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Skövde () is a locality and urban centre in Skövde Municipality and
Västra Götaland County Västra Götaland County () is a county or '' län'' on the western coast of Sweden. The county is the second most populous of Sweden's counties and it comprises 49 municipalities (''kommuner''). Its population of 1,616,000 amounts to 17% of S ...
, in the Västergötland (Western Gothland region) in central southern
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 ...
. Skövde is situated around 150 km northeast of
Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...
, between Sweden's two largest lakes,
Vänern Vänern ( , , ) is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the European Union and the third-largest lake in Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland in the sou ...
and
Vättern Vättern ( , ) is the second-largest lake in Sweden, after Vänern, and the sixth-largest lake in Europe. It is a long, finger-shaped body of fresh water in south central Sweden, to the southeast of Vänern, pointing at the tip of Scandinavia. ...
. It lies on the eastern slope of a low mountain ridge, Billingen (304 m), which cuts through the plain between the lakes. The Western Main Railway ( Västra Stambanan) was built through Skövde in the 1850s, which gave the town a dramatic industrial and population boost. Today, Skövde is home to the headquarters for Skaraborg's District Court and is the Västra Götaland's fourth-largest urban area as well as Sweden's 32nd biggest locality (by population) with 39,580 inhabitants in 2020.


History

Skövde traces its history back to the Medieval Age. In Skövde's city coat of arms is the image of Saint Elin (also known as Saint Helena), who was considered a pious woman from Skövde. She was born about 1101, and was
canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of sa ...
in 1164. Of the medieval houses that once existed virtually nothing remains, as a fire in 1759 burned down the entire city except for some houses called Helensgården. After the fire, the city was rebuilt according to a grid pattern. The city only had a small population until the railway between
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
and
Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...
was laid through the city, leading to an industrial and population boost.


Pre-16th century

Skövde's patron saint, Saint Elin (also known as Saint Helena), lived in the 12th century. According to legend, she was murdered on the way to a church consecration. She was canonized on 30 July 1164 by
Pope Alexander III Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland (), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181. A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a Papal election, ...
and Archbishop Stefan of Sweden. During the Middle Ages, people made pilgrimages to Elin's grave, and this contributed to the city's development and growth. During the Middle Ages Skövde was a successful city, the economy thriving and Skövde eventually developed into a city of significant importance. Adjacent to the city were three churches: The City Church, The Elin Chapel directly south of the city, and Holy Birgitta's Chapel in the north. The city was at this time probably not especially great in area or population, rather its greatness lay in that it was once home to the Patron Saint of the Diocese, St. Elin. The pilgrims travelled here to visit the Saint's origin and burial place, and the commerce around the pilgrims came to be an important prerequisite for Skövde's development in the ensuing century. The exact year when Skövde got its town charter is unknown, but it can be assumed to be sometime around the year 1400 when the city was mentioned in a tax roll. At the beginning of the 16th century, King Gustav Vasa confirmed the town's charter in a letter.


The 16th century until the Fire of 1759

If the 15th century was marked by success, then the 16th century saw an emergent decline for the city. The main reason for this was the Reformation and the transition to the Lutheran faith. They wanted to cleanse out all forms of idol worship in the form of saintly cults from the churches; these churches were emptied of treasures and relics, and Skövde itself did not escape. Pilgrims ceased to travel here and a large part of the city's revenue disappeared practically overnight. King Gustav Vasa also had plans to move the city together with some other cities of the West Göta region to Hornborgasjön ('Lake Hornborg') in order to build a great city. In 1520 the first documented setback took place for Skövde. The Danish King, Kristian II, undertook his third military campaign against Sweden. One of the Danish armies swept through
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. Vä ...
(Western Götland) and burned down Skövde, Falköping, Skara and Bogesund (now Ulricehamn). It was only in the 17th century that figures of how many people lived in Skövde could be estimated with any fair degree of certainty. For the year 1655, the city presented a census of 134 people, 34 farmers, 38 housewives, 12 sons, 3 daughters, 2 farmhands, 8 maids, 10 boarders, 14 boatmen, and 13 described as '63 years old', i.e. contemporary retirees. During the 1660s there was some growth, and in 1669 the city had a population of 168 people. At the beginning of the 18th century, Skövde was one of the county's smallest towns. In 1700, the town has just 154 inhabitants, but only 50 years later had the population risen to 381. In 1770 the population had risen up to 500 people. At the beginning of the 18th century, the Swedish towns and country districts had to take care of prisoners of war captured by Karl XII's armies. It was the Saxons, Germans, Danes, Norwegians, Poles and Cossacks who lived in enforced internship in Skövde. In 1708, there were up to 56 prisoners of war in Skövde. In the town hall's civil rules one can read that the number of prisoners was now so great that every citizen had to now take care of a prisoner. In 1718, there were up to 90 Danish prisoners, in other words, the number of prisoners of war came to dominate the small Skövde. In 1746,
Carl von Linné Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming organi ...
was out on his journey through Västra Götaland, where he also visited tracts of Skövde. He talks in detail about the pollarded meadows in Berg, beeches on Ingasäter and Mölltorp's
alum An alum () is a type of chemical compound, usually a hydrated double salt, double sulfate salt (chemistry), salt of aluminium with the general chemical formula, formula , such that is a valence (chemistry), monovalent cation such as potassium ...
works. When on 27 June he reached Skövde, he did not have much positive to say, 'Skövde town, quarter before six from Berg, was a very small spot, located on the east side of Billingen, without any lake or particular feature, the houses were small, streets irregular and Cemetery on set with lovely boxes. This city has once been the seat of St. Helena.' His journey continued southerly, the next stop being Skultorp. Once again Linnaeus was compelled to share his experiences, describing women's hats, farmhands' courtship and the magnificent view from Skultorp's Nabbe. The year 1759 saw the destruction of central Skövde in a large fire. A block of old wooden houses are preserved, and together with a botanical garden, form the cultural reserve Helénsparken. The oldest house in the park, Helénsstugan ('Heléns cottage') is from the early 18th century. Next to Hertig Johan's Torg ('Duke Johan's Square') is Saint Helena's Church and church park.


Town after the fire

Skövde recovered after the fire. The social life began to flourish, balls and theatrical performances followed one another. The inhabitants of the city lived a safe and hopefully pleasant small-town life. However, new winds would blow that would change the city's development for a long time. At the start of the 1860s, the city's area was limited to what is now called the old city. Some major industries did not exist yet; handicrafts, trade and agriculture were the only industries that were practiced.
Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
and
animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, animal fiber, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, selective breeding, and the raising ...
were the primary industries for the inhabitants right up to the 1850s, while the actual town's urban
bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and aristocracy. They are traditionally contrasted wi ...
industries were developed. The policemen in Skövde, or 'the magistrate's henchmen' as they were known in formal terms of the time, were few in number during the first part of the 19th century. The city's police force consisted of one permanent employee. The uniform cap showed his power and authority, while his armament consisted of a truncheon. His task was to carry out the punishment when someone was convicted to be flogged. In the early 19th century, the town was dominated by one-storey houses. The roofs were usually covered with straw, reeds, peat or boards. Only in 1850 did it become common to use brick. During the 19th century, the first half of the year had six or seven markets in Skövde. 1847 saw the introduction of market square days, which soon came to have the character of regular market days. The market came to be limited to two times a year, one in spring and one in autumn. An important market was the remounting market (''remonterinsmarknaden''), or horse market, that occurred annually on 19 September. It was widely known, even beyond the country's borders. Buyers came from the cavalry and artillery regiments, but also individual buyers from Norway, Denmark and Germany, to buy young horses. The trade was so great that several thousand horses could change hands in a single day. On 2 April 1832, it was decided that the streets would be named. Previously, all the plots of land were only numbered. But it was not long before street addresses completely broke through, though even in the 1930s plot numbers were sufficient to use as post addresses. In 1858, the population of the city increased and soon the railway stood finished. In 1859, the Västra stambanan ('Western Main Line') was inaugurated. Discussions on a newspaper began to take off. They got in touch with the editor of '' Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning'' (''Gothenburg Trade and Maritime News Journal''), S.A. Hedlund, who promised to provide news content and editorials. The newspaper was called ''Sköfde Tidning'' (''Skövde Newspaper'') and was published every Saturday. The first issue came out on 13 November 1858. In 1960, the paper, then known as ''Västgöta Korrespondenten Skövde Tidning'' (VK – ''The West Göta Correspondent''), joined with Skaraborgs Läns Annonsblad (SLA – ''Skaraborg County Advertiser'', founded in 1884). On 18 June 1870, a
hydrotherapy Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and Physical therapy, physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and ...
spa opened nearby the railway station, which had the effect of Skövde experiencing a short period as a spa resort. The spa, founded by Dr. Lars G Dovertie, was busily frequented by during the 1870s and 1880s. Since 1992, the spa has been a student union building. In 1884, a company was formed to meet the need of an indoor riding arena. The city voluntarily donated a spot just north of the city. The riding school was later to become a key player in future discussions about placing regiments in Skövde. 1889 brought the issue of trying to get Life Regiment Hussars's recruit school to Skövde. It was suggested that this would see a shift from a ' tenement soldier' regiment (soldiers from Sweden's allotment system) to an enlisted troupe. In 1891, it was decided that Skövde would get the regiment in two years, but at the end of 1894
Örebro Örebro ( ; ) is the seventh-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Örebro Municipality, and capital of Örebro County. It is situated by the Närke Plain, near the lake Hjälmaren, a few kilometers inland along the small river Svartån, and ...
emerged as a competitor to Skövde. Örebro had certain advantages, for example a large indoor riding arena, but after new bids from Skövde, the town emerged victorious. Since 1896 the Husarernas rekrytskola ('Hussars Recruit School') has been located in Skövde. The latter half of the 20th century was characterised by furious redevelopment. This brought parking lots and the creation of monumental buildings, some arguably more beautiful than others. Centuries-old features of the cityscape were erased, in particular all the old wooden housing settlements in the old town's western part. Otherwise the 20th century in Skövde was characterised greatly by the presence of the
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
. Military-dressed men have been a marked feature of Skövde's streets, even if drastically less so at the end of the 20th century and into the new millennium.


Climate

Skövde has a maritime-
continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne * Continen ...
hybrid climate. The town is influenced by being in the slope of a hill, which leads to warmer overnight lows than in Skara on the western side of the same higher area. In July 2018, Skövde recorded a mean during the 2018 European heat wave. This makes it one of the very few stations in Sweden to have met the
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
definition of a hot summer at any point in recorded weather history. Even so, Skövde is not frequently warm during an average year. On average, summers are cooler than on the east coast of the country. This is due to strong
low pressure In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclem ...
systems from the
North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...
bringing plenty of rainy days along with an elevation of . Skövde does still have a lower precipitation total than areas to its south such as
Borås Borås ( , , ) is a city (officially, a locality) and the seat of Borås Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 114,556 inhabitants in 2024. It is widely known for being a textile city, home to worldwide brands and companie ...
and areas in
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 ...
that are affected even more by the maritime patterns.


Economy


Volvo and Aurobay

Aurobay (formerly part of
Volvo Cars Volvo Car AB, trading as Volvo Cars (, styled VOLVO in the company's logo) is a Sweden, Swedish multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles. Volvo is headquartered in Torslanda, Gothenburg. The company manufactures SUVs, station wagons, and ...
) and Volvo Group Truck Operations (a company within the Volvo Group) jointly operate one of the world's largest automotive foundries in Skövde, and are Skövde's two largest employers. The Volvo Group Truck Operations plant is AB Volvo's largest producer of industrial diesel engines worldwide (producing
engine block In an internal combustion engine, the engine block is the structure that contains the cylinders and other components. The engine block in an early automotive engine consisted of just the cylinder block, to which a separate crankcase was attach ...
s,
cylinder head In a piston engine, the cylinder head sits above the cylinders, forming the roof of the combustion chamber. In sidevalve engines the head is a simple plate of metal containing the spark plugs and possibly heat dissipation fins. In more modern ...
s and
flywheel A flywheel is a mechanical device that uses the conservation of angular momentum to store rotational energy, a form of kinetic energy proportional to the product of its moment of inertia and the square of its rotational speed. In particular, a ...
s as well as engine mounts and disk brakes). Aurobay produces sustainable, efficient, hybrid engines for Volvo Cars and will eventually do so other customers. Aurobay has capacity for 600,000
powertrain In a motor vehicle, the powertrain comprises the main components that generate engine power, power and deliver that power to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the internal combustion engine, engine, transmission (mechanics), trans ...
solutions a year. In 2021, the
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (), formerly the National Swedish Environment Protection Board () is a Government agencies in Sweden, government agency in Sweden responsible for proposing and implementing environmental policies. It was ...
approved a grant of SEK 144 million for the conversion of part of the Skövde plant to produce powertrains for
electric vehicles An electric vehicle (EV) is a motor vehicle whose propulsion is powered fully or mostly by electricity. EVs encompass a wide range of transportation modes, including road vehicle, road and rail vehicles, electric boats and Submersible, submer ...
. In 2011, the two plants combined had over 4,000 permanent employees (2,100 employees at Volvo Group Truck Operations ).


Diversified industries

Skövde is a diversified industrial centre, and includes companies such as CEJN AB (pneumatic, hydraulic and high pressure hydraulic quick connect couplings), Furhoffs Rostfria ('Furhoff's Stainless Steel' – sinks and drainage), Cementa (cement) and Grahns Konfektyr ('Grahn's Confectionery' – sweets). Skövde has many public service employers and the largest of them in Skövde Municipality. Other public service employers include the
Swedish Armed Forces The Swedish Armed Forces (, literally ''Defence Force'') are the Military, armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. It consists of four separate military branches, the Swedish Army, the Swedish Navy, the Swedish Air Force and the Home Guard (Swed ...
, Skaraborg Hospital, Kärnsjukhuset (also known as KSS – The Central Hospital), The university, Skaraborgs District Court (''Skaraborgs Tingsrätt''),
Swedish Police The Swedish Police Authority () is the national police, police force (''Polisen'') of Sweden. The first modern police force in Sweden was established in the mid-19th century, and the police remained in effect under Municipalities of Sweden, local ...
and Västtrafik. Few places can match Skövde's development in recent years as a commercial centre. Retail sales in the city have increased by 40% over the past 10 years. This contributes to the relatively large trade sector bringing many jobs in small and medium enterprises. Skövde is a centre for game development and games for training. In the business park Gothia Science Park, there are dozens of game companies that have both developed and produced games in Skövde, such as
Coffee Stain Studios Coffee Stain Studios AB is a Swedish video game developer based in Skövde. Founded in 2010 by nine University of Skövde students, the company is best known for ''Goat Simulator,'' which was released in April 2014, and ''Satisfactory'', releas ...
and Stunlock Studios. The proximity to the relatively large gaming development program at the University of Skövde is a major contributing factor to Skövde having become a game development centre. The many varied employment opportunities in Skövde have meant an increase in daily commuting to the city from neighboring municipalities.


Commerce, retail and trade

Skövde is a shopping town with a large selection. The city centre is Skaraborg's largest shopping centre with over 40 shops and restaurants. It is located directly adjacent to Hertig Johans Torg and Sandtorget ('Sand Square') and has its own car park. In the centre are several major brands and a variety of smaller shops. In October 2008, the newly renovated shopping mall Vasaporten was finished (formerly Göfab Huset) with a dozen shops, a new entrance to Willys grocery store and 500 parking spaces in the adjoining car park. Norrmalm's commerce precinct contains about twenty shops along Gustavus Adolphusgatan. Here lies a big, new shopping centre, Elins Esplanad (formerly Maxi-house), with 30 shops, an Ica Maxi Supermarket and a restaurant and cafe. There are thousands of free parking spaces including 200 in the garage. Elin's Esplanade was opened on 28 November 2008. Stallsikens commerce precinct is an entirely new bulk retail area built for big new stores to open in Skövde. Tenants include auto parts store Biltema, garden store Plantagen, furniture retailer Mio, discount retailer Ö&B, furniture and home decor store Chili, home and leisure department store Rusta and electronics store
Media Markt MediaMarkt is a German multinational chain of stores selling consumer electronics with over 1,000 retail locations in ten countries in Europe. With the Saturn (store), Saturn chain of stores it constitutes Media-Saturn Holding, owned by the re ...
. The inauguration took place in stages, starting in the spring of 2008. Skövde has three trading areas: The centre, Norrmalm and Stallsiken, which are all within easy reach of the city. In addition, there are more specific traders in several other areas of Skövde: Aspelund, Hasslum, Mariesjö, Hallenbergrondellen ('Hallenberg'ss roundabout'), Karstorpsrondellen ('Karstorp's roundabout') and Billingesluttningen ('The Billinge Hillside').


Culture and entertainment

Skövde Kulturhus ('Skovde's Civic Cultural Centre') was built in 1964 and is Sweden's first cultural centre to bring together diverse cultural disciplines under the one roof. The cultural centre was designed by architect Hans-Erland Heineman, and houses the art gallery, art museum, library, theatre and cinema.


Museums

Skövde's City Museum was previously situated in Gamla Rådhuset ('The Old Town Hall') at Hertig Johan's Torg. After 2005 the museum was moved to Norrmalm. In the museum, there are letters, legal documents, maps, theatre posters and newspaper clippings. In the archive, there are even tens of thousands of photographs from Skövde and numerous portrait photos from the 19th century. In storage, there are nearly 40,000 objects, though nobody really knows how many as not all are yet catalogued. There is also an external exhibition in the city centre: Helénsgården ('Helén's farm' or also Helénsstugan – 'Heléns cottage' or Petter Heléns stuga – 'Petter Heléns cottage'). It is the only remaining building from the great fire affecting the city in 1759, which essentially destroyed the whole town. Helénsgården was probably built in the beginning of the 18th century and is today protected as a cultural preservation. Its park is used widely as a meeting place and for events such as Sweden's National Day celebration. At the Skövde garrison there is the Garnisonsmuseet ('Garrison Museum'), which has military and soldier exhibits from throughout the ages. Additionally, the central soldier register proves an invaluable tool for genealogy. Skövde Sport History Museum, the newest museum in Skovde, from 2001, is located in the basement of Billingehus. Here you will find the city's sports history in sounds, images, old trophies and sports equipment. The Volvo Museum tells of the start of Sköfde Gjuteri och Mekaniska Verkstad ('Skövde Foundry and Mechanical Workshop') in 1868 and its transformation to today's automotive industry. Ryttmästarbostället ('The Stablemaster's Residence') is located at Simsjön outside Skövde and is operated by a non-profit organisation. Its purpose is to preserve the buildings, furniture and appliances from the allotment system time and make the collections accessible to the public.


Music

Musical events are often organised in the city, such as Loke, a local initiative organising amateur nights when amateurs can play and even borrow instruments. Valhall is a local initiative right beside Loke in the Kulturhus (Skövdes Civic Culture Centre), which sees established bands play, such as Mustasch and
Hardcore Superstar Hardcore Superstar is a Swedish Rock music, rock band from Gothenburg, formed in 1997. They have released eleven studio albums. History The first ten years (1997–2007) 1997–2004 Hardcore Superstar was formed in Gothenburg, Sweden in ...
. In wintertime, Arena Skövde is usually used for major artists that attract large audiences. In summer, Karstorp recreation area or Boulognerskogen ('Boulogner Forrest') are often used.


Theatre

Theatre productions can be seen at the City Theatre, located in the Kulturhus (Skövdes Civic Culture Centre). There you can see everything from revues to children's theatre. Eric Ugglas Theatre is another, in Eric Ugglas plats ('Eric Uggla's Place'), slightly south of Skövde's city centre.


The Food Festival

The Food Festival is a festival of Skövde which started in 1990 and is always the last weekend in August. The festival's focus is on food that is served in small portions from different restaurants in the city. The restaurants also compete to see who makes the best cuisine as decided by the festival's visitors. The Food Festival also has an amusement park that is located on Sandtorget and a market hall that is located on Hertig Johans Torg.


Military

The armoured corps regiment Skaraborg Regiment (P 4) and the logistics corps regiment Göta Logistic Regiment (T 2) are both located in Skövde, as is the Army Combat school.


History

Around the year 1900, several
Swedish Army The Swedish Army () is the army, land force of the Swedish Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Beginning with its service in 1521, the Swedish Army has been active for more than 500 years. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1 ...
units became stationed in Skövde. In 1913 the Skaraborg Regiment also moved there, costing the city a lot of money but also contributing to increased consumption and business. Today the
garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...
is one of the largest in Sweden.


Active military units

There are several military units in Skövde, Skaraborg Regiment (P 4) and the Göta Logistic Regiment (T 2) with the Swedish Armed Forces Logistics and Motor School (''Försvarsmaktens logistik och motorskola'', LogS) and the Land Warfare Centre (MSS). P 4 trains primarily mechanized shooting units and tank units while TrängR trains logistics units of various types. The Land Warfare Centre is for the training of officers in land combat as well as development methods and evaluation practice. The Logistics School is a joint armed school that develops the skills of students and staff from the
Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
,
Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
and
Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...
within disciplines of military science, military technology, leadership and individual combat fighting. The Logistics School is located at the Göta Logistic Regiment in Skövde and works together with the Armed Forces Logistics Regiment Centre of Excellence in Logistics. After the recent decision by Defence, Skövde's garrison's role in the Armed Forces has increased, with smaller units being moved to Skövde, including the Armed Forces Engine School and Logistics School. New duties for the troops in the city include erecting and manning positions for the Nordic Battle Group, a task force within the European Union's battlegroup concept. In essence, Skövde garrison has commitments of approximately 230 soldiers and officers in a logistics
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
, nearly one hundred in an infantry battalion staff and also a couple of independent
platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
s. Additionally, further troops are assigned to the separate mechanized operation company IA07.


Education


University of Skövde

The University of Skövde is a university with over 9,000 students that conducts research and has a number of courses focusing across several areas. Currently, the main areas of focus are information technology and systems biology, but a few more courses are under development. The university trains, amongst others,
biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...
s,
computer scientists Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to applied disciplines (including the design an ...
,
economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...
s,
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
s, cognitive scientists,
nurse Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...
s,
linguists Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds and equivalent gestures ...
and
teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
s. The University of Skövde profiles itself as having strengths across interdisciplinary courses where technology, natural science and the humanities are united. At the university, there is an ongoing project within the teaching faculty in collaboration with KK-stiftelsen called KompLIT (Competence Development Teacher Education and IT).


Other education providers

On the outskirts of the city is also Skövde Garrison, which is one of Sweden's largest, with two regiments, Skaraborg Regiment (P 4), Göta Logistic Regiment (T 2), with the Logistics School (''Logistikskolan'') and the Land Warfare Centre (MSS). The Rescue and Survival College () is a competency-enhancing education and training provider, providing education and certification in rescue, fire safety and international humanitarian work areas. It also provides hotel accommodation and conference facilities for hire. The Swedish Rescue Training Centre (SRTC, formerly known by its Swedish moniker, Räddningverkets övningsfält) is located in Hasslum, also providing education and training in risk and safety areas. There are two municipal highschools in Skövde, Västerhöjdsgymnasiet and Kavelbrogymnasiet, which now operates under the name of Gymnasium Skövde. There is also a municipal adult education school ( ''vuxenutbildning'' or
Komvux Komvux (short for , literally ) is a form of secondary education for adults in Sweden. The government of Sweden allocates funds to the municipalities for this type of education. It is primarily intended for adults who did not finish primary or sec ...
).


Sports

Skövde's sports scene has long been focused around handball, however the town boasts other sports played at the elite level, albeit with relatively lower profiles. Such sports include baseball, softball and taekwondo.


Handball

Skövde's handball team play at the highest level for both males and females. IFK Skövde has more recently competed in handball's elite series (Elitserie) and 2005 saw the men compete in the final against Sävehof. This was a final that, despite great success during the season, IFK Skövde lost by the narrowest of margins. In 2007 the team was once again in the final, this time against Hammarby IF, who went on to win the match. Skövde HF's (Handbollsflickor – handball girls) women's team is also in Sweden's highest division. Amongst other achievements, the team played five finals over the course of several years and became Swedish champions in 2008 after they beat IK Sävehof 31−24.


Orienteering

The 1989 World Orienteering Championships were held in Skövde. The 2002 edition of O-Ringen was also held in Skövde.


Clubs and associations

* IFK Skövde HK –
handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...
club * Skövde HF – Handball club * HP Skövde 90 – Handball club * Skövde IK – Ice hockey club * Skövde AIK −
football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
club * Skövde KIK − Football (soccer) club * IFK Skövde Fotboll Klubb −
football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
club * Våmbs IF − Football (soccer) club * FC Södra Ryd − Football (soccer) club * Skövde IBF – Innebandy (floor hockey) association * Föreningen SkövdeBor, Stockholm-based expatriate association * Skövde Saints BSK − Baseball and Softball club * IFK Skövde Friidrott Athletics association * IF Hagen Friidrott – Athletics association * IF Hagen Orientering – Orienteering association * Orienteringsklubben P 4 − Orienteering association * Skövde Dukes – American football (gridiron) club * IF Hagen SK − Ski club * IFK Skövde Skidklubb – Ski club * IF Skövde Karate Kai – Karate and Martial Arts * Skövde ABK - Athlete- and Wrestling Club * Skövde Bandy - Bandy association * Skövde BC – Boxing club * Skövde Bågskytteklubb − Archery club * Skövde CK – Cycling club * Skövde GF – Gymnastics association * Skövde GK – Golf club * Skövde Judo – Judo club * Skövde KK – (Konståkningsklubb) – Figure Skating club * Skövde FK − Table Tennis club * Skövde RF – Equestrian association * Skövde SS – Swimming association * Skövde Taekwon-do Club − Taekwondo club * Skövde Tennisförening − Tennis association * Skövde VBK – Volleyball association * S:t Helena Basket – Basketball club * Candanza DF – Dance association


Airport

Skövde Airport is located approximately 10 km from Skövde. Currently there are no scheduled flights, however there is an active flying club, gliding club and at least one corporate jet is based at Skövde.


Other

The North's largest gold treasure, ''Timboholmsskatten'' ('Timboholm's Treasure'), was found in Skövde in 1904 by two farmhands by the names of Carl Wernlund and Per Rythén, better known as Sjôle-Lotta and Bly-Per.Skövde Museum, ''Otrons vinter - en utställning av Skövde museum'' (1993) sidan 23. The treasure, which contains 24 carat gold, weighs over 7 kilograms and consists of 16 rings and two
ingot An ingot is a piece of relatively pure material, usually metal, that is Casting, cast into a shape suitable for further processing. In steelmaking, it is the first step among semi-finished casting products. Ingots usually require a second procedu ...
s. Today, the treasure is in the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm (Historiska museet) and a copy can be found in Skövde City Museum (Skövde stadsmuseum). The treasure dates back to the later
Migration Period The Migration Period ( 300 to 600 AD), also known as the Barbarian Invasions, was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories ...
(around the fifth to the sixth centuries.)


Notable residents

* Stig Bergström, a Swedish-American paleontologist, born in 1935 in Skövde * Christian Älvestam, vocalist * Fredrik Belfrage, television personality * Helena Bergman, orienteering World Champion * Mustafa Can, journalist * Gustav Ejstes, musician (Dungen, Amason) * Alfred Grenander, architect * Thomas G:son, musician *
Robert Gustafsson Carl Robert Olof Gustafsson (born 20 December 1964) is a Swedish comedian, actor, and member of ''Killinggänget''. References External links Official homepage
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gustafsson, Robert 1964 births Living people Swedish male ...
, comedian *
Marcus Hellner Carl Marcus Joakim Hellner (born 25 November 1985) is a Swedish former cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skier who competed between 2003 and 2018. He retired at the end of the 2017-18 FIS Cross-Country World Cup, 2017-18 FIS World Cup se ...
, cross-country skier * David Johansson, football * Michael Jonzon, golfer * Andreas Larsson, handball player * Kristina Lugn, poet * Christian Magdu, actor * Johan Mårtensson, footballer * Johan Sjöstrand, handball player *
Tim Sköld Tim Skold (born Thim Sköld; 14 December 1966) is a Swedish musician and record producer who produces solo work and has also collaborated with multiple musical groups including Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson (band), Marilyn Manson and ...
, musician * Petter Stymne, swimmer * Oscar Wendt, footballer * Gert Wingårdh, architect


References


External links

*
SkövdeNätet
– Website and forum for people living and working in Skövde {{DEFAULTSORT:Skovde Municipal seats of Västra Götaland County Swedish municipal seats Populated places in Skövde Municipality Cities in Sweden