Kalmar (/ˈkælmɑːr/,US also/ˈkɑːlmɑːr/,[2][3]Swedish:[ˈkǎlmar]ⓘ) is acity in the southeast ofSweden, situated by theBaltic Sea. It had 41,388 inhabitants in 2020[1] and is the seat ofKalmar Municipality. It is also the capital ofKalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 236,399 inhabitants (2015). Kalmar is the third largest urban area in the province and cultural region ofSmåland.
From the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries, Kalmar was one of Sweden's most important cities. Its name was until the second half of the nineteenth century spelled Calmar. Between 1602 and 1913 it was theepiscopal see ofKalmar Diocese, with a bishop, and theKalmar Cathedral from 1702 is an example ofclassicist architecture. It became afortified city, with theKalmar Castle as the center. After theTreaty of Roskilde in 1658, Kalmar's importance diminished, until the industry sector was initiated in the 19th century. The city is home to parts ofLinnaeus University.
Kalmar is adjacent to the main route to the island ofÖland over theÖland Bridge.
The area around Kalmar has been inhabited sinceancient times. Excavations have found traces ofStone Age gravefields. However, the oldest evidence for there being a town is from the 11th century. The oldest city seal of Kalmar is from somewhere between 1255 and 1267, making it the oldest known city seal inScandinavia.[citation needed]
In the 12th century the first foundations of a castle were established, with the construction of a round tower for guard and lookout. The tower was continuously expanded in the 13th century, and as such, QueenMargaret called an assembly there between the heads of state of Sweden and Norway, and on 13 July 1397, theKalmar Union treaty was signed, creating a union which would last until 1523. Kalmar's strategic location, near the Danish border (at the time theScanian lands, i.e. the provinces ofBlekinge,Halland andScania, were part of Denmark), and its harbour and trade, also involved it in several feuds. There are two events independently labelled the Kalmar Bloodbath:the first in 1505, when KingJohn of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden had the mayor andcity council of Kalmar executed; thesecond in 1599 by command of Duke Charles, later to become KingCharles IX of Sweden.
In 1611–1613, it suffered in theKalmar War, which began with a Danish siege of Kalmar Castle. 1611 is mentioned as the darkest year of Kalmar's history, but by no means the only dark year; much blood has been shed in the vicinity of the castle. The last was during theScanian War in the 1670s, so there have been 22 sieges altogether; however the castle was never taken.
After theTreaty of Roskilde in 1658, the strategic importance of Kalmar gradually diminished as the borders of Sweden were redrawn further south. In 1689, the King established his mainnaval base further south inKarlskrona and Kalmar lost its status as one of Sweden's main military outposts.
The new city of Kalmar was built on Kvarnholmen around the mid-1600s. The transfer from the old town was largely completed by 1658. The new, fortified town was planned following currentbaroque patterns. Cathedral and town hall face each other across the new main square,Stortorget.
The cathedral was designed byNicodemus Tessin the Elder and is one of the foremost examples of baroque classicism in Sweden. Its design reflects the complex interaction between the new style, liturgical considerations, tradition and the fortress-city requirements. The work began in 1660, but it was interrupted on several occasions, including when theScanian War (1675–1679) raged. Construction resumed, and Kalmar Cathedral stood finished in 1703.
In more recent times, Kalmar has been an industrial city withKalmar Verkstad makingsteam engines, trains and large machinery, later bought byBombardier who closed the factory in 2005. A shipyard,Kalmar Shipyard [sv], was founded in 1679 and closed 1981.Volvo opened theirKalmar factory for building cars i.e. 264, 740, 760, 960 in 1974, but closed it 1994 and due to further relocation of industry jobs in the 1990s and 2000s around 2000 industrial jobs were lost. Kalmar has auniversity with over 9,000 students and a research facility forTelia Sonera.
Kalmar has embarked on a comprehensive program to reducefossil fuel use. A local trucking firm, which employs nearly 450 people, has installed computers that trackfuel efficiency and have cut diesel use by 10 percent, paying off the cost of the devices in just a year. The company is now looking to fuel its future fleet withbiodiesel.[4]
A largewood pulp plant harnesses the steam and hot water it once released as waste to provide heating, through below-ground pipes, and generates enough electricity to power its own operations and 20,000 homes.[4]
In 2011 Guldfågeln Arena was initiated. It is the new stadium of the football team of the city, Kalmar FF. The capacity of the stadium is 12,000 people and it is currently one of the newest stadiums in Sweden. The stadium was also built to host concerts and did so in the summer of 2011 when Swedish artists Håkan Hellström and The Ark performed.
Kalmar has anoceanic climate using the -3°C isotherm or a warm-summer humid continental climate using the 0°C isotherm.[6] Summers are warm and winters are fairly cold with temperatures normally hovering around zero. Kalmar is among the hottest Swedish cities, with an all-time record set at 35.2 °C (95.4 °F).[7] The average summer temperatures however are typical for southern Sweden.
Climate data for Kalmar (2002–2020); extremes since 1901
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