Country Sweden County Västra Götaland County Time zone CET (UTC+1) Local time Saturday 11:13 AM | Province Västergötland Municipality Götene Municipality Area 185 ha Population 704 (31 Dec 2010) | |
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Weather 3°C, Wind W at 13 km/h, 73% Humidity | ||
Hällekis (pronounced "Hellekees") is a locality situated in Götene Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 704 inhabitants in 2010 compared to 904 in 1960, a decline due to the closure of the main employer.
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Map of 533 74 H%C3%A4llekis, Sweden
Location
The village is situated on the coast of Lake Väner (Sw.Vänern) and in the Kinnekulle peninsula with a 306 m (1,004 ft) ridge and large nature reserve. The nearest large towns are Mariestad and Lidköping, both about 20 miles (32 km) north-west and south-west respectively, with which it is connected by a light rail link.
History
A mill was established in the town in the 19th century. With the availability of raw material nearby this was developed into a cement works in the 20th century operated by Blue Circle Industries (Sw.Blå Rund) under the name "Skånska Cement". The factory closed in the late 20th century.
A large house on the outskirts of the town known as Hönsäter was part of a large chicken farm with connections with the Scottish Hamilton family, notably Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton who was indirectly involved in the Rudolf Hess affair. The house and grounds are now used as an hotel.