Sundsvall () is 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 ...
and the seat of
Sundsvall Municipality in
Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County ( sv, Västernorrlands län) is a county ('' län'') in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.
The name ''Västernorrland'' means "Western ...
, Sweden. It has a population of 58,807 as of 2020; more than 95,000 live in the
municipal area. It is Sweden's 21st largest city by population.
History
The town was chartered in 1621, and a first urban plan for Sundsvall was probably created by
Olof Bure in 1642, less likely in 1623.
[Nils Ahlberg]
''Stadsgrundningar och planförändringar : Svensk stadsplanering 1521–1721''
, avhandling vid Institutionen för landskapsplanering Ultuna och Konstvetenskapliga institutionen, Stockholms universitet 2005, s. 550 It has a port by the
Gulf of Bothnia, and is located 395 km north of
Stockholm. The city has burned down and been rebuilt four times. The first time, in 1721, it was set on fire by the Russian army during the
Russian Pillage of 1719-1721
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
* Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and pe ...
.
left, The city was burnt on 25 June 1888.
According to one historian, Swedish industrialism started in Sundsvall when the
Tunadal sawmill bought a steam-engine driven saw in 1849. In the early 20th century Sundsvall was an even greater centre of
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...
industry in Sweden than it is today.
The first large Swedish strike was the "Sundsvall strike" in 1879. The industrial heritage makes
social democrat
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soc ...
and socialist sympathies more prevalent in the Sundsvall region than in Sweden as a whole.
In 1888 on 25 June, strong wind and dry conditions contributed to two city fires in Sweden on the same day. On this day both
Umeå
Umeå ( , , , locally ; South Westrobothnian: ;). fi, Uumaja; sju, Ubmeje; sma, Upmeje; se, Ubmi) is a city in northeast Sweden. It is the seat of Umeå Municipality and the capital of Västerbotten County.
Situated on the Ume River, U ...
and Sundsvall
caught fire.
[Fire of 1888]
, Sunsvall.se, retrieved 28 May 2014 The Sundsvall fire was the largest in Sweden's history. It is presumed that the fire was caused by a spark from a steamship. After the fire, and unlike Umeå, the decision was to rebuild using stone. Sundsvall's centre was later nicknamed
Stenstaden (''the stone city''). One advantage of the new construction was that within three years the town was arguing that it should be allowed reduced insurance as new rules had been brought in that applied to wooden towns. One disadvantage was that after the fire only the better off could afford to live in the centre.
Today Sundsvall is not only dominated by the
pulp and paper industry, and the aluminium production but there are also banks, insurance companies, telecommunications administration and a number of large public data-processing centres such as the national social insurance board. The main campus of the newly established
Mid Sweden University
Mid Sweden University (''Mittuniversitetet'') is a Swedish state university located in the region around the geographical center of Sweden, with two campuses in the cities of Östersund and Sundsvall. The university closed a third campus in H ...
(''Mittuniversitetet'') is also located in the city. The university is a collaboration between Östersund, Sundsvall and Härnösand.
Demography
Culture
During 1987–2013, there was a summer music festival called Gatufesten. Starting in 2014 there's a new one called Hamnyran. There are two theatres and various musical venues. There is also a small guitar festival and a larger heavy metal festival every autumn called Nordfest. Sundsvall is also home to the unique festival Musikschlaget,
which is a song contest for groups around Sweden with disabilities.
Transport
Its airport is
Sundsvall-Timrå Airport, also called Midlanda.
Sport
*
Alnö IF
Alnö IF is a Swedish football club located in Alnö, just outside Sundsvall in Medelpad.
Background
Alnö Idrottsförening was formed on 24 April 1924 at the Hammarstedts Cafe in Vii. The sports club has been active in skiing, wrestling, box ...
, association football
*
GIF Sundsvall
Gymnastik- och Idrottsföreningen Sundsvall, more commonly known as GIF Sundsvall (), Giffarna or simply Sundsvall, is a Swedish professional football club based in Sundsvall. The club is affiliated with Medelpads Fotbollförbund and plays its h ...
, association football
*
IF Sundsvall Hockey
IF Sundsvall Hockey is a Swedish ice hockey club based in Sundsvall. The club currently competes in Hockeyettan, the third tier of ice hockey in Sweden. Sundsvall plays their home matches at Gärdehov, with a capacity of 2,500.
History
The cl ...
, ice hockey
*
IFK Sundsvall
IFK Sundsvall is a Swedish football club located in Sundsvall. The club was formed on 22 February 1895.
Background
Since their foundation IFK Sundsvall has participated mainly in the upper and middle divisions of the Swedish football league syst ...
, association football
*
Sundsvalls AIK (
sv), wrestling (https://www.sundsvallsaik.se/)
*
Sundsvalls DFF, association football
*
Kovlands IF, multi-sport alliance club
**
Kovlands Ishockeyförening, ice hockey
*
Selånger SK, multi-sport alliance club
**
Selånger FK
Selånger FK is a Swedish football club located in Selånger in Västernorrland County. It is a part of the alliance club Selånger SK. Their most acclaimed player is Vilma Abrahamsson.
Background
Selånger Fotbollklubb was founded in 1921 ...
, association football
**
Selånger SK Bandy
Selånger SK Bandy is a bandy club in Sundsvall, Sweden, and part of the sports club alliance Selånger SK. It has its name from the small village of Selånger outside Sundsvall proper.
Selånger SK was founded in 1921 and has had many sports u ...
, bandy
*
Sidsjö-Böle IF, association football
*
Sund IF, association football
*
Sundsvall Dragons, basketball
*
Sundsvall Flames, American football
Notable people
*
Otto Wallin
Einar Otto Wallin (born 21 November 1990) is a Swedish professional boxer. He held the WBA Continental heavyweight title in 2017 and won the European Union heavyweight title in 2018. As of October 2022, Wallin is ranked as the world's sixth-best ...
, boxer
*
Garmarna
Garmarna is a Swedish folk rock band. Their songs are mainly old Scandinavian ballads.
Biography
Garmarna was founded in 1990. Stefan Brisland-Ferner, Gotte Ringqvist and Rickard Westman were inspired by old Swedish music, which they had hear ...
, folk band
*
The Same
The Same was a punk band from Sundsvall. Members were among others Magnus Holmén, Per Kraft, Peter Byström and Tomas Broman. Their most popular song was "Kuken i styret". This song also resulted in that the P3 radio show Ny våg was convicte ...
, punk band
*
Sigrid Hjertén
Sigrid Hjertén (27 October 1885 – 24 March 1948) was a Swedish modernist painter. Hjertén is considered a major figure in Swedish modernism. Periodically she was highly productive and participated in 106 exhibitions. She worked as an artist ...
(1885–1948), painter
*
Vilma Abrahamsson
Vilma Louise Abrahamsson (born 22 February 1999) is a Swedish football player who plays for Selånger FK
Selånger FK is a Swedish football club located in Selånger in Västernorrland County. It is a part of the alliance club Selånger SK ...
(1999–), football player
*
Harry Ahlin
Harry Ahlin (14 April 1900 – 31 July 1969) was a Swedish film actor. He appeared in 60 films between 1919 and 1969. He was also the grandfather of actor/television producer Anton Glanzelius.
Selected filmography
* ''Ingmar's Inheritanc ...
(1900–1969), actor
*
Per Arne Collinder (1890–1975), astronomer (born in Sundsvall)
*
Gina Dirawi
Gina Dirawi ( ar, غنا ديراوي; born 11 December 1990) is a Swedish television presenter, singer-songwriter, radio personality, blogger, comedian and actress. While she is best known as the first woman ever to host Melodifestivalen on thre ...
(1990–), television presenter, host of
Melodifestivalen 2012 and
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
*
Elin Ek (1976–), TV and radio personality (as Grynet), singer
*
Fredrik Ericsson
Jan Fredrik Ericsson (14 March 1975 in Sundsvall, Sweden – 6 August 2010 at K2, Pakistan) was a Swedish mountaineer and extreme skier.
He grew up in Umeå in the northern part of Sweden, but spent most of his time in Chamonix, in the French Alps ...
(1975–2010), extreme skier
*
Jessica Falk (1973–), singer-songwriter and musician
*
Anders Abraham Grafström
Anders Abraham Grafström (10 January 1790 – 24 July 1870) was a Swedish historian, priest and poet.
Life
Grafström was born in Sundsvall in Västernorrland County, Sweden.
He studied at Uppsala University, where he was enrolled in 180 ...
(1790–1870), poet
*
Anders Graneheim (1962–), bodybuilder
*
Stan Hasselgård (1922–1948), musician
*
Bengt Lindström (1925–2008), artist
*
Kjell Lönnå (1936–), musician
*
Fredrik Modin
Jan Fredrik "Freddy" Modin (born 8 October 1974) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and most notably won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003–04 ...
(1974–), ice hockey player
*
Max Magnus Norman (1973–), artist
*
Erik Ringmar (1960–), political scientist and author
*
Helen Sjöholm
Marie Helen Sjöholm (; born 10 July 1970) is a Swedish singer, actress and musical theatre performer who lives in Gamla Enskede in Stockholm. She grew up in Sundsvall and started to sing in choirs at an early age, working, among others, with S ...
(1970–), singer, actress and musical theater performer
*
Hanna Glas
Hanna Erica Maria Glas (born 16 April 1993) is a Swedish footballer who plays as a defender for Frauen-Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Sweden national team.
Club career
Glas began her football career at Sundsvalls DFF of Sweden's ...
(1993–), football player
*
Carl Strandlund Carl Strandlund (5 March 1899 – 26 December 1974) was a Swedish-born American inventor and entrepreneur.
Background
Carl Gunnar Strandlund was born in Sundsvall in Västernorrland County, Sweden. Strandlund came to the United States at the ...
(1899–1974),
Swedish-American
Swedish Americans ( sv, svenskamerikaner) are Americans of Swedish ancestry. They include the 1.2 million Swedish immigrants during 1865–1915, who formed tight-knit communities, as well as their descendants and more recent immigrants.
Today, ...
inventor and entrepreneur
*
Henrik Zetterberg
Henrik Zetterberg (; born 9 October 1980) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey forward. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL), for whom he would serve as capt ...
(1980–), ice hockey player
*
Yohio
''Kevin'' Johio Lucas Rehn Eires, known professionally as Yohio, stylized as YOHIO (born July 12, 1995) is a Swedish singer and songwriter currently active in Japan. He is best known for his performances as Yohio, wearing a lolita dress in previo ...
(1995–), singer and guitarist
*
Kevin Walker (1989–) football player and winner of
Idol 2013
''Idol 2013'' was the Swedish '' Idol'' series' ninth season which premiered on August 19, 2013. and ended on December 6, 2013. In January 2013, TV4 confirmed that the ''Idol'' series would be returning after a year's hiatus after ''Idol 2011''.
...
*
Charlotte Kalla
Marina Charlotte Kalla (born 22 July 1987 in Tärendö) is a Swedish cross-country skier who has been competing at international level since the 2003–04 season. Kalla is a three-time Olympian, winning her first Olympic gold medal at the 2010 Wi ...
(1987–) cross-country skier
*
Carl-Herman Tillhagen
Carl-Herman Tillhagen (17 December 1906 - 28 May 2002) was a Swedish folkloristhttp://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5422561/Spatial-representation-in-European-popular.html and ethnologist who did extensive research on Scandinavian folklore.
...
(1906~2002), folklorist
*
Emil Forsberg
Emil Peter Forsberg (; born 23 October 1991) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig and the Sweden national team.
Forsberg was awarded Guldbollen in 2021 as Sweden's best footba ...
(1991–), football player
*
Elias Pettersson
Elias Fredrik Pettersson (born 12 November 1998) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Pettersson was selected fifth overall by the Canucks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Nickname ...
(1998-), ice hockey player and 2019
Calder Trophy winner
*
MyAnna Buring
MyAnna Buring (; born 22 September 1979 as Anna Margaretha My Rantapää) is a Swedish actress, known for her roles in ''The Descent'', ''Kill List'', '' The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', ''Ripper Street'', ''The Witc ...
(1979–), actress (born in Sundsvall)
Gallery
Climate
Sundsvall has a climate which is on the border between
subarctic (
Dfc) and cold
humid continental
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...
(Dfb), leaning towards the latter in recent years. Temperatures are made significantly milder and regulated by the influence from the
Gulf Stream. The weather station is located to the north and somewhat further inland near
Timrå
Timrå () is a locality and the seat of Timrå Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 10,443 inhabitants in 2010.
It is located about 13 km north of Sundsvall (a town with a metropolitan area of some 100,000 inhabitants), and c ...
, which renders that Sundsvall's urban centre is likely milder in terms of low temperatures by some degree.
References
External links
Sundsvall- Official site
from
Nordisk Familjebok (1918)
sundsvallturism.com– Sundsvalls tourist information bureau.
*
Sundsvalltown.se– The alternative guide to Sundsvall.
sundsvallsbilder.com– Blog with photos from Sundsvall.
{{Authority control
Populated places in Sundsvall Municipality
Medelpad
Municipal seats of Västernorrland County
Swedish municipal seats
Coastal cities and towns in Sweden
Cities in Västernorrland County