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 ...
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 ...
. It is situated by Göta älv, near the lake Vänern, and has a population of approximately 50,000 in the
city proper
A city proper is the geographical area contained within city limits. The term ''proper'' is not exclusive to city, cities; it can describe the geographical area within the boundaries of any given locality. The United Nations defines the term as " ...
. It is located 75 km (46 mi) north of Sweden's second-largest city,
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 ...
.
History
Trollhättan was granted city rights (which today have no legal effect) in 1916 at
which time it had about 15,000 inhabitants, now grown to 59,058.
Trollhättan was founded on the river Göta älv, at the Trollhättan Falls. The site was first mentioned in literature from 1413. Trollhättan had a strategic significance on the road between Västergötland and Norway. It was also of a commercial and political significance for shipping to and from Vänern.
Utilization of the river falls was the first important business activity in the area. From the Middle Ages milling and sawing operations have been conducted where the city center is now located. For centuries, Trollhättan Falls was an obstacle for boats travelling the river, until a
lock
Lock(s) or Locked 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 entertainme ...
system was completed in the 19th century. In 1795 the English writer
Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft ( , ; 27 April 175910 September 1797) was an English writer and philosopher best known for her advocacy of women's rights. Until the late 20th century, Wollstonecraft's life, which encompassed several unconventional ...
visited Trollhattan on her trip through Sweden, Norway and Denmark. She described in one of her letters her observations of the canal under construction, and the falls. It has since been updated several times, and the present locks were finished in 1916. In the late 19th century,
hydropower
Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, ...
was developed in Trollhättan. The Swedish energy corporation
Vattenfall
Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational corporation, multinational electrical power industry, power company owned by the List of government enterprises of Sweden, Swedish state. Beyond Sweden, the company generates power in Denmark, Finland, Germa ...
took its name from the falls in Trollhättan. Today the city has two operational hydropower stations, Olidan and Hojum.
Trollhättan is also home of
King Oscars Bridge
King Oscars Bridge (known as Oscarsbron in Swedish) is a single arch concrete bridge which spans the Göta River at the Trollhättan Falls in the town of Trollhättan
Trollhättan () is the 23rd-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Trollhättan ...
, for a long time one of Sweden's biggest tourist attractions, owing to its impressive views of the Trollhättan Falls.
On 22 October 2015, a mass stabbing occurred at Kronan School, a high school.
Name
The name ''Trollhättan'' itself was originally used only for the falls area. The name ''Trollhättan'' is translated as "
troll
A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
's bonnet". The latter part "''hätta''" could also mean mountain top. The water that splashed from a large rock at the bottom of the waterfall (before the hydro dam was built) was imagined to look like a troll's hat.
Other former names of the site are ''Eiðar'' and ''Stora Edet''; the latter lives on in the name of the south-bordering municipality of Lilla Edet.
Sticker on Saab car window
Industry
The manufacturing company
Nydqvist & Holm AB
NOHAB (Nydqvist & Holm AB) was a manufacturing company based in the city of Trollhättan, Sweden.
History
The company was founded by Antenor Nydqvist, Johan Magnus Lidström and Carl Olof Holm in 1847 as ''Trollhättans Mekaniska Verkstad'' as ...
(now NOHAB) was based in the city of Trollhättan dating from 1847. Further industries quickly followed. Dating from the 19th century, Trollhättan formerly housed the headquarters and main production plant of
Saab Automobile
Saab Automobile AB () was a automotive industry, car manufacturer that was founded in Sweden in 1945 when its parent company, Saab AB, began a project to design a small automobile. The first production model, the Saab 92, was launched in 1949. ...
and subsequently the headquarters and a production plant of National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS). It also has a number of industrial facilities, headed by GKN Aerospace (previously known as Volvo Aero) and its contractual suppliers. As with parallel locations elsewhere in Europe, much of its production has moved from
heavy industry
Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
to
professional services Professional services are occupations in the service sector requiring special training in liberal arts and pure sciences education or professional development education. Some professional services, such as architects, accountants, engineers, d ...
and the creation of
intellectual property
Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...
.
As of 2011, Trollhättan hosts a film production complex known as Trollywood; movies shot there include '' Show Me Love'' (''Fucking Åmål''), ''
Dancer in the Dark
''Dancer in the Dark'' is a 2000 musical psychological tragedy film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It stars Icelandic musician Björk as a factory worker who suffers from a degenerative eye condition and is saving for an operation to p ...
'', ''
Melancholia
Melancholia or melancholy (from ',Burton, Bk. I, p. 147 meaning black bile) is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval, and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly depressed mood, bodily complain ...
'', ''
Dogville
''Dogville'' is a 2003 experimental drama film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It features an ensemble cast led by Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall, Paul Bettany, Chloë Sevigny, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Ben Gazzara, Patricia Clarks ...
'' and studio scenes for '' Lilya 4-ever''. The movie studio Film i Väst centered here produces about half of the Swedish feature-length films.
Trollhätte Canal
During the 17th century, work on a system of locks began and the first lock was completed around 1607 at Lilla Edet. During the 18th century several unsuccessful attempts were made to complete the locks. In 1718 a contract was signed by the government and
Christopher Polhem
Christopher Polhammar (18 December 1661 – 30 August 1751) better known as Christopher Polhem (), which he took after his ennoblement in 1716, was a Swedish scientist, inventor, and industrialist. He made significant contributions to the econ ...
(1661–1751) for construction of a canal between Kattegatt and Lake Vänern and from Vättern to 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 ...
. Trollhätte Canal first begun construction in 1718. In 1800, Baltzar von Platen (1766–1829) completed the locks. Larger locks were later built under
Nils Ericson
''Friherre'' Nils Ericson (born Nils Ericsson; 31 January 1802 – 8 September 1870) was a Swedish mechanical engineer who built canals and railways in Sweden. His younger brother John Ericsson, who emigrated first to England and then the U ...
(1802–1870). The further construction of the
Göta Canal
The Göta Canal () is a Swedish canal constructed in the early 19th century.
The canal is long, of which were dug or blasted, with a width varying between and a maximum depth of about .Uno Svedin, Britt Hägerhäll Aniansson, ''Sustainab ...
enabled larger boats to pass through Trollhätte Canal.
Trollhättan Church
Trollhättan Church (''Trollhättans Kyrka'') belongs to the Trollhättan congregation in the Diocese of Skara. Between 1860 and 1862, the New Trollhätte Canal Company (''Nya Trollhätte Kanalbolag'') built Trollhättan church. It was inauguration in 1862 and was handed over to the congregation as a gift. The church is erected in a neo-Gothic style after drawings by architect Adolf W. Edelsvärd (1824–1919). It consists of a longhouse with a north–south orientation. To the south is the tower with main entrance and to the north is a polygonal
cairn
A cairn is a human-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the (plural ).
Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehistory, t ...
. It is located on a cliff in the Göta River in the middle of the canal system.
At the expense of the canal company, a sacristy was built in the north-west in 1896–1897 with a rise to the pulpit, and the same year came glass paintings designed by Folke Zettervall (1862–1955). The window paintings in the choir, which was installed in 1962, are done by artist Ralph Bergholtz (1908-1988). The church was restored in 1983–84 with Jerk Alton as architect.
Sports
Trollhättan hosted Division B of the
2017 Bandy World Championship
2017 Bandy World Championship was the 37th Bandy World Championship and was held in Sweden. The games in Division A were played in Göransson Arena in Sandviken, 29 January to 5 February. The games of Division B were played in Slättbergshall ...
Trollhättans Kyrka.jpg, Trollhättan Church
Trollhattefallen.jpg, Trollhättan Falls
Olidans kraftstation, Trollhättan.jpg, Olidan Hydropower Station
Neue Schleuse (1916), Trollhätte-Kanal.jpg, Trollhättan Canal
Trollhättan Water Tower.jpg, Trollhättan Water Tower
Rasmus Dahlin
Rasmus Erik Dahlin (; born 13 April 2000) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman and Captain (ice hockey), captain for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Having been referred to as the most talented player available ...
Clark Olofsson
Clark Oderth Olofsson (later known as Daniel Demuynck; born 1 February 1947) is a Swedish criminal. He has received sentences for attempted murder, assault, robbery, and dealing narcotics, and has spent more than half of his life in prison in Sw ...
Nils van der Poel
Nils Göran Svensson (born Nils Göran van der Poel; ; 25 April 1996) is a retired Swedish Speed skating, speed skater who is the current World and Olympic record holder and 2022 Olympic champion in the World record progression 5000 m speed skati ...