Avesta (city)

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Avesta
Sweden Dalarna location map.svg
Avesta
Avesta
Localization of Dalarna in Sweden
State : Sweden
Province  (län): Dalarna County
Historical Province (landskap): Dalarna
Municipality  : Avesta
Coordinates : 60 ° 9 ′  N , 16 ° 12 ′  E Coordinates: 60 ° 9 ′  N , 16 ° 12 ′  E
SCB code : 6404
Status: Crime scene
Residents : 11,949 (December 31, 2015)
Area : 10.77 km²
Population density : 1109 inhabitants / km²
List of perpetrators in Dalarna County
Aerial photograph of Avesta (2010)

Avesta is a city in the Swedish province of Dalarnas län and the capital of the municipality of the same name ( kommun ). In the place name, which was still written Aghastadhum in 1303 , ave (extension of a watercourse) and stadher (old Swedish for place or yard) occur.

The settlement is on the Dalälven river , which forms two waterfalls here. It is a railroad hub and an old industrial standpoint. Metal production and metal refining began here around 350 years ago. The first copper smelters existed in this area from the 17th century. In a former industrial landscape, the so-called Koppardalen (Kupfertal), smaller companies have now established themselves.

One of Avesta's sights is the world's largest Dala horse at the Dalahästen rest area . There is also a bison park near the city that is worth seeing .

Avesta Krylbo train station is located in the neighboring town of Krylbo to the south .

history

As early as the Middle Ages, there was a metal smelter near today's city. In 1636 construction began on the copper works, which developed into one of the largest in Europe. The construction was initiated by the Dutchman Govert Silentz. This was replaced in 1642 by the master miner Marcus Kock. The latter also set up a mint that minted almost all Swedish copper coins up to 1831. When Avesta received city ​​rights in 1641 , this gave the town a further boost. However, competition from the surrounding cities led to these rights being revoked in 1688. Due to the population decline, the minting and copper works were shut down in the middle of the 19th century.

New branches of industry were not long in coming. In 1874 the construction of an iron works began, the successor of which is the most important employer in Avesta today. With the new bloom the place got the status of a patch ( köping ) in 1907 and in 1919 the town charter got back. An aluminum factory and a fertilizer plant were built in the town, which had around 5000 inhabitants at the time .

In 1967 the nearby Minster city (köping) Krylbo was incorporated. This was subsequently part of the Alvesta crime scene, but has been run as an independent crime scene again since 2015.

urban planning

The original development of Avesta, today's Gamla Byn, arose west of the church according to a grid plan. The well-preserved log houses were mainly built after a fire that raged in the village in 1803. There are still some houses from the 17th century. The two-aisled stone church was consecrated in 1655. It originally had a hipped roof with ridge turrets, but this was destroyed in the fire of 1803. The current roof and tower were built between 1851 and 1852.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Avesta was rebuilt according to a new plan. This created a large square, Markustorget, south of the railway line. The central part of Kungsgatan Street is covered and a pedestrian zone.

To remember the old minting, there is a coin museum in Avesta. The main attraction is a 10-thaler piece weighing almost 20 kg. This is considered the largest coin in the world.

  • Avesta at the end of the 17th century

  • The bison - the symbol of the former Avesta Sheffield AB company.

  • The concrete dala horse.

sons and daughters of the town

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Statistiska centralbyrån : Land area per Tatort, folkmängd and invånare per square kilometer. Vart femte år 1960 - 2015 (database query)