Gotland Island

Island is a county and province of Sweden and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. Its is 3,140 square kilometers in area, making it the largest island of Sweden, though less than one percent of Sweden's total land area. Inhabitants of the island number 57,600 (2004 figure), with about 22,600 living in the primary city Visby. The main sources of income to the island are tourism and agriculture.

The island constitutes its own province, or landskap, in Sweden. The province also includes the small islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the north, and the tiny Karlsö Islands to the west.. The Latin name of Gotland, which may occasionally be encountered today, is Gotlandia. The region is also part of the traditional origin of the Goths, Götaland.

Geography

The island province of Gotland is represented by the current administrative entity, Gotland County. This county consists of the sole municipality (kommun) Gotland Municipality. Visby, with almost half of the island's population (circa 22,600), is the seat for the county council and municipal council.

Gotland is located about 90 km east off the Swedish mainland and about 130 km from the Baltic States. The island Gotland is obviously just one island, but the historical province of Gotland also includes adjacent islands, which are often considered part of the Gotlandian culture:

Fårö
The Karlsö Islands (Stora Karlsö and Lilla Karlsö)
Gotska Sandön, a National park of Sweden.

History

The island is the home of the Gotlanders. Early on Gotland became a commercial center and the town of Visby was the most important Hanseatic city in the Baltic Sea. The island had in late medieval time twenty things, each represented at the island-ting, called landsting, by its elected judge. New laws were decided at the landsting, which also took other decisions regarding the island as a whole.

The city of Visby and rest of the island was governed separately and a civil war caused by conflicts between the German merchants in Visby and the trading peasants on the countryside had to be put down by King Magnus I of Sweden in 1288. In 1361, Waldemar Atterdag of Denmark invaded the island. Victual Brothers occupied the island in 1394 to set up a stronghold headquarters on their own in Visby. At least Gotland came as a fiefdom to the Teutonic Knights to fight Victual Brothers at their fortified sanctuary. An invasion army of the Teutonic Knights conquered the island in 1398, destroyed Visby and drove the Victual Brothers out of Gotland.

The authority of the landsting was successively eroded after the island was occupied by the Teutonic Order, then sold to Eric of Pomerania and after 1449 ruled by Danish governors. In late medieval time the ting consisted of twelve representatives for the farmers, free-holders or tenants. Since the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645 the island remains under Swedish rule.

Heraldry

Gotland was granted its arms in about 1560, even though the island was at the time occupied by Danish forces. The coat of arms is represented with a ducal coronet. Blazon: "Azure a ram statant Argent armed Or holding on a cross-staff of the same a banner Gules bordered and with five tails of the third." The Gotlandic flag with the Gotlandic national coat of arms, white on red ground, known from the 13th century in the shape of the seal of the Gotlandic Republic with the proud ram. It reads: "Gutenses signo xpistus signatur in agno". This can be translated as follows: "I (the ram) am the sign of the Gotlanders but with the lamb one symbolizes Christ".

Culture

The medieval town of Visby has been entered as a site of the UNESCO World heritage program. An impressive feature of Visby is the fortress wall that surrounds the old city, dating from the time of the Hanseatic League.

The inhabitants of Gotland traditionally spoke their own language, known as Gutnish. Today however, they have adapted a dialect of Swedish that is know as "Gotländska", arguably one of the most beautiful dialects in the Swedish Language. In the 13th Century there was a writing published that contained the laws of the island, it was called "The Gotlandic law" (Guta lagh), and this work was also written in the ancient language Gutnish.

Gotland is famous for its 92 medieval churches, most of which are restored and in active use. These churches exhibit two major styles of architecture: Romanesque and Gothic. The older churches were constructed in the Romanesque style from 1150-1250 A.D. The newer churches were constructed in the Gothic architectural style that prevailed from about 1250 to 1400 A.D. The oldest painting inside one of the churches on Gotland stretches as far back in time as the 12th Century.

Traditional games of skill like Kubb, Pärk, and Varpa are played on Gotland. They are part of what has become called "Gutniska Lekar", and are performed preferably on the Midsummers Eve celebration on the island, but also throughout the summer months. The games have widespread reputation, some of them are played by people as far away as in the United States.

Notable natives

Christopher Polhem (1661–1751), the father of Swedish mechanical physics was born in Visby. He was also called the "Archimedes of the North".

Currently, famous Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman lives on Fårö, the small island directly north of Gotland Island.

Dukes of Gotlandia

Since 1772, Swedish Princes have been created Dukes of various provinces. This is solely a nominal title.

Prince Oscar (from his birth in 1859 until his loss of succession rights in 1888)

References in popular culture

The Long Ships, or "Red Orm" (original title: "Röde Orm"), a best-selling Swedish novel written by Frans Gunnar Bengtsson, contains a vivid description of Gotland in the Viking period. A section of the book is devoted to a Viking ship setting out to Russia, stopping on its way at Gotland and engaging a pilot from the island who plays an important part in their voyage. Gotlanders of the Viking Era are depicted as city people, more sophisticated and cosmopolitan than other Scandinavians of their time, and proud of their knowledge and skills.

External links

Provinces of Sweden | Gotland | Swedish islands in the Baltic

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