Enköping

Enköping is a town in the Swedish province of Uppsala County and the historic province of Uppland. Enköping is also the capital of the municipality of the same name.

Geography

The town lies at the mouth of the river Enköpingså in Lake Mälaren, about 77 km north- west of Stockholm and 42 km south-west of Uppsala. It extends partly on a sandy moraine and partly on the ground that the river has washed ashore. The surrounding area is characterized by wide plains, which are partly marshy. For a long time the river in the southern part of the city was divided into two arms, but the western arm is now only a small trickle.

History

The settlement was first on the eastern side of the river. Your exact age but is not evidenced by written sources. Probably here were an Iron Age victims and a trading center. There is also evidence for the existence of a court place from the 5th century. After Christianization, it was the end of the 12th century a Catholic provost in place at the time was written Enescopinge. Since 1267 Enköping housed a Franciscan monastery and by the time the emergence of three churches, which included the present-day church of our dear women ( Vårfrukyrkan ). Slowly, a middle class began to emerge, so that the end of the 14th century, a mayor was mentioned. In the following century Enköping received from various regents privileges, the originals of which, however, were lost in the fires. Charles VIII and Sten Sture the Elder held off several meetings in the city, where people discussed about the development of the surrounding landscapes.

1572 destroyed a huge fire parts of the city and 1580 Enköping was ravaged by the plague, which is said to have called in the parish of 6,000 victims. This number, however, doubted, as the city despite the positive development had about the same number of inhabitants three centuries later. King Gustav Vasa left the monastery and all other church property move. The monastery buildings housed a hospital and then several manufactories.

Crucial for the development of the town was the trade with the provinces of Västmanland and Dalarna, their metal products were transported to Stockholm and Södertälje. Under King Charles IX. Enköping received a scale and a customs house and after another fire in 1609, the king made ​​sure that the trade to flourish once again. Gustav II Adolf, however, left the trade goods from the Bergslagen redirect to Västerås. Nevertheless Enköping kept for some time its important position in the Swedish market.

Until the mid- 17th century, the streets were narrow and winding, and followed the windings of the river. During the construction of the road from Stockholm to Västerås today Kungsgatan was created. But this was not consistently the same width and went to the east on a steep hill. Only in the 19th century, the main shortcomings of the road were eliminated. At that time passed the imposing buildings of the city, such as churches and town hall, stone, the remaining wooden houses.

With the decrease of the iron trade, the city received as compensation the right to supply the royal family with vegetables. These vegetable growers from Holland were recruited who helped place the construction of the new industrial sector. Go to the top of the 18th century even tried tobacco plantations, but in the end, the city was known for its mustard fields.

Today the city is known throughout Europe among garden lovers and enjoys an even English gardens comparable reputation. Tens of thousands of perennials are planted annually in the spring in Enköping, the cityscape is characterized by numerous pocket parks and green spaces. This commitment is reduced considerably carelessness and vandalism; benefit from the increased quality of the social space city people and tourists. The "Dream Garden" was designed between 1996-2003 by Piet Oudolf. The area is framed by three blocks from beech topiary. The planting is dominated by blue ornamental sage: Salvia nemorosa ' Ostfriesland ', Salvia x ' Blue Hill ' and Salvia x ' complaints '. Furthermore, we find the usual red Wasserdost, mullein and holly.

Personalities

Sons and daughters of the town

Municipalities of Sweden Charles IX of Sweden Pocket-Park Grillby
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