Puneet Varma (Editor)

Avesta Municipality

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Country
  
Sweden

Time zone
  
CET (UTC+1)

Municipal code
  
2084

Seat
  
Avesta

ISO 3166 code
  
SE

Province
  
Dalarna County


Avesta Municipality (Avesta kommun) is one of 290 municipalities of Sweden. It is in Dalarna County, in central part of the country, and its seat is in the town Avesta.

Contents

Map of Avesta, Sweden

The municipality in its present size was created in 1967 when the four surrounding municipalities were joined with the then City of Avesta. In 1971 it became a municipality of unitary type.

Avesta borders to the municipalities of:

  • Hedemora in Dalarna,
  • Hofors and Sandviken in Gävleborg County,
  • Norberg and Sala in Västmanland County

    • Sports

    Speedway: The most successful sport team in Avesta is their speedway team Masarna, translating to "the men of Dalecarlia", competing in the highest division in Sweden.
    Football: Avesta AIK, Krylbo IF
    Ladies' handball: Avesta Brovallen HF
    Ice hockey: Avesta BK

    Localities

  • Avesta (the seat)
  • Krylbo (part of the seat Avesta.)
  • Horndal
  • Fors

    • Notability

    1644–1776, Avesta was the largest part of the Swedish Mint, manufacturing mainly copper plate money. The World's largest - a 10 daler plate - is exhibited in the Avesta Myntmuseum, and weighs 19.4 kg.

    In Stubbsveden, just west of the town Avesta, is a wildlife park for European bison (wisent). Guided tours are conducted around and in between the confinements in the summer season. Occasionally, individuals from this and other Swedish animal parks are relocated to the reserve herds in Poland and Romania to widen their DNA pool.

    The city's largest industry is its steel mill, today owned by the Finnish company Outokumpu Oyj. Iron production started here in the 16th Century, was industrialized in the 17th, but was surpassed by the copper plate producing Swedish Mint factory from 1644. However, production was maintained during the centuries, and in 1823 a forge was added. 1924, production of stainless, acidproof, and fire-resistive steels was initiated. In the 1960s, these were still the main products, but twenty years later, the cold- and hot-rolled stainless qualities dominated. In 1991, British Steel Stainless merged with the Avesta firm, and in 2001 Outokumpu took over the majority of the ownership.

    The largest Dalecarlian horse (Dalahäst) in the world is located in Avesta. It is 13 meters tall and weighs 67 tons.

    Notable natives

  • Tony Rickardsson, rally driver, and former speedway driver (six times a World Champion). Born 1970 in Avesta.
  • Nicklas Lidström, ice hockey player (NHL), born in Krylbo, Avesta municipality.
  • Scar Symmetry, metal band.
  • Calle Jularbo, Karl Oskar Jularbo (1893-1966) born Karlsson. Accordionist and composer, raised in Östanbyn, Avesta.
  • Carl Martin Norberg, gymnast and Olympic gold medalist, born 1886 in Avesta.
  • Dan Söderström, ice hockey player, born 1948 in Horndal, Avesta municipality.
  • Erik Axel Karlfeldt (1864–1931), poet, author, and Nobel laureate. Born in Karlbo, Avesta.
  • Marcus Kock (1585-1657), mintmaster, born in Liège, Belgium, active in Avesta from 1626.
  • Mats Åhlberg, ice hockey player, born 1947 in Avesta.
  • Mattias Ekström, racing driver, born 1978 in Falun, raised in Snickarbo, Avesta municipality.
  • Ola Salo, born as Rolf Ola Anders Svensson. Singer and composer, born 1977 in Avesta. Founding member of The Ark.
  • Pär Aron Borg (1776–1839), pedagogue for the blind and deaf, born in Avesta.
  • Tommy Vestlund, ice hockey player for the Carolina Hurricanes, born 1974 in Fors, Avesta municipality.
  • Lars-Inge Svartenbrandt, criminal.

    • Politics

    Result of the 2010 election

    Moderate Party 22,93%

    Centre party 6,25%

    Liberal People's Party 4,77%

    Christian Democrats 3,46%

    Swedish Social Democratic Party 44,06%

    Left Party 5,42%

    Green Party 4,95%

    Sweden Democrats 7,21%

    Other Parties 0,96%

    References

    Avesta Municipality Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA