Surahammar Municipality Facts for Kids

Surahammar Municipality (Surahammars kommun) is a local area in central Sweden. It's like a small county, and its main town is called Surahammar. This area is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Stockholm. It's part of the Bergslagen region, which is known for its rich minerals.

Surahammar Municipality was created in 1963. This happened when two smaller areas, Ramnäs and Sura, joined together.

Towns and Villages in Surahammar
How Surahammar Grew: A History
What Surahammar Makes: Economy
Fun Things to Do: Tourism
- Exploring the Strömsholm Canal
- Visiting Ecomuseum Bergslagen
Images for kids
See also

Towns and Villages in Surahammar

Surahammar Municipality includes a few important towns and villages:

Ramnäs
Surahammar (This is the main town, also called the "seat")
Virsbo

How Surahammar Grew: A History

The making of steel started in this area a long time ago, in the 1500s and 1600s. This was when special workshops called forges were built. It was new to have these forges separate from where the iron was mined and first made.

The forges were in Virsbo, Ramnäs, and Surahammar. Iron was brought from places further north. At first, it was moved by horse-sleds in the winter. The area had plenty of water power to run the forge hammers. There was also lots of wood to make charcoal, which was needed for the forges.

Later, the Strömsholm Canal was built. This canal helped ship finished products to Västerås and Stockholm. From there, the products could be sent to other countries. The forges needed a lot of water power and wood. This is why they were built in this area.

Over time, the workshops became very good at making certain things. In Ramnäs, they became famous for making iron chains. Today, these chains are used in the offshore industry. In Surahammar, they made parts for train wheels and special steels. A big customer for these was a company called ASEA.

In 1897, a man named Gustaf Eriksson developed the first car built in Sweden with a combustion engine. This happened in Surahammar. This car later led to a new Swedish car industry. It was located in Södertälje and became part of the company Scania AB.

Today, the old workshops in Virsbo, Ramnäs, and Surahammar are modern industries. They are now owned by companies from all over the world.

What Surahammar Makes: Economy

Surahammar Municipality has several important industries. They make different products for various uses:

Surahammars Bruk AB makes special electrical steels.
Adtranz Wheelset AB produces wheelsets for trains.
Metso Powdermet
Scana Ramnäs AB
Uponor Wirsbo AB
Ruukki Sverige AB, Virsbo

Fun Things to Do: Tourism

There are fun things to see and do in Surahammar Municipality:

Exploring the Strömsholm Canal

The Strömsholm Canal has been fixed up and is now a popular place for small boats. You can travel along this canal for about 100 kilometers (62 miles). The journey starts from Strömsholm Palace, which is one of the Royal Palaces in Sweden. It goes through many canal locks and lakes, all the way to Fagersta and Smedjebacken.

Visiting Ecomuseum Bergslagen

The Ecomuseum Bergslagen helps you learn about how industries first started in the Bergslagen region. It's not just one building, but about 40 different places you can visit. These sites show how people lived and worked during the early industrial times.