Motala
Encyclopedia
Motala is a locality
and the seat of Motala Municipality
, Östergötland County
, Sweden
with 29,798 inhabitants (41,956 in the entire municipality) in 2005. It is the third largest city of Östergötland, following Linköping
and Norrköping
. Motala is situated on the eastern shore of Lake Vättern and is regarded as the main centre of both the Göta Canal
and the surrounding lake region.
Motala Church
dates from the 13th century. For several centuries, Motala remained a small village, mainly regarded as a stopping post on the road to the nearby town of Vadstena
, one of cultural centres of medieval Sweden. However, King Gustav Vasa had a manor house
built at Motala and later Queen Kristina
had a summer residence built at the spa
resort of Medevi
, 20 km north of the town.
When the Göta Canal
was built in the early 19th century, Motala became an important town for the trade on the canal. The town received the minor privilege status of köping
in 1823, while full city rights were granted as of April 1, 1881. With the Swedish municipal reform of 1971, Motala became the seat of Motala Municipality
.
Motala Verkstad is an engineering company, world famous for its bridge and railway construction equipment. In the science fiction
novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
by Jules Verne
, the prow of the submarine Nautilus
was built at Motala Verkstad. Later major Swedish industrial manufacturers such as Electrolux
and Luxor
had their main factories built in the city.
The builder of the Göta Canal, Baltzar von Platen
has his grave by the canal in Motala.
Another important episode of Motala history began in 1927, when the Swedish national Motala longwave transmitter
station was built. The town marks the middle of a straight line between Sweden's two biggest cities, Stockholm
and Gothenburg
. Radio programs were transferred from studios in Stockholm to Motala by telephone wire. The call was "Stockholm-Motala". The transmitter operated on 191 kHz until 1962, when the transmissions were moved to Orlunda
. Since 1991 there have been no longwave transmissions at all by the Swedish Broadcasting Company, but the Motala transmitter, which is a museum today, sometimes makes low power transmissions which may only be receivable in the Motala area.
At Ervasteby, near Motala, there is a 332 metres tall guyed mast, used for FM- and TV-broadcasting.
Some years before the broadcasting station was established the company Luxor
was founded in Motala. Luxor soon became one of the largest radio
, and later television
, manufacturers in Sweden
. In the 1980s Luxor started producing their own line of computers, like the ABC 80. In 1985 Luxor was acquired by Nokia
, and eventually production moved elsewhere.
For sights surrounding Motala, see Motala Municipality
.
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...
and the seat of Motala Municipality
Motala Municipality
Motala Municipality is a municipality in Östergötland County in southeast Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Motala....
, Östergötland County
Östergötland County
Östergötland County is a county or län in southeastern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Västra Götaland to the west, Örebro to the northwest, Södermanland to the northeast, and the Baltic Sea to the east.Östergötland County has a population of...
, 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 29,798 inhabitants (41,956 in the entire municipality) in 2005. It is the third largest city of Östergötland, following Linköping
Linköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
and Norrköping
Norrköping
Norrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest...
. Motala is situated on the eastern shore of Lake Vättern and is regarded as the main centre of both the Göta Canal
Göta Canal
The Göta Canal is a Swedish canal constructed in the early 19th century. It formed the backbone of a waterway stretching some 382 miles , linking a number of lakes and rivers to provide a route from Gothenburg on the west coast to Söderköping on the Baltic Sea via the river Göta älv and the...
and the surrounding lake region.
History
Motala Church
Motala Church is situated in central Motala, in the province of Östergötland, Sweden. The oldest parts of the church were built in the 13th century. The present church was built 1772-1774. The tower was added in 1844....
dates from the 13th century. For several centuries, Motala remained a small village, mainly regarded as a stopping post on the road to the nearby town of Vadstena
Vadstena
Vadstena is a locality and the seat of Vadstena Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden, with 5,612 inhabitants in 2005. From 1974 to 1979 Vadstena was administered as part of Motala Municipality....
, one of cultural centres of medieval Sweden. However, King Gustav Vasa had a manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
built at Motala and later Queen Kristina
Christina of Sweden
Christina , later adopted the name Christina Alexandra, was Queen regnant of Swedes, Goths and Vandals, Grand Princess of Finland, and Duchess of Ingria, Estonia, Livonia and Karelia, from 1633 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustav II Adolph and his wife Maria Eleonora...
had a summer residence built at the spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
resort of Medevi
Medevi
Medevi brunn, is Scandinavia's oldest spa, located on the eastern shore of Lake Vättern, in north-west Östergötland, Sweden.- History :The spa was founded in 1678 by count Gustaf Soop and the royal doctor Urban Hjärne...
, 20 km north of the town.
When the Göta Canal
Göta Canal
The Göta Canal is a Swedish canal constructed in the early 19th century. It formed the backbone of a waterway stretching some 382 miles , linking a number of lakes and rivers to provide a route from Gothenburg on the west coast to Söderköping on the Baltic Sea via the river Göta älv and the...
was built in the early 19th century, Motala became an important town for the trade on the canal. The town received the minor privilege status of köping
Köping
This article deals with the Swedish denomination for a market town. For the city, see Köping, Sweden. For the municipality, see Köping Municipality....
in 1823, while full city rights were granted as of April 1, 1881. With the Swedish municipal reform of 1971, Motala became the seat of Motala Municipality
Motala Municipality
Motala Municipality is a municipality in Östergötland County in southeast Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Motala....
.
Motala Verkstad is an engineering company, world famous for its bridge and railway construction equipment. In the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a classic science fiction novel by French writer Jules Verne published in 1870. It tells the story of Captain Nemo and his submarine Nautilus as seen from the perspective of Professor Pierre Aronnax...
by Jules Verne
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
, the prow of the submarine Nautilus
Nautilus (Verne)
The Nautilus is the fictional submarine featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island . Verne named the Nautilus after Robert Fulton's real-life submarine Nautilus...
was built at Motala Verkstad. Later major Swedish industrial manufacturers such as Electrolux
Electrolux
The Electrolux Group is a Swedish appliance maker.As of 2010 the 2nd largest home appliance manufacturer in the world after Whirlpool, its products sell under a variety of brand names including its own and are primarily major appliances and vacuum cleaners...
and Luxor
Luxor AB
Luxor was a Swedish home electronics and computer manufacturer located in Motala, acquired by Nokia in 1985.Originally a manufacturer of tape recorders, radios, television sets, stereo systems, and other home electronics, it launched its first home computer, the ABC 80 in 1978...
had their main factories built in the city.
The builder of the Göta Canal, Baltzar von Platen
Baltzar von Platen (1766-1829)
Count Baltzar Bogislaus von Platen was a Swedish naval officer and statesman. He was born on the island of Rügen to Filip Julius Bernhard von Platen, Field Marshal and the Swedish Governor General of Pomerania, and Regina Juliana von Usedom.-Swedish Navy:At age 13 Baltzar entered the Royal...
has his grave by the canal in Motala.
Longwave radio
Motala longwave transmitter
The Motala longwave transmitter is a broadcasting station for longwave, established in 1927 in Motala, Sweden. Its aerial is of the T-type spun between two free standing steel framework towers, which still exist today. The transmitter was in service until 1962, when the new Orlunda longwave...
station was built. The town marks the middle of a straight line between Sweden's two biggest cities, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
. Radio programs were transferred from studios in Stockholm to Motala by telephone wire. The call was "Stockholm-Motala". The transmitter operated on 191 kHz until 1962, when the transmissions were moved to Orlunda
Longwave transmitter Orlunda
The Orlunda longwave transmitter was a longwave broadcast facility in central Sweden which broadcast Sveriges Radio Programme 1 from 1962 to 1991...
. Since 1991 there have been no longwave transmissions at all by the Swedish Broadcasting Company, but the Motala transmitter, which is a museum today, sometimes makes low power transmissions which may only be receivable in the Motala area.
At Ervasteby, near Motala, there is a 332 metres tall guyed mast, used for FM- and TV-broadcasting.
Some years before the broadcasting station was established the company Luxor
Luxor AB
Luxor was a Swedish home electronics and computer manufacturer located in Motala, acquired by Nokia in 1985.Originally a manufacturer of tape recorders, radios, television sets, stereo systems, and other home electronics, it launched its first home computer, the ABC 80 in 1978...
was founded in Motala. Luxor soon became one of the largest radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, and later television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, manufacturers in 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....
. In the 1980s Luxor started producing their own line of computers, like the ABC 80. In 1985 Luxor was acquired by Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
, and eventually production moved elsewhere.
Main sights
- The Motala Motor MuseumMotala Motor MuseumMotala Motor Museum is a museum in Motala harbour, Sweden. The museum opened in 1995 and could be described as a "nostalgic museum". Over 200 vehicles; cars, mopeds, bicycles and 300 radios and TVs are displayed.-External links:...
(site) contains cars and many hundreds of other period pieces, including motorbikes, racing cars, radios, record players, tools, and many, many, other objects from the first 70 or so years of the 20th century. - The Swedish Broadcasting MuseumMotala longwave transmitterThe Motala longwave transmitter is a broadcasting station for longwave, established in 1927 in Motala, Sweden. Its aerial is of the T-type spun between two free standing steel framework towers, which still exist today. The transmitter was in service until 1962, when the new Orlunda longwave...
with the twin radio towers. - The Göta CanalGöta CanalThe Göta Canal is a Swedish canal constructed in the early 19th century. It formed the backbone of a waterway stretching some 382 miles , linking a number of lakes and rivers to provide a route from Gothenburg on the west coast to Söderköping on the Baltic Sea via the river Göta älv and the...
with locks. - The old Motala Works with museums and exhibitions in historical buildings.
- Motala ChurchMotala ChurchMotala Church is situated in central Motala, in the province of Östergötland, Sweden. The oldest parts of the church were built in the 13th century. The present church was built 1772-1774. The tower was added in 1844....
, dating back to the 13th Century. - Motala Museum at Charlottenborg CastleCharlottenborg CastleCharlottenborg slott, is a country house or manor house rather than a castle, on the shores of Motala ström, Östergötland, Sweden. The house was built in the mid 17th century by Ludvig Wierich Lewenhaupt and named in honour of his wife, Charlotte von Hohenlohe-Neuenstein...
. - Varamon beach.
For sights surrounding Motala, see Motala Municipality
Motala Municipality
Motala Municipality is a municipality in Östergötland County in southeast Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Motala....
.