Västerås ( , , ) is a city in central

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

on the shore of

Lake Mälaren A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larg ...

in the province of

Västmanland Västmanland ( or ), is a historical Swedish province, or ''landskap'', in middle Sweden. It borders Södermanland, Närke, Värmland, Dalarna and Uppland. Västmanland means "(The) Land of the Western Men", where the "western men" (''v� ...

, west of

Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...

. The city had a population of 127,799 at the end of 2019, out of the municipal total of 154,049. Västerås is the seat of

Västerås Municipality Västerås Municipality (''Västerås kommun'') is a municipality in Västmanland County in central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Västerås Västerås ( , , ) is a city in central Sweden on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the provi ...

, the capital of

Västmanland County Västmanland County ( sv, Västmanlands län) is a county or ''län'' in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Södermanland, Örebro, Gävleborg, Dalarna and Uppsala. The county also has a stretch of shoreline towards Mälaren (Sweden's ...

and an

episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...

History

Västerås is one of the oldest cities in Sweden and Northern Europe. The name originates from ''Västra Aros'' (West Aros), which refers to the river mouth of

Svartån Svartån in Västmanland County, Sweden is 91 kilometers long. It passes through the towns of Skultuna and Västerås and has its outlet in Mälaren. The name Västerås derives from the Sueco-Latin term ''Västra Aros'' meaning "western out ...

. The area has been populated since the Nordic

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Germ ...

, before 1000 CE. In the beginning of the 11th century it was the second largest city in Sweden, and by the 12th century had become the seat of the bishop. Anundshög is located just outside the City of Västerås. Anundshög is Sweden's largest burial mound. "Hög" is derived from the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...

word ''haugr'' meaning mound or barrow. It was built about 500 CE and is over wide and is almost high. In the ensuing centuries, a

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

and a monastery were built; the Gothic cathedral, rebuilt by Birger Jarl on an earlier site, and consecrated in 1271, was restored in the 19th century. The first City Arms date from the end of the 13th century. A castle commands the town from an eminence; it was captured by King

Gustav I Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksföre ...

and rebuilt by him, and Eric XIV was confined there from 1573 to 1575. Gustav also called together the

riksdag The Riksdag (, ; also sv, riksdagen or ''Sveriges riksdag'' ) is the legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral legislature with 349 members (), elected proportionally and se ...

in Västerås. During the riksdag assembly, the decision was made to convert Sweden into a Protestant state and to remove the power of the Catholic Church. '' Rudbeckianska gymnasiet'', the oldest gymnasium (

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

) in Sweden, was built in Västerås by

Johannes Rudbeckius Bishop Johannes Rudbeckius or ''Johannes Rudbeck'' (April 3, 1581–August 8, 1646), was bishop at Västerås, Sweden from 1619 until his death and personal chaplain to King Gustavus II Adolphus. Biography Johannes Rudbeck was born in Ormest ...

in 1623. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the growing of

cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables. Västerås is predominantly known as an industrial city, but also a retailing and logistics city. The city wants to distinguish itself as ''Västerås – Mälarstaden'', meaning "Västerås—the city by Lake

Mälaren Mälaren ( , , or ), historically referred to as Lake Malar in English, is the third-largest freshwater lake in Sweden (after Vänern and Vättern). Its area is 1,140 km2 and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from e ...

", in order to attract tourists and new inhabitants, as well as students to the local

university college In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

, Mälardalen University (approximately 16,000 enrolled students in Västerås and in the nearby

Eskilstuna Eskilstuna () is a city and the seat of Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden. The city of Eskilstuna had 67,359 inhabitants in 2015, with a total population of 100,092 inhabitants in Eskilstuna municipality (2014). Eskilstuna h ...

). To this effect, the city has started using a designed logo as branding in some official contexts, partially replacing the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

, as well as rebuilding several old harbor areas to make them more attractive to live in. Västerås has the largest lakeside commercial and recreational port in Scandinavia on Lake Mälaren. The lake has many islands, and there are tourist boats that go out to them daily in the summer. The city also has a

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ri ...

colloquially nicknamed " Skrapan" ( en, The Scraper) which has Sweden's highest-located cocktail bar, called Sky Bar, on the 24th floor of the building. Until 2017, Västerås hosted Power Big Meet, an annual event for owners and enthusiasts of classic American cars. The event moved to Lidköping in 2017, with arrangers citing having outgrown the available facilities in Västerås. Long-time Power Big meet collaborator Klas Brink instead arranged the competing Västerås Summer Meet at the same location as Power Big Meet had been arranged for years.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

, Västerås experiences a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

bordering, according to the original isotherm, an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(''Dfb''/''Cfb'') with cold winters and warm summers. Summers tend to be quite unpredictable with sunny spells but with a risk of sudden showers. The sunniest weather usually occurs when high-pressure systems are blocking the low-pressure systems that usually move in from the Atlantic Ocean. Daytime temperatures in July mostly hover around , but may sometimes exceed and occasionally even . Winters are usually cold with a snow cover that lasts for several months. Some winters can be mild with longer spells without snow on the ground. The weather differs a lot whether the air masses are coming from the Atlantic Ocean or from the Eurasian continent. In the first case, temperatures over might be expected. In the second case, the temperature may not rise above in the middle of the day.

is usually frozen from December until the end of March. 3000' ovanför Västerås

The highest official temperature reading of was recorded on July 9, 1966. The lowest temperature of was recorded on January 24, 1875. The Åkesta observatory stands 4km to the north of the town, in Åkesta.

Demographics

Economy

Industry

In 1891, the Turbine House, a small

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

dam was built on

, in central Västerås. This early electrification encouraged ASEA, a large electricity equipment manufacturer, to concentrate its operations in Västerås, shifting focus away from Arboga. After the 1988 merger with the power systems company

Brown, Boveri & Cie Brown, Boveri & Cie. (Brown, Boveri & Company; BBC) was a Swiss group of electrical engineering companies. It was founded in Zürich, in 1891 by Charles Eugene Lancelot Brown and Walter Boveri who worked at the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon. In 19 ...

, ASEA became

ABB Group ABB Ltd. is a Swedish- Swiss multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland. The company was formed in 1988 when Sweden's Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA) and Switzerland's Brown, Boveri & Cie merged to crea ...

. As a result, Västerås is home to its ABB AB Swedish subsidiary headquarters. ABB in Västerås produces e.g. robots and drive systems for the industry, high-voltage direct current transmission and power grids. Asea hq

A number of business units have been spun out of ABB. Principal among them is Hitachi Energy (

Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Nissan ''zaibatsu'' and later DKB Group and Fuyo G ...

). Since the Westinghouse takeover of ABB's nuclear business it is owned by Westinghouse Electric Company. It is situated mainly in Finnslätten, an industrial area in the northern part of Västerås. Westinghouse Sweden produces nuclear fuel and offers nuclear services for Boiling Water Reactors and

Pressurized water reactor A pressurized water reactor (PWR) is a type of light-water nuclear reactor. PWRs constitute the large majority of the world's nuclear power plants (with notable exceptions being the UK, Japan and Canada). In a PWR, the primary coolant (water) i ...

s. , Westinghouse Sweden had more than 1000 employees. The plant has provided fuel for Ukraine since 2005. On 11 April 2014, after the Russian annexation of Crimea, the contract with Energoatom for the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant was extended through 2020. Mälarenergi AB is a city-owned district heating and electric power provider for Västerås and surrounding area. Mälarenergi owns and operates a number of plants of which the biggest one is the heat and power plant in Västerås. It is Sweden's largest combined heat and power plant, and the latest unit (number 6) uses waste as fuel. Other major industries include

Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian-German rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, headquartered in Berlin, Germany. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry ...

, which is active in railway business with production of propulsion systems for trains with worldwide customers,

GE Power GE Power (formerly known as GE Energy) is an American energy technology company, owned by General Electric. Structure As of July 2019, GE Power is divided into the following divisions: * GE Gas Power (formerly Alstom Power Turbomachines), bas ...

Sweden, Enics , Quintus Technologies AB (high pressure metal working and material densification equipment for the manufacturing industry) and Northvolt AB which designs, develops and manufactures lithium-ion battery cells and complete battery systems for electric vehicles, heavy transport, mining, and energy industries, as well as portable devices.

Retailing and trade

One of the historical reasons that made Västerås a city is its trading-friendly location by the river Svartån and lake Mälaren. The city remains one of the main logistical centers in Sweden due to its central location in the densely populated region Mälardalen and favourable infrastructure connections with railways, waterways and highways. Amongst others, ICA AB has one of its main distribution centres located in Västerås. Västerås is the birthplace of multinational clothing retailer H&M. Their first store was opened in the town centre in 1947.

Erikslund Shopping Center Erikslund Shopping Center is a shopping center located next to highway E18 in Erikslund, Sweden. It opened in 2011 and was established by Ikano Retail Centres, with two anchor tenants on each end of the mall, IKEA and a City Gross supermarket ...

, on the outskirts of Västerås, was Sweden's biggest mall until Mall of Scandinavia opened in 2015, and the

retail park A retail park is a type of shopping centre found on the fringes of most large towns and cities in the United Kingdom and other European countries. They form a key aspect of European retail geographies, alongside indoor shopping centres, standal ...

is the third biggest in sales after

Kungens Kurva Kungens Kurva (literally, "The King's Bend" or "The King's Curve") is a part of Huddinge Municipality, in Metropolitan Stockholm, Sweden, 20 km south of the city. The area got its name on 28 September 1946, when King Gustav V's chauffeur-driv ...

and

Barkarby Barkarby is a district of Järfälla Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden and part of the contiguously built-up Stockholm urban area. Barkarby has a station of the Stockholm commuter rail network. 1912 Summer Olympics During the 1912 Summer ...

Sports

Sandvikens_AIK_vs_Västerås_SK_2015-03-14_44

* De grönvita (The Green and White), Västerås SK – Founded on 29 January 1904, "The Green and White" is the most successful

bandy Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two teams wearing ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The international governing body for bandy is ...

team in Sweden, with 22 Swedish Championships won (20 male, 2 female). They have the largest permanent indoor arena for bandy in Sweden,

ABB Arena Syd ABB Arena is the common name for the two biggest indoor arenas in Västerås, Sweden. Venues Arena Nord ABB Arena Nord is the ice hockey arena and VIK Västerås HK's home arena. It was renovated in September 2007 and has a capacity of 4,902 spe ...

. The

Bandy World Championship The Bandy World Championship is a competition between bandy-playing nations' men's teams. The tournament is administrated by the Federation of International Bandy. It is distinct from the Bandy World Cup, a club competition, and from the Wom ...

have been played in Västerås several times. *

VIK Västerås HK Vik (Old Norse: vík) means wick or bay in Norwegian and Swedish (''vig'' in Danish), and it may refer to the following: Places Iceland * Vík í Mýrdal, a village in southern Iceland Iran *Vik, Iran, a village in Zanjan Province, Iran Norway * ...

, known as VIK Västerås Hockey Klubb. The club had its greatest moment in 1992/1993 when the club won the regular series in the Swedish Elitleague (VIK reached quarter finals in the playoff). In 2000 the club was degraded from the league and faced a financial crisis. The club was declared bankrupt. During the fall of 2000 the club restarted in the lowest division which the team won. Today (2019) they are playing in Hockeyallsvenskan, the second tier. Among hockey players from Västerås you find:

Nicklas Lidström Erik Nicklas Lidström (; born 28 April 1970) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman and current vice president of hockey operations for the Detroit Red Wings. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the ...

Tommy Salo Tommy Mikael Salo (born February 1, 1971) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey goaltender and the current general manager of Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the N ...

Patrik Berglund Patrik Berglund (born 2 June 1988) is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre for Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He was drafted 25th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Internationally, Berglund represe ...

Mikael Backlund Mikael Backlund (born 17 March 1989) is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). Backlund was a first round selection, 24th overall, of the Flames in the 2007 NH ...

and many more. * Västerås SK, currently plays in the second tier of Swedish football,

Superettan Superettan (; meaning the super first (division)) is an association football league and the second highest league in the league system of Swedish men's football. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Al ...

. Having mostly been playing in the higher divisions of Swedish football. The last time the club was in the premier division was in 1997. * IFK Västerås FK, football club in Division 4 Västmanland * IK Franke, football club in Division 3 Norra Svealand *

Skiljebo SK Skiljebo SK is a Swedish football club located in Västerås. Background Since their foundation on 4 March 1944 Skiljebo SK has participated mainly in the middle and lower divisions of the Swedish football league system. The club currently pla ...

, football club in Division 2 Norra Svealand * Västerås IK, football club in Division 4 Norra Svealand * Syrianska IF Kerburan, football club in Division 3 Norra Svealand * Gideonsbergs IF football club in Division 3 Norra Svealand

Notable natives

* Ana Diaz, musician * Axenstar,

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

band *

Bobo Stenson Bobo Stenson (born Bo Gustav Stenson; 4 August 1944) is a Swedish jazz pianist. The Bobo Stenson Trio, formed in collaboration with Anders Jormin (bass) and Jon Fält (drums), has been in existence for four decades. Career Stenson studied with ...

, jazz pianist * Dagmar Lange, author under the pen name Maria Lang *

Embee Embee is a Swedish hip hop DJ and producer. He was born Magnus Bergkvist on February 24, 1977 in Badelunda, Västmanland, Sweden. He is best known for his work with Swedish hip-hop group Looptroop Rockers. His first solo album ''Tellings from ...

, hip hop deejay and producer * Esbjörn Svensson, jazz pianist * Fredrik Johansson, musician *

Frida Hansdotter Frida Marie Hansdotter (born 13 December 1985) is a Swedish former World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic champion. She competed in the technical events and specialised in slalom. Hansdotter's father Hans Johansson was also an alpine racer, a ...

, alpine skier * Olof Thunberg, actor * Fronda, rapper * Gary Sundgren, football player *

Gerda Ahlm Gerda Maria Ahlm (May 24, 1869 – 1956) was a Swedish-born painter and art conservator. Biography Gerda Maria Ahlm was born in Västerås, Sweden. She studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Art in Stockholm (1889-91) and later studied etching ...

, artist * Jonny Rödlund, football player * Lars Wallin, fashion designer * Lars Ekborg, comedian *

Linda Rosing Linda Maria Elisabeth Thelenius (born Linda Gedin on 21 January 1974 in Västerås, and also known as Linda Rosing) is a Swedish glamour model and singer. Thelenius (then Rosing) became known in Sweden when she was a housemate on '' Big Brothe ...

, singer, politician, model * Loreen, singer *

Magnus Lindgren Magnus Lindgren (born 13 August 1974 in Västerås, Sweden) is a Swedish jazz musician. He studied at the Västerås Music College. He then attended the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in Stockholm, Sweden, and began working with the Soul Enter ...

, jazz musician *

Mai Zetterling Mai Elisabeth Zetterling (; 24 May 1925 – 17 March 1994) was a Swedish film director, novelist and actor. Early life Zetterling was born in Västerås, Sweden to a working class family. She started her career as an actor at the age of 17 at ...

, actress and film director * Maria Bonnevie, actress *

Maria Montazami Maria Brigitte Anita Montazami (born 13 November 1965) is a Swedish housewife and television personality in the series ''Svenska Hollywoodfruar'', which is currently airing its thirteenth season in Sweden. Montazami has also appeared in commercia ...

, television personality *

Markus Oscarsson Markus Oscarsson (born 9 May 1977 in Västerås) is a Swedish sprint kayaker who has competed since 1995. Competing in five Summer Olympics, he won two medals in the K-2 1000 m event with a gold in 2004 and a silver in 2000. Oscars ...

, Olympic gold medalists in canoeing 2004 * Mattias Andréasson, singer *

, ice hockey player *

, ice hockey player * Ola Sandström, singer, songwriter and musician *

Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek language, Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions ...

, singer *

, ice hockey player * Patrik Isaksson, swimmer *

Pontus Kåmark Sven Pontus Kåmark (born 5 April 1969) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a defender. He played for Västerås SK, IFK Göteborg, Leicester City, and AIK, and won 57 caps for the Sweden national team. He was a part of t ...

, football player *

Promoe Promoe (Mårten Edh, born Nils Mårten Ed; 28 April 1976) is a Swedish rapper, and member of Swedish hip hop group Looptroop Rockers, formed in Västerås, Sweden, 1992. He released his fourth album in 2009 entitled ''Kråksången'', and later the ...

, rapper *

Pugh Rogefeldt Pugh Rogefeldt, real name Anders Sture Torbjörn Rogefeldt (, ; born 2 March 1947 in Västerås, Sweden), is a Swedish singer, musician, guitarist and songwriter. Musical career Rogefeldt made his breakthrough in the late 1960s with albums such ...

, musician * Stefan Pettersson, footballer * Tomas Tranströmer, poet *

, ice hockey player *

Victor Lindelöf Victor Jörgen Nilsson Lindelöf (born 17 July 1994) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a defender for club Manchester United and captains the Sweden national team. Mainly a centre-back, he can also play as a right-back. Linde ...

, footballer * Joakim "Jocke" Götberg, heavy metal musician and singer * Åsa Svensson, tennis player

Travel

* Stockholm-Västerås Airport * Västerås Central Station

References

External links

*
Local portal for Västerås, articles, pictures etc

– Article in the

Catholic Encyclopedia The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...

Pictures from Anundshög, Västerås, Sweden; www.remains.se
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vasteras County seats in Sweden Municipal seats of Västmanland County Populated lakeshore places in Sweden Populated places in Västmanland County Populated places in Västerås Municipality Swedish municipal seats Cities in Västmanland County