Gävle

Gävle is a city in Sweden. It is the main city of Gävle Municipality and the largest city in Gävleborg County. In 2023, about 86,534 people lived there, making it the 13th-biggest city in Sweden.

Gävle is special because it is the oldest city in Norrland. It got its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria. The city sits near Dalälven, which is considered the border between Norrland and Svealand. Because of where it is located, Gävle has a milder climate than many other cities in Norrland.

In recent years, Gävle has become well-known around the world for its big Yule Goat made of straw. Every December, people put up this huge goat, but sometimes it gets damaged. Even so, the Gävle Goat has become a symbol of the city and is used in many ways to promote Gävle.

History

The name Gävle may come from an old word for "river banks," referring to the Gävle River. The town was first mentioned in 1413 and became official in 1446.

Gävle grew as a trading city because of its harbor and river. But trade limits were placed on the city in the 1500s. These limits were removed later, allowing more trade. Sadly, fires have affected Gävle many times. After a big fire in 1869, the city was rebuilt with straight streets and stone buildings. The city also made green spaces to help stop future fires.

During wars, Gävle faced challenges. In 1719, it defended against attacks. In World War I, some ships from Gävle were lost. In 1986, the Chernobyl disaster brought radiation to the area. Recently, construction continues on a new cultural center, with a special visit from the king in 2023.

Geography

Gävle is found by the Baltic Sea where the river Dalälven runs into it. The city is at 60 degrees north and 17 degrees east. It shares the same latitude as Helsinki and the same longitude as Vienna and Cape Town. It is near several places, such as Söderhamn, Ockelbo, Sandviken, Heby, Tierp, and Älvkarleby. Just twenty kilometers west is Sandviken.

Climate

Gävle has a climate like other parts of central Sweden. Winters are cold, with temperatures just below freezing. Summers are warm, with temperatures above 20 °C (68 °F). The city gets about 600 mm (23.62 in) of rain each year.

In August 2021, Gävle had a heavy rainstorm that caused flooding in many areas. Some neighborhoods and vehicles were affected.

Economy

The port of Gävle became important for trade in the 1400s when copper and iron were sent from there. At first, ships could only sail to Stockholm, but later Gävle could trade with other countries too. This helped the town grow with more buildings and businesses.

In the past, Gävle had many shipyards and shipping companies, but today there are fewer. The port is still busy, with many ships visiting each year. Some big companies in Gävle make things like paper, coffee, parking meters, and lifts for buildings.

Major companies

• BillerudKorsnäs (pulp and paper industry)
• Jacobs Douwe Egberts S.E. AB (Gevalia coffee)
• Cale Industri (parking meters)
• Cibes Lifts (lifts for buildings)

Demography

Gävle is home to about 102,000 residents. Many young adults and students live there because of the nearby University of Gävle. The city also has many working-age people and older residents.

Most people in Gävle were born in Sweden. The city has a balanced number of men and women, with slightly more women. Gävle's economy includes services, logistics, manufacturing, and education. The Port of Gävle is one of Sweden’s largest export harbors.

Culture

Gävle has a rich cultural life for its size. The city is known for musicians like The Deer Tracks and The Sound of Arrows. In 2014, Gävle tried to become the European Capital of Culture.

The city has important museums, including the Prison Museum of Sweden, the county museum of Gävleborg, and the national railway museum. The prison museum near Gävle Castle shows Sweden's history of crime and punishment. The county museum downtown has art from the 1600s to today and a section on local history. The Swedish Railway Museum started collecting items in 1906 in Stockholm and moved to Gävle in 1970.

Gävle has a theater from the 1800s that still hosts many shows, such as classic plays, opera, and comedy. The Gävle Concert Hall opened in 1998 and is home to the Gävle Symphony Orchestra, led by Jaime Martín.

Gävle's most famous sports team is the ice hockey club Brynäs IF, which plays in the top league. Other popular teams include Gefle IF for football and athletics, and Gävle GIK for floorball.

The city is part of the Gävle parish, which is the second-largest in Sweden, with many people visiting Heliga Trefaldighets kyrka. There are also mosques for both Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims.

Every September, Gävle holds a special weekend called Å-Draget. During this event, candles light up along the Gavle River to celebrate its beauty and importance. The city organizes performances and activities for everyone to enjoy while walking along the river.

Media

Two important newspapers, Gefle Dagblad and Arbetarbladet, cover news in Gävle. Both have been around for many years. The city also has offices for SVT, Sweden's public television, and Sveriges Radio, the national public radio.

Education

The University College of Gävle has many students. It offers courses and programs in subjects such as technology, social and natural sciences, and the humanities. Some courses are taught in English, welcoming students from many countries and Sweden.

Infrastructure

Transport

Trains go between Gävle and Uppsala. They are run by Mälardalstrafik. There was an airport called Gävle–Sandviken Airport. It opened in 1971 but stopped flights in 2000. The city council closed it in 2016. The larger Stockholm Arlanda Airport is about 137 kilometers south of Gävle.

Healthcare

Gävle Hospital has around 300 doctors and cares for about 150,000 people. It works with Uppsala University on medical research.

Miscellaneous

Gävle is known for making the Gevalia coffee brand, created by Kraft General Foods Scandinavia. People all over the world enjoy this coffee, especially in the Americas, where it comes in many fun flavors. You can visit the factory in Gävle to try these special coffees. The name “Gevalia” comes from the Latin name for Gävle.

Other tasty treats from Gävle include throat lozenges called Läkerol and car-shaped candies named Ahlgrens Bilar.

The city honors Joe Hill, a Swedish-American worker who helped others. He was born in Gävle in 1879. His old family home in the Old Town is now a museum and a place for cultural events.

Gävle goat

In 1966, someone had the idea to put a big Christmas goat made of straw in the middle of Gävle. Each year, this tall, long goat was lit up. But every year around New Year’s, it was set on fire by someone. Even though this was wrong and not wanted, it became famous. To try to stop the fires, the goat was later covered with special material. Over the years, the Gävle goat caught fire many times and is now a well-known part of the city's story.

Notable people

Gävle has been home to many interesting people over the years. Some are known for their work in entertainment, like actress Alexandra Dahlström and singer Thomas Di Leva. Others have made their mark in sports, such as ice hockey players Nicklas Bäckström and Elias Lindholm. The city has also seen writers, artists, and leaders grow up and thrive here.

• Linn Ahlborg (born 1999) Swedish blogger and influencer
• Siri Andersson-Palmestav (1903–2002) writer and missionary
• Anna Bartels (1869–1950), opera singer
• Alexandra Dahlström (born 1984) actress and film director
• Thomas Di Leva (born 1963) singer and songwriter
• John E. Forsgren (1816–1890) the first Mormon missionary to preach in Sweden
• Hans Forssell (1843–1901) historian and political writer
• Åke Fridell (1919–1985) a film actor
• Erik Acharius (born 1757) botanist
• Valborg Elisabeth Groning (1890-1970) circus princess
• Joe Hill (1879–1915) labour activist and songwriter
• Rolf Lassgård (born 1955) actor
• Regina Lund (born 1967) actress and singer
• Åke Lundqvist (1936–2021) actor at Stockholm City Theatre
• Yat Malmgren (1916–2002) dancer and acting teacher at the Drama Centre London
• Andreas Rudman (1668–1708), pioneer Swedish American Lutheran minister
• Cat Stevens (born 1948) musician; his mother Ingrid Wickman was from Gävle, where he lived during his childhood
• Joakim Sundström (born 1965) sound editor, sound designer and musician
• Daniel Waluszewski (born 1982) novelist and children's author
• Lars-Åke Wilhelmsson (born 1958) fashion designer and drag artist

Sports professionals

• Nicklas Bäckström (born 1987) ice hockey player for the Washington Capitals
• Christian Edstrom (born 1976) rally co-driver
• Anders Eklund (1957–2010) Olympic heavyweight boxer
• Peppe Femling (born 1992) biathlete and Olympic gold medallist
• Andreas Johnsson (born 1994) ice hockey player for the San Jose Sharks
• Calle Järnkrok (born 1991) ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs
• Ewa Laurance (born 1964) pool player
• Oskar Lindblom (born 1996) ice hockey player for Brynas IF Gavle
• Anders Lindbäck (born 1988) ice hockey goaltender who has played for several NHL teams
• Elias Lindholm (born 1994) ice hockey player for the Boston Bruins
• Jacob Markström (born 1990) ice hockey player for the New Jersey Devils
• Christian Djoos (born 1994) ice hockey player for Brynas IF Gavle, Stanley Cup winner in 2018 with the Washington Capitals
• Felix Sandström (born 1997) ice hockey goaltender for the Rochester Americans
• Jakob Silfverberg (born 1990) ice hockey player for Brynas IF Gavle

European cooperation

Gävle is a member city of the Eurotowns network. This means it works together with other cities in Europe to share ideas and help each other.

Twin towns – sister cities

Gävle has five cities it considers friends and partners around the world. These cities are:

• Jūrmala in Latvia
• Galva, Illinois in the United States
• Næstved in Denmark
• Rauma in Finland
• Gjøvik in Norway