Jönköping

Jönköping

Jönköping is a city in southern Sweden. As of 2022, it has 112,766 people. It sits on the shore of Vättern, Sweden's second largest lake, in the lovely area of Småland. The city is important because it holds many key government offices.

Jönköping is the center of Jönköping Municipality, home to 144,699 people, and also of Jönköping County, which has 367,064 people. Important courts, like a district court and a court of appeal, are found here. Two major national agencies also have their offices in Jönköping: the Swedish National Courts Administration and the Swedish Board of Agriculture.

City government

The main building for Jönköping's local government is called the city hall, or rådhuset. This building helps run the city. It works with many parts of the local government. The leader of Jönköping is called the kommunfullmäktige.

History

Jönköping is an old trading center at a crossroads for routes along the rivers Nissan and Lagan, and the road connecting Östergötland and Västergötland. It is located at the south end of lake Vättern.

On 18 May 1284, Jönköping became the first City in Sweden with rights given by king Magnus Ladulås, who ruled from the island Visingsö. The city's name comes from a local creek called "Junebäcken" and the word "köping," meaning a trading center.

Because of its location, Jönköping was sometimes attacked. The city was damaged many times before it was protected in later years.

Jönköping was also known for its matchstick industry from 1845 to 1970. In 1831, the phosphorus match was invented but it was dangerous. In 1844, a Swedish professor created "Safety matches" that only lit when struck on a special surface. Two brothers, Johan Edvard and Carl Frans Lundström, improved this idea and made safety matches in a factory in Jönköping. Today, the Match Museum is in Jönköping's first match factory.

Present

The urban area of Jönköping now includes the town of Huskvarna.

Elmia, a big trade fair and exhibition center, is located in Jönköping. Elmia Wood is the world's largest forestry fair. Elmia also holds big fairs for subcontractors, trucks, caravans, and railways. Since 2001, Elmia has hosted DreamHack, a large LAN party, with two events each year.

The city is an important center for logistics in the Nordic countries. Many companies have their main warehouses there, such as Elgiganten, IKEA, Electrolux, and Husqvarna. Jönköping has many hotels and restaurants.

Demography

Population

As of 2018, Jönköping had a total population of 139,222 people.

Population changes

Average age 2019

Notable people

Jönköping has been home to many famous people. Some well-known people from the city are Johan Björnsson Printz, who was a governor of the Swedish colony of New Sweden, and Carl Peter Thunberg, a botanist. Other famous people are Viktor Rydberg, an author, and Dag Hammarskjöld, who served as the United Nations Secretary-General.

In music, Jönköping is known for Agnetha Fältskog, a member of the famous band ABBA, and Nina Persson, the lead singer of The Cardigans. The city has also produced other musicians and bands such as Amy Diamond and The Motorhomes.

The city has also had many successful athletes, like Gunhild Larking, a high jumper, and Stefan Liv, an Olympic ice hockey player.

Education

Jönköping has several high schools, including Erik Dahlbergsgymnasiet, Per Brahegymnasiet, Sandagymnasiet, Thoren Business School, and LBS: High School of Creativity.

The city also has places for higher learning such as the Jönköping University Foundation, Södra Vätterbygdens Folkhögskola, and The Institute for Postgraduate Dental Education.

Climate

From 1961 to 1990, Jönköping had long, cold winters and short, warm summers. Now, the climate feels more like a very cold oceanic climate. The weather may seem a little different because the weather station is higher up than the city center. This can make temperatures look a bit colder.

Sport

Jönköping has many sports teams. HV71 is a men's ice hockey team, and HV71 Dam is a women's ice hockey team. Jönköpings IK plays floorball, and Jönköpings Södra IF and Husqvarna FF both play football (soccer). IK Tord is another football (soccer) team, and Jönköping Bandy IF plays bandy. Jönköpings SS is a swimming club with champions in swimming and diving.

The city has hosted big events, like the 1984 World Rowing Junior Championships, the 2019 European Universities Rowing Championships, and the 2011 League of Legends World Championship. Since 2016, Jönköping has held an ATP Challenger Tour event.

Churches

• Sofia Church
• Eastern Chapel
• Ekhagen Church
• Österängen Church
• Råslätt Church