History

The area known as Söderslätt - the southern plains of Scania - has been inhabited by humans for over ten thousand years. Archaeologists have uncovered a unique early settlement at Skateholm, and finds from this have required the earliest history of Sweden to be rewritten.

In 1995, "Trelleborgen", a reconstructed Viking fortress, was opened. The remains of the original fortress were found in the center of the city of Trelleborg. This unique fortress was probably built by the Viking king Harald Blue Tooth in the 10th c. A.D. A visit to the Trelleborg fortress with its palisades, towers and medieval house makes history come alive.

The next stage in the history of Trelleborg is represented by the Franciscan monastery by Gamla Torget, a mere stone’s throw from the remains of the Viking fortress. The weathered walls of the ruined monastery bear silent witness to medieval power struggles, at the time when Trelleborg’s trading prosperity attracted the envy of the neighbouring towns of Ystad and Malmö. The result was that Trelleborg lost its town charter in 1619, with temporal power moving to Malmö.

Strolling through the streets of modern Trelleborg, it can at times be difficult to spot clear traces of more than thousand years of history. Modern architecture tends to obscure the more traditional town buildings of earlier eras. Much of Trelleborg’s past is hidden beneath contemporary buildings - a form of time capsule for future generations. But a great deal of the town’s history is carefully preserved and displayed at the Trelleborg Museum which is an historic building in itself. It was originally built as the town’s hospital 100 years ago!