Halmstad

Halmstad
Halmstad Castle, 1941
Coat of arms
Halmstad
Coordinates: 56°40′26″N 12°51′26″E / 56.67389°N 12.85722°ECoordinates: 56°40′26″N 12°51′26″E / 56.67389°N 12.85722°E
Country	Sweden
Province	Halland
County	Halland County
Municipality	Halmstad Municipality
Area[1]
• City	34.13 km^2 (13.18 sq mi)
• Metro	1,018.99 km^2 (393.43 sq mi)
Elevation	11 m (36 ft)
Population (2014)[1]
• City	58,577
• Density	1,716/km^2 (4,440/sq mi)
• Metro	95,537
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	30x xx
Area code(s)	(+46) 35
Website	www.halmstad.se

Halmstad [ˈhalmsta] is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of Nissan in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County. The city had a population of 62,797 in 2012,^[1] out of a municipal total of over 90,000 (18th most populous - 2012). Halmstad is Sweden's 20th-largest city by population and located about midway between Gothenburg (the second most populous) and Malmö (the third).

History

Halmstad, at the time part of the Kingdom of Denmark, received its first city charter in 1307, and the city celebrated its 700th anniversary in 2007. The oldest remains of that first town are to be found at "Övraby" upstream on Nissan, just south of and quite close to the present day regiment buildings. The remains of the church can still be seen today between a defunct brick industry and a former landfill.

In the 1320s the town moved to the present day town centre. At this time there were two monasteries in the town and during the 15th century the St. Nikolai church was built. Halland was the object of numerous battles, sieges and occupations by Swedish troops.

During the Kalmar Union – a Nordic Union between Sweden, Norway and Denmark which lasted between 1400 and 1520 – it was in Halmstad that the Union King was to be finally selected.

At the end of the 16th century, the Danish King Christian IV ordered the fortification of Halmstad and in the beginning of the 17th century built a crescent-shaped fort with Nissan as part of the defences.

1619 is an important date in the history of Halmstad. In March of that year, King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden and Christian IV met at the castle. Over a period of a week they celebrated the payment in full of the Älvsborg ransom. August of the same year saw the destruction of Halmstad by fire.

Halland became part of Sweden for a period of thirty years when peace was declared at the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645 and Danish rule ended. The Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 made this acquisition permanent. Sweden defeated Denmark in the Battle of Fyllebro which took place in 1676 just outside Halmstad.

The first May Day demonstration in Sweden was held in Halmstad in 1897.

The population grew from 48,800 in 1990 to 58,577 in 2010.

In September 2007 the city hosted the Solheim Cup, which was played at the Halmstad Golfklubb.

In 2011 Halmstad was the final port of the Tall Ships' Races.

Halmstads BK versus Gefle IF at Örjans Vall 2007.

Climate

Halmstad has the south Scandinavian variety of the relatively wet oceanic climate with warm summers and cool to cold winters, with significant continental influence.

Climate data for Halmstad
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	9.6 (49.3)	13.2 (55.8)	19.3 (66.7)	28.1 (82.6)	29.1 (84.4)	34.2 (93.6)	34.0 (93.2)	33.0 (91.4)	27.6 (81.7)	21.4 (70.5)	14.9 (58.8)	11.0 (51.8)	34.0 (93.2)
Average high °C (°F)	1.6 (34.9)	2.3 (36.1)	6.1 (43)	12.8 (55)	16.6 (61.9)	20.2 (68.4)	22.9 (73.2)	21.7 (71.1)	17.7 (63.9)	11.7 (53.1)	7.2 (45)	3.5 (38.3)	12.0 (53.6)
Average low °C (°F)	−2.7 (27.1)	−2.6 (27.3)	−1.3 (29.7)	2.5 (36.5)	7.2 (45)	10.3 (50.5)	13.4 (56.1)	13.0 (55.4)	9.6 (49.3)	5.2 (41.4)	2.6 (36.7)	−0.9 (30.4)	4.6 (40.3)
Record low °C (°F)	−26.2 (−15.2)	−25.7 (−14.3)	−23.0 (−9.4)	−10.7 (12.7)	−4.4 (24.1)	0.2 (32.4)	3.0 (37.4)	2.5 (36.5)	−3.0 (26.6)	−9.6 (14.7)	−16.6 (2.1)	−23.2 (−9.8)	−26.2 (−15.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	61.8 (2.433)	38.0 (1.496)	51.3 (2.02)	43.4 (1.709)	44.9 (1.768)	64.4 (2.535)	82.2 (3.236)	86.1 (3.39)	88.5 (3.484)	79.6 (3.134)	81.6 (3.213)	74.0 (2.913)	795.7 (31.327)
Source #1: SMHI Average Precipitation 1961-1990[2]
Source #2: SMHI Average Data 2002-2014[3]

Education

Founded in 1983, Halmstad University is a public higher education institution offering bachelor's and master's programs in various fields of study. In addition, it conducts Ph.D. programs in three fields of research: Information Technology, Innovation Science and Health Science.^[4] Halmstad University has more than 9 000 students, including 245 exchange students (2013) and 163 international programme students (2013).

Notable natives

• Daniel Alexandersson - football player
• Niclas Alexandersson - football player
• Christopher Amott - musician (Arch Enemy/Armageddon)
• Michael Amott - musician (Spiritual Beggars/Arch Enemy/Carcass)
• Fredrik Andersson Hed - professional golfer
• Sofia Arvidsson - professional tennis player
• Basshunter (Jonas Altberg) - musician, DJ
• Carl Bildt - former prime minister, former foreign minister
• Dusan Djuric - football player
• Per Gessle - musician (Roxette/Gyllene Tider)
• Aida Hadzialic - Minister for Upper Secondary School, Adult Education and Training
• Olle Hagnell, psychiatrist
• Halmstadgruppen - Painter group
• Klara Johanson - writer
• Bengt Johansson - handball coach
• Niklas Kvarforth - musician (Shining/Den Saakaldte/Skitliv)
• Ola Lindgren - handball player
• Fredrik Ljungberg - football player
• Susanne Ljungskog - cyclist
• Magnus Mandersson - Executive Vice-President of Ericsson
• Sven Nordqvist - author
• Gustav Nyquist - ice hockey player (Detroit Red Wings)
• Erik Olson - Painter (Halmstadgruppen)
• Jörgen Persson - table-tennis player
• Charlotta Richardy, industrialist
• Johannes Rydberg - physicist
• Bengt I. Samuelsson - Nobel prize-winner
• Johan Staël von Holstein - entrepreneur
• Annakarin Svedberg - novelist
• Ernst Wigforss - politician, former Minister of Finance

Sport

• American Football
  • Halmstad Eagles
• Badminton
  • Halmstad Badmintonklubb
• Bowling
  • BK 91:an Halmstad
  • BK Hallandia
  • BK Nyhem
  • BK Pantern
  • BK Safir
  • BS Tylön
  • Halmia BS
  • IF Tre Hjärtan
  • Team Halmstad BF
• Dancing
  • Laxbuggarna
• Fencing
  • Halmstads Fäktsällskap
• Figure skating
  • Halmstads konståkningsklubb
• Football
  • Halmstads BK
  • IS Halmia
  • Alets IK
  • BK Astrio
  • IF Centern
  • IF Leikin
  • Snöstorp/Nyhem FF
  • IS Örnia
• Golf
  • Halmstad GK
  • Bäckavattnets GK
  • Garnisonen GK
  • Halmstad GK
  • Holms GK
  • Ringenäs GK
  • Haverdals GK
• Gymnastics
  • Halmstad Frigymnaster
  • Halmstad Kvinnliga GF
  • Halmstad Rytmiska GF
  • Nissaflickorna
• Handball
  • HK Drott
  • Halmstads HP
• Icehockey
  • Halmstad Hammers HC - filed for bankruptcy in 2005
  • Halmstad Ungdom HC
  • Sannarps HC
• Swimming
  • SK Laxen
• Table tennis
  • Halmstad BTK
• Tennis
  • Söndrums TK
• Track & Field
  • IFK Halmstad
• E-sports
  • Ninjas in Pyjamas

Schools

• Brunnsåkersskolan
• Sannarpsgymnasiet
• Kattegattgymnasiet

See also

• Halmstad Municipality
• Kroenleins Brewery
• Mjellby Art Museum
• Chronicle of the Expulsion of the Grayfriars#Chapter 11 Concerning the Friary in Halmstad

References

1. "Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km² 2005 och 2010" (in Swedish). Statistics Sweden. 14 December 2011. Archived from the original on 10 January 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
2. "Precipitation Averages 1961-90 (Halmstad code 6240)". SMHI. April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
3. "Statistics from Weather Stations (Swedish)". SMHI. April 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
4. Swedish Universities & University Colleges - Short Version of Annual Report 2012, p. 51

External links

• Halmstad travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official homepage for the Municipality
• Official homepage for visitors and tourists