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 ...

Södermanland Södermanland ( or ), locally Sörmland, sometimes referred to under its Latin form ''Sudermannia'' or ''Sudermania'', is a historical province or ''landskap'' on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västman ...

and Stockholm County, Sweden 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 wit ...

. As of 2017, it has 72,704 inhabitants. Södertälje is located at Mälarens confluence in to the Baltic Sea through the lock in the

Södertälje Canal The Södertälje Canal ( sv, Södertälje kanal) is a canal connecting the lake Mälaren with the Baltic Sea, at the city of Södertälje. It is 5.2 km long, and it has one lock. The size of this lock is the largest in Scandinavia by allow ...

.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

History

Ancient history

It is estimated that the first people reached the area around what is today Södertälje during the Stone Age, 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 Mälaren and the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...

narrowed due to the

post-glacial rebound Post-glacial rebound (also called isostatic rebound or crustal rebound) is the rise of land masses after the removal of the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, which had caused isostatic depression. Post-glacial rebound ...

. Thereafter boats had to be towed over the sand ridge, which created job opportunities. Trade and service emerged.

Ansgar Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North" b ...

passed through Södertälje on his voyages to

Birka Birka (''Birca'' in medieval sources), on the island of Björkö (lit. "Birch Island") in present-day Sweden, was an important Viking Age trading center which handled goods from Scandinavia as well as many parts of the European continent and ...

in his efforts to Christianize Sweden in 829. Södertälje was first mentioned in historical sources in 1070, when

Adam of Bremen Adam of Bremen ( la, Adamus Bremensis; german: Adam von Bremen) (before 1050 – 12 October 1081/1085) was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. Adam is most famous for his chronicle ''Gesta ...

mentioned the town in a description of the road between

Skara Skara is a locality and the seat of Skara Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 18,580 inhabitants in 2013. Despite its small size, it is one of the oldest cities in Sweden, and has a long educational and ecclesiastical history. O ...

and

in his work . However, the area was inhabited long before then. Södertälje received city privileges 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 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. ...

( 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

, 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

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 A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germ ...

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 pretzels, , 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, Vagnfabriks-Aktiebolaget in Södertelge (1891). In 1911 it merged with

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne ...

and formed Scania-Vabis. Nowadays, however, the company only uses the name

Scania AB Scania AB is a major Swedish manufacturer headquartered in Södertälje, focusing on commercial vehicles—specifically heavy lorries, trucks and buses. It also manufactures diesel engines for heavy vehicles as well as marine and general ind ...

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 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 Scania AB is a major Swedish manufacturer headquartered in Södertälje, focusing on commercial vehicles—specifically heavy lorries, trucks and buses. It also manufactures diesel engines for heavy vehicles as well as marine and general indu ...

and Astra 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 Norrland (, "Northland", originally ''Norrlanden'' or "the Northlands") is the northernmost, largest and least populated of the three traditional lands of Sweden, consisting of nine provinces. Although Norrland does not serve any administ ...

. When the manpower from other parts of the country was insufficient, foreign labour was brought in. Most of the migrant workers came from

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

, but also

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

.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 Tur Abdin ( syr, ܛܽܘܪ ܥܰܒ݂ܕܺܝܢ or ܛܘܼܪ ܥܲܒ݂ܕܝܼܢ, Ṭūr ʿAḇdīn) is a hilly region situated in southeast Turkey, including the eastern half of the Mardin Province, and Şırnak Province west of the Tigris, on the borde ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

. At the end of the 1990s, many

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

is (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 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 A business park or office park is a designated area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. These types of developments are often located in suburban areas where land and building costs are more affordable, and are typicall ...

. 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 Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...

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 to increase capacity.

Administrative history

The City of Södertälje was transformed to a city municipality during the Swedish municipal reforms of 1862. 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 The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sw ...

, 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 A judicial district or legal district denotes the territorial area for which a legal court (usually a district court) has jurisdiction. By region Europe Austria In texts concerning Austria, "judicial district" (german: Gerichtsbezirk) refers ...

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 Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

was implemented under the leadership of Anders Torstensson, where the old irregular

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

neighbourhoods were replaced by a grid plan 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. 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

. The

City council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

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. 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 Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. He ascended the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973. He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, D ...

. The building serves both as municipal offices and

cultural centre A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run. Asia * Cen ...

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. 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

, 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 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 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. 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, 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 Bankens 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 A lazaretto or lazaret (from it, lazzaretto a diminutive form of the Italian word for beggar cf. lazzaro) is a quarantine station for maritime travellers. Lazarets can be ships permanently at anchor, isolated islands, or mainland buildings ...

of the

Royal Order of the Seraphim The Royal Order of the Seraphim ( sv, Kungliga Serafimerorden; ''Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the P ...

. 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 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

today. The area where the secondary school moved is east of the canal, 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 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 A trauma center (or trauma centre) is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds. A trauma center may also refer to an emergen ...

. It opened in 1907, but has been expanded and renovated on several occasions, most recently in 2017. As the land

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 A point is said to be equidistant from a set of objects if the distances between that point and each object in the set are equal. In two-dimensional Euclidean geometry, the locus of points equidistant from two given (different) points is the ...

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 The Diocese of Strängnäs ( sv, Strängnäs stift) is a part of the Lutheran Church of Sweden and has its seat in Strängnäs Cathedral in Strängnäs, south of Lake Mälaren. The diocese is made up of the two provinces Närke and Södermanland ...

. 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 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 A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

in the middle of the southern wall. It was probably designed by

Erik Dahlbergh '' Count Erik Jönsson Dahlbergh (10 October 162516 January 1703) was a Swedish military engineer, Governor-general and Field marshal. He rose to the level of nobility through his military competence. As an architect and draftsman, he was reno ...

, 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 Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

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 with translations of the inscription.Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk
- Rundata entry for Sö 311.Project Samnordisk Runtextdatabas Svensk
- Rundata entry for Sö 312.

Retail park A retail park is a type of shopping centre found on the fringes of most large towns and cities in the United Kingdom and other European countries. They form a key aspect of European retail geographies, alongside indoor shopping centres, standal ...

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

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 A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity, about which the swing span (turning span) can then pi ...

, 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 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 ...

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 subdivisi ...

, 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

footbridge A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...

s 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 the canal on foot or by car, plus two railway bridges. The northernmost link is the Mälarbron bridge, which has three predecessors: the

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 A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...

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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, 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 Landsort () is a Swedish village with a lighthouse on the island of Öja. The village has around 30 permanent residents. The tower was built in 1689, with an upper conical iron section added in 1870. Open fires, serving as beacons, have been l ...

in to Mälaren is remote controlled from the locks in Södertälje. The most central crossing is at the canal lock, and consists of the two bridges Marenbron, which crosses Lake Maren, and Slussbron, which crosses the canal 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 A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

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. 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 An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

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

, 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 A vertical-lift bridge or just lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck. The vertical lift offers several benefits over other movable bridges such as the bascule and sw ...

, crossed by the eponymous E4 Motorway, and marks the southern fork with E20. 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 the canal 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 is the southernmost of the city's bridges. It is the main route for long distance and regional trains across

. 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 The Öresund or Øresund Bridge ( da, Øresundsbroen ; sv, Öresundsbron ; hybrid name: ) is a combined railway and motorway bridge across the Øresund strait between Denmark and Sweden. It is the longest in Europe with both roadway and rai ...

). Igelstabron spans between Pershagen and Hall. The bridge forms part of the Grödingebanan on the

abutment An abutment is the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam supporting its superstructure. Single-span bridges have abutments at each end which provide vertical and lateral support for the span, as well as acting as retaining walls ...

Church buildings

Södertälje belongs to the

within the

. 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 Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule;' ...

. It was built in 1894 as a chapel on Vartofta farm in

Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Väs ...

. 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 , native_name_lang = sv , image = Katolska_Domkyrkan_Stockholm.JPG , imagewidth = 150px , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Saint Eric, Stockholm , abbreviation = , type ...

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 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 Sweden Finns ( fi, ruotsinsuomalaiset; sv, sverigefinnar) are a Finnish-speaking national minority in Sweden. People with Finnish heritage comprise a relatively large share of the population of Sweden. In addition to a smaller part of Sweden F ...

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 Riksväg 1 was 1945 to 1962 the trunk road between Helsingborg and Stockholm. Its importance as a trunk road have nowadays been replaced by the international E-road network E4 which partly runs in parallel with ''Riksväg 1''. In 1960 the complet ...

(to

Trosa Trosa is a locality and the seat of Trosa Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 5,027 inhabitants in 2010 (town) and 11,417 in 2010 (municipality). The town is colloquially nicknamed ''Världens ände'' ("The world's end", specifically ...

and further south), and Länsväg 225 (to

Nynäshamn Nynäshamn is a locality and the seat of Nynäshamn Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 13,510 inhabitants in 2010. While interest in the area as a potentially useful port grew from the mid 19th Century, it was only with the opening of the ...

via

Ösmo Ösmo () is a locality situated in Nynäshamn 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 of ...

). 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 (central station), Södertälje Syd, 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 Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...

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

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 Adolf W. Edelsvärd. 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 Igelsta Bridge opened. Unlike the other bridges in Södertälje, it is built on sail-free altitude above the canal. Södertälje Syd railway station (English: Södertälje South) is located on its western

. It is the city's current station serviced by long distance inter-city and high-speed rail. 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 Eskil ...

, 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 Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''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 The Södertälje Canal ( sv, Södertälje kanal) is a canal connecting the lake Mälaren with the Baltic Sea, at the city of Södertälje. It is 5.2 km long, and it has one lock. The size of this lock is the largest in Scandinavia by allow ...

, carrying more than 5 million metric tonnes of goods each year. Of these, about 4 million tonnes are shipped into Lake Mälaren, and 1 million tonnes to the

. 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

wharf A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring locatio ...

s: Sydhamnen, Oljehamnen, Igelsta, and Uthamnen. Sydhamnen primarily handles containers and

roll-on/roll-off Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...

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-produc ...

. 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

pensioner A pensioner is a person who receives a pension, most commonly because of retirement from the workforce. This is a term typically used in the United Kingdom (along with OAP, initialism of old-age pensioner), Ireland and Australia where someone of p ...

s and people with disabilities 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 the canal.

Economy

Södertälje is particularly known for its two large companies,

Astra Zeneca AstraZeneca plc () is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, England. It has a portfolio of products for major diseases in areas includin ...

and

. 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 World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. 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

. 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 and formed ''Scania-Vabis''. The company only uses the name

today. The head office remains in its original location, by Saltskogsfjärden 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) 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 Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

, 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 The KTH Royal Institute of Technology ( sv, Kungliga Tekniska högskolan, lit=Royal Institute of Technology), abbreviated KTH, is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in engineering and technolog ...

has a campus in Södertälje, where they conduct university education within

Mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, an ...

Logistics Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...

and other subjects all the way up to Master's level including

Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Science in Engineering (abbreviated MSE, M.Sc.Eng. or MScEng) is a type of Master of Science awarded by universities in many countries. It is an academic degree to be differentiated from a Master of Engineering. A Master of Science in ...

. Education is given in cooperation with the city's two large corporations

and

AstraZeneca AstraZeneca plc () is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, England. It has a portfolio of products for major diseases in areas includi ...

. In 2018, KTH moved in to a newly built campus in ''Södertälje Science Park'' drawn by the architect firm

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

. 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 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 Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule;' ...

in 1957. It is run by the

Swedish Evangelical Mission The Swedish Evangelical Mission (SEM) ( Swedish: "Evangelical Homeland Foundation", EFS) is an independent, low-church, New Evangelical () movement within the Church of Sweden. It emphasizes the importance of lay involvement in the church and ...

. Around 250 students study at the academy, of which 20 reside at the boarding school. The curriculum mostly centres on studies of Christian theology. The general introductory course for students pursuing a career within the

, as well as , which is mostly non-religious and supplements normal secondary school education. In 2017, Södertälje had 13 secondary schools, five of which were

municipal 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 ...

and eight operated as

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

Culture

Södertälje's primary

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

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

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 A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

''Täljerevyn'', which makes humorous cabarets about the city, local traits and politics every year.

Museums

Torekällberget

open-air museum An open-air museum (or open air museum) is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts out-of-doors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum. Definition Open air is “the unconfined atmosphere� ...

(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 A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called sails or blades, specifically to mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and other applications, in some ...

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 Marcus Wallenberg-hallen (The Marcus Wallenberg Hall) is a vehicle museum in Södertälje, in the Swedish province of Sörmland. Background The museum is situated on Nyköpingsvägen, together with the head office of Scania AB, alongside the ...

(English: The Marcus Wallenberg Hall) is situated by Saltskogsfjärden, next to the headquarters of

. The museum is named after the industrialist Marcus Wallenberg Jr. 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 The Swedish State Railways ( sv, Statens Järnvägar) or SJ, originally the Royal Railway Board ( sv, Kungl. Järnvägsstyrelsen), was the former government agency responsible for operating the state-owned railways in Sweden. It was created i ...

, 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 m ...

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 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 The English landscape garden, also called English landscape park or simply the English garden (french: Jardin à l'anglaise, it, Giardino all'inglese, german: Englischer Landschaftsgarten, pt, Jardim inglês, es, Jardín inglés), is a sty ...

. 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 studios 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 dioramas 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 ...

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 Adelsö is an island in the middle of Lake Mälaren in Sweden, near Björkfjärden. The island is part of Ekerö Municipality and Stockholm County. It is about by ferry and road west of downtown Stockholm. The administrative center of the impor ...

and Viking city

Wendela Hebbes hus (English: Wendela Hebbe's house) is a museum of

Wendela Hebbe Wendela Hebbe (9 September 1808, Jönköping – 27 August 1899, Stockholm), was a Swedish journalist, writer, and salon hostess. She was arguably the first permanently employed female journalist at a Swedish newspaper.Berger, Margareta, Pennsk ...

, who was the first female professional

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

in Sweden. She became employed at the newspaper '' Aftonbladet'' 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 Astra AB. The property was purchased by

Lars Johan Hierta Lars Johan Hierta (; 22 January 1801 – 20 November 1872) was a Swedish newspaper publisher, social critic, businessman and politician. He is best known as the founder of the newspaper '' Aftonbladet'' in 1830. Hierta was a leading agitator for ...

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

, 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

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

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 ...

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 Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

team currently playing in Sweden's second-highest league –

HockeyAllsvenskan HockeyAllsvenskan (previously Allsvenskan and SuperAllsvenskan) is a professional ice hockey league, and the second-highest league in the Swedish ice hockey system (after the SHL). Since the 2009–10 season, the league consists of fourteen team ...

– with Scaniarinken 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 play ...

and Syrianska FC are also two successful football clubs started in 1974 and 1977. They play at the same arena;

Södertälje Fotbollsarena Södertälje Fotbollsarena is a multi-purpose stadium in Södertälje, Sweden. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Assyriska FF and Syrianska FC Syrianska Football Club, also known as Syrianska FC or ...

. Södertälje Storm Rugby League club are a pioneering

Rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

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 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 freezing ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''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. 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, professional footballer * Nicklas Bergfors, 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 – ''Nä ...

, writer * Björn Borg, tennis player (born in Stockholm, youth in Södertälje) *

Louay Chanko Louay Chanko ( ar, لؤي شنكو; born 29 November 1979) is a professional football coach and former player. Born in Sweden, Chanko represented Sweden internationally as a midfielder, before switching allegiance to Syria. After his playing c ...

, professional footballer * Daniel Despotovic, professional ice hockey player *

Johan Edlund Johan * Johan (given name) * ''Johan'' (film), a 1921 Swedish film directed by Mauritz Stiller * Johan (band), a Dutch pop-group ** ''Johan'' (album), a 1996 album by the group * Johan Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada * Jo-Han, a manu ...

, guitarist and vocalist of

Tiamat In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( akk, or , grc, Θαλάττη, Thaláttē) is a primordial goddess of the sea, mating with Abzû, the god of the groundwater, to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial crea ...

Jan Guillou Jan Oskar Sverre Lucien Henri Guillou (, ; born 17 January 1944) is a French-Swedish author and journalist. Guillou's fame in Sweden was established during his time as an investigative journalist, most notably in 1973 when he and co-reporter Pe ...

, author and journalist *

Carl Hagelin Carl Oliver Hagelin (born 23 August 1988) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hagelin was drafted by the New York Rangers in the sixth round, 168th overall, of the 2007 NHL ...

, 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, 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 from 1983 to 1995, member of the Riksdag from 1984 to 1994 and Minister for Social Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister 1991 ...

, 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 ...

youth in Södertälje)

References

article ''Södertälje''
from Nordisk Familjebok (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