Falun

Falun
Stora torget, the Great Square in central Falun
Coat of arms
Falun
Coordinates: 60°36′N 15°38′E / 60.6°N 15.633°E / 60.6; 15.633Coordinates: 60°36′N 15°38′E / 60.6°N 15.633°E / 60.6; 15.633
Country	Sweden
Province	Dalarna
County	Dalarna County
Municipality	Falun Municipality
Charter	1641
Area[1]
• Total	27.17 km2 (10.5 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2010)[1]
• Total	37,291
• Density	1,372/km2 (3,553.5/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Falun (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈfɑːˈlɵnː]) is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 37,291 inhabitants in 2010.^[1] It is also the capital of Dalarna County. Falun forms, together with Borlänge, a metropolitan area with close to 100,000 inhabitants.

Falun was originally famous for its copper mine, and is today an important service and industrial city even though the mine is closed (since 1992).

History

The town of Falun is known to have existed in the 14th century as a market place for the surrounding lands. Mining for copper had been a local business since the mid-13th century, or possibly as early as 1000,^[2] and the organisation for the extracting of copper and gold from the Great Copper Mountain is believed to be the oldest still-existing enterprise in the world, proved active since 1347, when its charter was granted by King Magnus IV of Sweden. The first share in the company is dated as early as 1288.

However, an enterprise at that time was nothing more than a cooperation among the owners, each contributing with a share of money for constructions, tools, etc., necessary to run the organisation. Depending on their contribution they could use the facilities and share the profit according to the relative share they contributed.

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  Falun Center

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  House in Falun

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  View from ski-jump on Falun

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  The "Great Copper Mountain Church" (Stora Kopparbergs kyrka)

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  Church in Falun

The city of Falun received its privileges in 1641. By then Falun was already one of the largest cities in Sweden, with about 6000 inhabitants. Soon, however, the importance of the copper mine began to decrease. In 1687, parts of the mine collapsed in a landslide, creating an 100 m deep pit.^[3] Even though the mine remained in use for the next 300 years, the production gradually diminished, until it closed down in 1992.

The mining area of the Great Copper Mountain has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which also was the name of the mining company of Falun, is today a part of Stora Enso.

Today

For education, the city holds part of the University College of Dalarna (Högskolan Dalarna).

In sports, Falun hosts the annual Swedish Ski Games at its skiing arena Lugnet, Falun. The city's most successful sport team is the bandy team Falu BS which has played in the Swedish top division for many years. Also, IBF Falun, the floorball male and female teams have been very successful. Falu FK play in in Division 2 Norra Svealand.

Lugnet, Falun Stadion has also hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships three times: 1954, 1974, and most recently in 1993.

The city lost out to Calgary, Canada, in 1981 for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Again, Falun applied for the 1992 Winter Olympics but lost out to Albertville, France, in 1986. The city lost despite the best efforts of one of ABBA's singers who recorded a single in support of the bid.

Falun is the hometown of The Battle, one of the world's most famous snowboard competitions.

Iron and Copper byproducts from the mine are still used as a paint ingredient, in the production of the nationally well known and culturally important Falu Red paint, particularly used on wooden houses.

Notable residents and former residents of Falun

• Ferdinand Boberg, architect
• Björn Dixgård, musician
• Guledimus Prime, architect, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, and writer
• Mattias Flink, mass murderer
• Maria Hjorth, golfer
• Patrick Johansson, drummer
• Tomas Jonsson, ice hockey player
• Anders Kallur, ice hockey player
• Jenny Kallur, athlete, World Championships finalist 2005 in 100 m hurdles
• Susanna Kallur, athlete, had the world indoor record on 60 m hurdles
• Lina Leandersson, actress
• Marcus Ljungqvist, road bicycle racer
• Thomas Quick, serial murderer
• Lars Tures, food and wine expert
• Sabaton, power metal band
• Ulf Stenlund, tennis player
• Gunnar Säve-Söderbergh, palaeontologist
• Ernst Rolf, actor and singer
• Georg Skarstedt, actor
• Georg Stiernhielm, civil servant, linguist and poet
• Putte Wickman, jazz clarinetist
• Walter Steiner, ski jumper
• Max Carlsson bassist for punk/rock band Papercrouch

In popular culture

The short story "Die Bergwerke zu Falun" ("The Mines of Falun") was published by E. T. A. Hoffmann in 1819.

See also

• Biathlon World Championships
• Falukorv
• Great Copper Mountain
• Gruvrisskolan - elementary school
• Mattias Flink
• Thomas Quick

Sports

The following sports clubs are located in Falun:

• Falu FK
• Korsnäs IF FK
• Slätta SK

Annual music concert

Starting in 2008 Falun has been the home of a Rock and metal concert called Rockstad Falun

References

External links

Media related to Falun at Wikimedia Commons

• Falun - Official site

Falun is one of 133 places with the historical city status in Sweden.

v d e Municipalities and seats of Dalarna County Municipalities Älvdalen Avesta Borlänge Falun Gagnef Hedemora Leksand Ludvika Malung-Sälen Mora Orsa Rättvik Säter Smedjebacken Vansbro Municipal seats Älvdalen Avesta Borlänge Djurås Falun Hedemora Leksand Ludvika Malung Mora Orsa Rättvik Säter Smedjebacken Vansbro Counties of Sweden Sweden

v d e Administrative seats of Swedish counties (län) Falun (Dalarna) Gävle (Gävleborg) Gothenburg (Västra Götaland) Halmstad (Halland) Härnösand (Västernorrland) Jönköping (Jönköping) Kalmar (Kalmar) Karlskrona (Blekinge) Karlstad (Värmland) Linköping (Östergötland) Luleå (Norrbotten) Malmö (Skåne) Nyköping (Södermanland) Örebro (Örebro) Östersund (Jämtland) Stockholm (Stockholm) Sundsvall (Västernorrland) Umeå (Västerbotten) Uppsala (Uppsala) Västerås (Västmanland) Växjö (Kronoberg) Visby (Gotland)