Växjö
has a long and rich history dating back to the 12th century when
the missionary Sigfrid came to the town to convert the inhabitants
to Christianity. In the middle of the 16th century Nils Dacke
led the Farmer's Revolt from Kronoberg castle on the shores of
lake Helga. Today you can visit the ruins of the castle which
once saw bloody battle between the Danes and the Swedes. You
can also visit the Cathedral in the city centre in its beautiful
parkland and lakeside setting. Växjö was characterised
in the 19th century by the great emigration from the then poverty
and harsh life in Sweden to the great land in the west - America.
The Dream of the West can be experienced at the House of Emigrants
in the city. During the last 100 years Växjö has developed
as an important cultural and business center in the south east
Sweden.
Växjö's strength is a diverse business base with good
co-operation between companies, the city and the university.
There are large international companies in industry and forestry,
small entrepreneurial firms, a number of large hi-tech businesses
and rapidly growing IT-companies. The new economy is highly visible
in Växjö. The InternetCity project links 200 IT companies
in and around Växjö.
Småland
is known for its entrepreneurial spirit, not least in Växjö
where the strong spirit of co-operation between the municipality,
companies and the university provides a driving force for the
region. Växjö was recognised as the Swedish city with
the strongest growth in 1999.
More information
about Växjö on the internet:http://www.vaxjo.se/english/index.html
