Falkenberg is a

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localities (Australia), in which a locality is a geographic subdivi ...

and the seat of

Falkenberg Municipality Falkenberg Municipality (''Falkenbergs kommun'') is a municipality in Halland County on the Swedish west coast. The town Falkenberg is the municipal seat. The municipality was created in 1971 when the ''City of Falkenberg'' was amalgamated with s ...

Halland County Halland County ( sv, Hallands län, link=no, ) is a county ('' län'') on the western coast of Sweden. It corresponds roughly to the cultural and historical province of Halland. The capital is Halmstad. It borders the counties of Västra G� ...

, Sweden, with 27,813 inhabitants in 2019 (out of a municipal total of about 45,000). It is located at the mouth of river Ätran. The name consists of the Swedish words for

falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...

(''falk'') and

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

(''berg''). Falkenberg is a popular tourist destination in the summers, and the main beach of the town is

Skrea strand Skrea strand is a beach in Falkenberg, Sweden. It is approximately two kilometres long, and has a 250 metre long pier and about 1,600 cabins.

History

In the early part of the 13th century the Danish king built a

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

on the east shore of the river Ätran, which eventually would give the town its name. Halland was at that time part of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...

. It is known that

falconry Falconry is the hunting of wild animals in their natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. Small animals are hunted; squirrels and rabbits often fall prey to these birds. Two traditional terms are used to describe a person ...

was pursued in the area. However, in

Hallandia antiqua et hodierna Hallandia antiqua et hodierna is a Swedish language book on the history of Halland. It was written by Jacob Richardson and was published in two parts in 1752 and 1753; a planned third part was never published.

, that specified a location ("mountain") where the falconry should have taken place, and which should have given name to the town, has later been shown to be incorrect. The area north of Ätran was from time to time Norwegian or Swedish. It was on this side that a market town developed. At around 1300 a church was built. From the 14th century until the

Northern Seven Years' War The Northern Seven Years' War (also known as the ''Nordic Seven Years' War'', the ''First Northern War'' or the ''Seven Years War in Scandinavia'') was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden (1523–1611), Kingdom of Sweden and a coalition of Denm ...

(1563—1570) a second town, ''Ny-Falkenberg'' (''New Falkenberg'') was located close to the town. The fort was destroyed by

Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (1390s – 27 April/4 May 1436) was a Swedish nobleman, rebel leader and military boss of German ancestry. He was the leader of the Engelbrekt rebellion in 1434 against Eric of Pomerania, king of the Kalmar Union. Eng ...

's troops in 1434. The town gained market rights at the latest in 1558. Along with the rest of the Halland, Falkenberg was to be temporarily Swedish in accordance with the Treaty of Brömsebro (1645). The

Treaty of Roskilde The Treaty of Roskilde (concluded on 26 February ( OS), or 8 March 1658) ( NS) during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Karl X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde. After a devastating defeat, ...

thirteen years later made the province permanently Swedish. For a long period it struggled to keep its privileges with regard to trade and jurisdiction from the Danish time. Also like the rest of the county, it only started to slowly industrialise in the late 19th century. The city of Falkenberg was transformed at the municipal reform in 1862 to a city municipality with smaller parts in surrounding country municipalities. In 1908, Herting was incorporated from Skrea Country Mommun, 1937 Arvidstorp from Stafsinge Country Commun and 1950 a small area from Vinberg's country municipality. In 1971, Falkenberg's city in Falkenberg's municipality and the resort is since its central town in the municipality. In the 20th century it has gained a reputation as a

seaside resort A seaside resort is a resort town, town, village, or hotel that serves as a Resort, vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, suc ...

Communications

Falkenberg is located along a traditional trade route along the Swedish west coast, about northwest of

Halmstad Halmstad () is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of the Nissan river, in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County. The ci ...

, and south of Gothenburg. These transport needs are currently catered by

European route E6 European route E6 ( no, Europavei 6, sv, Europaväg 6, or simply E6) is the main north-south thoroughfare through Norway as well as the west coast of Sweden. It is long and runs from the southern tip of Sweden at Trelleborg, into Norway and ...

, which runs as a

dual carriageway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...

just outside the town, and the West Coast Railway Line.

County road 150 A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

and

County road 154 A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

connect to Torup and Svenljunga.

Falkenberg railway Falkenberg Railway (Swedish language, Sw. ''Falkenbergs Järnväg (FJ)'' or ''Pyttebanan'') was an 891 mm gauge narrow gauge railway, narrow gauge railway railway line, line between Falkenberg and Limmared in Sweden. It was inaugurated 28 Se ...

operated from the 1890s to the 1950s. The town has seven bus routes.

Areas of the town

Sport

The town hosts several teams at national level. The football team,

Falkenbergs FF Falkenbergs Fotbollsförening, also known simply as Falkenbergs FF, Falkenberg or (especially locally) FFF, is a Swedish football club based in Falkenberg. Formed on 3 January 1928, the club plays in the second highest Swedish league, Superett ...

, has since the late 1980s established itself in the second division (currently

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 All ...

). The

table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

team,

Falkenbergs BTK Falkenbergs Bordtennisklubb (''Falkenberg Table Tennis Club'') is a Swedish table tennis club formed on November 30, 1925. The club played its first season in the top league (''Allsvenskan'') in 1951 and has over the years won ten national Swedi ...

, has won ten national championships, as well as one European championship. In the early 2000s,

Falkenbergs VBK Falkenbergs VBK is a Swedish volleyball club, formed in 1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland w ...

developed to become one of the best

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

teams in the country and accordingly won the national championship 2007.

BK Falkarna BK is the common abbreviation for the Burger King chain of fast food restaurants. BK or Bk may also refer to: Businesses and organizations * The Bank of New York Mellon, the New York Stock Exchange symbol for The Bank of New York Mellon Corpora ...

has played ten seasons in the top

bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), thoug ...

league. Other sports clubs located in Falkenberg include: *

Skrea IF Skrea IF is a Swedish football club located in Skrea, Falkenberg Municipality. Background Skrea IF currently plays in Division 4 Halland Elit which is the sixth tier of Swedish football Association football is the most popular sport in S ...

* Arvidstorps IK * Vinbergs IF * Stafsinge IF * Rinia IF * IF Böljan Sport venues in the town include

Falkenbergs IP Falkenbergs IP is a football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the w ...

, hosting Falkenbergs FF,

Falkenberg Sports Centre Falkenberg is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Falkenberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 27,813 inhabitants in 2019 (out of a municipal total of about 45,000). It is located at the mouth of river Ätran (river), Ätra ...

, hosting Falkenbergs VBK and

Klitterbadet Klitterbadet is a bath house in Falkenberg, Sweden. It started as an outdoor bath in 1969, but was rebuilt as an indoor bath in 1983. It is the only 50 meter salt water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains ...

, a bath house.

Buildings

Falkenberg Church Falkenberg is a locality and the seat of Falkenberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 27,813 inhabitants in 2019 (out of a municipal total of about 45,000). It is located at the mouth of river Ätran. The name consists of the Swedish ...

* Falkenberg Town Hall * Falkenberg Old Town Hall * Falkhallen * Saint Lawrence church

Notable people

Annika Andersson Kerstin Annika Andersson (born May 8, 1968 in Mårdaklev, Västergötland, Sweden) is a Swedish actress and comedian. She has won the Guldmask, awarded for private theatre productions, twice: as best actor in 2001 for ''Dagens dubbel'' and best ...

, comedian * Bo Andersson, businessman *

Rutger Backe Rutger Backe (born 14 January 1951 in Falkenberg) is a Swedish former football player and coach. He started his career in local club IF Böljan. He joined Allsvenskan club Halmstads BK in 1972, with whom he played until 1981. Backe played 207 ma ...

, footballer *

Zulmir Bečević Zulmir Bečević, (born 31 January 1982) is a Swedish-Bosnian author and academic. In 1992 he and his family fled from the civil war in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Sweden, an event that laid the foundation for his semi-biographical ...

, author * Emma Bengtsson, chef *

Stellan Bengtsson Stellan Bengtsson (born 26 July 1952) is a Swedish former table tennis player. He became the first Swede to win the men's singles at the World Table Tennis Championships in 1971.Nina Björk Nina Björk (born May 18, 1967 in Östersund, Jämtland) is a Swedish feminist, author and journalist. She is most well known for '' Under det rosa täcket (Under the Pink Duvet)'', a feminist book written in 1996. She is considered to be a lef ...

, author, journalist, feminist *

Ulf "Tickan" Carlsson Ulf "Tickan" Carlsson (born 2 April 1961 in Falkenberg, Sweden) is a Swedish former table tennis player, active at international level during the 1980s. His best achievement was gold at the 1985 World Championships. World championships Carlsso ...

, table tennis player * Walter Dickson, author *

Jojje Jönsson Jöns-Ove "Jojje" Jönsson is a Swedish actor and playwright. Jojje won a Golden Mask for best male supporting actor in a play 2000 and 2001. He is most widely known for his roles in the farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audi ...

, actor * Erik "Spänst" Svensson, athlete * Frida Svensson, rower *

Hans Svensson Hans Erik Ingemar "Hasse" Svensson (born 30 July 1955) is a retired Swedish rower who won a bronze medal in the coxless fours at the 1983 World Rowing Championships. He competed at the 1976 and 1980 Summer Olympics in the single sculls and fini ...

, rower *

Carl-Johan Vallgren Carl-Johan Emanuel Vallgren (born 26 July 1964, in Linköping) is a Swedish author, singer and musician. He won the August Prize in 2002 for the novel '' The Horrific Sufferings of the Mind-Reading Monster Hercules Barefoot''. Personal life Val ...

, author *

Jan Widströmer Jan Widströmer (born 31 December 1944) is a Swedish artist. Early life and education Widströmer's father was a primary school teacher and a founder of a school for adults of which he was the headmaster; his mother was a piano teacher. Widstr ...

, artist *

Pär Zetterberg Pär Johan Zetterberg (; born 14 October 1970) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is best remembered for his time with R.S.C. Anderlecht, but also represented Falkenbergs FF, Charleroi, and Olympiacos duri ...

, football player

Music groups

Ablaze My Sorrow Ablaze My Sorrow is a melodic death metal band from Falkenberg, Sweden. The group formed in 1993, released three full-length albums for No Fashion Records through several lineup changes, and received significant exposure among metal press outlet ...

, death metal band * By Night, death metal/extreme metal band *

Sonic Syndicate Sonic Syndicate is a Swedish metalcore band from Falkenberg. They were formerly influenced by Swedish melodic death metal bands such as In Flames and Soilwork and American metalcore bands like Killswitch Engage and All That Remains. The band wa ...

, melodic death metal/melodic metalcore band *

Vains of Jenna Vains of Jenna was a Swedish sleaze rock/metal band formed in Falkenberg in 2005. They later moved to Los Angeles, though most of the band members now reside back in Sweden. In January 2012, the band confirmed on Facebook and MySpace that th ...

, rock band

Sister cities

Gniezno Gniezno (; german: Gnesen; la, Gnesna) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. One of the Piast dynasty's chief cities, ...

, Poland

References

* *

External links

Falkenberg Municipality
{{Authority control Municipal seats of Halland County Swedish municipal seats Populated places in Falkenberg Municipality Seaside resorts in Sweden Coastal cities and towns in Sweden Cities in Halland County fi:Falkenbergin kunta