Stockholm
Scattered across countless islands by the Baltic Sea, Stockholm has
certainly earned the epithet „the Venice of Scandinavia”. The Capital
city of Sweden is today home to some three quarters of a million people,
and stretches to almost 215 million square meters of soil and water in
117 boroughs.
First given city privileges by Royal charter in 1250, Stockholm was nevertheless not considered the capital until the middle of the 17th century when Sweden had grown to be a major power in European politics.
By this time Stockholm had also become a centre of trade, and despite active participation in the numerous wars of the age, the town grew to become a cultural, artistic and scientific nexus. Under Queen Kristina, prominent scientists from all over Europe added to the 45,000 inhabitants.
During the 18th century the town started to take on the
appearance it has today, with stone buildings to prevent the city
fires so rampant in the early years of the century. These were often
painted light yellow, and had French-inspired mansard roofs, giving the
city a distinct appearance.
When the 19th century came around, Stockholm was a poor city, with poverty and disease running rampant. The population swelled by migration from the countryside, and by the end of the century almost 300,000 people lived in a city designed for less than a hundred.
New city plans were created and, inspired by Paris, Stockholm was redesigned to be a marvel of boulevards and open space. The plans were never fully realised, but much was done to improve living conditions - gas and electricity introduced, water and sewage dug deep, streets widened and new living quarters erected.
The 20th century saw two world wars make little impact on Sweden and Stockholm, but from the 1960ies and forward the country and city changed. New areas of living were created outside of the city centre, and the run-down old buildings that made up the core of Stockholm torn down and replaced by predominantly office-buildings. The Old Town was kept mostly intact, and is today a major tourist attraction.
In the early years of the 21st century, new ideas are finding
their way into how the city develop - gone are the massive building
projects of the 60ties and 70ties. New homes are built in the city
centre, and the focus is on integration of housing, business, and
leisure.
It is in this international setting that Greytower Technologies have made its home.