![Stockholm Kungsholmen 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Stockholm_Kungsholmen_2.JPG)
Kungsholmen is an
island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
in
Lake Mälaren
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...
in
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 ...
, part of central
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, Sweden. It is situated north of
Riddarfjärden
Riddarfjärden (, "The Knight Firth") is the easternmost bay of Lake Mälaren in central Stockholm. Stockholm was founded in 1252 on an island in the stream where Lake Mälaren (from the west) drains into the Baltic Sea (to the east); today the is ...
and considered part of the historical province
Uppland
Uppland () is a historical province or ' on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. On the small uninhab ...
. Its area is with a perimeter of . The highest point is at Stadshagsplan at . The total population is 71,542 (December 31, 2020).
Administratively, it is subdivided into the five districts
Kungsholmen
Kungsholmen is an island in Lake Mälaren in Sweden, part of central Stockholm, Sweden. It is situated north of Riddarfjärden and considered part of the historical province Uppland. Its area is with a perimeter of . The highest point is at S ...
,
Marieberg,
Fredhäll,
Kristineberg and
Stadshagen
Stadshagen is a district in Stockholm Municipality in Stockholm, Sweden.
Location
Stadshagen is located in the northwest part of the island of Kungsholmen.
Stadshagen borders the districts of Kungsholmen through Lilla Västerbron, Marieberg ...
.
History
Establishment
Franciscan friars
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
from the
Grey Friar's Abbey, Stockholm
The Greyfriars Monastery (Swedish: ''Gråmunkeklostret'') on the island of Riddarholmen in Stockholm was a monastery for males of the Franciscan Order, in operation from 1270 until the Swedish Reformation of 1527.
History
The monastery was fou ...
, began living on the island in the 15th century. Because of this, the island was named ''Munklägret'' (the Monks' encampment). The monks subsisted on cattle-breeding and fishing. They also managed the
brickyard
A brickyard or brickfield is a place or yard where bricks are made, fired, and stored, or sometimes sold or otherwise distributed from. Brick makers work in a brick yard. A brick yard may be constructed near natural sources of clay or on o ...
Själakoret at
Rålambshov. As a result of the
Swedish Reformation
The Reformation in Sweden is generally regarded as having begun in 1527 during the reign of King Gustav I of Sweden, but the process was slow and did not end definitively until the Uppsala Synod of 1593 and the following War against Sigismund, with ...
, which was concluded at the parliament in
Västerås
Västerås ( , , ) is a city in central Sweden on the shore of Mälaren, Lake Mälaren in the province of Västmanland, west of Stockholm. The city had a population of 127,799 at the end of 2019, out of the municipal total of 154,049.
Västerås ...
1527, the monks were expelled and the area became property of the crown.
At the end of the 16th century,
Johan III
John III ( sv , Johan III, fi, Juhana III; 20 December 1537 – 17 November 1592) was King of Sweden from 1569 until his death. He was the son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife Margaret Leijonhufvud. He was also, quite autonomous ...
(son of
Gustav Vasa
Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksföre ...
) established an additional brickyard on the northern bank of the island. In 1635 the first bridge to Munklägret was built.
A few years later
Queen Kristina
Christina ( sv, Kristina, 18 December (New Style) 1626 – 19 April 1689), a member of the House of Vasa, was Queen of Sweden in her own right from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. She succeeded her father Gustavus Adolphus upon his death a ...
donated large areas of land in the western part of the island to some of the generals from the
Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an es ...
. They built magnificent
entail
In English common law, fee tail or entail is a form of trust established by deed or settlement which restricts the sale or inheritance of an estate in real property and prevents the property from being sold, devised by will, or otherwise alien ...
s and laid out great gardens. 1644 the crown donated the eastern part of Munklägret to the authorities of the city of Stockholm, which then received its first city plan. Three years later the remainder of the island was donated.
In order to facilitate migration to Munklägret, privileges were given to artisans and manufacturers. For example, they were allowed to set up operations there without having to belong to the
guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
s and they were
exempted from tax for ten years. In 1672 Munklägret became a separate
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
(Kungsholmen) and the whole island was renamed Kungsholmen.
Industrialization
When the
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the Era of Great Power"). The beginning of the empire is usually ta ...
collapsed in the beginning of the 18th century the crown embarked on a generous economic policy to develop Kungsholmen. The entails were turned into
factories
A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. T ...
and
hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...
s. In Hornsberg a cotton mill was established, at Marieberg a
porcelain
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...
factory. In the early 19th century the military began to settle in Kungsholmen, which at the time was still a sparsely populated idyll.
When
Samuel Owen settled in Kungsholmen, it had begun developing into a marked district factories and workers. This development was accentuated when the Bolinder brothers start building up their business at Klara Sjö, west of the
Kungsbron
Kungsbron (Swedish: "King's Bridge") is a double bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over Klara Sjö, it connects Norrmalm to Kungsholmen.
History
In 1881, an old wooden bridge spanning Klara sjö ("Lake Klara") was replaced by a ...
, (King's Bridge) in the mid-19th century. The company
AB Separator
Alfa Laval AB is a Swedish company, founded in 1883 by Gustaf de Laval and Oscar Lamm. The company, which started in providing centrifugal separation solutions for dairy (see Separator (milk)), now deals in the production of specialised produ ...
was established at the end of the 19th century. AB Separator would soon become a worldwide group of companies and at the beginning of the 20th century had more than 2,000 employees.
The industrial breakthrough led to a huge
population explosion
Overpopulation or overabundance is a phenomenon in which a species' population becomes larger than the carrying capacity of its environment. This may be caused by increased birth rates, lowered mortality rates, reduced predation or large scale m ...
. The population grew from just over 4,000 people in 1860 to 26,000 in 1890. During the 1880s several apartment blocks were built to remedy the housing shortage.
Modern Kungsholmen
In the early 20th century a radical structural change took place on Kungsholmen. The traits from the old industrial district are swept away and instead housing and public institutions were erected. St. Görans church was designed by architect
Gustaf Améen (1864–1949) and built in 1910. At the division of the Kungsholmen parish in 1925, the new parish was named after the church.
The residential areas in Fredhäll and in Kristineberg were built in the 1930s after a functionalist city plan. The bridges Västerbron and Tranebergsbron were also built the same decade, and Sankt Eriksbron received its current dimensions. The
Stockholm metro
The Stockholm metro ( sv, Stockholms tunnelbana) is a rapid transit system in Stockholm, Sweden. The first line opened in 1950, and today the system has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. There are three colou ...
was drawn through Kungsholmen in the 1950s, first out to
Vällingby
Vällingby () is a suburban district in Västerort in the western part of Stockholm Municipality, Sweden.
History
The agricultural land where the modern suburb now stands, has a history stretching some 2,000 years back (i.e. at least twice ...
and later also to
Järvafältet. At this time the military moved out and the large hospital
Serafen is supplanted (on another location) by the more modern
Saint Göran Hospital
Saint Göran Hospital (Swedish: ''Sankt Görans sjukhus'') is a hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located on Kungsholmen, a small island in the lake Mälaren in the city center.
St. Göran is one of Sweden's oldest hospitals. It was mentioned i ...
.
Prominent buildings and structures
*
Saint Göran Hospital
Saint Göran Hospital (Swedish: ''Sankt Görans sjukhus'') is a hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located on Kungsholmen, a small island in the lake Mälaren in the city center.
St. Göran is one of Sweden's oldest hospitals. It was mentioned i ...
(Swedish: ''Sankt Görans sjukhus''), one of Sweden's oldest hospitals.
*
Stockholm City Hall
Stockholm City Hall ( sv, Stockholms stadshus, ''Stadshuset'' locally) is the seat of Stockholm Municipality in Stockholm, Sweden. It stands on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island, next to Riddarfjärden's northern shore and facing the islands ...
, built 1911-1923.
*
Stockholm Court House
The Stockholm Court House ( sv, Stockholms rådhus) is situated on Kungsholmen in Central Stockholm, Sweden. The building is connected to the Stockholm Police House through an underground pedestrian walkway. The Stockholm City Court was situate ...
from 1909-1915.
*
Kristineberg Palace from around 1750.
*
DN-Skrapan, completed in 1964.
*
Rådhuset metro station
Rådhuset metro station is a rapid transit station in Kungsholmen in central Stockholm, part of the Stockholm metro. The station is located on the blue line between T-Centralen and Fridhemsplan and was opened on 31 August 1975 as part the first s ...
, opened in 1975.
Bridges leading to Kungsholmen
* From
Norrmalm
Norrmalm is a city district in Stockholm, Sweden.
History
Norrmalm is part of the larger borough of Norrmalm (''Norrmalms stadsdelsområde'').
The southern part of the district, Lower Norrmalm (''Nedre Norrmalm''), also known as City, const ...
:
**
Stadshusbron
Stadshusbron (Swedish: "The City Hall Bridge"), formerly known as Nya Kungsholmsbron ("The New Kungsholm Bridge") is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden located just north of the Stockholm City Hall. Stretching over Klara sjö ("Lake Klara"), i ...
**
Klarabergsviadukten
Klarabergsviadukten (Swedish: "The Viaduct of Hill of St Clare"
) is a reinforced concrete bridge and an overpass in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over Klara Sjö, it connects Norrmalm to Kungsholmen.
Where in English viaduct
A via ...
**
Kungsbron
Kungsbron (Swedish: "King's Bridge") is a double bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over Klara Sjö, it connects Norrmalm to Kungsholmen.
History
In 1881, an old wooden bridge spanning Klara sjö ("Lake Klara") was replaced by a ...
**
Blekholmsbron
Blekholmsbron (Swedish: "Bridge of Bleaching Islet") is a pedestrian bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over Klara Sjö, it connects Norrmalm to Kungsholmen.
The bridge is about 55 metres long between the abutments, of which some 32 ...
**
Barnhusbron
Barnhusbron (Swedish: "The Orphanage Bridge") is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Passing over Barnhusviken, it connects Kungsholmen to Norrmalm. It is 23 metres wide and 290 metres long with a maximum span of 64.5 metres. The roadway ...
**
Sankt Eriksbron
Sankt Eriksbron (English language, English: "The St Eric Bridge") is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Passing over Barnhusviken it connects Kungsholmen to Norrmalm. The present construction was inaugurated in 1937. Neighbouring bridges are ...
* From
Solna
Solna Municipality ( sv, Solna kommun or , ) is a municipality in Stockholm County in Sweden, located just north of Stockholm City Centre. Its seat is located in the town of Solna, which is a part of the Stockholm urban area. Solna is one of t ...
:
**
Ekelundsbron
Ekelundsbron (Swedish: "The Ekelund Bridge") is a bridge in Stockholm, Sweden. Passing over the canal Karlbergskanalen, it connects the city district Stadshagen on Kungsholmen to the northern suburb Solna.
The bridge is named after the crofter's ...
* From
Bromma
Bromma () is a borough (''stadsdelsområde'') in the western part of Stockholm, Sweden, forming part of the Stockholm Municipality. Bromma is primarily made up of Bromma Parish and Västerled Parish. The fourth largest airport in Sweden and the th ...
:
**
Tranebergsbron
Tranebergsbron (''The Traneberg Bridge'') is a double arch bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching over the strait Tranebergssund it connects the major island Kungsholmen to the western suburb Bromma. It carries a road and Stockholm metro ...
* From
Lilla Essingen
Lilla Essingen is a small island in central Stockholm, Sweden.
It is located on Lake Mälaren next to the larger neighbouring island of Stora Essingen.
Both Essingen Islands (''Essingeöarna'') are mainly residential areas, the smaller densely p ...
:
**
Mariebergsbron
Mariebergsbron (Swedish: "The Marieberg Bridge") is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Formerly known as Lilla Essingebron, it connects the islands Kungsholmen to Lilla Essingen. The current name is due to the vicinity to the city district Ma ...
**
Fredhällsbron
Fredhällsbron ( sv, The Fredhäll Bridge) is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. It connects the island Lilla Essingen to Fredhäll, a district on the island Kungsholmen, and, forming a section of the Essingeleden motorway, connects the Lilla ...
(part of the
Essingeleden Essingeleden is a motorway that goes from Solna to Stockholm, Sweden, crossing the westmost parts of central Stockholm, by going over Kungsholmen, Lilla Essingen, and Stora Essingen.
Essingeleden has three bridges – Fredhällsbron (270 m), Essin ...
motorway.)
* From
Södermalm
Södermalm, often shortened to just Söder, is a district and island in central Stockholm.
Overview
The district covers the large island of the same name (formerly called ''Åsön''). Although Södermalm usually is considered an island, wat ...
:
**
Västerbron
() is an arch bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. With a total length exceeding 600 m, 340 m of which stretches over water, it is one of the major bridges in Stockholm, offering one of the most panoramic views of the central part of the city cent ...
See also
*
Geography of Stockholm
The City of Stockholm is situated on fourteen islands and on the banks to the archipelago where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea. The city centre is virtually situated on the water.
The area of Stockholm is one of several places in Sweden with ...
*
History of Stockholm
The history of Stockholm, capital of Sweden, for many centuries coincided with the development of what is today known as Gamla stan, the Stockholm Old Town. Stockholm's ''raison d'être'' always was to be the Swedish capital and by far the larges ...
References
{{coord, 59, 20, N, 18, 2, E, display=title, type:isle_region:SE
Districts of Stockholm
Islands of Stockholm
Islands of Mälaren