Gammelstaden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gammelstaden
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 Gammelstaden
Location in Norrbotten
Gammelstaden
Location in Sweden
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| Country | Sweden |
| Province | Norrbotten |
| County | Norrbotten County |
| Municipality | Luleå Municipality |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.20 km2 (2.39 sq mi) |
| Population
(31 December 2010)
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| • Total | 4,960 |
| • Density | 800/km2 (2,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Gammelstaden (also called Luleå Old Town) is a town in Sweden. It is located in Luleå Municipality, in Norrbotten County. In 2010, about 4,960 people lived there. Gammelstaden is famous for the Gammelstad Church Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means it is a very special place recognized globally for its history and culture.
Contents
History of Gammelstaden
The Land Before the Town
Imagine Sweden a thousand years ago! The area around Luleå looked very different. It was mostly an archipelago, which means a group of many islands. This was because the land was about ten metres lower than it is today. It had been pushed down by the huge weight of ice during the last ice age.
The hill where Gammelstaden's church now stands was once a small island. It was located right at the mouth of the Lule river. By the 14th century, this area became the main spot for a large parish. A parish is like a church district. This one stretched from the coast all the way to the mountains in Norway. It followed the Kalix, Lule, and Råne rivers.
How Sweden Gained Control
After a peace agreement called the Treaty of Nöteborg in 1323, Sweden and Russia did not agree on their northern border. To make sure the area belonged to Sweden, the Swedish government gave control of the Lule river valley to people from Central Sweden.
The church also sent out priests and built simple wooden churches. The first time church services were mentioned in 'Luleå' was in 1339. The church, taxes, and Swedish laws were all used to bring what is now Norrbotten into the Swedish state.
Building the Church and the Town
The building of Nederluleå Church started in the 15th century. This church is very large. Its size shows that the area was doing well financially. People likely made money by trading fur and salmon.
In the 17th century, a strict rule was put in place. All trading had to happen in towns so that taxes could be collected. Because of this, the town of Luleå was founded in 1621. It was built right where the old marketplace used to be.
Why the Town Moved
However, by 1649, people noticed a problem. The harbour had become too shallow. This happened because the land was slowly rising out of the sea. This natural process is called post-glacial rebound.
Because the harbour was too shallow, the people of Luleå had to move their town closer to the coast. This led to the creation of two places: Luleå New Town (which is today's Luleå) and Luleå Old Town (which is today's Gammelstaden).
If you visit Gammelstaden today, you can still see some old blocks of buildings. They have courtyards laid out in neat right-angles. These parts of the town date back to the 17th century.
