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Linköping
Main street in Linköping city
Linköping Cathedral
Linköping University
Nickname(s): 
Flygstaden (The flight city)
Motto(s): 
Linköping – where ideas come to life
Linköping is located in Östergötland
Linköping
Linköping
Location in Östergötland
Linköping is located in Sweden
Linköping
Linköping
Location in Sweden
Country Sweden Sweden
Province Östergötland
County Östergötland County
Municipality Linköping Municipality
Founded 12th century
Area
 • City 42.16 km2 (16.28 sq mi)
Elevation
45 m (148 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2022)
 • City 166,673
 • Density 3,953.3/km2 (10,239.1/sq mi)
 • Metro
158,841
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
58x xx
Area code(s) (+46) 13

Linköping is a city in southern Sweden. It has about 167,000 people living there. Linköping is the main city of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. It is also home to the Diocese of Linköping, which is a church district, and is famous for its beautiful Linköping Cathedral.

Linköping is a very old cultural area. It celebrated its 700th birthday in 1987. The tall steeple of the cathedral, called Domkyrkan in Swedish, can be seen from far away. Today, Linköping is known for its university and its advanced technology companies. The city aims to be a carbon-neutral community by 2025. This means it wants to have no net release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Linköping is located on the Östergötland Plain, close to Norrköping, which is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the east.

History of Linköping

Lkpgdomkyrka-ne
Linköping Cathedral from the east
Suecia 3-004 ; Linköping
Linköping from the west, in an old book
Hunnebergsgatan i Linköping
Hunnebergsgatan: an old street with preserved older buildings

The city's name might come from the Lionga ting assembly. This was an important meeting place in Östergötland according to old laws. The exact spot of the Lionga ting is not known. The word "-köping" in the name means there used to be a market there.

Early Church and Education

Linköping became an important church center very early, around 1082. It was the second oldest diocese (church district) in Sweden. The diocese was first mentioned in 1104. The Vreta Kloster monastery, near Roxen lake, was built in 1128. The oldest parts of the cathedral are also from the 12th century. The cathedral has been changed many times, and its famous copper tower was added in the 1800s.

Because it was a religious center, Linköping also became a place for learning. A cathedral school existed as early as 1266. In 1627, the current Linköping cathedral school was started. This makes it the third oldest high school (called a gymnasium) in Sweden.

Important Events

In 1251, Valdemar Birgersson was crowned king in the cathedral. Later, during the rule of Gustavus Vasa, several important meetings of the Swedish parliament were held in Linköping.

Linköping was also the site of a big conflict between King Sigismund III Vasa and his uncle Duke Charles. Duke Charles won the battle of Stångebro on September 25, 1598. This battle took place at the main bridge in Linköping. This victory led to Duke Charles becoming king. After this, some of Charles's political opponents were punished in the main square of Linköping on March 20, 1600.

Modern Growth

Linköping was a small town until 1937. That year, the Saab aircraft company was started there. This led to a period of fast growth for the city. Linköping University was opened in the 1960s. Today, Linköping is a major hub for high-tech and software companies.

In 2022, a rare Viking grave was found in Linköping. It seemed to show how Vikings in the area changed from their old beliefs to Christianity.

Climate in Linköping

Linköping has a climate with clear seasons. Summers are warm, and winters are cold but not extremely harsh. The weather changes a lot between summer and winter. In summer, temperatures usually reach the low 20s Celsius (around 70s Fahrenheit). In winter, daytime temperatures are often just above freezing, dropping below freezing at night.

People of Linköping

In 2000, about 10.9 percent of the people in Linköping municipality had a foreign background. By 2019, this number had grown to 23.1 percent. The largest groups of immigrants come from:

Culture and Fun

Linköping-tekniska verken
The headquarters of a regional utilities company

Linköping offers many fun things to do for all ages. You can enjoy art, theater, history, concerts, markets, festivals, and sports.

Places to Visit

Some special places to see include:

  • The Berg locks on the Göta Canal
  • The locks of the Kinda Canal
  • Gamla Linköping (Old Linköping)
  • Valla skogen and Valla fritidsområde (Valla Wood and the Valla recreational area)
  • Flygvapen museum (the Air Force Museum)
  • Linköping's domkyrka (the cathedral)
  • Slotts- och domkyrkomuseet (the Castle and Cathedral Museum)
  • Östergötlands Länsmuseum (the Östergötland County Museum)
  • Konsthallen Passagen, an art gallery in the main square.

Tornby, north of the city center, is a large shopping area.

Nature and Outdoors

The city and its surroundings have many green spaces. Two examples are Trädgårdsföreningen (The Garden Society) park and the Tinnerö area with its oak forests. You can also visit lakes like Roxen, Rängen, and Järnlunden. The Stångån River, Kinda Canal, and Göta Canal with the Berg locks are great for walks, bike rides, or boat trips.

Music and Arts

Linköping is home to the Linköping Symphony Orchestra. The city hosts the Östergötland Music Days every summer. It also holds the Student Orchestra Festival every other May. The Linköping University Male Voice Choir is a well-known choir from the city.

The city is also where the theatrical heavy metal band Ghost and the rock band The Pusjkins started.

Old Linköping

In the 1960s, the area around the main square was rebuilt. Many old houses were taken down. However, some were moved to Gamla Linköping (Old Linköping). This area is in the western part of the city, next to the university. It is like a living museum and a popular place for both locals and tourists.

Conventions

NärCon, the biggest anime and gaming convention in the Nordic countries, takes place in Linköping.

A panorama view of Linköping, with Domkyrka church as the highest building of the whole city

Sports in Linköping

Linköping has strong teams in floorball, volleyball (Linköpings VC), and ice hockey (Linköpings HC). The hockey team joined with Linköping's women's football team to create Linköpings FC. This team plays in the top division and won the Swedish Cup in 2006 and 2014. The world's largest floorball club, Linköping Innebandy, is in the city center.

Cloetta Center, Linköping, juli 2005
SAAB Arena (formerly Cloetta Center), LHC's home stadium

Other sports clubs in Linköping include:

  • BK Derby
  • Derby/Linköping BK
  • BK Kenty
  • LiU AIF FK
  • Hjulsbro IK
  • IK Östria Lambohov
  • Karle IF
  • Linköpings ASS
  • Malmslätts AIK
  • Linköpings SF
  • Linköpings Budoklubb
  • Ekängen IF

Orienteering

Linköping hosted the 1968 World Orienteering Championships. This is a sport where people use a map and compass to find their way through unknown terrain.

Speedway

The city has a long history with motorcycle speedway. The team Filbyterna raced here from 1948 to 2010. They first raced at the old Linköping Motorstadion. Later, they moved to the Sviestad Motorstadion in 1973. This stadium still hosts events. It held the World Championship race, the Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden, from 1995 to 2000. It also hosted the 2022 Swedish Individual Speedway Championship.

Politics and Government

Linköping is governed by its local council. In the 2014 elections, different political parties received votes from the people. The Social Democrats, Green Party, and Liberal People's Party formed a group called "coalition for Linköping." They had enough votes to lead the city council. Other parties like the Moderate Party, Centre Party, Christian Democrats, Left Party, and Sweden Democrats formed the opposition.

The Swedish Air Force Museum is located near the city.

Economy and Jobs

One of the biggest employers in Linköping is Saab. This company makes many products, including the SAAB Gripen fighter jet. The Saab 340 airplane was also made at Linköping/Saab Airport. This is why Linköping is sometimes called "The flight city."

The city also has many companies in information technology. These include the main offices of IFS AB, Sectra AB, and Cambio Healthcare Systems AB. Other big tech companies like Motorola, Ericsson, and Infor also have offices here. Toyota Industries Sweden AB has a presence in Linköping through its subsidiary, BT Industries, located nearby.

Getting Around Linköping

The city is located south of Lake Roxen. This lake is part of important waterways like the Motala ström and the Göta Canal. The E4, which is Sweden's main highway, crosses the Stångån River and Kinda kanal here. Linköping is also on the main railway line that connects Stockholm with Malmö and Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. Linköping/Saab Airport has daily flights to Amsterdam.

Autonomous bus Linköping 2019
An autonomous bus experiment near Linköping University

In 2019, the city started trying out two self-driving buses. These buses run on a 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) route around the university campus.

Education in Linköping

Linköping is home to Linköping University and its connected hospital, Linköping University Hospital. The Katedralskolan (Cathedral School) is the third oldest high school (gymnasium) in Sweden.

Famous People from Linköping

Many notable people have come from Linköping, including:

City Districts

Linköping is divided into several districts, including:

  • Innerstaden
  • Ramshäll
  • Vimanshäll
  • Djurgården
  • Ekholmen
  • Ekkällan
  • Johannelund
  • Berga
  • Garnisonen
  • Gottfridsberg
  • Hackefors
  • Hejdegården
  • Hjulsbro
  • Jägarvallen
  • Kallerstad
  • Lambohov
  • Mjärdevi
  • Ryd
  • Skäggetorp
  • Tallboda
  • Tannefors
  • Tornby
  • Ullstämma
  • Västra Valla
  • Östra Valla
  • Vasastaden
  • Vidingsjö

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Linköping para niños

  • Diocese of Linköping
  • Roundabout dog
  • Linköping University
  • Linköping Bloodbath
  • 2019 Linköping explosion
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