Södertälje ( , ) 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 ...

in Södermanland and

Stockholm County Stockholm County ( sv, Stockholms län, link=no ) is a county or '' län'' (in Swedish) on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm ...

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 ...

and seat of

Södertälje Municipality Södertälje Municipality (''Södertälje kommun'') is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Södertälje. It borders to Lake Mälaren in the north and the Baltic Sea in the south, and withi ...

. As of 2017, it has 72,704 inhabitants. Södertälje is located at

Mälaren Mälaren ( , , or ), historically referred to as Lake Malar in English, is the third-largest freshwater lake in Sweden (after Vänern and Vättern). Its area is 1,140 km2 and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from e ...

s confluence in to the Baltic Sea through the lock in the Södertälje Canal.Nationalencyklopedin, Södertälje. http://www.ne.se/uppslagsverk/encyklopedi/lång/södertälje-(tätort-södertälje-kommun) (hämtad 2020-06-13) Since year 2000, it is the largest

located entirely within the province of Södermanland.

History

Ancient history

It is estimated that the first people reached the area around what is today Södertälje during the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...

, about 4000 BC. They formed settlements around 3000 BC, when the peasant culture is believed to have reached the area.Svartsjö, Christina 2004, ''Centrumförnyelse i Södertälje - utopi eller verklighet!''. Blekinge tekniska högskola Around 1500 to 400 BC, the strait between Lake

and the Baltic Sea narrowed due to the post-glacial rebound. Thereafter boats had to be towed over the sand ridge, which created job opportunities. Trade and service emerged. Ansgar passed through Södertälje on his voyages to Birka in his efforts to Christianize Sweden in 829. Södertälje was first mentioned in historical sources in 1070, when Adam of Bremen mentioned the town in a description of the road between Skara and Birka in his work . However, the area was inhabited long before then. Södertälje received

city privileges Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

in the 1300s. The castle Telge Hus was built at Slottsholmen during the 1300s. From here, Telgehus county was administered between the years 1318 and 1527. The county included Öknebo, Hölebo and parts of Svartlösa districts. Archaeological excavations have shown that the castle was surrounded by a moat. It is still partially visible on Slottsholmen's northwestern shore. Originally, the city was simply called Tälje (several spellings are known; including ''Telge'', ''Talje'', and ''Tælga''). In 1622, the prefix 'south' was added to distinguish from the then recently founded town of

Norrtälje Norrtälje is a locality and the seat of Norrtälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 17,275 inhabitants in 2010. It is one of the largest towns in Roslagen. History Norrtälje’s early history dates back to the Iron Age. Around 225 ...

, located 110 km northeast of the city.

Statistics Sweden Statistics Sweden ( sv, Statistiska centralbyrån ; SCB) is the Swedish government agency operating under the Ministry of Finance and responsible for producing official statistics for decision-making, debate and research. The agency's responsib ...

started using the modern spelling in 1900. The city first used St. Olof in its coat of arms. At the beginning of the 17th century, he was replaced by

Ragnhild of Tälje Ragnhild of Tälje (11th century – c. 1117) is a saint whose veneration is attested in late medieval Sweden and whose name is especially associated with the church in Södertälje in the province of Södermanland and the diocese of Strängnäs. A ...

( sv, Sankta Ragnhild). After her pilgrimages to Rome and Jerusalem, her relics are said to have been buried in Södertälje.Nationalencyklopedin 2007, ''Ragnhild av Tälje'' Duke Charles (subsequently became King Charles) actively invested in Södertälje as a commercial and maritime city during his time as Duke of Södermanland, which contributed to growth. A port was built just south of the city. It was not until the 1740s that the city began with industrial manufacturing in addition to shipping and trade.Mellander Rönn, Fredrika, Sundström, Lisa Andersson, Christina 2006, ''Södertäljes stadskärna'', Stockholms läns museum

1800s to 1950

Södertälje already had a port, but during the 19th century it became necessary to extend it to be able to receive larger vessels. In 1819 the Södertälje Canal was inaugurated after 13 years of construction. Just over forty years later, in 1860, rail traffic between Södertälje and Stockholm commenced. The

Western Main Line The Western Main Line ( sv, Västra stambanan) is the main state-owned railway line between Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden. Its construction began in 1856 and it opened for service in 1862. Around this time Södertälje became known as a seaside resort for Stockholmers. In 1849 the Södertälje Bathing Facilities in Badparken park was opened, with both a cold bath facility and a hot bath house. The bathhouses and the Societetshus venue have been demolished, but the Bath hotel at Järnagatan street, Strandhotellet hotel, Stadsparken park and Villa Bellevue still remain from the resort era, which lasted for almost a hundred years until 1945. The tradition of selling the local

pretzel A pretzel (), from German pronunciation, standard german: Breze(l) ( and French / Alsatian: ''Bretzel'') is a type of baked bread made from dough that is commonly shaped into a knot. The traditional pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical ...

s, , is several hundred years old. They had their heyday during the resort era, i.e. around the beginning of the 19th century onwards.Södertälje kommun 2006, ''Historiska kringlor''. Publicerat: 2006-03-30, hämtat 2007-10-20 från They were typically sold by older women, often referred to as (English: Pretzel ladies). The pretzels were primarily sold to tourists, especially at the city's railway stations. The sale of pretzels, among other aspects of the resort town, was described in the magazine (English: Swedish Family Journal) in 1881.Sätherberg, Herman 1881, ''Södertelge'', Svenska Familj-Journalen By the 1900s, Södertälje's population had grown to over 8,000 people. Around the turn of the century several large factories were established in the city: Svenska Centrifug AB (1896), AB Södertelge Verkstäder (1897), Baltic (1906), Aktiebolaget Astra Apotekarnes Kemiska Fabriker (Astra) (1913), Tobaksmonopolet (1915) och Wedaverken (1917). Perhaps most interesting is the formation of

VABIS Vabis was the abbreviation and later also trademark of Sweden, Swedish railway car manufacturer Vagnfabriks Aktiebolaget i Södertälje, which translates ''Wagon Factory Limited Company of Södertälje'', established in 1891 in Södertälje. Vabis ...

, Vagnfabriks-Aktiebolaget in Södertelge (1891). In 1911 it merged with Scania and formed Scania-Vabis. Nowadays, however, the company only uses the name Scania AB.

From 1950 until today

Södertälje, Södermanland, Sweden (15193509561)

In the 1950s, conditions in Södertälje's central parts were considered outdated. As the city grew, and modern

apartment buildings An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies part of a building, generally on a single story. There are man ...

were constructed in the outskirts, the city centre was still predominantly consisted of relatively small wooden houses. Hence, the city council decided on a major renovation of the central areas, where many buildings around the pedestrian section of Storgatan high street (including adjacent Nygatan and Köpmangatan streets) were demolished. Some of the buildings were moved to the Torekällberget City Museum. However, many of the 17th–19th century buildings around Olof Palmes plats, Marenplan, Saltsjötorget and Stortorget were preserved.Södertälje kommun 2006, ''Södertäljes historia i årtal'', 2006-03-30, read 2007-10-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20071026125003/http://www.sodertalje.se/templates/Page____487.aspx In 1960, Södertälje was still a fairly small town with a largely homogeneous population of 33,000 inhabitants. In the 1960s, however, the demographics of the city changed radically. The industrial boom and the structural transformation led to economic development and increased investments in the city's industries. The large companies Scania-Vabis and

Astra Astra may refer to: People * Astra (name) Places * Astra, Chubut, a village in Argentina * Astra (Isauria), a town of ancient Isauria, now in Turkey * Astra, one suggested name for a hypothetical fifth planet that became the asteroid belt Ent ...

were in high demand of labour. Recruitment was primarily made from parts of the country that were severely affected by the industrial boom, mainly Norrland. When the manpower from other parts of the country was insufficient, foreign labour was brought in. Most of the migrant workers came from Finland, but also Greece, Italy and Yugoslavia.Södertälje kommun 2001, ''Mångfald och gemenskap'' Sankt Afrems katedral i Södertälje

During the 1970s, immigration from Finland declined, while many Christian Assyrians/Syriacs settled in Södertälje, mostly from Tur Abdin, Turkey. At the end of the 1990s, many Iraqis (the majority of which are ethnic Assyrians) arrived, and now Assyrians constitute the largest immigrant group. In total, about 39 percent of the city's population are first or second generation immigrants. In 2013, there were reports in the media that a parallel society founded by the Assyrian/Syriac minorities had emerged, with norms, rules and a banking system without control from society.Oslo 2022. Fremtidens kriminalitetsutfordringer i Oslo, https://web.archive.org/web/20160211060134/https://www.politi.no/vedlegg/lokale_vedlegg/oslo/Vedlegg_2161.pdf, read 11 feb 2016 Swedish law enforcement allocated extensive resources. A trial against the mafia-like organisation (English: The Södertälje network) ended in 2013.Norsk polisrapport var gammal, http://www.svt.se/nyheter/regionalt/sodertalje/norsk-polisrapport-var-gammal, Sveriges Television, read 10 August 2015 Construction of Almnäs garrison started in 1970.

Svea Engineer Corps The Svea Engineer Corps ( sv, Svea ingenjörkår), designation Ing 1, was a Swedish Army engineer unit that traced its origins back to the 19th century. It was disbanded in 1997. The unit was garrisoned in Uppland and Södermanland. History Th ...

and the Engineering Troops Cadet School (INGKAS) relocated to Almnäs. They were joined by Swedint, the Armed Forces International training school, in 1984. During the 1990s, the Life Guards were also present at Almnäs. After 1996, the armed forces underwent a major reorganisation and left Almnäs altogether in 2004. The area is now a business park. Many of the city's modern attractions were built in the 1980s. A museum based on the book by French writer

Arthur Good Arthur Good (16 or 26 August 1853 – 30 March 1928) was a French engineer, science educator, author and caricaturist who used the pen name Tom Tit. He wrote a series of weekly articles, ''La Science Amusante'', or ''Amusing Science'', that wer ...

was built. The museum is called ''Tom Tits Experiment'' after the author's pen name

Tom Tit Arthur Good (16 or 26 August 1853 – 30 March 1928) was a French engineer, science educator, author and caricaturist who used the pen name Tom Tit. He wrote a series of weekly articles, ''La Science Amusante'', or ''Amusing Science'', that wer ...

. The new bath house opened in 1987, and is now one of the most visited bathing facilities in the country. During the 2010 and 2020 centuries, several infrastructure projects were completed or started. Further widening of the canal and the lock was initiated, as well as the upgrade of the railway around

Södertälje Hamn railway station Södertälje Hamn ("Harbour") (previously ''Södertälje södra'') is a railway station along Sweden's Western Main Line (''Västra stambanan'') in Södertälje. Before Grödingebanan was constructed Södertälje hamn (then Södertälje södra ...

to increase capacity.

Administrative history

The City of Södertälje was transformed to a

city municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

during the

Swedish municipal reforms of 1862 The Swedish municipal reforms of 1862 defined new Swedish local governments, called ''Kommun'' in Swedish and usually called municipalities in English. Before the 1862 reform, local governments in Sweden were based on church parishes and were inte ...

. The city grew and subsequently incorporated Västertälje parish in 1946 and Östertälje parish in 1963. The city municipality expanded further in 1967, until it became the seat of the present-day

. Within the Church of Sweden, Södertälje was part of Södertälje City parish. It incorporated the western part of in 1946, and received the name (English: Södertälje parish). It has since also incorporated the parish of Tveta. Between 1973 and 2010, part of the city was part of Västertälje parish. The eastern part of Södertälje still belongs to Östertälje parish. Until 1971, the city belonged to the judicial district Södertälje Council Court. In 1971, it was changed to Södertälje District Court.

Historical population figures

Year, Population, Area (ha)
1950, 25 715
1960, 33 721
1965, 44 362
1970, 57 494
1975, 58 408
1980, 58 711
1990, 58 097, 2 408
1995, 57 327, 2 456
2000, 59 342, 2 479
2005, 60 279, 2 529
2010, 64 619, 2 584
2015, 70 777, 2 797
2018, 73 872, 2 851

Cityscape

During the 1600s, the city was hit by two major fires; in 1630 and 1650. After the fire in 1650, the devastation was vast. All important buildings except the church were destroyed; including the school and town hall. After the fires, extensive urban planning was implemented under the leadership of Anders Torstensson, where the old irregular medieval neighbourhoods were replaced by a

grid plan In urban planning, the grid plan, grid street plan, or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid. Two inherent characteristics of the grid plan, frequent intersections and orthogona ...

of streets. The 1650s plan remained largely in place until the redevelopment of the city centre in the 1960s, and still characterises many parts of the central areas. Most of the older buildings have disappeared due to city fires or demolition. Badhotellet,_Södertälje,_2017

The central parts of Södertälje are today mainly the neighbourhood around what is commonly referred to as called Gågatan, which is the pedestrian part of Storgatan street. Stortorget was originally the absolute centre of the city. The reason that the area would subsequently expand (mainly in a southerly direction) is largely due to the fact that the Central Railway Station was placed near the city park. Unlike most other cities in the country, no railroad has ever been drawn through Södertälje's central parts, which meant that very little central area had to be designated for tracks. Another interesting detail is that the old Södertälje largely consisted of wooden houses. It is commonly believed that this is because Södertälje never has been a major administrative centre, such as a county capital or

episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...

. For a trade city, it wooden structures were considered sufficient. The original wooden buildings are especially well preserved in the areas around Fredsgatan and Västgötagatan streets. The older wooden houses that previously existed in the central parts have largely been moved up to Torekällberget, which is Södertälje's open-air city museum. The first apartment building in stone was built as late as 1865. The property was at Järnagatan 8, next to Saltsjötorget square, and was built by industrialist DJ Ekeberg. When Järnagatan was lowered in 1907, the basement level became the areas that are occupied by shops today. Södertälje's old City Hotel is situated on Saltsjötorget square. It was built to accommodate the high demand for rooms that arose during the time the city was a seaside resort. The City council decided to commission a new hotel on the site. Architect Ernst Haegglund was hired to design the building. The square also houses the old building for Svensk-Engelska Mineralolje AB, which was completed between 1931 and 1932 after drawings by architect Albin Stark. Between 1991 and 2008, the building served as

city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

. The current city hall was built on the opposite side of the central station. The new building was designed by BSK Arkitekter, and inaugurated in the autumn of 2008 by King Carl XVI Gustaf. The building serves both as municipal offices and cultural centre. Strandgatan, Södertälje, 2017c

The Central Railway Station is situated behind the City Hotel. It is one of few Swedish railway stations with two station houses. The first building is entirely in brick, and was designed in 1860 by

Adolf W. Edelsvärd Adolf Wilhelm Edelsvärd (28 June 1824 – 15 October 1919) was a Swedish architect, engineer and military officer. Biography Edelsvärd was born at Östersund in Jämtland, Sweden. His father, Fredrik Wilhelm Edelsvärd, was a military of ...

. The yellow station building was added in the 1910s and was designed by

Folke Zettervall Folke Zettervall (21 October 1862 – 12 March 1955) was a Swedish architect and head architect with the Swedish State Railways (''Statens Järnvägar'') between 1895 and 1930. Biography Zettervall was born at Lund, Sweden. He was the son of ...

. Today, only the yellow building is used for ticket sales. The older station house is occupied by a bar, café and convenience store. The open square between the two station houses, the bus station and the railway tracks is called Stationsplan. To the west of the station, across Järnagatan lies Villa Bellevue. During the era when Södertälje was a seaside resort, it was one of the city's most notable buildings. It was built in 1871 by the royal pastry chef Davidsson, after drawings by architect Ernst Jacobsson. The new city hall is situated next-door to the property. Villa Bellevue is located on the border between the city centre and the centrally located neighbourhood of Mariekälla, which is named after one of the city's water springs. On Parkgatan, which is a parallel street to the district's main street Mariekällgatan, lies Villa Walhall. The villa was built in 1875 by engineer Ludvig Jerving. Villa Walhall and Villa Bellevue were considered so typical of the

resort town A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...

Södertälje that they were described and depicted in a series of articles in the magazine in 1881. Most restaurants and bars are located around Lake Maren. Marenplan square (formerly called Stadshamnen port), served as Södertälje's most important port until the construction of Mälarhamnen port in 1880. When Marenplan served as city port, ships carrying goods would moor there, and sell their merchandise to individuals and traders waiting at the quay. Boat traffic to inner Maren continued until 1963, when the Maren Bridge between Strandgatan and Lotsudden was built. The bridge was only intended as a temporary solution, and became demolished in 1993. The Maren Bridge subsequently replaced a pedestrian and bicycle bridge. The initial plan was to have the bridge removed during the summer months to allow boats to moor in inner Maren seasonally. The bridge subsequently became year-round fixed link. The Sorbonne house lies where Lotsudden and Marenplan meet. It was built in 1905, and served as

studio A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design ...

for photographer David Sorbon until 1928. The building was completely renovated in 1985-86, to accommodate several residential apartments and a restaurant. Maren från Marenbron, 2017

Just above Marenplan lies the square Olof Palmes plats, which was named after the murdered Prime Minister

Olof Palme Sven Olof Joachim Palme (; ; 30 January 1927 – 28 February 1986) was a Swedish politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1969 to 1976 and 1982 to 1986. Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 until h ...

. Among the buildings on the square is the old bank palace that used to belong to Södertälje Sparbank. Like many other buildings in Södertälje, the city's patron saint

(Swedish: ) is depicted on the facade. The importance of Olof Palmes plats was especially high when it served as hub for the city buses, which have since been moved to the Central Railway Station. The streets Storgatan, Badhusgatan and Järnagatan begin at Olof Palmes plats. Most department stores and high street shopping are located on (English: the Pedestrian street), which is the pedestrian part of Storgatan that runs between Torekällgatan and Stortorget. The pedestrian street is dominated by modern

department stores A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic appea ...

, built during the 1960s. The largest are (architect Erik and Tore Ahlsén), , and (which initially was a Domus department store). A notable exception to the otherwise modern structures is

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (, abbreviated SEB, is a northern European financial services group headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In Sweden and the Baltic countries, SEB has a full financial service offering. In Denmark, Finland, Norway, ...

s bank palace, which was built between 1901 and 1902 at the initiative of the tobacco trader TH. Gustafsson. The local architect Tore E: son Lindhberg made the drawings. In 1939 the facade was modernized, and subsequently restored when the building was completely renovated in 1975. Södertälje stationshus 2017

The hospital on Orionkullen was built 1777-78. Until 1823, the building served as lazaretto of the Royal Order of the Seraphim. After 1823, the building became a private residence. From 1844, the buildings were used as city hall and for higher education. In 1907 the council administration moved from Orionkullen, allowing the educational institution to expand. As the school faculty moved to the new

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

building at Erik Dahlberg's road, a girls' school moved in. The girls' school at Orionkullen closed in 1968. The building is home to a cultural centre today. The area where the secondary school moved is east of

the canal The Saintes Maries de la Mer Speed Canal, known to windsurfing, windsurfers as The Canal, is a man-made canal or trench near the France, French Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coastal town Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Saintes Maries de la Mer, bu ...

, the Museum of Biology and the present day city hospital. After the 1960s upper secondary school reform, the institution became a Gymnasium Secondary school. Close to the school lies Mälarparken, which is home to the professional

Miniature golf Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...

course. They local team has won several championships. The City Council offices were also located by the park before moving to the intersection of Nygatan/Torekällgatan. Södertälje's current hospital is across the street from the secondary school. It is houses one of the county's six trauma centres. It opened in 1907, but has been expanded and renovated on several occasions, most recently in 2017. As the land post-glacial rebound made Södertälje Canal shallower, it became increasingly difficult for merchants to get between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea to sell their goods. It was decided to build a square in Södertälje, where they could meet to and hold markets. The location of the square was carefully selected so it would be located equidistant between the city's ports at Baltic Sea and Lake Mälaren. This way, merchants did not have to drag their goods longer than was absolutely necessary. The main square in Södertälje is thus not primarily designed as a trading place for the city's inhabitants themselves. For hundreds of years, Stortorget was very important because of the lively square trade held there. At that time, Stortorget was regarded as the city's centremost place. In modern times, when most trade is conducted in stores, the importance of the square has diminished. Marenplan has increasingly taken over the role as the most central location in the city. The most famous building on Stortorget is perhaps the old yellow wooden City Hall building, which was opened in 1735. The City Hall originally stood on the west side of the square. It was temporarily relocated to Västra Kanalgatan during the redevelopment of the city centre in the 1960s. Since 1982, the City Hall has been in its present location. Today it houses art galleries and a café. Across the square lies the current Södertälje District Court, which was designed by Åke Lindqvist, and built by Anders Diös. Tenngjutartorget, Torekällberget 2015c

On the northern side of Stortorget square is (English: Church of

) from the 1100s–1300s. It is the main church in Södertälje parish in the Diocese of Strängnäs. After many renovations, the church is today a large building with three arches. The oldest parts consist of grey brick walls that comprise the lower parts of the

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...

and the two westernmost compartments of the longhouse. Renovations were made after the city fire in 1650. Further additions were made in the 1670s, when the Cronberg-Hackerska choir in the middle of the southern wall. It was probably designed by Erik Dahlbergh, and is now used as a baptismal chapel. During the fires during the

Russian Pillage of 1719–21 The Russian Pillage ( sv, rysshärjningarna), is the name for the action of the Imperial Russian Fleet toward the Swedish civilian population along the Swedish east coast, as well as expeditions and the raids of single unit in the inland, during t ...

, it was one of few buildings that survived. A major restoration under the direction of architect B. Romare took place between 1960 and 1961. A few years after this, two of the windows next to the baptismal chapel received new stained glass windows by F. Heybrock. The exterior of the church was repaired in 1986–1987, with the facades partially receiving their current colour scheme. Above Stortorget and Gågatan lies Nygatan street, which is almost exclusively home to modern buildings. Among them, Roxyhuset (English: the Roxy house) is worth mentioning. The building was designed by architect Björn Hedvall, and was completed in 1939. Its lower level housed a cinema until 1992, when it moved to Lunagallerian on Storgatan street. After this, the Roxy House was partially renovated, and a convenience store, restaurant and nightclub moved in. Nygatan street is also home to Södertälje's old

Telegraph station Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

. It was built 1939–1940, after drawings by U. Ahlbom. Around the time the telegraph station was put into operation, automation of the Swedish telephone network began. The station was subsequently closed after just 30 years. Below the station lies Torekällskolan school. It is the oldest of the city's schools that is still in use. Since its opening in 1869, it has been rebuilt on numerous occasions. Holmfastristning 2008a

Holmfastvägen road begins in the city's central parts, and connects to the area Geneta in the western parts of the city. The road originally went all the way to Näsby, next to Lake Måsnaren. It was built during the 11th century, thus marking the early importance of the area around Södertälje. A large runic inscription called the Holmfast Inscriptions (Swedish: ) describe the construction by Viking Holmfast, including reinforcing the land and building bridges. Archaeologists find it likely that Holmfast's old bridges remain under the roadway. Around the engraving, which is located in close proximity to the road, have today been cleaned up and put up signs from the

Swedish National Heritage Board The Swedish National Heritage Board ( sv, Riksantikvarieämbetet; RAÄ) is a Swedish government agency responsible for World Heritage Sites and other national heritage monuments and historical environments. It is governed by the Ministry of Cult ...

with translations of the inscription.Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk
-

Rundata The Scandinavian Runic-text Data Base ( sv, Samnordisk runtextdatabas) is a project involving the creation and maintenance of a database of runic inscriptions. The project's goal is to comprehensively catalog runestones in a machine-readable way f ...

entry for Sö 311.Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk
-

entry for Sö 312. Retail parks are a fairly new feature in Södertälje. Until the early 2000s, the only really large collection of shops, apart from local neighbourhood centres, was in the eastern part of the city. With the construction of , just east of Weda, availability of shops increased. The area around

Scaniarinken Scaniarinken (formerly the AXA Sports Center) is an indoor sporting arena located in Södertälje, Sweden that was built and then opened on 2 October 1970 as Scaniarinken, with an ice hockey game where Södertälje SK defeated Djurgårdens IF, 5� ...

previously contained some shops, but has subsequently been extended to form . Some shops are also located around Hansaplan in the area Södra, close to

Bridges

Svängbron öfver Södertelge kanal SFJ 1881

Until 1924, when the upgraded canal opened, there was just one single bridge connecting the eastern and western parts of the city. It was a swing bridge, near the old lock, at Mälarehamnen. It was built in 1910 at Södertelge Verkstäder. After it was replaced by a more modern bridge, the old swing bridge was moved to Stäksundet in the province of Uppland. Gamla svängbron, Södertälje (1)

At times there was also an iron bridge that was rolled out over the lock itself. It was also possible to use rowing boats to cross. Boat services were usually operated women, predominantly dalkullor. A crossing would cost 2–5

öre Öre () is the centesimal subdivision of the Swedish krona. In the Swedish language, the plural of ''öre'' is either ''öre'' or ''ören''. The name ''öre'' derives from the Latin word ''aereus/aurum'', meaning gold. The corresponding subdivisio ...

, depending on season. The rowing boats could carry up to around five people. At the narrowest place, the distance across was just 12 metres. Embarking by Viksgatan street was especially popular. Many were willing to pay to avoid having to walk to the swing bridge and back again if they lived around the areas of Tältet or Hagaberg. During the winter, simple footbridges supported by pontoons were laid out – making the crossing free of charge. Sodertelje Klaffbron 1960-tal

There are currently three places where it is possible to cross

on foot or by car, plus two railway bridges. The northernmost link is the Mälarbron bridge, which has three predecessors: the swing bridge from the 19th century, and another swing bridge that was used between 1910 and 1924. Both stood about 150 meters south of the current Mälarbron bridge. In 1924, the first bascule bridge opened. It was often referred to as simply or (English: “the Bascule bridge” or "the Country Road Bridge"). It was a double flap bridge with two fixed bridge vaults on each side. Ragnar Hjort made the architectural design. After World War II, it could no longer handle the increased traffic volume. Hence, the current Mälarbron was commissioned, and opened in 1971. It is equipped with a control tower. Today the bridge together with the whole route from Landsort in to

is remote controlled from the locks in Södertälje. The most central crossing is at the

canal lock A lock is a device used for raising and lowering boats, ships and other watercraft between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water lev ...

, and consists of the two bridges Marenbron, which crosses Lake Maren, and Slussbron, which crosses

itself. In 1963 the first bridge over the Maren was built. It was intended as a temporary link, and was subsequently demolished in 1993. The Marenbron was later replaced by a pedestrian and bicycle bridge. The initial plan was to have it removed during the summer, allowing small boats to reach the inner parts of the lake. It did however become a year-round fixed link. In September 2003, a referendum among the residents of

was held, where they could decide if they wanted a new car bridge to be commissioned at the site. The costs were estimated to 40 million

Swedish krona The krona (; plural: ''kronor''; sign: kr; code: SEK) is the official currency of the Kingdom of Sweden. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it ...

. At the referendum, 56.5 percent voted no and 39.4 percent favourably, meaning no new car bridge was built. Suggestions to build an arch bridge or bascule bridge for pedestrians and cyclists have been brought forward. It would allow boats to pass under and reach the inner parts of Lake Maren in the centremost parts of the city. Pedestrians have also been able to cross the canal itself by walking across the lock gates. Södertälje kanal, flygfoto 2014-09-20

The Saltsjöbron and E4-bron bridges constitute the southernmost crossing for cars and pedestrians. They run between the districts of Södra and Viksängen in Södertälje's southern parts. Saltsjöbron is a bascule bridge, and the road that goes across it is called Viksängsleden. It is equipped with a bicycle and pedestrian path. E4-bron is a vertical-lift bridge, crossed by the eponymous E4 Motorway, and marks the southern fork with

E20 E20 or E-20 may refer to: * E20 fuel, a mixture of 20% ethanol and 80% gasoline * European route E20 * Tandberg E20, a videoconferencing system * E20, a postcode district in the E postcode area, announced in March 2011 for use on the site of the 20 ...

. It was built in the 1960s, together with the motorways around the city. Saltsjöbron was built in 2002 to relieve the E4-bron, and to provide an alternative in case of mechanical failure after one occurred in 1990. Parallel to Saltsjöbron and E4-bron lays the railway bridge predominantly used by local and freight trains. It opened in the summer of 2010, and is hence the youngest bridge in the city. It replaced the old railway bridge from 1921, which was located immediately east of the current bridge. The old bridge was replaces as it was unable to handle heavy trains, nor deep-going maritime vessels. It was also too noisy. The distance between the bridge pillars on the new bridge is wider, to enable

to be broadened further. The old railway bridge had a small pedestrian path. After it was demolished in autumn of 2010, pedestrians must cross at Saltsjöbron instead. The old railway bridge replaced an even older bridge from 1860 that crossed around the area of Tältet. That bridge was demolished in the 1920s, when Saltskog railway station had been closed and replaced Södertälje Södra railway station (subsequently renamed Södertälje Hamn). The

Igelsta Bridge The Igelsta Bridge ( sv, Igelstabron) is a railway bridge in Södertälje, Stockholm County in Sweden. The bridge crosses the Södertälje Canal, and the E4 motorway. The length is 2140 m, and the maximum height is 48 m. It was opened in 1995 ...

is the southernmost of the city's bridges. It is the main route for long distance and regional trains across Södertälje Canal. It is 2140 meters long, reaches as high as 48 meters above the canal, making it Sweden's tallest and longest railway bridge (after the Swedish part of the Øresund Bridge). Igelstabron spans between

Pershagen Pershagen is a locality situated in Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, 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 ...

and Hall. The bridge forms part of the Grödingebanan on the

Western Main Line The Western Main Line ( sv, Västra stambanan) is the main state-owned railway line between Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden. Its construction began in 1856 and it opened for service in 1862.Södertälje Syd railway station Södertälje Syd (''Södertälje South'') is a major, but not the most centrally located, railway station in Södertälje, Sweden. It is located on top of the 2 km long Igelsta Bridge. Regional and intercity trains for destinations such as ...

is located on the bridge's eastern abutment.

Church buildings

Södertälje belongs to the Diocese of Strängnäs within the Church of Sweden. A total of eight

church buildings Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

are located within Södertälje. The oldest and most important to this day is ''Sankta Ragnhilds kyrka'' (English: Church of

) from the 1100s–1300s, which is located on the main square Stortorget. Further churches belonging to Södertälje parish are (St. Michael's Church) in Geneta, (Hovsjö Church) and (Lina Church) in Lina Hage. Lina kyrka was designed by Tallius Myhrman. It is renowned for its design, and has been depicted in several Swedish architecture magazines. Sankt Ansgars kyrka, Södertälje, 2017

The main church in Östertälje parish is (All Saints' Church) in Östertälje. The parish also operates (Hagaberg's chapel) on the grounds of Hagaberg Folk high school. It was built in 1894 as a chapel on Vartofta farm in Västergötland. The chapel was moved to its present location in 1914, after having been dismantled and transported by train. In the centre of the Brunnsäng area lays the church Brunnsäng kyrka, which is the youngest in the city. There is also a chapel at Södertälje hospital. There are several congregations not affiliated with the Church of Sweden in the city. The Catholic Church in Sweden has ''Sankt Ansgar's'' church by Mälarbron. The associated parish has members from a vast hinterland around the city. There is a sizable community of Orthodox Christians in Södertälje. The

Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...

has two bishops in the city, besides five Syrian Orthodox churches, two soccer teams and a TV channel that airs programs in Neo-Aramaic, Arabic and English. The minority group of Sweden Finns have services in the Finnish language within the Church of Sweden. There is also a Finnish-speaking Pentecostal congregation.

Transportation

Roads

The E4 and E20 Motorways have their southern fork after which they form separate roads at Saltskog junction in Södertälje.Nationalencyklopedin, Södertälje. http://www.ne.se/uppslagsverk/encyklopedi/lång/södertälje-(tätort-södertälje-kommun) (hämtad 2020-06-06) Other major roads passing through the city are Riksväg 1 (to Trosa and further south), and Länsväg 225 (to Nynäshamn via Ösmo). These towns, plus Mariefred, Stockholm, Trosa and Gnesta, are served by regular buses. Riksväg 57 (to Katrineholm via Flen ) also begins in Södertälje.

Trains

Given the many railways that go to or through Södertälje, services are both frequent and diverse. International trains to cities like Oslo and Copenhagen call in Södertälje, in addition to local, regional and national services. There are four stations within the urban area of the city:

Södertälje Centrum Södertälje ( , ) is a city in Södermanland and Stockholm County, Sweden and seat of Södertälje Municipality. As of 2017, it has 72,704 inhabitants. Södertälje is located at Mälarens confluence in to the Baltic Sea through the lock in ...

(central station),

Södertälje Syd Södertälje ( , ) is a Urban areas in Sweden, city in Södermanland and Stockholm County, Sweden and seat of Södertälje Municipality. As of 2017, it has 72,704 inhabitants. Södertälje is located at Mälarens confluence in to the Baltic Sea ...

, Södertälje Hamn and Östertälje. Due to its topography and the fact that it is divided by a canal, it has been difficult to build good train connections in and through the city. Despite this, Södertälje is one of the largest railway hubs in Sweden. When the railway to Södertälje was commissioned, it was decided that the main line would not be drawn through what was then the immediate city centre. The decision was one of the factors behind the urban planning of the area Mariekälla, just south of the Järnatullen city toll.Svenska Familj-Journalen / Band 20, årgång 1881 / 368, http://runeberg.org/famijour/1881/0372.html The railway station in Södertälje became (English: Södertälje Upper). Its initial name of caused confusion as it was then well outside the city, which was resolved by the name change. The central station was named (English: Södertälje lower). In 1885, the stations' names were changed again, with Södertelge upper being named Saltskog, and Södertelge nedre becoming Södertälje Central. Both railway stations opened in October 1860, together with the railway to Stockholm. The railway would subsequently become extended further south towards Katrineholm and Gothenburg and become the

Western Main Line The Western Main Line ( sv, Västra stambanan) is the main state-owned railway line between Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden. Its construction began in 1856 and it opened for service in 1862. The railway Norra Södermanlands Järnväg through the northern part of the province of Södermanland opened in 1895, which meant that Södertälje also got a railway connection to Eskilstuna. Södertelge Öfre opened with a simple wooden station building with two platforms and a warehouse. A modern stone building replaced the old station in 1885. The Central Railway Station stands out by having two station buildings. The oldest is entirely in red brick, and was designed by the railway architect

. The yellow building was added in the 1910s and was designed by

. In October 1921, the station Södertälje Södra opened together with the new double track through the city. Södertälje Södra replaced the old railway station in Saltskog, whose station house was demolished in 1947 or possibly earlier. Södertälje Syd station

The next traffic diversion occurred in 1994, when the

opened. Unlike the other bridges in Södertälje, it is built on sail-free altitude above the canal.

Södertälje Syd railway station Södertälje Syd (''Södertälje South'') is a major, but not the most centrally located, railway station in Södertälje, Sweden. It is located on top of the 2 km long Igelsta Bridge. Regional and intercity trains for destinations such as ...

(English: Södertälje South) is located on its western abutment. It is the city's current station serviced by long distance

inter-city Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that run services that connect cities over longer distances than commuter or regional trains. There is no precise definition of inter-city rail; its meaning may vary from country ...

and

high-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...

. The old railroad below the bridge is used by commuter trains. Platforms are located both on the bridge, and on the old tracks below. The waiting hall is situated on a concourse level between the tracks. After Södertälje Syd opened, the stations in the city once again changed their names. Södertälje Södra became Södertälje Hamn (English: port), and the Central Station became Södertälje Centrum. Igelsta station had previously changed name to Östertälje. Today, Södertälje is a railway hub for

Svealandsbanan Svealandsbanan is the Swedish name of the ''Svealand Railway'', which runs between Södertälje and Valskog (near Arboga) via Mariefred Läggesta, Strängnäs and Eskilstuna. The length is . The railway was opened between Södertälje and Eskils ...

, the

Waterways

The first functioning canal through Södertälje was built between 1806 and 1819 after drawings by water engineering engineer Eric Nordewall. The canal has since been extended and broadened on several occasions.Nationalencyklopedin, Södertälje kanal. http://www.ne.se/uppslagsverk/encyklopedi/lång/södertälje-kanal (hämtad 2020-06-06) Within the scope of the Mälarprojektet initiative, the canal was expanded between 2016–2020 to handle vessels that are 160 meters long and 23 meters wide. The project encompassed a longer and wider lock, and dredging of the sides of the canal to make them straighter. The width of the water surface was thus kept unchanged. Every day, over 40 boats pass through Södertälje canal, carrying more than 5 million metric tonnes of goods each year. Of these, about 4 million tonnes are shipped into Lake

, and 1 million tonnes to the Baltic Sea. Primarily, coal, cement, iron, limestone and chalk are carried through the canal. The port of Södertälje also acts as a transhipment terminal from rail to trucks and ships. The port of Södertälje consists of four wharfs: Sydhamnen, Oljehamnen, Igelsta, and Uthamnen. Sydhamnen primarily handles containers and roll-on/roll-off cargo, including imported cars. The oldest wharf is Uthamnen. Here, smaller quantities of odd bulk cargo are handled, mainly road salt. Combustible goods are primarily transported to the Igelstahamnen to the Igelsta

heating plant A heating plant, also called a physical plant, or steam plant, generates thermal energy in the form of steam for use in district heating applications. Unlike combined heat and power installations which produce thermal energy as a by-product ...

. Oljehamnen handles imports of gas, liquid chemicals, oil and similar products. Since the 1950s, the port of Södertälje has been important for the Swedish import of cars. About 80,000 cars are handled per year, which corresponds to about 30 percent of total national car imports. Cars shipped to Södertälje are of Volkswagen, Škoda, Audi, Ford, Porsche, Opel and Mercedes brands.

City buses

Owing to Södertälje's location close to a county border, both SL and Sörmlandstrafiken operate buses in the city. The city bus network consists of around fifteen bus lines. They use the Central Railway Station as hub. Before Järnagatan street became pedestrian, most buses would use that round through the city centre. Most now take Nygatan street. In addition to regular city buses, there are special services adapted to pensioners and people with

disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...

known as Närtrafiken buses. Night services operate all night both weekends and weekdays. The city is served by two circular bus routes, one on each side of

Economy

Södertälje is particularly known for its two large companies, Astra Zeneca and Scania. Measured in sheer number of companies, the retail, wholesale and restaurant sectors dominate, with about 1,000 companies. The building and construction industry has about 600 companies in the Södertälje, and some 450 companies in the consultancy sector. In total, there are over 4,000 businesses in the city. Södertälje has a high number of small businesses with five or fewer employees.

Large corporations

Aktiebolaget Astra, Apotekarnes Kemiska Fabriker was founded in 1913 by pharmacist Adolf Rising. Initially, the company had only ten employees, but already developed strongly during the first years. The company started with only five employees, but grew exponentially in its first years of trading. One of the reasons was an increased need for medication due to the first world war. The company merged with its British competitor

Zeneca Zeneca (officially Zeneca Group PLC) was a British multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It was formed in June 1993 by the demerger of the pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals businesses of Imperial Che ...

in 1999, and formed the pharmaceutical group Astra Zeneca. The company's pill factory in Gärtuna in south-eastern Södertälje is the largest of its kind in the world, employing over 3,200 people. Astra_S%C3%B6dert%C3%A4lje_2013

In 1891, Vagnfabriks-Aktiebolaget i Södertelge (abbreviated VABIS) started as manufacturier of railway cars, petrol engines, automobiles, trucks, motor-powered draisines, motorboats and marine engines. In 1911 they merged with

Maskinfabriks-aktiebolaget Scania Maskinfabriks-aktiebolaget Scania (''Maskinfabriks AB Scania''), translates ''Machine Factory Limited Company Scania'', was a Swedish bicycle manufacturer established in Malmö in 1900. The company rapidly expanded to manufacture other products li ...

and formed ''Scania-Vabis''. The company only uses the name Scania AB today. The head office remains in its original location, by

Saltskogsfjärden Saltskogsfjärden is a lake in Stockholm County, Södermanland, 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 SwedenUNGE ...

south of the city centre of Södertälje. Together with its subsidiaries, Scania currently employs over 9,000 people in Södertälje, making the Group the largest employer.

Retail trade

Most retail shopping is available in the city centre; predominantly on Storgatan and Järnagatan streets, but also adjacent areas. The ''Kringlan'' department store was one of the first modern department stores when it opened in 1965. The name Kringlan (English: The

Pretzel A pretzel (), from German pronunciation, standard german: Breze(l) ( and French / Alsatian: ''Bretzel'') is a type of baked bread made from dough that is commonly shaped into a knot. The traditional pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical ...

) is a reference to the long-lasting local tradition of selling pretzels in Södertälje. Other department stores include ''Luna'' and ''Telgehuset''. Retail shopping outside the city centre is mainly located in Moraberg on the eastern side of the canal, as well as Vasa Handelsplats in the western part. Larger stores are also located around Hansaplan in the Södra area.

Education

KTH Royal Institute of Technology has a campus in Södertälje, where they conduct university education within Mechanical engineering, Logistics and other subjects all the way up to Master's level including Master of Science in Engineering. Education is given in cooperation with the city's two large corporations Scania AB and AstraZeneca. In 2018, KTH moved in to a newly built campus in ''Södertälje Science Park'' drawn by the architect firm White. The Royal Institute of Technology has 1,200 students and hired researchers in Södertälje. Several universities conduct higher education at the learning centre Campus Telge. When it started it was located in Mariekälla, but moved to new premises that previously housed the headquarters of

Astra AB Astra AB was a former international pharmaceutical company headquartered in Södertälje, Sweden. Astra was formed in 1913 and merged with the British Zeneca, Zeneca Group in 1999 to form AstraZeneca. Product development was focused on therapeutics ...

in 2015. Both individual courses and whole university programmes are offered within a variety of subjects, meaning students can study at the campus all the way until graduation. Education within Yrkeshögskolan (English: Higher Vocational Education) is also held. Hagabergs folkhögskola started as a Bible Institute in 1910, and became a folk high school in 1957. It is run by the Swedish Evangelical Mission. Around 250 students study at the academy, of which 20 reside at the

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

. The curriculum mostly centres on studies of Christian theology. The general introductory course for students pursuing a career within the Church of Sweden, as well as , which is mostly non-religious and supplements normal

education. In 2017, Södertälje had 13

secondary schools A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, five of which were municipal and eight operated as charter schools.

Culture

Södertälje's primary theatre is Oktoberteatern at Marenplan, which has a number of new productions each year. The venue opened in 1928. It originally contained a cinema called Castor, but was turned in to a theatre after a renovation in 1984. Södertälje is also home to Sweden's only professional Finnish-language theatre group; Teatteri Kipinä. One of the most popular cultural centre around the city is Kulturhuset i Ytterjärna (English: The Cultural Centre in Ytterjärna). The complex houses a theatre, café, conference rooms and offices. It opened in 1992, and won second prize for Sweden's most popular modern building in 2001. During construction, special attention was paid to the acoustics of the premises, which has resulted in many concerts being held here. The concert hall has about 500 seats, and together with other anthroposophical activities receives about 30,000 visitors annually. Other cultural activities include exhibitions on architecture and garden art. The stages Estrad and Trombon at the City Hall often show theatre as well as concerts and film. The association Molto has organised concerts and creative activities for youth since 2008. A recurring tradition in Södertälje is the local revue ''Täljerevyn'', which makes humorous cabarets about the city, local traits and politics every year.

Museums

Torekällberget open-air museum (colloquially referred to as just or simply ) with the city museum Södertälje Stadsmuseum, is one of the most popular sights to visit in the city. The museum first opened in 1929 when the landmark windmill and a few other buildings were moved to the site. In connection with the redevelopment of the city centre in 1961, many old buildings were moved to Torekällberget. The museum is divided into the environments "Staden" (English: the City) and "Landet" (English: the Countryside). The urban environment is built around the main square Tenngjutartorget, where markets often are held. The square is surrounded by buildings from the 1700–1800s. Several species of domestic animals are kept at the museum. The environment conveys a picture of life in rural farms around Södertälje in the 1800s and earlier. There is also a stage where ballroom dancing and performances are often arranged during the summer months. The vehicle museum Marcus Wallenberg-hallen (English: The Marcus Wallenberg Hall) is situated by

, next to the headquarters of Scania AB. The museum is named after the industrialist

Marcus Wallenberg Jr. Marcus "Dodde" Wallenberg Jr. (5 October 1899 – 13 September 1982), was a Swedish banker, business manager and member of the Swedish Wallenberg family. He was the most influential representative for the Swedish industrial tradition and Swed ...

The collections include a number of older vehicles and environments; like the first mass produced car in Sweden from 1903. It also features railway cars that were owned by the Swedish State Railways, used between the late 1800s until the early 1900s. Exhibited objects have been restored to their original condition. A little less than half of the museum consists of newer vehicles manufactured during the 2000s. Tom Tits Experiment 2013 01

Södertälje is home to a large science museum based on the book ''La Science Amusante'' by French writer

. The museum is called ''Tom Tits Experiment'' after the author's pen name

. It started as a temporary exhibition at Södertälje Hall of Arts (Swedish: Södertälje Konsthall), but became so popular that it was turned in to a permanent museum. The museum is located in an old industrial building at Storgatan street. Today, it is the largest

Science centre A science museum is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in mu ...

in Sweden. It occupies four floors, and has a park that is open during the summer season. The exhibitions contain more than 400 science experiments. Tom Tits Experiment received around 190,000 visitors in 2018. (English: Saltskog manor) was the home of the

industrialist A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...

and mecenate Carl Fredrik Liljevalch. Today it serves as a museum. The farm dates back to the 16th century. Liljevalch acquired it in 1881. Previously, the farm had been owned by the families Lovisin, Gyllenstierna, Dufva and Tamm. Liljevalch did however became the first to actually settle there permanently. He took an active part in the daily activities on the farm, and aspired that Saltskog gård would serve as a textbook example of ideal farming. He undertook extensive renovations of the farm and the estates to make them a cultural centre filled with art. An extension was made to the main building; and a smaller villa was added, together with a barn, stables and outhouses. The garden contains several unusual species of trees and is designed as an English landscape garden. Two new commemorative rune stones were carved. Today, the manor is run by a non-profit association. They have restored much of the premises in their original condition. There are several artist

s and exhibition halls. Concerts, lectures and exhibitions are held all year round. During the summer season, theatre is also performed in the gardens. Biologiska museum Södertälje

(English: The Museum of Biology) was donated to the city by patron Carl Fredrik Liljevalch. The building is in Art Nouveau style, and located on Erik Dahlbergs road. It opened to the public in 1913, thus making it the oldest museum in the city. The exhibitions were created by Gustaf Kolthoff and his son Kjell Kolthoff, and show animals and birds from the province of Sörmland (where Södertälje is located) in their natural environments. In total, there are over 100 different species on display. Kjell Kolthoff painted the large

diorama A diorama is a replica of a scene, typically a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. Dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle mode ...

s that have remained to this day. The museum was completely renovated and reopened in 1983. The world's oldest propeller-driven steamship which still has its original engine is S/S Ejdern. It was originally built by

Götaverken Götaverken was a shipbuilding company that was located on Hisingen, Gothenburg. During the 1930s it was the world's biggest shipyard by launched gross registered tonnage. It was founded in 1841, and went bankrupt in 1989. History The company w ...

in Gothenburg in 1880. During its first years, Ejdern operated in the Gothenburg archipelago, Lake Roxen, and several ports in central Sweden. Since 1906, it has had its home port in Södertälje. The first route from the port in Södertälje was to Mörkö , and cargo hauls in eastern Lake Mälaren . Between 1914 and 1957, the boat had one single owner, Rickard Fredmark. He sold the boat to the City of Södertälje. At that time, the ship was unprofitable and in very poor condition. The city subsequently decided that the boat was to be scrapped. In 1964 the boat was donated to an association for the preservation of old boats. Enthusiasts of this particular vessel broke out and formed (English: The Museum Association S/S Ejdern), who still own the boat today. Since 1976 they operate museum routs around Södertälje. From 1984, the boat is once again coal powered. S/S Ejdern has a capacity of 90 people, and often operates the route to Adelsö and Viking city Birka. Wendela Hebbes hus, 2017

Wendela Hebbes hus (English: Wendela Hebbe's house) is a museum of Wendela Hebbe, who was the first female professional journalist in Sweden. She became employed at the newspaper ''

Aftonbladet ''Aftonbladet'' (, lit. "The evening paper") is a Swedish daily newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. It is one of the largest daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. History and profile The newspaper was founded by Lars Johan H ...

'' in 1841, where she wrote about theatre and music, and translated books. Besides being a journalist, she also wrote fairy tales. The building is a yellow wooden house, with two floors. It first stood at Snäckviken, close to the headquarters of

. The property was purchased by Lars Johan Hierta in 1863 to serve as a summer house for Wendela, her daughter Signe and the jointly unrecognised son Edvard Faustman. After being acquired by Södertälje Municipality it was moved to its present location between the canal and Marenplan in the city centre, and underwent extensive renovations. The venue houses a restaurant and a museum section with furniture and paintings from the Hebbe and Faustman families. It also acts as a cultural centre, hosting theatres and exhibitions. (English: Södertälje Museum of Arts) showcases various exhibitions of paintings, sculptures and other artistic installations. The museum opened in 1968, and relocated to its current premises in Luna in 1978. In 2015, Grafikens Hus (English: House of Graphics) decided to relocate to the city from nearby Mariefred, meaning there would be two art museums in Södertälje.

Libraries

Södertälje's city library was originally run by an independent association, but was taken over by the City council in 1945. It moved to its present location in 1978. Lectures, courses and theatre are also held at the premises. The library has branches in Hölö, Järna, Enhörna, Hovsjö and Mölnbo. The libraries in Enhörna, Hölö and Mölnbo are combined school and public libraries.

Sports

In basketball,

Södertälje BBK Södertälje Basketbollklubb, shortly SBBK, is a Swedish basketball club based in Södertälje. The city is located in Eastern Södermanland, 34 km south of Stockholm. Its men's team plays in the Swedish Basketball League (SBL) and has won th ...

or SBBK is one of the best in the country, and ''Södertalje KINGS'' became Swedish Champions in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In total SBBK has won 10 golds for the male team ''Södertalje KINGS'' and 12 golds for the female team ''Telge Basket''. SBBK has in total 132 Swedish Championships since the star in 1968.

Täljehallen Täljehallen, is an indoor arena for basketball matches, in Södertälje Södertälje ( , ) is a city in Södermanland and Stockholm County, Sweden and seat of Södertälje Municipality. As of 2017, it has 72,704 inhabitants. Södertälje is l ...

is the home for SBBK. The city is home to

Södertälje SK Södertälje Sportklubb, also known as Södertälje SK and often referred to as SSK, is a Swedish professional ice hockey club playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second highest level of pro hockey in Sweden. Södertälje were charter members of Eli ...

, a classic and successful ice hockey team currently playing in Sweden's second-highest league – HockeyAllsvenskan – with

as their home arena.

Assyriska FF Assyriska Fotbollsföreningen, also known simply as Assyriska FF, is a Swedish football club based in Södertälje, Stockholm County. The club, formed in 1974 by Assyrian immigrants, has advanced through the league system and is currently playin ...

and

Syrianska FC Syrianska Football Club, also known as Syrianska FC or simply Syrianska, is a Swedish professional football club based in Södertälje in Stockholm County. The club was founded by Syriac-Aramean immigrants in 1977 as Suryoyo Sportklubb, or Sury ...

are also two successful

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

clubs started in 1974 and 1977. They play at the same arena; Södertälje Fotbollsarena. Södertälje Storm Rugby League club are a pioneering Rugby league team, playing in the Swedish National Rugby League, which was formed in 2015. There is an indoor swimming arena in which elite training and races are held, named ''Sydpoolen'' (English: the South pool).

Climate

Södertälje, and the rest of Stockholm region has a humid continental climate ( Köppen ''Dfb'') and displays four distinct seasons. Due to the city's high northerly latitude, daylight varies widely from more than 18 hours around midsummer, to only around 6 hours in midwinter. Södertälje has much warmer and sunnier weather than other locations at the same latitude mainly because of the influence of

Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Current, North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida a ...

. Summers have an average daytime high temperatures of and lows of around , but there are periods of heat waves and many days with temperatures above +). Winters are cold, though sometimes milder with temperatures ranging from , while spring and autumn mainly cool. Annual precipitation is with light to moderate rainfall throughout the year. Snow mainly occurs from December through March, but snow cover duration varies between winters.

Notable people

Björn_Borg_in_aktie,_Bestanddeelnr_930-2092

Hasse Aro Hans-Göran "Hasse" Aro (born 8 September 1957) is a Swedish television host and producer, best known for hosting TV3's true crime television program ''Efterlyst''. Aro was born in Södertälje, Sweden, to Finnish parents. Aro is a longtime hos ...

, host of TV show ''

Efterlyst ''Efterlyst'' ("Wanted") is a Swedish television program, equivalent of ''America's Most Wanted''. The show plays security camera footage, reconstructions of crimes, and then takes calls and tips from the Swedish public. Since it was first aired, ...

'' *

Kennedy Bakircioglu Kennedy Bakircioglu (born 2 November 1980) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is best remembered for his time with Hammarby IF, with whom he won the 2001 Allsvenskan and 2014 Superettan titles. He also re ...

, professional footballer *

Nicklas Bergfors Niclas Bergfors (born 7 March 1987) is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for Djurgårdens IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He was drafted by the National Hockey League (NHL)'s New Jersey Devils in the first ...

, ice hockey player *

Mats Berggren Mats Berggren (born 1957, in Södertälje) is a Swedish writer. He specializes in children's and young adult literature. He has been a jury member of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Selected works *1987 – ''Orent ackord'' *1989 – '' ...

, writer *

Björn Borg Björn Rune Borg (; born 6 June 1956) is a Swedish former world No. 1 tennis player. Between 1974 and 1981, he became the first man in the Open Era to win 11 Grand Slam singles titles with six at the French Open and five consecutively at Wimb ...

, tennis player (born in

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 ...

, youth in Södertälje) * Louay Chanko, professional footballer *

Daniel Despotovic Daniel Despotovic (born December 9, 1989) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who currently plays for Hammarby Hockey Hammarby IF Ishockeyförening (''"Hammarby IF Ice Hockey Club"'', or simply Hammarby Hockey) is an ice hockey club f ...

, professional ice hockey player * Johan Edlund, guitarist and vocalist of Tiamat * Jan Guillou, author and journalist * Carl Hagelin, ice hockey player *

Felix Michel Melki George Felix Robert Michel Melki ( ar, جورج فيليكس روبير ميشيل ملكي, ; born 23 July 1994), known as Felix Michel Melki,) in Arabic. is a professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for club Ahed and ...

, football player *

Alexander Michel Melki Robert Alexander Robert Michel Melki ( ar, روبير الكساندر روبير ميشيل ملكي, ; born 14 November 1992), known as Alexander Michel Melki,) in Arabic. is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Swedish club ...

, football player *

Patrik Nordin Patrik Nordin (born 7 October 1971) is a Swedish ski mountaineer and cross-country skier. Nordin was born in Södertälje and has been member of the national team since 2006. He started ski mountaineering in 1997 and competed first in the Swedish ...

, ski mountaineer and cross-country skier *

Karin Rådström Karin Elisabeth Rådström (born 22 February 1979) is a Swedish engineer and business executive in the commercial vehicle segment. She has been a member of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck since February 2021 and has been responsible for ...

, chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz Trucks *

Bengt Westerberg Bengt Carl Gustaf Westerberg (born 23 August 1943) is a Swedish politician. He was leader of the Liberal People's Party (Sweden), Liberal People's Party from 1983 to 1995, member of the Parliament of Sweden, Riksdag from 1984 to 1994 and Ministe ...

, former leader of the Liberal People's Party *

Erkan Zengin Erkan Zengin (born 5 August 1985) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a winger. A full international between 2013 and 2016, he won 21 caps for the Sweden national team and represented his country at UEFA Euro 2016. Early life Ze ...

, professional footballer (born in

Kulu, Konya Kulu is a town and district of Konya Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to the 2011 census, the population of the district is 55,573 and 22,844 of that number live in the town of Kulu. Kulu is situated approximately 110&n ...

, Turkey youth in Södertälje)

References

article ''Södertälje''
from

Nordisk Familjebok ''Nordisk familjebok'' (, "Nordic Family Book") is a Swedish encyclopedia that was published in print from between 1876 and 1993, and that is now fully available in digital form via Project Runeberg at Linköping University. Despite their consi ...

(1919)

External links

* Official website o
''Södertälje''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sodertalje Populated lakeshore places in Sweden Populated places in Södertälje Municipality Municipal seats of Stockholm County Swedish municipal seats Port cities and towns of the Baltic Sea Cities in Stockholm County