Vanersborg Stadium

Vanersborg (pronunciation) is a locality and the seat of Vanersborg Municipality, Vastra Gotaland County, Sweden with 23,882 inhabitants (out of a municipal total of 39,591) Until 1997 it was the capital of Alvsborg County, which was dissolved in 1998. Since 1999 Vanersborg has been the seat of the regional parliament of Vastra Gotaland County. The city is located on the southern shores of lake Vanern, close to where the river Gota alv leaves the lake.

History

A marketplace was established at Bratte at the southern end of Vassbotten (southernmost part of Vanern), south of modern Vanersborg, by the end of the medieval period. The settlement developed with paved streets lined with houses and farms and it was granted town privileges in 1580. The site, however, became unsuitable for trans-shipment of goods due to silting of its harbour and it was difficult to protect. Consequently, in 1644, the town was moved 3½ kilometres north to Huvudnaset, and the new town of Vanersborg was established, despite the reluctance of its inhabitants.

The name "Vanersborg" means "fortress at Vanern". It comes from the fortlet which was built in 1644 for the new town's protection. The coat of arms is also from 1644, depicting a golden ship (a bojort) with two Swedish flags.

Around 1800, Vanersborg had a population of 1,500 inhabitants. Vanersborg was the point at which freight was transshipped from lake ships to below the Trollhattan Falls (and vice versa) where ships could continue unhindered to Gothenburg and beyond. In 1778, the King Karl Canal was opened between Vanersborg and Trollhattan, shortening the overland portage and in 1800, the new Trollhatte Canal and its locks allowed shipping to move between Vanern and the sea. The waterway between Vanern and Gothenburg enabled the town's importance to grow further.

In 1834, most of the town's wooden houses burnt down. It was rebuilt in a grid pattern, unique to this day.

The Torpaskolan (secondary school) was opened in 1965 and replaced