Ödeshög Municipality facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ödeshög Municipality
Ödeshögs kommun
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| Country | Sweden | |
| County | Östergötland County | |
| Seat | Ödeshög | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 672.1 km2 (259.5 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 431.39 km2 (166.56 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 240.71 km2 (92.94 sq mi) | |
| Area as of January 1, 2010. | ||
| Population
(June 30, 2012)
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| • Total | 5,330 | |
| • Density | 7.930/km2 (20.540/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | |
| ISO 3166 code | SE | |
| Province | Östergötland | |
| Municipal code | 0509 | |
| Website | www.odeshog.se | |
Ödeshög Municipality (which is Ödeshögs kommun in Swedish) is a special area in Östergötland County, Sweden. It's like a local government district. The main town and where the local government is located is called Ödeshög.
The symbol for Ödeshög Municipality is its coat of arms. This symbol was created in 1972. It shows things that represent the old Alvastra monastery. You can see an abbot's staff (a special stick carried by a leader of a monastery), a rising moon (which often represented the Virgin Mary in old times), and a six-pointed star (which can mean a higher power).
Contents
Nature and Scenery
A big part of Ödeshög Municipality is right next to Vättern, one of Sweden's largest lakes. There's even a small harbor there.
There are also two special nature reserves in the area:
- Isberga: This place has a unique type of grassland called a steppe meadow. You can find many special flowers growing here.
- Kråkeryd: This reserve is on rocks high above Lake Vättern, about 60 meters up! The ground here has a lot of lime, which means many unusual flowers and plants grow in this wild, rocky area.
Towns and Villages
Ödeshög Municipality has two main urban areas (also called Tätort or localities). These are places where many people live close together.
Here are the urban areas listed by how many people lived there on December 31, 2005. The main town, Ödeshög, is shown in bold.
| # | Locality | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ödeshög | 2,651 |
| 2 | Hästholmen | 372 |
Historical Places and Sights
One of the most famous places in the municipality is the old Alvastra monastery. It's a very old and important historical site.
You can also find one of the world's most famous runestones here, called the Rök runestone. It has ancient carvings and stories on it.
There are other ancient remains too, like two old hillforts called Borgberget and Hjässaborgen. These were old forts built on hills. You can visit them, but not much is left of them, and they can be a bit tricky to reach. The municipality also has old burial grounds from long ago.
Besides the Alvastra monastery, there are seven other important churches in the area. Many of these churches have very old foundations from the medieval times. Some interesting ones include:
- Rök Church: Built in 1845, the famous Rök runestone stands right outside it.
- Stora Åby Church: Built in the 1750s, it has several older items inside, like a baptismal font (for baptisms) and a triptych (a three-part artwork).
- Ödeshögs Church: This church also has a foundation that dates back to the medieval period.
In a place called Eketorp, an ancient Thor's hammer amulet was discovered. This was a special charm shaped like the hammer of the Norse god Thor.
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Famous People from Ödeshög
- Klas Ingesson: A former professional footballer who played for teams like Sheffield Wednesday and PSV Eindhoven.
- Helen Svensson Fletre (1909–1987): An American writer and journalist.
Sister Cities
Ödeshög Municipality has a "sister city" relationship with:
Obal, Belarus
See also
In Spanish: Municipio de Ödeshög para niños
