Växjö


Växjö is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden. It had 66,275 inhabitants out of a municipal population of 90,721. It is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of Kronoberg County and the episcopal see of the Diocese of Växjö. The town is home to Linnaeus University.

Etymology

The city's name is believed to be constructed from the words väg and sjö, meaning the road over the frozen Växjö Lake that farmers used in the winter to get to the marketplace which later became the city.

History

In contrast to what was believed a century ago, there is no evidence of a special pre-Christian significance of the site. The pagan cultic center of Värend may have been located at Hov, a nearby village.
An episcopal see since the 12thcentury, the city did not get its city charter until 1342, when it was issued by Magnus Eriksson. The cathedral of St Sigfrid dates from about 1300, and has been subsequently restored. Otherwise, during the Middle Ages, Växjö did not have many pious institutions. A Franciscan monastery was established in 1485. A hospital of the Holy Ghost was first mentioned in 1318. In the 14th century Växjö got its first school, Växjö katedralskola. In 1643 it received gymnasium status.
At the beginning of Gustav Eriksson's war of liberation, the peasantry joined forces, under the guidance of the union-hostile bishop Ingemar Pedersson, with the mountain men and peasantry of Dalarna, Hälsingland, and Gästrikland, who urged fidelity to their leader Gustav Eriksson. During the Dacke War, a peasant uprising, the city was under the authority of Nils Dacke and his supporters from the summer of 1542 until after New Year 1543.
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Several times during the Northern Wars and the Scanian Wars, and thereafter, the city was affected by fire. After the last fire in 1843, when 1,140 citizens were rendered homeless, Växjö received its current street plan.

Modern times

The Barbarella nightclub was opened in the 1970s. Växjö is the city in which the "Kvinnan med handväskan" photograph was taken in 1985 by.
In its December 2015 report, Police in Sweden placed the Växjö district Araby in the most severe category of urban areas with high crime rates. During 2015 Växjö suffered a series of arson incidents.

Historic buildings

is located near the centre of the city.
Immediately north of Växjö is Kronoberg Castle, a ruined fortress constructed in the 15th century. This castle was used as a base by the rebel, Nils Dacke, during the Dacke War. The fortress has thick walls and artillery portals that face north towards lake Helgasjön.
Teleborg Castle is also located near the city. It was built near the Linnaeus University in 1900, it now functions as a hotel and conference facility.

Amenities

The Swedish Emigrant Institute was established in 1965 and is housed in the House of Emigrants near Växjö Lake in the heart of the city. It contains archives, a library, a museum, and a research center relating to the emigration period between 1846 and 1930, when 1.3million of the Swedish population emigrated, mainly to the United States. Archives dating to the 17thcentury contain birth and death records, as well as household records, that are available on microfiche.
Since 2016, Fortnox Arena has held a video game speedrunning event in July. The event aims to raise money for the Save the Children charitable foundation. Over 400 attendees were expected to turn up for ESA in 2017.

Industry

Industries include GE Power and Aerotech Telub, as well as Volvo Articulated Haulers which is located in Braås, north of Växjö. One of the best-known service providers is Visma. Växjö houses Sweden's National Glass Museum and claims to be the capital of the "Kingdom of Crystal" as well as of the "Kingdom of Furniture".

Education

The city has three municipality-run secondary schools : Teknikum, Katedralskolan, and Kungsmadskolan. Linnaeus University had a student body of 42,000 students as of 2012 or 15,000 students as of 2010.

Demography

Population numbers by city districts

The Coast to Coast track cuts through the municipality from north-west to south-east. SJ's long-distance trains travel between Gothenburg, Alvesta and Kalmar, with stop in Växjö. Öresundståg's long-distance trains travel the Kalmar – Alvesta – Malmö - Copenhagen route. Regional trains Krösatågen travel the Växjö – Jönköping route. Trunk roads 23, 25, 27, 29, 30 and 37 meet in the municipality.
In air transport, the city is served by the nearby Växjö/Kronoberg Airport.

Environmental policy

In 1996 the city adopted a policy for the elimination of the use of fossil fuels by 2030. This decision was taken in reaction to pollution and eutrophication in the lakes that surround the town. Greenhouse gas emissions were cut by 41% from 1993 to 2011, and were reduced by 55% by 2015. The city's economy has grown during this time.
By 2014, Växjö's CO2 emissions had dropped to 2.4tonnes per capita, well below the EU average of 7.3tonnes.

The Greenest City in Europe

Växjö has called itself "The Greenest City in Europe" since 2007. It has its foundation in a long history of commitment to environmental issues, and ambitious goals for a green future. It is a vision shared with the citizens and the local companies.
In 2017 Växjö was awarded the European Green Leaf Award 2018 by the European Commission. The prize is awarded to cities with less than 100 000 inhabitants that show good results and ambitions in terms of environment and are committed to generate green growth.

Notable people

The following sports clubs are located in Växjö:
Växjö has a humid continental climate, using temperature data from 1961-1990. Temperatures have risen in recent years, and using the -3 Celsius isotherm, it can also be classified as an oceanic climate