Flysta is a part of the congregation
Spånga
Spånga is a community and parish in the borough of Spånga-Tensta in Stockholm County, Sweden.
Background
Spånga was an independent municipality until January 1, 1949 when most of it was merged with the City of Stockholm, with smaller por ...
in the westernmost parts of the
Stockholm municipality, located just over 10 km from the centre of
Stockholm. It is a part of the
Spånga-Tensta borough. Despite its location in a predominantly residential suburban area, this community has much of what smaller villages used to have, e.g. a bakery, grocery shops, carpenters, hairdressers located along the main road - Spångavägen. This is a testimony to the fact that it used to be its own village, and a summer residence area at the beginning of the 1900s.
Etymology
"Fly" in the word "Flysta" could have originated from the Swedish "gungfly", which refers to the
swampy conditions that existed in the marshes in the area during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
.
History
The history of Flysta goes far back, with several archaeological remains from the early
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
. A local hill, named "Flystaberget" contains a burial mound from this time. As the sea levels were almost 25 metres higher than those of today, Flysta was a coastal community. Much of what is known as Flysta today was once submerged. The inland lake
Mälaren, a few kilometres from Flysta, is a remnant of this age. The habitable area increased significantly during the
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
, and what had once been the sea floor turned into fertile soil. The area was settled by farmers around 1000 AD. As
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
was not that prominent in Scandinavia at this time, many of these farmers would bury their dead close to their farms. Several burial mounds can be still be seen in the area. The earliest documented evidence of a settlement in Flysta dates from 1375, when a farmer named Gunnar of "Flyastum" is mentioned. The oldest map of the area, from 1636, mentions "Flysta farm". This farm later expanded into four different farms, which by the end of the 18th century had grown into a small village.
Living in Flysta
Flysta is a residential area with an increasing number of young families moving in from the inner city of
Stockholm. The area has become popular in recent years due to its proximity to the centre of Stockholm, the opportunity to buy old property for renovation, good child-care services, and the ongoing village spirit. The latter can be explained by the fact that there are still a few dwellers in this area whose houses have been passed down through the generations, and hence with historical significance.
There is, despite the effects of
urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
, a traditional village centre with a bakery, grocery store, a furniture store, a shoe-maker/laundry service, a hairdresser, two pizza houses, and a movie rental place all within the Flysta area.
Flysta is located below the landing flight path of
Stockholm Bromma Airport
Bromma Stockholm Airport (formerly Stockholm-Bromma Flygplats) is a Swedish domestic and minor international airport in Stockholm. It is located west-northwest of downtown Stockholm and is the closest to the city compared to the other commercial ...
. Aircraft are scheduled to fly over Flysta on a frequent basis, but it isn't considered to be a major disturbance by the local residents. Similar opinions were recorded about the nearby Spångavägen road.
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Districts in Västerort