Everything about Uddevalla totally explained
Uddevalla is a
city in
Bohuslän in western
Sweden. It has a population of about 35,000 and is the seat of
Uddevalla Municipality (pop. 50,000) in
Västra Götaland County.
It is located at the bay
Byfjorden, of the south-eastern part of the sea known as
Skagerrak. The beaches of Uddevalla are filled with seashells, and Uddevalla has one of the largest shellbanks in the world.
Uddevalla has a small port and once hosted a large shipyard called
Uddevallavarvet, which in
1960 was the largest employer in
Bohuslän. But in the 1970s all shipyards in Sweden experienced a
recession which also led to the closure of Uddevallavarvet in
1985.
History
Uddevalla got its city rights in
1498 but was probably a place of
merchancy long before that. Historically Uddevalla was part of
Norway. Because of its location close to Sweden and
Denmark, it was often besieged. In
1612 it was burnt by Swedish troops under the command of
Jesper Mattson Krus and in
1644 it was again burnt, by the Swedish commander
Stake. In
1658, at the
treaty of Roskilde, it was ceded to Sweden. A year later the Norwegians retook it, but in
1660 it was once again ceded to Sweden in the peace
treaty of Copenhagen. Norway later repeatedly reconquered Uddevalla and the nearby fortress on
Galleberg, the last time in
1788.
In the 18th and 19th century, Uddevalla's main importance lay in its
herring fishing. But what also marked the city were the great fires which several times damaged the city. Most notably in
1806, when the entire city, four houses spared, was burnt to the ground, and 4,000 people were made homeless.
In the 19th century, Uddevalla had trouble getting out of its recession and struggled with poverty and alcoholism. The reasons were mainly that the herring fishing had decreased, the canal of
Trollhättan opened, together with the aftereffects of the
1806 fire.
Sometime around 1870-1880, Uddevalla began to attract industries. Much of the development in that century can be attributed to the
Scottish businessman
William Thorburn, who is said to have been amazed by the city's beauty and hence settled there with his wife Jessy Macfie in
1822. He founded a number of industries, mostly textile in the beginning. Another factor contributing to Uddevalla's recovery was the
railroad.
Today
After the Swedish shipyard crisis in the 1980s, forcing the closure of Uddevallavarvet, Uddevalla suffered economic setback. The population has been steady over the last thirty years.
Education
All the
high schools in Uddevalla have been united under one name
Uddevalla Gymnasieskola or High School of Uddevalla, which is now the largest
high school in Sweden, with 4000 students, divided as follows:
There are also many primary schools in Uddevalla, for example Äsperödskolan, Västerskolan and Fridasskolan.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Uddevalla'.
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