Södertälje
Södertälje is a city in Stockholm County, Sweden and seat of Södertälje Municipality. It is also a part of Greater Stockholm Metropolitan Area. As of 2020, it has 73,872 inhabitants. Södertälje is located at Mälarens confluence in to the Baltic Sea through the lock in the Södertälje Canal. Since year 2000, it is the largest city located entirely within the province of Södermanland.
History
Ancient history
It is estimated that the first people reached the area around what is today Södertälje during the Stone Age, about 4000 BC. They formed settlements around 3000 BC, when the peasant culture is believed to have reached the area. Around 1500 to 400 BC, the strait between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea narrowed due to the post-glacial rebound. Thereafter boats had to be towed over the sand ridge, which created job opportunities. Trade and service emerged.Ansgar passed through Södertälje on his voyages to Birka in his efforts to Christianize Sweden in 829. Södertälje was first mentioned in historical sources in 1070, when Adam of Bremen mentioned the town in a description of the road between Skara and Birka in his work Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae pontificum. 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. In 1622, the prefix Söder 'south' was added to distinguish from the then recently founded town of Norrtälje, 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. After her pilgrimages to Rome and Jerusalem, her relics are said to have been buried in Södertälje.
Duke Charles actively invested in Södertälje as a commercial and maritime city during his time as Duke of Södermanland, which contributed to growth. A port was built just south of the city. It was not until the 1740s that the city began with industrial manufacturing in addition to shipping and trade.
1800s to 1950
Södertälje already had a port, but during the 19th century it became necessary to extend it to be able to receive larger vessels. In 1819 the Södertälje Canal was inaugurated after 13 years of construction. Just over forty years later, in 1860, rail traffic between Södertälje and Stockholm commenced. The Western Main Line for trains between the east and west coast of Sweden opened in 1862, with a station in the city.Around this time Södertälje became known as a seaside resort for Stockholmers. In 1849 the Södertälje Bathing Facilities in Badparken park was opened, with both a cold bath facility and a hot bath house. The bathhouses and the Societetshus venue have been demolished, but the Bath hotel at Järnagatan street, Strandhotellet hotel, Stadsparken park and Villa Bellevue still remain from the resort era, which lasted for almost a hundred years until 1945.
The tradition of selling the local pretzels, Södertäljekringlor, is several hundred years old. They had their heyday during the resort era, i.e. around the beginning of the 19th century onwards. They were typically sold by older women, often referred to as Kringelgummor. 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 Svenska Familj-Journalen in 1881.
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, AB Södertelge Verkstäder, Baltic, Aktiebolaget Astra Apotekarnes Kemiska Fabriker , Tobaksmonopolet och Wedaverken. Perhaps most interesting is the formation of VABIS, Vagnfabriks-Aktiebolaget in Södertelge. In 1911 it merged with Scania and formed Scania-Vabis. Nowadays, however, the company only uses the name Scania AB.
From 1950 until today
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 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.In 1960, Södertälje was still a fairly small town with a largely homogeneous population of 33,000 inhabitants. In the 1960s, however, the demographics of the city changed radically. The industrial boom and the structural transformation led to economic development and increased investments in the city's industries. The large companies Scania-Vabis and Astra were in high demand of labour. Recruitment was primarily made from parts of the country that were severely affected by the industrial boom, mainly Norrland. When the manpower from other parts of the country was insufficient, foreign labour was brought in. Most of the migrant workers came from Finland, but also Greece, Italy and Yugoslavia.
File:Sankt Afrems katedral i Södertälje.jpg|thumb|Syriac Orthodox Church St. Aphrem Cathedral, Södertälje
During the 1970s, immigration from Finland declined, while many Christian Assyrians/Syriacs settled in Södertälje, mostly from Tur Abdin, Turkey. At the end of the 1990s, many Iraqis arrived, as well as Finnish and Syrian people. In 2013, there were reports in the media that a parallel society founded by Assyrian and syriac minorities had emerged, with norms, rules and a banking system without control from society. Swedish law enforcement allocated extensive resources. A trial against the mafia-like organisation Södertäljenätverket ended in 2013.
Södertälje also has a growing population of about 1,500 Mandaeans, most with Iraqi origins.
Construction of Almnäs garrison started in 1970. Svea Engineer Corps and the Engineering Troops Cadet School relocated to Almnäs. They were joined by Swedint, the Armed Forces International training school, in 1984. During the 1990s, the Life Guards were also present at Almnäs. After 1996, the armed forces underwent a major reorganisation and left Almnäs altogether in 2004. The area is now a business park.
Many of the city's modern attractions were built in the 1980s. A museum based on the book La Science Amusante by French writer Arthur Good was built. The museum is called Tom Tits Experiment after the author's pen name Tom Tit. The new bath house Sydpoolen 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 Södertälje Municipality.Within the Church of Sweden, Södertälje was part of Södertälje City parish. It incorporated the western part of Södertälje landsförsamling in 1946, and received the name Södertälje församling. It has since also incorporated the parish of Tveta. Between 1973 and 2010, part of the city was part of Västertälje parish. The eastern part of Södertälje still belongs to Östertälje parish.
Until 1971, the city belonged to the judicial district Södertälje Council Court. In 1971, it was changed to Södertälje District Court.
Historical population figures
| Year | Population | Area |
| 1950 | 25 715 | |
| 1960 | 33 721 | |
| 1965 | 44 362 | |
| 1970 | 57 494 | |
| 1975 | 58 408 | |
| 1980 | 58 711 | |
| 1990 | 58 097 | 2 408 |
| 1995 | 57 327 | 2 456 |
| 2000 | 59 342 | 2 479 |
| 2005 | 60 279 | 2 529 |
| 2010 | 64 619 | 2 584 |
| 2015 | 70 777 | 2 797 |
| 2018 | 73 872 | 2 851 |
Cityscape
During the 1600s, the city was hit by two major fires; in 1630 and 1650. After the fire in 1650, the devastation was vast. All important buildings except the church were destroyed; including the school and town hall. After the fires, extensive urban planning was implemented under the leadership of Anders Torstensson, where the old irregular medieval neighbourhoods were replaced by a grid plan 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.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 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 seaside resort. The City council decided to commission a new hotel on the site. Architect Ernst Haegglund was hired to design the building. The square also houses the old building for Svensk-Engelska Mineralolje AB, which was completed between 1931 and 1932 after drawings by architect Albin Stark. Between 1991 and 2008, the building served as city hall. The current city hall was built on the opposite side of the central station. The new building was designed by BSK Arkitekter, and inaugurated in the autumn of 2008 by King Carl XVI Gustaf. The building serves both as municipal offices and cultural centre.
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. Today, only the yellow building is used for ticket sales. The older station house is occupied by a bar, café and convenience store. The open square between the two station houses, the bus station and the railway tracks is called Stationsplan.
To the west of the station, across Järnagatan lies Villa Bellevue. During the era when Södertälje was a seaside resort, it was one of the city's most notable buildings. It was built in 1871 by the royal pastry chef Davidsson, after drawings by architect Ernst Jacobsson. The new city hall is situated next-door to the property. Villa Bellevue is located on the border between the city centre and the centrally located neighbourhood of Mariekälla, which is named after one of the city's water springs. On Parkgatan, which is a parallel street to the district's main street Mariekällgatan, lies Villa Walhall. The villa was built in 1875 by engineer Ludvig Jerving. Villa Walhall and Villa Bellevue were considered so typical of the resort town Södertälje that they were described and depicted in a series of articles in the magazine Svenska Familj-Journalen in 1881.
Most restaurants and bars are located around Lake Maren. Marenplan square, 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.
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 Ragnhild of Tälje 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 Gågatan, 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 Kringlan, Luna, Åhléns and Telgehuset. 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.
File:Södertälje stationshus 2017.jpg|thumb|The yellow station building at the Central Railway Station was drawn by Folke Zettervall and opened in 1918
The hospital on Orionkullen was built 1777–78. Until 1823, the building served as lazaretto of the Royal Order of the Seraphim. After 1823, the building became a private residence. From 1844, the buildings were used as city hall and for higher education. In 1907 the council administration moved from Orionkullen, allowing the educational institution to expand. As the school faculty moved to the new secondary school building at Erik Dahlberg's road, a girls' school moved in. The girls' school at Orionkullen closed in 1968. The building is home to a cultural centre today.
The area where the secondary school moved is east of the canal, the 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 houses one of the county's six trauma centres. It opened in 1907, but has been expanded and renovated on several occasions, most recently in 2017.
As the land post-glacial rebound made Södertälje Canal shallower, it became increasingly difficult for merchants to get between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea to sell their goods. It was decided to build a square in Södertälje, where they could meet to and hold markets. The location of the square was carefully selected so it would be located equidistant between the city's ports at Baltic Sea and Lake Mälaren. This way, merchants did not have to drag their goods longer than was absolutely necessary. The main square in Södertälje is thus not primarily designed as a trading place for the city's inhabitants themselves. For hundreds of years, Stortorget was very important because of the lively square trade held there. At that time, Stortorget was regarded as the city's centremost place. In modern times, when most trade is conducted in stores, the importance of the square has diminished. Marenplan has increasingly taken over the role as the most central location in the city. The most famous building on Stortorget is perhaps the old yellow wooden City Hall building, which was opened in 1735. The City Hall originally stood on the west side of the square. It was temporarily relocated to Västra Kanalgatan during the redevelopment of the city centre in the 1960s. Since 1982, the City Hall has been in its present location. Today it houses art galleries and a café. Across the square lies the current Södertälje District Court, which was designed by Åke Lindqvist, and built by Anders Diös.
On the northern side of Stortorget square is Sankta Ragnhilds Kyrka from the 1100s–1300s. It is the main church in Södertälje parish in the Diocese of Strängnäs. After many renovations, the church is today a large building with three arches. The oldest parts consist of grey brick walls that comprise the lower parts of the bell tower and the two westernmost compartments of the longhouse. Renovations were made after the city fire in 1650. Further additions were made in the 1670s, when the Cronberg-Hackerska choir in the middle of the southern wall. It was probably designed by Erik Dahlbergh, and is now used as a baptismal chapel. During the fires during the Russian Pillage of 1719–21, 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 is worth mentioning. The building was designed by architect Björn Hedvall, and was completed in 1939. Its lower level housed a cinema until 1992, when it moved to Lunagallerian on Storgatan street. After this, the Roxy House was partially renovated, and a convenience store, restaurant and nightclub moved in. Nygatan street is also home to Södertälje's old Telegraph station. 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.
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 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.
Retail parks are a fairly new feature in Södertälje. Until the early 2000s, the only really large collection of shops, apart from local neighbourhood centres, was Weda in the eastern part of the city. With the construction of Moraberg köpcentrum, just east of Weda, availability of shops increased. The area around Scaniarinken previously contained some shops, but has subsequently been extended to form Vasa handelsplats. Some shops are also located around Hansaplan in the area Södra, close to Södertälje Hamn railway station.