History of Hultsfred

 

NATURAL CONDITIONS
Bedrocks, earth deposits, water passages, climate and vegetation of the natural environment create the conditions of residence and providing in an area. Småland is "the province of the changing landforms". Here, bedrocks of different kinds have been shaped and changed, for instance by the inland ice, but also the human beings themselves have formed the landscape to what it is today.

When the latest inland ice melted about 14.000 years ago, the land rose, the climate changed and the vegetation increased. What we see today from this time are the boulder ridges, the sand plains, the areas of mud, the giant pot-holes and the abraded and polished flat rocks. With a more humane flora and fauna the strolling hunters and fishermen found their way into the district.

 

The northern pat of the county of Kalmar is a high tableland, sloping to the south. Hultsfred is part of the south-east highlands, a spur of the Highland of Småland. It is   reaching its highest point in the municipality, 270 m over the sea level. Emån with Silverån, Virserumsån/Gårdvedaån and Verån drain the water towards the sea in the througt the cultivation districts in the long valleys. The district is very rich in lakes and woods.

 

As there was not enough good cultivatable land anywhere else the villages and the farms were localised in the southern sloping territories of moraine. These are found at the borders of  flat parts formed close to the boulder ridges crossing the municipality.

 

There have been dwelling places along these southern slopes since the Stone Age. We do not often see any traces of these places but stone axes and other objects, that have been found on fields or in gardens confirm thees settlements.

Today we find graves and grave fields from the New Stone Age in connection with the farms and villages. The old farms date from not only the Middle Ages but often even from further back in history.

The forests and the small-scale agriculture are a few of the factors that for people in Småland, have created not only a reputation för being stubborne but also a creative acivity of small enterprises.

 

The Old Stone Age (around 10 000-4 000 B.C.)
About 10 000-9 500 B.C. the inland ice lost its grip of the Hultsfred area. The oldest evidences of settlement in the municipality are a bit younger, probably from the end of the Old Stone Age, around 6 000-4 000 B.C.

These early inhabitants made their living from fishing, hunting and collecting all kinds of edible plants, berries, fruit and so on. The area has with its varying ecological zones offered good conditions for such a way of living and you can take into account a stationary population as early as during this period.

The dwelling places situated by shores and rivers are hinting, fishing was an important source of livelihood. Near to the dwelling places a number of other resources have eventually been obtainable. Places with particularly good conditions have been made the main camp where people lived for some time during the year. Examples of such places are Järnudda by the lake Hulingen and a dwelling place by Lillsjö in Mörlunda. Many rather small dwelling places indicate seasonal or temporary stays where chances of getting quarries were good.

The tools and weapons were made out of local raw materials, the axes were made of green stone, small tools like arrowheads, knives and scrapes were made of quartz or porphyry. A few tools of flint are an unwritten testimony of possible business contacts with the coastal population.

 

The New Stone Age and the Bronze Age  (4000-500 B.C.)
New sources of livelihood manifested themselves during the New Stone age. Cattle raising and some cultivation were gradually introduced into the area. The traditional livelihood were still very important for the maintenance.

The dwelling places during the Peasant Stone age were often situated on heights or slopes not far from water. Especially the river valleys have been attractive, probably because of good grazing and light sandy soil suitable for a low-technical farming. That is  the case for instance in the valleys of Emån and Gårdvedaån where several settlements  have been found.

During the Peasant Stone Age a more open pasture/cultivation land is expanding and many stone axes have been found bearing witness of clearing new land. Rich finds from the end of the Peasant Stone Age/Old Bronze age indicate an obvious increasing population and an expansion of the settlements into fromer uninhabited areas in the highland. There are several graves in the municipality from the same period, mainly mounds of stones in in varying dimensions, sometimes with coffins of flat rocks put on the edge. The graves represent a settled population with a solid economy, probably based on cattle raising. The Bronze Age brings no bigger changes in the pattern in the pattern of settlement and economy.

The sacrificed prestigious objects that have been found in now drained wetlands give an insight into the peoples religious philosophy. Mostly carefully made stone axes, sometimes, even imported flint axes/daggers have been sacrificed to superior beings.
The flint got more common as a material for making tools during the New Stone age, showing that business contacts with the areas keeping flint were increasing. 

 

The Iron Age (500 B.C.-1000 A.D.)
Kalmarsund was during the Bronze Age an important passage for shipping the most important commodity, dried hides. This fairway is the oldest known route between the North European Continent and the countries by the Baltic Sea.

During the Iron age the passage in the strait was replaced by a passage to the east of Öland. The basis for the development at this time was the export of hides and leather products, emanating from cattle raising, to the Roman army, which was located in the north and middle of Europe. The district of Kalmar and thereby Hultsfred served as the hinterland of Öland.

The Viking Time was, as in the rest of Europe and Asia, partly a slavery society and people were living in tribes. The ancient Greek and Roman cultures only to a certain extent reached our country through business- and war journeys to the west and to the east. Slowly the people and environment were influenced by these impulses. 

There are many grave fields from the Iron Age in the district, set up close to the dwelling places in the easily cultivable valleys of the rivers. There was also nearness to good pature-ground, good communications and fishing facilities. Slag-deposits show that bog ore has been used for making iron. The forests were used not only as fuel and when ore-mining but also for making buildings, furniture and tools.

The first export of iron probably took place at the time of the birth of Christ, when Småland, Öland and Gotland played an important role in the business area of the North of Europe.

 

Except the international commercial centre at Birka in the lake Mälaren, there probably were some sort of central federations similar to a state, like for instance in Emådalen with administration, culture and business.

Market places were during pre-historical time probably connected with cult- and court centres. Målilla might have been one of those.

 

The Middle Ages (1000-1500)
From the 11th to the 14th century there was continued and intensified land reclamation in Småland as well as in the rest of Europe.

During the 11th century the Christianity did its entrence and together with it an administrative feudal parish organisation. Stone churches were built, for instance, the church in Tveta, which is well preserved. Foreign priests and monks built graveyards.

 

Slavery was abolished and new social classes and provincial laws were formed and initiated from European patterns. Permanent military forces were built up with the Infantry of Småland as onde part.

 

In the 12th century Kalmar is reported as a commercial town with both German and Swedish character and it was the port out of the "Svea country" southwares. The agricultural society got more and involved with Europe beacuse of the trade monopoly of the North European Hanseatic League. The church was the international organization at this time.

 

The iron trade reached its maximum progress during this epoch and engaged a great part of the population. You can find slag-deposits both in the south-east and the north-east as well as in the western parts of the municipality.

There is evidences of two medieval noble estates, Ryningsnäs and Hagelsrum. The ironworks at Hagelsrum began production in the 15th century, when the blast furnace was introduced.

 

There have been mills, operated by treading and still others, operated by watering power, in district from at least early medieval times. The knowledge was probably imported from the Mediterranean countries. The mill in Hagelsrum was for a period at the  disposal of the Monastery of Vadstena.

The markets in Mörlunda, Målilla and Virserum were developed in connection with big church services and feasts.

 

The principle of the medieval row-village was also imported from Europe. Typical examples are Målilla and Tulunda. Also there are many examples on villages with the buildings arranged more geometrically into groups.

 

PRE-INDUSTRIAL TIME (THE YEARS 1500-1850)
The kings got more powerful in Sweden in the 16th century with a central governing over the church, the military, agri- and silviculture, pre-industrial developing, laws, building of ships etc. The feudal state was from Stockholm governing the society´s development over the society classes nobility, priests, the middle class and farmers with the help of the guild and other German principles. The former army consisting of farmers was transformed into a stationary army. Every 10th man became a soldier in Småland as well as in the rest of the country. The troups consisted of farmer´s sons that had as a task to protect their home village.

The Swedish mobilization for war was built on the monopoly position they had on the products copper, iron and tar. Through foundations of citys, business monopoly, building of houses, dividing departments, postal service, land surveying, The Central Bank, taxing of land, building more roads and other measures a powerful development of the society was carried out. Kalmar and Västervik were piled cities that had foreign business but also in the country.

 

The present way of dividing countys originates in the 17th century. The unique Swedish way of dividing in the army also originates from that time, and it lasted until 1901. It meant the farmers had to keep a soldier with a crofter´s holding and land.

 

The trading and the industry was being favoured by the state during the 18th century and an essential extension of the bureaucracy was taking place for the organization and planning of the society. Foreign business with timber etc. became very important and the influence of the business houses was increasing through the management from Holland and England. Big parcellings of the land was carried through and the Gothic type of farm gets predominant in this part of the country with its dividing of functions in separate wooden buildings forming rectangular gardens. Still in the 18th century the furniture was fixed to the walls and open fires were used for heating and cooking.

 

Crofter´s holdings, that in the 17th century got added at the residences, arose even at the farms in the 18th century. These are very typical for Småland, where lonely farms and spread buildings have always been. Crofters had to do work at the estates of the officers.These became an archetype for agriculture and lead the way for reforms within the agriculture, cattleraising and forestry. The fences around the courtyards for keeping the cattle were structures in wood or stone. These fences make it look like rooms in the province.

The central powers decision about radical redistribution of the cultivated land to make rational agricultures during the 18th and 19th century caused the carrying through of parcelling. This was just the same as what happened in the rest of Europe. It got a vital importance for the development of the material and spiritual culture in Sweden too.

The progresses in natural science lead to the replacement and complement of people by the help of mechanical and chemical processes. The economic, politic and social development liberated power of initiative and enterprise. This company spirit is still living in Småland. The development on the country side lead from handicraft for household to handicraft for sale. The cabinet making became a fashionable handcraft during the 18th century.

 

The export of wood increased during the later part of the 18th century and was for instance sent to western Europe. Then there were waterworks by almost every brook, that sew timber and ground grains for household and for selling. Småland was the biggest producer of wood in Sweden in the beginning of the 19th century and Kalmar and Västervik was counted to the biggest wood export ports in the country.

The building of roads continued in the 18h and 19th century and held a high European standard.

 

The Swedish industrialization is recognized by that it was mainly carried through on the country side.

 

The Courthouse of Målilla is from the 1790´s and represents the previous Aspeland´s and Handbörd´s judicial district. The Courthouse was earlier situated in Gårdveda.

 

The 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century was the heyday of the iron making in the northern of Kalmar county. Then there were around ten ironworks, of which the Hultsfred area had two, Hagelsrum (1748) and Rosenfors (1802).

The first time a part of the regiment of Kalmar was enlisted on the plain of Hultsfred was in 1630. The regiment moved there in 1796 and "The Plain" was a stationary place for meeting until 1918. There are still "military" buildings left by Silverån (The Silver river) from the regiment time when Hultsfred was a military centre within the dividing office. On the southern part of "The Plain" a cattle market has been held from times immemorial until the 1920´s. When the railway came an increase of Hultsfred occured.

 

Big building projects as churches from this time are in Järeda (1881), Vena (1787-1801) and Målilla (1820-????).

There´s a windmill from the middle of the 19th century in Dalsebo. Today it´s being used as a museum.

 

THE INDUSTRIAL ERA (1850-)
The industrial revolution was less dramatic in Sweden than in other European countries. Here, the technical, cultural and social changes could grow side by side with the original industry and then take their place.

The restructure of the agriculture through parcelling liberated labour for city industries. Through the development of technique for steam-engines, electricity and its conveyance via extension of water power and railways the city industries could now get established independent of where the water power was. The engineering industry started exporting in reciprocal action with extension of the transocean sea liner traffic. Monopolization of strategic sectors took place in the economic life by consolidation of the industry- and bank world.

The dairies, the mills and the breweries were industrialized in the area around Hultsfred. The forestry was developed with saw mills, wood- and pulp making, paper mills, building of houses and printing works. The mountain industry was developed in engineering plants.

 

It was in Virserum the mechanical furniture started in Sweden in the 1880´s.

A powerful increase of the population in the beginning of the 19th century changed through emigration to decreasing population in the 1860´s and the decades until 1910 because of bad harvests and dissatisfaction within the farming population. 69 000 people emigrated to The USA from the county of Kalmar during this time. The emigration reached its climax in the 1880´s.

 

The farming population was adapted to the new industries through a number of different measures of society, of which the universal school attendance, the building of cities and the compulsory military service have been by the most vital importance.

Established factories with a cultural historical interest still running from the 19th century are Silverdalens pappersbruk (The Papermill of Silverdalen) (1874) and Rosenfors bruk (The Mill of Rosenfors) (1802).

 

The net of railways in the Hultsfred area was enlarged during the 1870´s-1920´s. The factories along with banks, business, cultural buildings, schools, post offices and hotels with restaurants developed in connection to the rainway stations. Early on there were sawmills in Hultsfred, Järnforsen, Mörlunda. Furniture factories in Hultsfred, Järnforsen, Målilla, Hultarp, Virserum, Rosenfors and Mörlunda. The house industries were in Hultsfred.

 

The 1920´s was much of a second time as a great power with a big growth in the country because of exports from the engineering plants, cellulose and iron ore.

The built-up area of Hultsfred developed into one of the biggest carpenter industry place with for instance building of "ready-for-mounting" houses in wood.

The area of Hultsfred is a small and quiet part compared to the big roads and cities. There are churches from this time in Lönneberga (1872), Virserum (1882) and Hultsfred (1936).

Roads, factories and dwellings have gradually been built up in time with the developing of the society. The airfield just north of Hultsfred is important for fast transports within Sweden now, when the industry society turns into a service society where the use of computers gets more essential.

 

TERRITORIAL DEMARCATIONS
The present municipality of Hultsfred consists of seven parishes: LÖNNEBERGA, VENA, JÄREDA, VIRSERUM, MÖRLUNDA, MÅLILLA AND TVETA.

Gårdveda was a parish of its own until 1822, but then united with the parish of Målilla. This happened when the two parishes because of economic reasons had to build a new and shared church.

Only Vena was situated in "Sevede härad", while the others formed "Aspeland´s härad". The dividing into parishes probably has its origin in the 11th century´s settlement structure. The present municipality border cuts into or misses parts of the above mentioned parishes. The municipality is formed mainly of "Aspelands härad" with its borders adjusted to the parishes. Only the are around Vena belonged to "Sevede härad" that also worked as a border to the east. 

A determining factor for the position of the villages in the county has been the access to on one hand good land for cultivating, on the other grazing lands. Since the land for culturing has been limited has the agriculture in these and similar disticts been very dependent on cattleraising. This is reflected in the agriculture structure where the dominating form of cultivating has been with only one kind of seed that demands access to lots of manure. Only in the open landscape around Emån has cultivating of three seeds been introduced and developed around Kristineberg and similar estates. 

 

Most villages were parcelled from the middle of the 18th century to the first half of the 19th century as to the increasing of the efficiency of the agriculture. The parcelling didn´t succeed until the end of the 1780´s and most villages were done around 1800. 1826, i.e. the year before the parcelling gained legal force, there was a parcelling in the present municipality for the last time.

The cultural landscape that characterizes many environments within the borders of the municipality, have clear marks from the parcellings and exceptionally many environments and details from this time have been preserved.

While the big parcelling was completed did the legal parcelling hardly do 30 villages and of most of these around the years 1830 and 1840. A later group wasn´t parcelled until 1880, which is the main explanation to the reserved cultural landscape of 18th century character.
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------