History of Falköping

Falbygden has a long history. Here is a short version.

Links are blue.

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It was the inland ice for 10 000 years ago which made the landscape there Falbygden is on the plateu between the mountains Mösseberg and Ålleberg. And it was here one of the first place swedes settled down.

You can find a lot of ancient prehistoric finds in the area. Of all 400 megalite stonegraves in Sweden you can find 300 in Falköping's district, five inside the town.

Falbygden has been home since long time and a major battle has taken place here in the Middle Age between two big armies. If not the swedes had wone we might been Danish.

The mountain Ålleberg has an old myth:

That horsemen (swedish warriors who dead at battles in Europe) in full armour sleeping beside theirs horses in a secret hideaway in the mountain. If Falköping or Sweden were ever to be threatened they would awaken and in all haste save the town and the country.

They were seen in 1389 at the battle in Åsle between Queen Margarete and Albrecht Mecklenburg (tell you more later on), for Queen Margarete's army.

At Hornborgasjön in Broddetorp parich has several village been found from the Hunt Stone Age. It's the oldest inland settlement in the district of Västergötland and is approximately 9 300 years old but unfortunately without any sure traces of huts. They buried theirs dogs, the oldest found was buried 9000 years ago and is the oldest known dog in Scandinavia.

Ekornavallen in Hornborga parish is a gravefield. Used at the Stone Age, Bornze Age and the Iron Age from 3300 BC - 1000 AD.

The most famous Megalitegrave from the Stone Age is the one in Luttra, south of the town Falköping. It's the biggest grave in Sweden and was built 5500 years ago.

In the middle of the Iron Age 500 B.C. was Västergötland the gold center of the country. One of the finest goldwork is the Ållebergskragen (shows in Stockholm) which was found at Ålleberg in 1827. It's Three rings with full of animals and storyanimal. No one can make such fine work today.

Vikings came also from this area. In North Åsarp is the Olsbrostone. On the stone:

Guve put up this stone after Olav,
his son, a very competent young man.
He was killed in Estland
Håvad (?) inscribe the stone

Gudhem had a nunnery. The donater was a Swedish queen at the Middle Age. When Gustav I Wasa become king 1523,  the Reformation took place and we become Lutherans, all monasties and nunnery where shot down, so also the one in Gudhem. Today it's a museum.

One of the most famous battle which has taken place in Sweden was at Åsle 1389. It was between Albrecht Mecklenburg (German but by blood-heir of the Swedish crone) and Queen Margarete (Danish), the king whitout troursers, as Albrecht called her. Queen Margarete wann as Albrecht army of knights on horses were to heavy and they gone down in the moss. After that Sweden - Denmark - Norway were one kingdom until Gustav Wasa break us free 1523. Norway kept being a part of Denmark until 1814 when it become in union with Sweden instead until 1905 when it was broken and Norway become the Kingdom Norway.

Danish armies have been here several times and burnt down the area. You can still find marks after bullets at the frontdoor at Falköping's church from the last time they where here in 1566. The church is from the 12th century.

You find a lot of very old churches. The churces in Gökhem, Göteve, Kinneved, Mularp, Skörstorp, Vårkumla are all from the 12th century. In Gökhem the story about the church goes as:

It was two sisters who decided to built a church but they couldnt' agree where so they started to built one each. As one of them died her church never was completed.

The church is a ruin today and the farm near it has the name Överkyrke, there are only two with that name in Sweden and they are in Gökhem. The completed church has inside at the roof and walls paintings of stories in the Bible by Mäster Amund from the 15th century.

The railroad West Mainline between Gothenburg and Stockholm was built in the 1850ies and go through Falbygden. Those days it took over eight hours from Falköping to Stockholm and the town was a dinner-stoop for others. The West Mainline has here the highest point. From Falköping you can also take the train to Jönköping - Nässjö.