Trelleborg () is a town in

Skåne County Skåne County ( sv, Skåne län, link=no ), sometimes referred to as Scania County in English, is the most southern county, or , of Sweden, basically corresponding to the traditional province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Kron ...

, Sweden, with 43,359 inhabitants as of December 31, 2015. It is the southernmost town in Sweden located some west from the southernmost point of Sweden and the

Scandinavian peninsula The Scandinavian Peninsula ( sv, Skandinaviska halvön; no, Den skandinaviske halvøy (Bokmål) or nn, Den skandinaviske halvøya; fi, Skandinavian niemimaa) is a peninsula located in Northern Europe, which roughly comprises the mainlands ...

. It is one of the most important ferry towns in

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

as well as around the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and fr ...

, and the main town of the Söderslätt agricultural areas.

Etymology

The first written record of the name is from 1257, ''Threlæburgh''. The name is found in many places in

. ''Borg'' means ''castle'' or ''stronghold'' and ''träl'' can mean

thrall A thrall ( non, þræll, is, þræll, fo, trælur, no, trell, træl, da, træl, sv, träl) was a slave or serf in Scandinavian lands during the Viking Age. The corresponding term in Old English was . The status of slave (, ) contrasts wi ...

, but can also refer to the leaning poles on the outside of the medieval Viking stronghold. Remains of the original stronghold were excavated in 1988. The name may also have originated from the stronghold that still remains in the center of the city. Strongholds like that have been found at several places around Scandinavia, mostly in the south of Sweden and Denmark, and are all called trelleborgs. The name is likely to have originated from that borg.

History

The earliest written record of Trelleborg is from 1257, three years later Trelleborg was presented as a wedding gift from the Danish

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term p ...

to the Swedish Prince Valdemar. It was soon reconquered by the Danes, and it belonged to Denmark until 1658, when

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skå ...

was lost to Sweden by 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, ...

. In medieval times, Trelleborg had an important part in

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocea ...

fishing. At that time, this was conducted along the entire coast line of what is now Sweden, as the herring

shoal In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It ...

s were of such great numbers that fishermen were said to have been able to stand on the shore and land fish with nets. Trelleborg became an important merchant city as merchants from

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

came to trade herring. In 1619 following a devastating fire, the Danish King decided that one merchant city on the coast was sufficient and revoked Trelleborg's status as a merchant city in favour of

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal popula ...

. Not until 1840 was Trelleborg allowed to become a merchant city, and not until 1867 did it regain its rights as a city of Sweden. Mostly this was thanks to the work of a few stubborn men, who had continuously been petitioning the Swedish Riksdag with these requests since 1658. The local government reform of 1971 made Trelleborg the seat of Trelleborg Municipality, covering both rural and urban areas.

Transport

Road

Trelleborg is the southern endpoint for the

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 ...

that goes north to

Kirkenes Kirkenes (; ; Skolt Sami: ''Ǩeârkknjargg;'' fi, Kirkkoniemi; ; russian: Киркенес) is a town in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, in the far northeastern part of Norway. The town lies on a peninsula along the Bøk ...

, Norway. The E6 is a major artery for shipping goods into Sweden, connecting to the E22 in Malmö, and the E4 in Helsingborg.

Harbour and Ferries

CarFerryTerminalTrelleborg Kontinentbron

The harbour has a very strategic position, in the very far south of the

. The first ferry connection to

opened in 1897. This was replaced with a train-ferry line to Saßnitz, in 1909 as a part of the line

Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...

. During the

GDR East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

era, a longer car ferry line opened to

Travemünde Travemünde () is a borough of Lübeck, Germany, located at the mouth of the river Trave in Lübeck Bay. It began life as a fortress built by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, in the 12th century to guard the mouth of the Trave, and the Danes s ...

("modern harbour" of

Lübeck Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the stat ...

), initially as line owned by the Swedish national railways (SJ), but known as TT-Line from 1962. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, several new shipping lines and routes opened. Trelleborg municipality built a joint ferry terminal for all services, known as "''Kontinentbron''", or "the Continental Bridge". Both Germany and

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

can be reached by ferries from the terminal. As of 2018, the following shipping lines and routes are in operation: TT-Line * to

Klaipėda Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuani ...

( Lithuania) * to

(Germany) * to

Rostock Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state, ...

(Germany) * to Swinoujscie (Poland)

Stena Line Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line company and one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It services Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Stena Line is a major unit of Ste ...

* to

(Germany) Unity Line * to Swinoujscie (Poland) Most of the ferry transports are lorries, and this makes Trelleborg's port the largest in Sweden in terms of goods by weight. In 2005, 11 million metric ton of goods passed through the port (along with almost 2 million passengers).

Climate

Although Trelleborg does not have an official month to month weather station featured in SMHI's reports, its nearest weather stations in Falsterbo and

both indicate 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 ...

( Cfb) with warm and sometimes hot summers averaging in the low twenties Celsius most of the time and cool but generally not very cold winters with means at or just above freezing.

Today

At the end of the 19th century, Trelleborg became an industrial town and the foundation of modern Trelleborg has largely been created by a few large companies; most notably Trelleborg Industries and the ferry company and business related to the seaport. Much of it has been the work of the influential businessman Johan Kock. Other important industries he established were ''Akzo Nobel Inks'', Today called Flint Group Sweden, manufacturing printing inks (established as ''Gleitzman Industries'' in the 1890s), and DUX, who make beds. Later in the 1950s, Perstorp (Flooring) Industries was established in Trelleborg and it manufactures flooring boards and other plastic material. Trelleborg continues to be a working-class-oriented city and is politically a traditional stronghold for the Swedish Social Democratic Party. However, since the latest elections in 2006 the Social Democratic Party is in opposition in the municipality. It is today often visited by people travelling from Sweden to

because of the ferries to

Sassnitz Sassnitz (, before 1993 in german: Saßnitz) is a town on the Jasmund peninsula, Rügen Island, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The population as of 2012 was 9,498. Sassnitz is a well-known seaside resort and port town, a ...

, and

in Germany. These ferries began sailing on May 1, 1897, with the Sassnitz line; the route to Travemünde was established in 1962, while the line to the former

East German East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

city Rostock was inaugurated after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The ferries carry both passengers on one-day journeys, cars with vacationing families, and heavy trucks on their way through Europe. In April 1917,

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...

arrived with the ferry from Sassnitz to Trelleborg on his way from exile back to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

to lead the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

. Today Trelleborg has the second largest

seaport A port is a maritime law, maritime facility comprising one or more Wharf, wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge Affreightment, cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can a ...

of Sweden, behind Gothenburg. Every year it transports more than 10 million metric tonnes of cargo. Overlooking the harbour of Smygehuk near Trelleborg is a statue of a nude woman that was installed in 1930. Actress

Uma Thurman Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress and former model. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 an ...

's grandmother, the mother of Nena von Schlebrügge, was the model for this statue. The entrance road from west has a row of

palm trees Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae ** List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (b ...

, illustrating the southern location of the city. They are moved indoors during winter as they can't tolerate freezing temperatures. On 12 October 2017, several people were injured in shootings in the town, linked to gang violence.

Sports and Other Leisure Activities

Football clubs in Trelleborg include Trelleborgs FF, IFK Trelleborg, and FC Trelleborg the basketball team is called Trelleborg Basket. The local scout corps is called Trelleborgs scoutkår. Other places of interest include the bathhouse, local golf club, sporthalls, beaches and several parks.

Notable Individuals

* Andreas Isaksson - retired football player, played for Trelleborgs FF for two seasons. *

Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh (born 9 May 1974) is a Swedish Social Democratic politician who has been the mayor of Malmö Municipality since 1 July 2013. She is the first woman to hold the office. References External links Her blogon the World Ci ...

- current mayor of

Malmö Municipality Malmö Municipality ( sv, Malmö kommun), or City of Malmö (''Malmö stad''), is a Swedish municipality in Skåne County, the southernmost of the counties of Sweden (and conterminous with the historical province (''landskap'') of Scania). When ...

since 2013, raised in Trelleborg * Patric Kjellberg - retired ice hockey player * Björn Kjellman - actor and singer * Andreas Nilsson - handballer * Olivia Nordgren - politician * Amanda Ooms - actress and writer *

Alice Timander Alice Ingegärd Marianne Timander (6 October 1915 – 3 July 2007) was a Swedish dentist, but was better known as an entertainer and a Swedish red carpet queen at Stockholm theatre premieres. Biography Alice Müller, daughter of Karl Albert Holge ...

- dentist * Kim Wall - journalist *

Mark Weinberg Sir Mark Aubrey Weinberg (born 9 August 1931) is a South African-born British financier. He is the Life President of St. James’s Place Wealth Management. Early life and education Weinberg was born in South Africa and educated at King Edwa ...

- former judge of the Court of Appeal of the

Supreme Court of Victoria The Supreme Court of Victoria is the highest court in the Australian state of Victoria. Founded in 1852, it is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited and inherent jurisdiction within the state. The Supreme Court compr ...

in Victoria, Australia, born in Trelleborg in 1948 and later relocated to the United States before emigrating permanently to Australia in 1958.

Culture

Trelleborg has two museums as of 2022, one centered around the old viking castle rebuilt in the city and another depicting different installations at different times. Several different statues can be found around the city especially depicting the works of Axel Ebbe. An art i gallery can be found in the city depicting his works.

Gallery

20th century

File:Trelleborg 1930.png, Map of Trelleborg dated 1930 File:Antiaircraft defence Sweden 1940.jpg, Acoustic air-plane locator stationed in Trelleborg during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

21st century

File:Hamn Trelleborg.jpg, Part of Trelleborg harbour File:Trelleborg tower.jpg,

Trelleborg Old Water Tower Trelleborg Old Water Tower is a now defunct water tower in ''Stadsparken'', Trelleborg in southern Sweden. The erection of the water tower was initiated 1911 after drawings by the architect Ivar Tengbom, and was finished 1912. Since the town of Tr ...

File:Trelleborg, St Nikolai-Kirche (2008-07-27).JPG, Church of St. Nicolai File:Trelleborgs museum.jpg, Trelleborg Museum

Twin cities

Trelleborg is twinned with: *

References

External links

{{Authority control Viking ring fortresses Populated places in Trelleborg Municipality Populated places in Skåne County Municipal seats of Skåne County Swedish municipal seats Viking Age populated places Market towns in Sweden Coastal cities and towns in Sweden Port cities in Sweden Port cities and towns of the Baltic Sea 13th-century establishments in Skåne County Cities in Skåne County