Kalmar (, , ) is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in the southeast of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, situated by the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

. It had 41,388 inhabitants in 2020 and is the seat of

Kalmar Municipality Kalmar Municipality () is a municipality in Kalmar County, southeastern Sweden. The city of Kalmar is the municipal seat. The present municipality was created in 1971, when the ''City of Kalmar'' was amalgamated with five surrounding rural mun ...

. It is also the capital of

Kalmar County Kalmar County () is a Counties of Sweden, county or ''län'' in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kronoberg County, Kronoberg, Jönköping County, Jönköping, Blekinge County, Blekinge and Östergötland County, Östergötland. To the ...

, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 236,399 inhabitants (2015). Kalmar is the third largest urban area in the province and cultural region of

Småland Småland () is a historical Provinces of Sweden, province () in southern Sweden. Småland borders Blekinge, Scania, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name ''Småland'' literally means "small la ...

. From the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries, Kalmar was one of Sweden's most important cities. Its name was until the second half of the nineteenth century spelled '' Calmar. '' Between 1602 and 1913 it was the

episcopal see An episcopal see is 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, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...

Kalmar Diocese The Diocese of Kalmar () was a division of the Church of Sweden between 1603 and 1915, when it was merged into the diocese of Växjö in order to allow the new diocese of Luleå to be formed. It was created as a subdivision to the diocese of Link ...

, with a bishop, and the

Kalmar Cathedral Kalmar Cathedral () is in the city of Kalmar in Småland in southeast Sweden. Located in Stortorget Square, construction began in 1660. The Cathedral was designed for the Church of Sweden by architect Nicodemus Tessin. History The new city of K ...

from 1702 is an example of classicistic architecture. It became a

fortified city A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as curtain walls with to ...

, with the

Kalmar Castle Kalmar Castle () is a castle in the city Kalmar in the province of Småland in Sweden. History During the twelfth century a round defensive tower was built on Kalmarsund and a harbour constructed. At the end of the thirteenth century King M ...

as the center. After the

Treaty of Roskilde The Treaty of Roskilde was negotiated at Høje Taastrup Church and was concluded on 26 February ( OS) or 8 March 1658 ( NS) during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Karl X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish ci ...

in 1658, Kalmar's importance diminished, until the industry sector was initiated in the 19th century. The city is home to parts of

Linnaeus University Linnaeus University (LNU) () is a state university in the Swedish historical province (''landskap'') Småland, with campuses located in Växjö and Kalmar. Linnaeus University was established in 2010 by a merger of former Växjö University a ...

. The city plays host to the

Live at Heart Live at Heart is an annual showcase festival of film, music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in September in Örebro, Sweden. It began in 2010 as a showcase for independent musical artists evolving into a platform for e ...

festival, one of Sweden's largest musical showcase events. Kalmar is adjacent to the main route to the island of

Öland Öland (, ; ; sometimes written ''Oland'' internationally) is the second-largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. ...

over the

Öland Bridge The Öland Bridge ( Swedish: ''Ölandsbron'') is a road bridge in Sweden that spans the Kalmar Strait, between Jutnabben in Kalmar on the mainland and Möllstorp in Algutsrum parish near Färjestaden on Öland in the Baltic Sea. It is a lon ...

History

The area around Kalmar has been inhabited since

ancient times Ancient history is a time period from the History of writing, beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian language, ...

. Excavations have found traces of

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...

gravefields. However, the oldest evidence for there being a town is from the 11th century. The oldest city seal of Kalmar is from somewhere between 1255 and 1267, making it the oldest known city seal in

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

. In the 12th century the first foundations of a castle were established, with the construction of a round tower for guard and lookout. The tower was continuously expanded in the 13th century, and as such, Queen

Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...

called an assembly there between the heads of state of Sweden and Norway, and on 13 July 1397, the

Kalmar Union The Kalmar Union was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden as designed by Queen Margaret I of Denmark, Margaret of Denmark. From 1397 to 1523, it joined under a single monarch the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (then in ...

treaty was signed, creating a union which would last until 1523. Kalmar's strategic location, near the Danish border (at the time the

Scanian lands The term Scanian (, , or ) can refer to: * A person born or living in the province of Scania proper (Skåne) * The people and language of the historical provinces of Scania (Terrae Scaniae, Skånelandene (Danish), Skåneland (Swedish) * Scanian d ...

, i.e. the provinces of

Blekinge Blekinge () is one of the traditional Swedish provinces (), situated in the southern coast of the geographic region of Götaland, in southern Sweden. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea. It is the country's second-smallest provin ...

Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Skåne, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Br ...

and

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

, were part of Denmark), and its harbour and trade, also involved it in several feuds. There are two events independently labelled the Kalmar Bloodbath, 1505: the first in 1505, when King John of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden had the mayor and

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, borough counc ...

of Kalmar executed; the second in 1599 by command of Duke Charles, later to become King

Charles IX of Sweden Charles IX, also Carl (; 4 October 1550 – 30 October 1611), reigned as King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I () and of his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, the brother of King Eric XIV and of ...

In the 1540s, first King

Gustav Vasa Gustav Eriksson Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), also known as Gustav I, was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560. He was previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm (''Reichsverweser#Sweden, Riksföreståndare'') fr ...

, and later his sons

Erik XIV of Sweden Erik XIV or Eric XIV (13 December 153326 February 1577) became King of Sweden following the death of his father, Gustav I, on 29 September 1560. During a 1568 rebellion against him, Erik was incarcerated by his half-brother John III. He w ...

and

John III of Sweden John III (; 20 December 1537 – 17 November 1592) was King of Sweden from 1569 until his death. He attained the Swedish throne after a rebellion against his half-brother Erik XIV. He is mainly remembered for his attempts to close the gap bet ...

would organize a rebuilding of the castle into the magnificent

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

castle it is today. Kalmar became a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

of the

Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden () is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.5 million members at year end 2023, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sweden, the largest List ...

in 1603, a position it held until 1915. In 1634,

was founded, with Kalmar as the

natural capital Natural capital is the world's stock of natural resources, which includes geology, soils, air, water and all living organisms. Some natural capital assets provide people with free goods and services, often called ecosystem services. All of t ...

. In 1660, the

was begun by drawings of

Nicodemus Tessin the Elder Nicodemus Tessin the Elder () (7 December 1615 – 24 May 1681) was an important Swedish architect. Biography Nicodemus Tessin was born in Stralsund in Pomerania and came to Sweden as a young man. There he met and worked with the architect Sim ...

. It would be inaugurated in 1703. In 1611–1613, it suffered in the

Kalmar War The Kalmar War (1611–1613) was fought between Denmark–Norway and Sweden. Though Denmark-Norway soon gained the upper hand, it was unable to defeat Sweden entirely. The Kalmar War was the last time Denmark-Norway successfully defended its '' ...

, which began with a Danish siege of Kalmar Castle. 1611 is mentioned as the darkest year of Kalmar's history, but by no means the only dark year; much blood has been shed in the vicinity of the castle. The last was during the

Scanian War The Scanian War (; ; ; ) was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark–Norway, Electorate of Brandenburg, Brandenburg and Swedish Empire, Sweden. It was fought from 1675 to 1679 mainly on Scanian soil, in the former Danish ...

in the 1670s, so there have been 22 sieges altogether; however the castle was never taken. After the

in 1658, the strategic importance of Kalmar gradually diminished as the borders of Sweden were redrawn further south. In 1689, the King established his main naval base further south in Karlskrona and Kalmar lost its status as one of Sweden's main military outposts.

Kalmar Cathedral

The new city of Kalmar was built on Kvarnholmen around the mid-1600s. The transfer from the old town was largely completed by 1658. The new, fortified town was planned following current baroque architecture, baroque patterns. Cathedral and town hall face each other across the new main square, Stortorget Kalmar, Stortorget. The cathedral was designed by

and is one of the foremost examples of baroque classicism in Sweden. Its design reflects the complex interaction between the new style, liturgical considerations, tradition and the fortress-city requirements. The work began in 1660, but it was interrupted on several occasions, including when the

(1675–1679) raged. Construction resumed, and Kalmar Cathedral stood finished in 1703.

Today

In more recent times, Kalmar has been an industrial city with Kalmar Verkstad making steam engines, trains and large machinery, later bought by Bombardier Transportation, Bombardier who closed the factory in 2005. A shipyard, , was founded in 1679 and closed 1981. Volvo opened their Volvo Kalmar Assembly, Kalmar factory for building cars i.e. 264, 740, 760, 960 in 1974, but closed it 1994 and due to further relocation of industry jobs in the 1990s and 2000s around 2000 industrial jobs were lost. Kalmar has a University of Kalmar, university with over 9,000 students and a research facility for Telia Sonera. Kalmar has embarked on a comprehensive program to reduce fossil fuel use. A local trucking firm, which employs nearly 450 people, has installed computers that track fuel efficiency and have cut diesel use by 10 percent, paying off the cost of the devices in just a year. The company is now looking to fuel its future fleet with biodiesel.Going green: Entire Swedish city switches to biofuels to become environmentally friendly
A large wood pulp plant harnesses the steam and hot water it once released as waste to provide heating, through below-ground pipes, and generates enough electricity to power its own operations and 20,000 homes. Segregated cycle facilities, Bicycle lanes are common; for example, the Kalmarsundsleden, and cars line up at Kalmar city's public biogas pump. Building codes now require thermal insulation and efficient windows for new construction or retrofits. Street lights use low-energy sodium bulbs, and car dealers promote fuel-efficient and hybrid vehicles. In 2011 Guldfågeln Arena was initiated. It is the new stadium of the football team of the city, Kalmar FF. The capacity of the stadium is 12,000 people and it is currently one of the newest stadiums in Sweden. The stadium was also built to host concerts and did so in the summer of 2011 when Swedish artists Håkan Hellström and The Ark performed.

Climate

Kalmar has an oceanic climate using the -3°C isotherm or a warm-summer humid continental climate using the 0°C isotherm. Summers are warm and winters are fairly cold with temperatures normally hovering around zero. Kalmar is among the hottest Swedish cities, with an all-time record set at . The average summer temperatures however are typical for southern Sweden.

Gallery

History

File:Kalmar stads sigill på 1200-talet (naturlig storlek, ur Nordisk familjebok).png, The seal of Kalmar, 13th century File:Kalmar Dahlberg.jpg, Engraving from Suecia antiqua et hodierna, circa 1700 File:Kalmar 1906.jpg, Town plan, 1906

Main sights

File:Kalmar Slott Aug2011.jpg,

File:Kalmar Domkyrka 0055.JPG,

File:Rådhuset Kalmar.jpg, Town hall File:Olandsbron.jpg, In 1972, the long Öland bridge was built from Kalmar to the town of Färjestaden on

File:Kalmar läns Museum 2015 01.JPG, Kalmar County Museum

General views

File:Stortorget i Kalmar, juli 2009, bild 1.JPG, Main square File:Rådmannen 6.JPG, Houses on the main square File:Kalmar alt.jpg, Street in Kalmar File:Lilla torget i Kalmar.JPG, Square in Kalmar File:KalmarCastle.JPG, Scenic photograph of

in the summer sun File:Mermaid sculpture kalmar 1.jpg, Mermaid sculpture Kalmar

Sports

The following sports clubs are located in Kalmar: * Kalmar FF * Lindsdals IF * Kalmar AIK * IFK Berga * IFK Kalmar * Kalmar Södra IF * Kalmar BTK

Notable people

*Mikael Adolphson – historian *Khamzat Chimaev – UFC Fighter *Charlotta Djurström – theatre director *Lena Hallengren – politician, Minister for Health and Social Affairs *Richard Hobert – film director *Helena Josefsson – musician, lead singer in Sandy Mouche *Ivar Kreuger – civil engineer and industrialist *Jangir Maddadi – designer living in Kalmar *Margaret I of Denmark - ruler who here created the

*Carl Gustaf Mosander – chemist who discovered lanthanum, erbium, terbium *Anna-Stina Nilstoft – painter *Jenny Nyström – painter and illustrator *Pehr Olsson – farmer and politician *Henrik Strindberg – composer *Hans Villius – historian

Twin towns – sister cities

Kalmar is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with eleven cities: * Árborg, Iceland * Arendal, Norway * Entebbe, Uganda * Gdańsk, Poland * Kaliningrad, Russia * Panevėžys, Lithuania * Samsun, Turkey * Savonlinna, Finland * Silkeborg, Denmark * Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington, United States * Wismar, Germany

Notes

References

Article ''Kalmar''
Nordisk familjebok
''Kalmar domkyrkas historia''

External links

Kalmar Municipality
– Official site
iKalmar
– a social network for citizens of Kalmar
Kalmar CastleKalmar City
– pictures from nightlife in Kalmar
University of KalmarBarometern Oskarshamns-Tidningen
– Newspaper, daily newspaper from Kalmar and Oskarshamn {{Authority control Kalmar, Populated places in Kalmar Municipality Municipal seats of Kalmar County Coastal cities and towns in Sweden Port cities and towns of the Baltic Sea County seats in Sweden Swedish municipal seats Viking Age populated places Populated places established in the 12th century 11th-century establishments in Sweden Cities in Sweden Kalmar Union

History

Kalmar Cathedral

Today

Climate

Gallery

History

Main sights

General views

Sports

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

See also

Notes

References

External links