Örebro

Örebro, town and capital of Örebro län (county), south-central Sweden. Örebro lies along the Svartån River at its entrance into Lake Hjalmar. One of Sweden’s oldest towns, it was already a commercial centre in the 13th century and played a prominent part in Swedish history. Örebro was the residence of Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, leader of a rebellion against Denmark in 1434, and the birthplace of Olaus and Laurentius Petri, 16th-century church reformers. Of the several important assemblies held there, the most notable was that of 1810, at which the French field marshal Jean Bernadotte was elected heir to the Swedish throne as Charles XIV John.

Largely rebuilt since a fire in 1854, Örebro has a modern appearance, but its imposing historic buildings include a 16th-century Swedish Renaissance castle on an island in the river, used partly as a museum and partly as the governor’s residence; a 13th-century Gothic church; and the 15th-century Kungsstugan (“King’s House”), one of the best-preserved wooden buildings in Sweden. Örebro University, originally a branch of Uppsala University (1967), became an independent college in 1977 and a fully accredited university in 1999.

The town is known for its shoe manufacture and biscuit making. Pop. (2005 est.) mun., 127,733.