UPPSALA (SWEDEN)

Uppsala is an ancient city in Sweden and the administrative center of Uppland Province. Since 1164, Uppsala is the ecclesiastical center of Sweden, center of the archdiocese of Uppsala and a seat of the archbishop of the Church of Sweden. The University of Uppsala founded in 1477 is the oldest center of higher education in Scandinavia.

The city of Uppsala is located approximately 67 kilometers north-west of Stockholm.

Originally Uppsala was situated several kilometers to the north, on the site which is now known as Old Uppsala and is part of the northern area of the city. The written name of the settlement differed: apart from “Uppsala” names Upsala, Upfala, Ubsala were used.

The first constructions in Uppsala appeared in V century. The city grew and developed and by the beginning of XIII century its trading center moved to a more comfortable place several kilometers down the Fyris River and was given the name of Eastern Aros.

Of the ancient Uppsala a church of XIII century and burial mounds of IV-XII centuries are still preserved. This territory is owned by the state and is protected by the Swedish Central Council of National Treasures. In the reserved zone there is an outdoor museum Disagarden.

When in 1245 Uppsala burned down, the Eastern Aros inherited the name of the previous city. The center of the archdiocese of Uppsala was moved here; the new Uppsala Cathedral was built and opened in 1435 as well as the residence of the Archbishop of Uppsala.

On April 6 of 1520, on a Good Friday a battle between the Swedish peasant army, followers of Sten Sture the Younger, and the army of Danish king Christian II took place in Uppsala –– one of the bloodiest battles in Uppsala’s history. In XVI century, Uppsala was the center of Reformation in Sweden. In 1536, a gathering of the Synod of the Swedish church took place in Uppsala, at which Lutheran Church books were recognized as obligatory for the entire Sweden. The Synod in Uppsala became an important step of Reformation in Sweden. In 1593, the Synod in Uppsala made a decision to acknowledge Augsburg Confession, and the Swedish Church officially became one of Lutheran confession.

The city was numerously damaged by frequent fires, the most severe of which occurred in May of 1702, and was many times restored, but many historical buildings are preserved, especially those in the western part of the city.

Uppsala is renowned for its places of interest among which are: the Uppsala University founded in 1477 –– the oldest one in Scandinavia; the House-Museum of Professor Carolus Linnaeus, who lived in Uppsala and was buried in Uppsala’s Cathedral; the Uppsala Cathedral –– a Gothic temple, the biggest in Scandinavia (1260-1435); Gamla kyrka Church in Roman style, XII century; the King’s Palace (the original year of construction –– 1540; architects Gustav Vasa, F. Parr); Baroque Style “Gustavianum” built in 1620 –– now a museum, but until XIX century the main building of the University of Uppsala; the great burial mounds of Uppsala –– a complex of burial mounds-tombs.