Helgö (Mälaren)
Helgö | ||||
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State : | Sweden | |||
Province (län): | Stockholm County | |||
Historical Province (landskap): | Uppland | |||
Municipality : | Ekerö | |||
Coordinates : | 59 ° 17 ′ N , 17 ° 41 ′ E | |||
SCB code : | S0315 | |||
Status: | Småort | |||
Residents : | 191 (December 31, 2015) | |||
Area : | 0.65 km² | |||
Population density : | 294 inhabitants / km² |
Helgö is a small Swedish island in the west of Stockholm located Mälaren and the name of the place on this island (with the status of Småort ). The name means: "Holy Island" (see Helgoland ). The place was one of the power, trade and craft centers of the Vendel period , comparable to Borg in Norway, Gudme on Funen and Uppåkra (near Lund) in Skåne .
geography
Helgö is located southwest of the village of Ekerö in the eponymous municipality of Ekerö , which consists of several islands .
history
Kaggeholm Castle
On the island is the Kaggeholm Castle, which was built in 1725 according to plans by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder. J. was built in the Rococo style. Today it belongs to the Pentecostal movement , which conducts courses here.
archeology
In 1954, archaeological excavations found the remains of a settlement from the 3rd century and workshops from the following period. The goldsmith's art ( guldgubber ) and bronze foundry were well developed. Helgö was especially important in the Germanic Iron Age and the Vendel Age . You can see that in the imported objects found here. These included a Buddha from northern India and coins from Rome , Byzantium and Arabia . The festival hall of Helgö, in which these objects were found, is an important archaeological testimony to the early ritual practice of the Scandinavians.
Around 750 Helgö lost his position to Birka .
Others
Prominent residents of Helgö are Agnetha Fältskog (member of ABBA ), who owns an estate with a farm here, and her daughter, the Swedish actress Linda Ulvaeus .