Page 25 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Stockholm

THE HIST OR Y OF ST OCKHOLM  23

significantly, Denmark had to hand over
Norway to Sweden. The Norwegians
were reluctant to unite with Sweden,
but a union between the two coun tries
was agreed – this lasted from 1814 to
1905. A long era of peace began,
and with it came a dramatic increase in
the country’s population, which grew
Newspaper readers outside the Aftonbladet office in 1841 by 1 million to 3.5 million by 1850.
Many Swedes were driven into poverty,
for all time, and the privileges of the because there was not enough work to go
aristocracy were undermined even more round. Mass emigration followed. From the
in 1809 with a new consti tution that 1850s to the 1930s about 1.5 million people
divided power between the king, the left Sweden. Most of the emigrants travelled
government and parliament. to North America in search of a better life.
With a new class structure and the effect
of the French Revolution, a new middle Folk Movements and Industrialization
class emerged with aspirations of being As Sweden was transformed from an
more influential. One of the best-known agricultural society into an industria lized
newspapers founded around this time was country, the problems posed by the
the liberal mouthpiece, Aftonbladet. population surplus were gradually tackled.
Difficulties in finding a An industrial revolution started
suitable new monarch led around 1850, gathering
eventually to the choice of momentum in the late 19th
one of Napoleon’s marshals, century, and the textile, timber
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, who and iron industries provided the
took on the more authentic main sources of employ ment.
Swedish name of Karl Johan. In 1806 the nation’s first steam-
Founder of the pre sent royal driven mill, Eldkvarn, was built
dynasty, Karl XIV Johan on the site of the present-day
continued to speak French Stockholm’s Eldkvarn mill, destroyed City Hall in Stockholm. It
and never fully learned the by fire in 1878 con tinued production until
Swedish lan guage. His French destroyed by fire in 1878.
wife, Queen Desideria, found Stockholm a Folk movements sprang up in the 19th
cultural backwater compared with Paris. century, and these still play an important role
In 1813 a Swedish army with Karl Johan in Swedish life. A temper ance movement
at its head became involved in a cam paign emerged against a background of alcohol
against Napoleon. The Battle of Leipzig abuse – in the 1820s annual consumption
ended in defeat for France, but, more of spirits was 46 litres (80 pints) per person.

1869 Emigration to North America 1876 L M Ericsson 1908 Royal
1810 Parliament chooses increases due to crop failures starts manufacture Dramatic
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte of telephones Theatre
as Crown Prince 1842 Primary schools established opens
by decree in every parish
August Strindberg
1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900
1818 Karl XIV Johan is crowned 1859 Sweden’s first 1879 August Strindberg’s novel
King of Sweden and Norway railway opens The Red Room is published
1814 Sweden gains Norway 1850 Sweden has 3.5 million 1905 Parliament dissolves
in peace treaty with Denmark population, 93,000 living in Stockholm union with Norway

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