[edit]
Bronze statue by John Lundqvist depicting Astrad and Götrad, the first known inhabitants of Ljungby.
Tellushuset is one of the few historical buildings that wasn't destroyed in the 1953 fire. The former city center, that existed before the fire, was built in a similar style.
After the fire of 1953 many of the buildings was rebuilt in a then modern style, which today is still considered controversial. The picture shows Hotell Terraza with its international style.
The first known inhabitant of the area that is today's Ljungby was Astrad, as can be read on the runestone Replösastenen from the 11th century located a couple of kilometers from the city center. The runestone says: "Götrad made this stone after Astrad, the foremost of kinsmen and yeomen (Swedish: odalmän) who in Finnveden formerly lived". In 1952 a statue by John Lundqvist was erected near the main plaza depicting Astrad and Götrad. But there were other people living around Ljungby long before Astrad and Götrad as evident by the numerous burial mounds in the area. One of the largest burial mounds lies close to the water tower and is named Kungshögen. The largest burial is however Höga rör that lies some kilometers south of Ljungby on the slope of the Lagan river valley.
In the 12th century the first stone church was built with the formation of the parish Ljungby socken. Ljungby had for a long time been the crossroad where the two important north–south and east–west trade routes met. Because of this a hostelry was built adjacent to the Laganstigen in the 14th century by royal decree.
In 1828 Ljungby only consisted of five farms. It was in the beginning of the 19th century the need for a city in Sunnerbo hundred was raised. Ljungby competed with the village Berga, where bishop Henrik had obtained permission to found a city. As Ljungby was considered to be located more central in the hundred and had better road connections, the choice fell on the latter option.
According to a royal letter from 15 October 1828, Ljungby was made a friköping with regulations on 28 March 1829, according to three sources, and on 1 January 1830, according to another. Ljungby was founded mostly on property that was donated by Märta Ljungberg, operator of Ljungby's hostelry. A town plan with perpendicular roads was used as base when the town's buildings was planned. The city plan would later be split with the arrival of the railroad. In 1878 the railroad between Vislanda and Bolmen, via Ljungby, was opened. The railroad would later be linked with Karlshamn–Vislanda–Bolmens railroad (KVBJ) and Halmstad–Bolmen Railroad (HBJ). In 1899 the north–south stretch Skåne–Smålands Railroad (SSJ) was opened.
During the 20th century the town expanded with the help of the workshop and wood industry.
The first population boom started at the end of the 1940s and culminated in the 1960s. Luckily this coincided with the increased need of work by the growing industry in the urban area with the need of work decreasing in the rural areas. The growth was also supported by the labor immigration that began in the post-war period.
The town centre fire of 1953[edit]
During the night between 4 and 5 July 1953 a fire started at Gustaf Svenssons Bilverkstad (English: Gustaf Svensson's Garage) by the street Eskilsgatan at block Stjärnan. The garage was a wooden building with cans of petrol and oil on the floor. First on site was Ljungby fire department, no more than five minutes after the alarm, and could confirm that the fire had started at the garage. Once the fire had taken hold it continued to spread eastward towards the other wooden buildings in block Stjärnan. The fire department had hoped that the street Föreningsgatan would work as a fire road, but the wind brought with it sparks and flames, and soon stood parts of block Kometen also ablaze.
Next to block Kometen, by the street Kungsgatan, lied Ljungby's Telegraph and Telephone Station, who tried to protect themself behind suspended soaked cloths. The nightstaff could not handle the increased traffic pressure the fire had brought with it and had to call in additional staff, who also had to evacuate archives and machines from the building. The Telegraph and Telephone Station survived the fire after the firefighters managed to extinguished it with foam.
In an attempt to gain control over the fire Ljungby called on reinforcement from Hamneda, Angelstad, Ryssby, Växjö, Älmhult, and Strömsnäsbruk. Police from Växjö were also called in to support Ljungby's police force with directing traffic and to prevent people from entering the scene of fire. Due to an error the fire department from Lagan were not summoned. The fire departments' efforts were weakened as only one of the pumps at Ljungby water plant was in operation. The activation of the second pump was delayed as the regular mechanic was on vacation and the substitute mechanic had troubles getting the machinery started. Despite the activation of both pumps at the water plant there were still not enough water to put out the fires. The fire departments had to activate the river pump by Lagan River and pump in untreated raw water into Ljungby's water supply. A wagon with water pipes from the civil defence were also requisitioned. The pipes were laid from the river all the way to the city centre and gave water to five fire hoses. It is said that the pipe ended at the square basin by the statue of Astrad and Götrad.
At most; nine motor pumps were used with a total capacity of 10,900 litres (2,900 US gal) per minute and 3,225 metres (3,527 yd) fire hoses were pulled out and used.
Aftermath[edit]
During the days after the fire it was concluded that 7,200 square metres (78,000 sq ft) floor space had been destroyed and that twenty buildings had been affected by the fire; whereof 28 residential flats, 24 business flats, 12 workshops, and 9 warehouses. Most of the buildings where from the days when Ljungby was just a market town, built before 1936. Thirty families became homeless and 96 people became unemployed. It was estimated that a value of three million kronor had been destroyed by the fire. No person was killed, but seven firefighters had to visit Ljungby hospital; six of them could leave shortly thereafter and one had to stay.
As untreated raw water had been pumped in into Ljungby's water supply network from the Lagan River the Health Department issued a request for everyone to boil their water before using it. This was particularly important as there was a high risk that sewage water had entered the water supply and as the deadly salmonella outbreak The Alvesta Epidemic had recently reached its peak.
There were rumours that looting had occurred during the fire. However, no reports were received and according to police and firefighters on site all went well, apart for some drunk people who disturbed the peace.
There were plans to build huts on the square so that the affected businesses could continue their trade while rebuilding. But many business continued their trade at other temporary premises, which was noticed as only 15 out of the 96 unemployed reported to the Employment Service the following days.
The reconstruction of the city centre consisted of buildings and a piazza in a more modern international style. This style is particularly evident in the seven-storey hotel Terraza which replaced the four-story hotel Stadshotellet. The plan was to demolish Stadshotellet in the spring of 1961, but instead it burned down on 18 December 1960.
Administration[edit]
Ljungby became a friköping (or chipping in English) on 15 October 1828, with the regulations decided on 28 March 1829. On 31 January 1879, Ljungby chipping's rules and regulations, building bylaws, and the fire charter was issued. On 10 February 1893 it was decided that the health care charter would also apply in the chipping. 1900 the concept municipalsamhälle was introduced into Sweden's legislation and Ljungby chipping was transformed into Ljungby köping municipalsamhälle. This was due to the fact that at least one of the town's charters was applied to the area and didn't belong to a stadskommun (approx. town municipality) or köpingskommun (approx. chipping municipality). On 3 July 1902 a special arrangement Charter was issued for Ljungby köping municipalsamhälle. On 7 October 1921 the area of Ljungby municipalsamhälle was increased from 0.98 km2 (0.37 mi2) to 3.50 km2 (1.35 mi2).
Ljungby was, and is, the "church village" of Ljungby parish and belonged to Ljungby rural municipality after 1862 Swedish municipal reform. On 1 January 1936 Ljungby parish and rural municipality was reformed into Ljungby stad. This was in accordance with a decision made on 20 September 1935 that gave Ljungby the title "stad" (English: town or city). With 1971 Swedish municipal reforms Ljungby stad and the rural municipality was ascended into Ljungby municipality with Ljungby being the central locality.
