Gyttorp
Encyclopedia
Gyttorp is a locality
situated in Nora Municipality
, Örebro County
, Sweden
with 620 inhabitants in 2005. Today it is mainly known for its explosive factory and Ralph Erskine's
typical town houses. It is situated by lake Vikern.
as the place name suggests. Most probably the meaning of the name is Gydhi's or Gydha's new settlement.
. His coat of arms
showed an oak
leaf. This made Gyttorp estate a manor house for some decades.
s, cannonballs
and grenades were made of iron. This military production was continued until the mid 17th century, but from 1621 by private lease-holders. In 1670 the Swedish state sold Gyttorp to private owners and the water power was now only used for a watermill
and saw mill. A furnace for copper production was built here in the 1710s but was closed in the 1750s. Between 1706–1804 there was an inn in Gyttorp.
and later nitroglycerin and dynamite
was produced. The explosives were mainly used for blasting in mines. In 1915 this Gyttorps Sprängämnes AB was united with Alfred Nobel
's company Nitroglycerin AB and in a few year the new company moved all its production to Gyttorp. This meant that a new modern factory was built in Gyttorp and around it a new urban area
grew up. Many private homes were built and after World War II
Nitroglycerin AB gave the British architect
Ralph Erskine
the task to plan the new modern Gyttorp which has given Gyttorp a very typical architecture. 131 apartments as well as business premises and a school were built between 1948–1961. In the 1950s the explosive factory employed more than 800 workers.
Today the explosive factory is owned by the Australian company Orica
and the production is concentrated to detonation systems such as Nonel
that was invented by the engineers in Gyttorp during the 1960s. The once in all aspects dominating factory that around 1980 had 1600 employees today has a workforce of less than a fifth of that figure.
Shotgun shell
s have been produced in Gyttorp since 1908 under the brand
Gyttorp. The production was started by Gyttorps Sprängämnes AB but today it's produced by the company Gyttorp AB.
Urban areas in Sweden
Urban area is a common English translation of the Swedish term tätort. The official term in English, used by Statistics Sweden, is, however, locality. There are 1,940 localities in Sweden . They could be compared with census-designated places in the United States.A tätort in Sweden has a minimum of...
situated in Nora Municipality
Nora Municipality
Nora Municipality is a municipality in Örebro County in central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Nora.The amalgamation leading to the present municipality took place already in 1967 and in 1971 the City of Nora became a unitary municipality.- Localities :* Dalkarlsberg* Gyttorp*...
, Örebro County
Örebro County
Örebro County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland.- Province :...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
with 620 inhabitants in 2005. Today it is mainly known for its explosive factory and Ralph Erskine's
Ralph Erskine (architect)
Ralph Erskine, CBRE, RFS, ARIBA was an architect and planner who lived and worked in Sweden for most of his life.-Upbringing and influences :...
typical town houses. It is situated by lake Vikern.
History
Gyttorp was most probably settled during the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
as the place name suggests. Most probably the meaning of the name is Gydhi's or Gydha's new settlement.
Manor house
Gyttorp is mentioned as Gyetorp in the oldest taxation list for the area from 1539. The owner of Gyttorp estate and blast furnace at that time was the district senior juryman Karl Nilsson. He was ennobled in 1561 by king Eric XIV of SwedenEric XIV of Sweden
-Family and descendants:Eric XIV had several relationships before his marriage. With Agda Persdotter he had four daughters:#Margareta Eriksdotter , married 1592 to Olov Simonsson, vicar of Horn....
. His coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
showed an oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
leaf. This made Gyttorp estate a manor house for some decades.
Military industry
Karl Nilsson died in 1569, but the estate stayed in his family until 1606 when the Swedish state bought it in order to build a small scale military industry at the site. A new blast furnace and foundry were soon built where cannonCannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s, cannonballs
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
and grenades were made of iron. This military production was continued until the mid 17th century, but from 1621 by private lease-holders. In 1670 the Swedish state sold Gyttorp to private owners and the water power was now only used for a watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
and saw mill. A furnace for copper production was built here in the 1710s but was closed in the 1750s. Between 1706–1804 there was an inn in Gyttorp.
Explosive factory
In 1858 an explosive factory was built next by lake Vikern in Gyttorp. At first gunpowderGunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
and later nitroglycerin and dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
was produced. The explosives were mainly used for blasting in mines. In 1915 this Gyttorps Sprängämnes AB was united with Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, and armaments manufacturer. He is the inventor of dynamite. Nobel also owned Bofors, which he had redirected from its previous role as primarily an iron and steel producer to a major manufacturer of cannon and other armaments...
's company Nitroglycerin AB and in a few year the new company moved all its production to Gyttorp. This meant that a new modern factory was built in Gyttorp and around it a new urban area
Urban areas in Sweden
Urban area is a common English translation of the Swedish term tätort. The official term in English, used by Statistics Sweden, is, however, locality. There are 1,940 localities in Sweden . They could be compared with census-designated places in the United States.A tätort in Sweden has a minimum of...
grew up. Many private homes were built and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Nitroglycerin AB gave the British architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Ralph Erskine
Ralph Erskine (architect)
Ralph Erskine, CBRE, RFS, ARIBA was an architect and planner who lived and worked in Sweden for most of his life.-Upbringing and influences :...
the task to plan the new modern Gyttorp which has given Gyttorp a very typical architecture. 131 apartments as well as business premises and a school were built between 1948–1961. In the 1950s the explosive factory employed more than 800 workers.
Today the explosive factory is owned by the Australian company Orica
Orica
Orica is a multinational corporation that manufactures various chemical products. It is the largest supplier of mining explosives in the world. -History:...
and the production is concentrated to detonation systems such as Nonel
Nonel
Nonel is a shock tube detonator designed to initiate explosions, generally for the purpose of demolition of buildings and for use in the blasting of rock in mines and quarries. Instead of electric wires, a hollow plastic tube delivers the firing impulse to the detonator, making it immune to most of...
that was invented by the engineers in Gyttorp during the 1960s. The once in all aspects dominating factory that around 1980 had 1600 employees today has a workforce of less than a fifth of that figure.
Shotgun shell
Shotgun shell
A shotgun shell is a self-contained cartridge loaded with lead shot or shotgun slug designed to be fired from a shotgun....
s have been produced in Gyttorp since 1908 under the brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
Gyttorp. The production was started by Gyttorps Sprängämnes AB but today it's produced by the company Gyttorp AB.