Örebro

[œ-ruh-broo]

Örebro, city (1990 pop. 85,860), capital of Örebro co., S central Sweden, W of Lake Hjälmaren. It is a commercial, industrial, and transportation center. Manufactures include shoes, paper, and processed food. Known since the 11th cent., it was the site of 15 national diets, notably the one in 1529, which brought the Reformation to Sweden, and the one in 1810, which elected Bernadotte (later Charles XIV) crown prince of Sweden and Norway.

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Licensed from Columbia University Press

Örebro

Örebro [œrə'bruː] is a city in Närke in central Sweden. Örebro is the seat of Örebro Municipality and the capital of Örebro County.

History

Örebro received its Royal Charter and city privileges not later than 1404.

Örebro literally means a bridge over gravel banks, which is how the geography looks, with the stream Svartån draining into the lake Hjälmaren. The location became a natural seat of commerce in the (Scandinavian) medieval time, and is mentioned in print in the 13th century. Old buildings from the early days include the foundations of the city church, a building which has 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 into a northern and a southern part. This castle was constructed during the stewardship of Birger Jarl during the early 13th century and then modified and enlarged 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 Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected crown prince of Sweden.

Although a trade town, Örebro remained small until the second half of the 19th century, when it grew rapidly as a center 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 contains 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 14,070 students and a staff of 1,100. Gustavsvik, the largest water park in the Nordic countries, is located just a kilometer south of central Örebro. With more than 700,000 visitors per year, it is one of the most popular tourist and leisure establishments in Sweden. Only Liseberg, Gröna Lund and Skansen are more popular. In the summer the manor of Karlslund is a very popular place to visit.

Notable natives

Culture and Media

Hjalmar Bergman, author
Josef Fares, Film director
Peter Flack, comedian
Ernst Kirchsteiger, TV-profile
Jan-Peter Lahall, photographer, writer
Karl Axel Pehrson, artist
Mary Stävin, former Miss World, actress
Cajsa Warg, Cookery book author

Music

Ulla Billquist, Former singer
Jussi Björling, Former Operatic tenor singer
Lolita Pop, Fomer Rock band
Millencolin, punk rock band
Nasum, grindcore band
Path Of No Return, Hardcore Metal band
Nina Persson, lead singer of the pop group The Cardigans
Mats Ronander, Rock musician
Dan Swanö, multi-instrumentalist, lead vocalist of Edge of Sanity
Witchcraft, doom metal band

Politics

Henry Allard - Speaker of the parliament 1969–1979
Leni Björklund, Minister of Defence 2002–2006
Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, (1390s–1436) rebellious politician and later Sweden's first rikshövitsman
Erik Agabus Nilsson, Minister of Defence 1917–1920
Sten Tolgfors, Minister of Defence 2007–

Religion

John Ongman, pastor and founder of the Örebro Mission
Laurentius Petri, (16th century) Sweden's first Lutheran arch-bishop
Olaus Petri, (16th century) Principal reformator in Sweden

Science

Manne Siegbahn, Nobel Prize in Physics laureate
Gunnar A. Sjögren, Saab designer
Jonas Wenström, Inventor and engineer

Sports

Peter Andersson, former NHL hockey player
Orvar Bergmark, Former Footballer
Stig Blomqvist, Rally driver.
Hasse Borg, Former Footballer
Magnus Erlingmark, Former Footballer
Richard Göransson, Swedish Touring Car driver
Thomas Nordahl, Former Footballer
Ronnie Peterson, Former racing driver
Johan Röjler, ice speed skater
Timmy (Battousai) Skoog, World-champion of Kyokushin-Karate, and Grand-master of the European Karate-Association.

Sports

Football

Örebro SK are the most popular football team in Örebro County. The club was founded in 1908 and the team currently play in the highest division in Sweden (Allsvenskan).
KIF Örebro DFF play in the highest level of women's soccer leagues in Sweden (Damallsvenskan).
BK Forward currently play in Division 1 Norra.
Karlslunds IF currently play in Division 2 Södra Svealand.
Rynninge IK currently play in Division 2 Södra Svealand.
Adolfsbergs IK currently play in Division 3 Västra Svealand.
Örebro Syrianska BK currently play in Division 3 Västra Svealand.

Volleyball

Örebro Volley play in the highest level of women's volleyball leagues in Sweden. They have won the league ten times.

Ice Hockey

Örebro Hockey Vipers currently play in Division 1 (the third level) in the Swedish Hockey League.

American Football

Örebro Black Knights are an American Football Club that played in the Swedish Championship Finals in 1998 and 1999.

Culture

Swedish Chamber Orchestra

Örebro is the hometown of the punk-rock band Millencolin. They named one of their albums Pennybridge Pioneers, where Pennybridge stands for Örebro as a colloquial translation into English.
The influential and highly popular grind band Nasum were formed in Örebro.