SVERIGE	SWEDEN
län: Värmland

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Kristinehamn is situated at an elevation of 66 m at the northeastern shore of Lake Vänern in Värmlands län (Värmland County) in southern Sweden, about 36 km east-southeast of Karlstad, the seat of Värmland County, and about 225 km west of the Swedish capital, Stockholm. The city of Kristinehamn has a population of 18,600 (2020). It is the seat of Kristinehamn kommun (Kristinehamn Municipality) with a population of 23,800 (2024).

The region of Kristinehamn was inhabited at least since the Stone Age. The town was then built alongside the bridge over river Varnan. Its name was Broo (or Bro) until 1642, and bro literally means "bridge" in Swedish. Kristinehamn got a royal charter for the first time in 1582 but lost it in 1584. It regained the status of a town in 1642 and at his occasion changed its name to Kristinehamn for Queen Kristina of Sweden. It thus qualifies as one of Sweden's historical cities.

The Practical School [left, no. 4618] was founded in 1878. Co-education for both sexes was introduced already in 1880. From 1908 it became a secondary high school with two branches, a general education school and a vocational school. In 1916 the Swedish Missionary Union bought shares and thus this association together with the Free Christian Student Association gained more influence. However, due to the economic crisis of 1920, the company was sold in 1923. A student doritory was built in 1936 and in 1947 the county council took over some responsibilities. In 1956, a technical school was added, while the agricultural school was closed down. In 1958, the company's properties as well as the school's inventory and teaching materials were sold to Värmland County's county council, and the county council took over its operation and management in 1959. The company went into liquidation in 1964. During the 1970s, parts of the practical education at Kristinehamn's practical school were replaced with folk high school education, and in 1980 the school became an independent folk high school under the county council.

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristinehamn, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristinehamn, https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristinehamn; http://www.fallingrain.com/world/SW/22/Kristinehamn.html; https://sok.riksarkivet.se/?postid=ArkisRef+SE%2FRA%2F7622&type=2&s=Balder]