Hälsingland

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Hälsingland
Hälsingland vapen.svg Location of Hälsingland in Sweden
Basic data
Part of the country (landsdel) : Norrland
Province (län) : Gävleborgs län , Jämtlands län , Västernorrlands län
Surface: 15,335 km²
Residents: 130,635
(December 31, 2008)
Population density: 9 inhabitants per km²
Highest elevation: Garpkölen 671  m
Largest lake: Dellensjöarna
Norra Dellen (2012)
Rönnskär (2012)

Hälsingland is a Swedish historical province ( Swedish landskap ) in the southeast of the part of Norrland . Together with the Gästrikland region, it belongs to the Gävleborg County Administrative District .

Princess Madeleine of Sweden bears the title “Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland”, a purely honorary title with no powers.

Landscape symbols

  • Plant: Flax or flax ( lat. Linum usitatissimum )
  • Animal: Lynx ( Lynx lynx )
  • Bird: Ural Owl ( Strix uralensis )
  • Fish: Aland or Nerfling ( Leuciscus idus )

geography

The landscape consists largely of rocky, mountainous terrain that slopes slightly towards the coast. The terrain is between 530 and 600 meters high and 85% forested. The wood processing industry therefore still plays an important role today.

history

The first reliable mention of the inhabitants of Hälsingland comes from Adam von Bremen in 1070 , who mentions the fleet.

In the Middle Ages, the inhabitants of the entire coastal region north of Uppland were known as "Hälsings". The first provincial demarcation between Uppland and Hälsingland established the Ödmården forest as the border.

The oldest towns in Hälsingland are Hudiksvall (1582) and Söderhamn (1620). These were the only towns in the countryside for three hundred years until Bollnäs was made a town in 1942 .

In 1721 Hudiksvall was devastated by Russian troops.

coat of arms

The coat of arms was officially awarded in 1560 during the reign of King Gustav Vasa . It shows a stylized billy goat.

Folk architecture

Hälsingland is known for its farms, the so-called Hälsingehöfe ( Hälsingegårdar ). Two or even three stories high, they were built as a testimony to wealth and independence. With a lot of ingenuity, it was possible to combine the aristocratic design with traditional materials and techniques when decorating the interior. Seven of them were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2012 as Swedish cultural monuments .

Web links

Commons : Hälsingland  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Folkmängd i landskapen ( Memento from August 17, 2013 in the Internet Archive )