The city of Stockholm was first mentioned in 1252. According to some historical references, the ruler at the time, Birger Jarl, built the city in order to protect Sweden from invaders, and it was only in 1343 that Stokholm became the capital of Sweden, taking its time to become the most important cultural center as well. The name of the city was derived from combining three words: holm, meaning island, and stak, meaning bay, as well as stock, meaning a tree trunk. Large tree trunks, which were used for protection, were found where the Baltic Sea meets the Lake Mälaren.
Sweden is a country that hasn’t waged wars for the last 200 years, so its history is much more peaceful when compared to other European countries. As Sweden and Stockholm haven’t waged wars for quite some time, a more peaceful, relaxed and orderly lifestyle is what makes them special. In the mid-15th century, Stokholm became an important trade center, with over 6000 inhabitants. Two of the most important historical events connected to Stockholm are: The Battle of Brunkenberg and the Bloodshed of Stockholm. During its development, Stockholm was first a pier used for exporting iron ore from the mines located behind the city, which quickly turned into a trade center. The city effectively became the capital in 1436.
In 1520, a bloodbath occurred in the city during the liberation of Sweden from Denmark, which was in power at the time. It was in Stockholm that, in 1523, the coronation of the first Swedish king, Gustav Vasa was held. In 1600, Stockholm could already boast of over 10 000 inhabitants. The plague of 1710 killed 20 000 people, decimating the population figure by 36%. In the 19th century, the town flourished again thanks to the development of industry and the railway. In 1912, Stockholm hosted the Summer Olympic Games.
Stockholm became a modern, technologically advanced and diverse city in the second half of the 20th century. Many of its historical buildings were demolished during the modern era, including significant parts of the Klara historical district, only to be replaced by modern buildings. However, many other parts of Stockholm, such as Gamla Stan, Södermalm, Östermalm, Kungsholmen and Vasastan, with their older buildings, blocks and streets built before the age of modernism and functionalism that influenced Sweden so powerfully survived the demise during the times of what some people tend to refer to as ‘the age of the demolition’ With the passage of time, many industries changed their ordinary course of business from industry to technological and service industry.
The city of Stockholm is one of the fastest growing regions in Europe, and is expected to reach a number of 2.5 million inhabitants by the year 2024.
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden, a royal city of museums, culture and lush greenery. Also called The Queen of the North, it lays on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Stokholm is a cosmopolitan city with over two million inhabitants, located in the east of Sweden, consisting of 14 islands. Walking through this city will probably awake something completely new inside you, as everything around you will seem almost perfect! You will fall in love a t first glance with its architecture, restaurants, palaces, museums, its historical district, its islands and people will make you feel as if you were a part of a fairy tale. We hope you could allocate enough time to visit the city or to at least return to it several times a year, as it is inspiring, liberating in that it awakes inside you a mindset that you can do whatever you set your mind to! Stockholm is the city that makes you feel superb indeed.
