bosnia and Hergezovina, now a prisoner for 11 years, just outside Örebro.
- Mary Stavin, Former Miss World and she appeared in two James Bond movies, Octopussy and as agent Kimberley Jones in A View to a Kill.
Sports
See also
External links
- [Örebro] - Official site
Örebro is one of 134 towns with the historical City status in Sweden.
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