Bollnäs () is a Swedish locality and the seat of

Bollnäs Municipality Bollnäs Municipality (''Bollnäs kommun'') is a municipality in Gävleborg County, east central Sweden. Its seat is located in Bollnäs. The municipality evolved during a series of local government reforms in the 1950s and 1970s. It consists ...

, in

Gävleborg County Gävleborg County ( sv, Gävleborgs län) is a county or '' län'' on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle. Provinces Gävleborg Cou ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. It had 26,937 inhabitants in 2017

History

The first recording of Bollnäs in writing is from 1312 when a vicar named Ingemund referred to it as ''Baldenaes'', meaning "the large isthmus," referring to the isthmus into a nearby lake. Before becoming known as Bollnäs, its name was ''Bro By'' (lit. Bridge Village). Bollnäs has a station along the Northern Railline ('' Norra Stambanan''), which it was connected to in 1878. The town became a main base for further northern expansion of the railroad. In 1884, it became a primary maintenance and repair workshop for the railroad. The railroad was the largest employer in Bollnäs for the greater part of the 20th century, until the 1990s when it was closed due to its location being no longer optimal. Bollnäs became a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

in 1942, nowadays an honorary title without administrative significance. Bollnäs is twinned with

Shepton Mallet Shepton Mallet is a market town and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England, some south-west of Bath, south of Bristol and east of Wells. It had an estimated population of 10,810 in 2019. Mendip District Council is based t ...

, England.

Sports

Bandy Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two teams wearing ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The international governing body for bandy is ...

is the locality's most popular sport. Bollnäs GIF play in the highest division

Elitserien Elitserien (literally, "the Elite League") is the name of several Swedish nationwide sport leagues. In many sports, Elitserien is the highest league, with the second highest named Allsvenskan. Elitserien leagues at present: * Elitserien (badmint ...

. In 2010, they reached the Swedish final for the first time since 1956. In 2011, they reached the finals and lost in overtime after a controversial offside penalty. In 2017, the team, once again, reached the finals and lost against their rivals Edsbyn IF. Rehns BK started as a bandy club, but now it focuses on

orienteering Orienteering is a group of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a s ...

and

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...

Points of interest

The Bollnäs church was built in the 14th and 15th centuries. An opening ceremony took place on November 3, 1468, probably for the church tower. Later alterations include the addition of the north and south transepts, built 1753-1755.Svenska kyrkan Bollnäs-Rengsjö - "Bollnäs kyrka invändigt"
/ref> The church hosts a collection of wooden medieval sculptures larger than any other parish church in the

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; literal translation, lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmar ...

. Three of the

altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...

s are major works of art from the late 15th century or early 16th century, including an altarpiece dedicated to Virgin Mary made by

Haaken Gulleson Haaken Gulleson was a Swedish painter and workshop leader in the early 16th century. His signature is found on six sculptures in southern Norrland. He has long been considered to be solely a sculptor, but recent research has seen him as a painte ...

c. 1520. The church's eucharistic chalice, with its paten, is another valuable piece dating from the same period.

Notable people

Anna Eriksdotter Anna Eriksdotter or Anna Ersdotter (1624 – 15 June 1704) called ''Sotpackan'' (English: 'soot witch'), was a Swedish woman who was executed for witchcraft. She was the last person to be executed for witchcraft in Sweden.Grimberg, Carl: Svenska ...

(1624-1704), last person to be executed for witchcraft in Sweden. * Bengt Åberg (1944 – 2021), professional motorcycle racer and two-time motocross world champion (1969–

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...

) * Bloodbound, Heavy metal band was founded in Bollnäs in 2004. * Jan Boklöv (b.1966), professional ski jumper lived in Bollnäs during the 1990s. *

Emma Broomé Emma Maria Isabelle Broomé (born 13 June 1985) is a Swedish actress. She is best known for her leading role as Åsa in the 2020 SVT series Sommaren 85. She studied at the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts between 2009 and 2012, and has since ...

(b.1985), professional actress * Erik Byléhn (1898 – 1986), middle-distance runner who competed at the

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

and

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

. *

Emma Engstrand Emma Claesson (née Engstrand; born 14 December 1977) is a Swedish orienteering competitor from Borlänge. She received a silver medal on the ''relay'' at the 2007 World Orienteering Championships in Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the c ...

(b.1977),

Orienteering Orienteering is a group of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a s ...

competitor. * Albin Eriksson (b.2000), professional ice hockey player. * Anders Eriksson (b.1975), professional ice hockey player. * Ole Fahlin (1901 – 1992), Aviator, designer and manufacturer of aviation equipment * Åke "Stan" Hasselgård (1922 – 1948), Jazz clarinetist grew up in Bollnäs, where his grave can be found. *

Lina Hedlund Lina Maria Hedlund (born 28 March 1978) is a Swedish singer and member of the pop group Alcazar. She also has a solo career. Career Hedlund was born in Bollnäs. She has participated in Melodifestivalen a number of times, in Melodifestivalen ...

(b.1978), professional musician *

C.-H. Hermansson Carl-Henrik "C.-H." Hermansson (14 December 1917 – 26 July 2016) was a Swedish politician who served as chairman of the Communist Party of Sweden (during his leadership renamed ''the Left Party – Communists'') from 1964 to 1975 and member of ...

(1917 - 2016), politician, member of the Swedish Parliament and chairman of the Communist Party of Sweden. *

Tobias Jonsson Tobias Jonsson (born 29 February 1996) is a Swedish Paralympic athlete who competes in international track and field competitions, he competes in long jump and was a former sprinter. He is a World silver medalist and a two-time European silver ...

(b.1996), Paralympic athlete * Anna-Karin Kammerling (b.1980), Olympic swimmer who competed at the

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...

. * Fritz Kiölling (1896 - 1976), middle-distance runner who competed in the men's 1500 metres at the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

Pernilla Lindberg Pernilla Lindberg (born 13 July 1986) is a Swedish professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. Her only professional win to date came at the ANA Inspiration, a major championship, Early life Lindberg was born ...

(b.1986), professional golfer. * Yngve Lundh (1924 - 2017), cyclist who competed in the

individual An individual is that which exists as a distinct entity. Individuality (or self-hood) is the state or quality of being an individual; particularly (in the case of humans) of being a person unique from other people and possessing one's own Maslow ...

and team road race events at the

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...

* Timo K. Mukka (1944–1973), Finnish author was born in Bollnäs, where his family had been evacuated to during the Lapland War. * Charles Rytkönen (b. 1968), professional musician * Thomas von Scheele (b.1969) table tennis player and coach, competed in the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

. * Victoria Silvstedt (b.1974), professional model, actress, singer, and television personality. *

Johan Söderberg Johan Olof Anders Söderberg (born 14 November 1962 in Bollnäs) is a Swedish film director and editor. He was considered part of the now terminated Swedish multimedia collective Lucky People Center. Söderberg is recognized for the work he has ...

(b.1962), film director and

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

Peter Stormare Rolf Peter Ingvar Storm (born August 27, 1953), better known as Peter Stormare (), is a Swedish actor who holds both Swedish and American citizenship. He played Gaear Grimsrud in the film '' Fargo'' (1996) and John Abruzzi in the television ser ...

(b.1953), professional actor. *

Per-Inge Tällberg Per-Inge Tällberg (born 14 June 1967 in Bollnäs) is a Swedish former ski jumper who competed from 1986 to 1993. He finished seventh in the team large hill event at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and 50th in the individual large hill event ...

(b.1967), professional ski jumper. *

Staffan Tällberg Staffan Tällberg, born 17 April 1970 in Bollnäs, Sweden, is a Swedish former ski jumper. Career His best Winter Olympics was at Calgary in 1988 where he finished seventh in the team large hill and eighth both in the individual normal hill and i ...

(b.1970), professional ski jumper. *

Göran Unger Göran Unger (29 September 1899 – 6 April 1982) was a Swedish athlete. He competed in the men's pentathlon at the 1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VII ...

(1899 – 1982), athlete who competed in the men's pentathlon at the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The op ...

* Walter Wallberg (b.2000), professional freestyle skier who competed in the

2018 Winter Olympics , nations = 93 , athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women) , events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = , closing = , opened_by = President Moon Jae-in , cauldron = Kim Yun-a , stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium , winte ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bollnas Populated places in Bollnäs Municipality Hälsingland Municipal seats of Gävleborg County Swedish municipal seats fi:Bollnäsin kunta