Halmstad

Halmstad is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of Nissan in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County. The city had a population of 62,797 in 2012, out of a municipal total of over 90,000 (18th most populous - 2012). Halmstad is Sweden's 20th-largest city by population and located about midway between Gothenburg (the second most populous) and Malmö (the third).

History
Halmstad, at the time part of the Kingdom of Denmark, received its first city charter in 1307, and the city celebrated its 700th anniversary in 2007. The oldest remains of that first town are to be found at "Övraby" upstream on Nissan, just south of and quite close to the present day regiment buildings. The remains of the church can still be seen today between a defunct brick industry and a former landfill.

In the 1320s the town moved to the present day town centre. At this time there were two monasteries in the town and during the 15th century the St. Nikolai church was built. Halland was the object of numerous battles, sieges and occupations by Swedish troops.

During the Kalmar Union – a Nordic Union between Sweden, Norway and Denmark which lasted between 1400 and 1520 – it was in Halmstad that the Union King was to be finally selected.

At the end of the 16th century, the Danish King Christian IV ordered the fortification of Halmstad and in the beginning of the 17th century built a crescent-shaped fort with Nissan as part of the defences.

1619 is an important date in the history of Halmstad. In March of that year, King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden and Christian IV met at the castle. Over a period of a week they celebrated the payment in full of the Älvsborg ransom. August of the same year saw the destruction of Halmstad by fire.

Halland became part of Sweden for a period of thirty years when peace was declared at the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645 and Danish rule ended. The Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 made this acquisition permanent. Sweden defeated Denmark in the Battle of Fyllebro which took place in 1676 just outside Halmstad.

The first May Day demonstration in Sweden was held in Halmstad in 1897.

The population grew from 48,800 in 1990 to 58,577 in 2010.

In September 2007 the city hosted the Solheim Cup, which was played at the Halmstad Golfklubb.

In 2011 Halmstad was the final port of the Tall Ships' Races.

Halmstad is also host to Halmstad University, which specializes in Information Technology and Innovation.



Notable natives

 * Daniel Alexandersson - football player
 * Niclas Alexandersson - football player
 * Christopher Amott - musician (Arch Enemy/Armageddon)
 * Michael Amott - musician (Spiritual Beggars/Arch Enemy/Carcass)
 * Fredrik Andersson Hed - professional golfer
 * Sofia Arvidsson - professional tennis player
 * Basshunter (Jonas Altberg) - musician, DJ
 * Carl Bildt - former prime minister, present foreign minister
 * Dusan Djuric - football player
 * Per Gessle - musician (Roxette/Gyllene Tider)
 * Halmstadgruppen - Painter group
 * Bengt Johansson - handball coach
 * Niklas Kvarforth - musician (Shining/Den Saakaldte/Skitliv)
 * Ola Lindgren - handball player
 * Fredrik Ljungberg - football player
 * Susanne Ljungskog - cyclist
 * Magnus Mandersson - Executive Vice-President of Ericsson
 * Sven Nordqvist - author
 * Gustav Nyquist - ice hockey player (Detroit Red Wings)
 * Erik Olson - Painter (Halmstadgruppen)
 * Jörgen Persson - table-tennis player
 * Bengt I. Samuelsson - Nobel prize-winner
 * Johannes Rydberg - physicist
 * Johan Staël von Holstein - entrepreneur
 * Ernst Wigforss - politician, former Minister of Finance

Sport

 * American Football
 * Halmstad Eagles
 * Badminton
 * Halmstad Badmintonklubb
 * Bowling
 * BK 91:an Halmstad
 * BK Hallandia
 * BK Nyhem
 * BK Pantern
 * BK Safir
 * BS Tylön
 * Halmia BS
 * IF Tre Hjärtan
 * Team Halmstad BF
 * Dancing
 * Laxbuggarna
 * Fencing
 * Halmstads Fäktsällskap
 * Football
 * Halmstads BK
 * IS Halmia
 * Alets IK
 * BK Astrio
 * IF Centern
 * IF Leikin
 * Snöstorp/Nyhem FF
 * IS Örnia
 * Golf
 * Halmstad GK
 * Bäckavattnets GK
 * Garnisonen GK
 * Halmstad GK
 * Holms GK
 * Ringenäs GK
 * Haverdals GK
 * Gymnastics
 * Halmstad Frigymnaster
 * Halmstad Kvinnliga GF
 * Halmstad Rytmiska GF
 * Nissaflickorna
 * Handball
 * HK Drott
 * Halmstads HP
 * Icehockey
 * Halmstad Hammers HC - filed for bankruptcy in 2005
 * Halmstad Ungdom HC
 * Sannarps HC
 * Swimming
 * SK Laxen
 * Table tennis
 * Halmstad BTK
 * Tennis
 * Söndrums TK
 * Track & Field
 * IFK Halmstad

Schools

 * Brunnsåkersskolan
 * Sannarpsgymnasiet