Kungsholmen

Kungsholmen is an island in Lake Mälaren in Sweden, part of Stockholm City. It is situated north of Riddarfjärden and considered part of the historical province Uppland.

Its area is 3.9 km² with a perimeter of 8.9 km. The highest point is at Stadshagsplan (47 m). The total population is 41,000.

Administratively, it is subdivided into the five districts Kungsholmen, Marieberg, Fredhäll, Kristineberg and Stadshagen.

Prominent buildings and structures:
* Stockholm City Hall, by architect Ragnar Östberg, and built 1911-1923.
* Stockholm Court House from 1909-1915.
* Kristineberg Palace from around 1750.
* Functionalist buildings along the southern waterfront Norr Mälarstrand.
* Art Deco buildings flanking the bridge Sankt Eriksbron.
* Dagens Nyheter Tower, completed in 1964.
* Västerbron, completed in 1935.

Bridges leading to Kungsholmen:
* From Norrmalm:
** Stadshusbron
** Klarabergsviadukten
** Kungsbron
** Blekholmsbron
** Barnhusbron
** Sankt Eriksbron
* From Solna:
** Ekelundsbron
* From Bromma:
** Tranebergsbron
* From Lilla Essingen:
** Mariebergsbron
** Fredhällsbron (part of the Essingeleden motorway.)
* From Södermalm:
** Västerbron

The history of Kungsholmen ..."Munklägret ... The Monks’ encampment"...In the 15th century begins the residence of Franciscan monks on the island, after this called Munklägret (The Monks’ encampment ). The monks lived on cattle-breeding and fishing. They also manage Själakorets’ brickyard at Rålambshov. As a result of the Reformation, which is concluded at the parliament in Västerås 1527, the monks are driven out and the area becomes property of the crown (Gustav Vasa). At the end of the 16th century Johan III (son of Gustav Vasa) sets up an additional brickyard at the northern bank. 1635 Munklägret (the name is kept) gets its first bridge. A few years later Queen Kristina donates large areas of land in the western part of the island to some of the generals from the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48). They build magnificent entails and lay out great gardens. 1644 the crown donates the eastern part of Munklägret to the authorities of the city of Stockholm, which then also gets its first city plan. Three years later the rest of the island is donated. In order to facilitate the migration to Munklägret privileges are given to artisans and manufacturers. They may, for example, set up operations here without having to belong to the guilds and they get tax exemption for ten years. 1672 Munklägret becomes a separate parish (Kungsholmen) and the whole island is named Kungsholmen.

"A generous economic policy ..." When the so-called Great Power period ends in the beginning of the 18th century the crown backs a generous economic policy. The entails are turned into factories and hospitals. In Hornsberg is established a cotton manufacture and at Marieberg a porcelain factory. In the early 19th century the military begins to settle in Kungsholmen, which is still a sparsely populated idyll.

"... creates a district of manufactures …"When Samuel Owen settles here Kungsholmen begins to develop into a marked district factories and workers. This development is accentuated when the brothers Bolinder start building up their business at Klara Sjö, west of the Kungsbron, (King´s Bridge) in mid-1800's. At the end of the 19th century Separator is established. Separator will soon become a world wide group of companies and has at the turn of the century 1800-1900 more than 2000 employees. The industrial breakthrough involves a huge population explosion. The population will grow from just over 4000 people in 1860 to 26000 in 1890. During the 1880s are built several apartment blocks to remedy the housing shortage. Claës Lundin writes about these houses: "With one or two exceptions, they give no honor to the decade." Kungsholmen is commonly referred to as "Svältholmen." (“The island of famine”)

"The modern Kungsholmen" In the early 1900s a radical structural change takes place on Kungsholmen. The traits from the old industrial district are swept away and instead housings and public institutions are built. 1910 St. Görans’ church is built. At the division of the parish in 1925, the new parish is named after the church. The residential areas in Fredhäll and in Kristineberg are built in the 1930s after a functionalist city plan. During the same decade are built Västerbron and Tranebergsbron. Sankt Eriksbron receives its current dimensions. The underground is railed in the 1950s through Kungsholmen, first out to Vällingby and later also to Järvafältet. At this time the military moves out and one big hospital Serafen is replaced (on another location) by the more up to date S:t Göran hospital. Translated from http://www.stockholm.se/OmStockholm/Forvaltningar-och-bolag/Stadsdelsforvaltningar/Kungsholmen/Historik/

See also

* Geography of Stockholm
* History of Stockholm