OREBRO

town and capital of rebro ln (county), south-central Sweden. rebro lies along the Svart River at its entrance into Lake Hjalmar. One of Sweden's oldest towns, it was already a commercial centre in the 13th century and played a prominent part in Swedish history. rebro was the residence of Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, leader of a rebellion against Denmark in 1434, and the birthplace of Olaus and Laurentius Petri, 16th-century church reformers. Of the several important assemblies held there, the most notable was that of 1810, at which the French field marshal Jean Bernadotte was elected heir to the Swedish throne as Charles XIV John. Largely rebuilt since a fire in 1854, rebro has a modern appearance, but its imposing historic buildings include a 16th-century Swedish Renaissance castle on an island in the river, used partly as a museum and partly as the governor's residence; a 13th-century Gothic church; and the 15th-century Kungsstugan (King's House), one of the best-preserved wooden buildings in Sweden. The University of rebro, affiliated with the University of Uppsala, was founded in 1970. There is also a school of social work and public administration, founded in 1967. The town is known for its shoe manufacture and biscuit making. It has good rail and boat communications and lies at the junction of national highways. Pop. (1990 est.) 120,353. ln (county) of south-central Sweden. It extends from the Bergslagen mining region in the north to Lake Hjalmar in the east and Lake Vtter in the south. It comprises the traditional landskap (province) of Nrke and parts of those of Vstmanland and Vrmland. The ln has a number of lakes and is drained by several rivers that flow south and east. Iron, zinc, and copper deposits are exploited in the county. Other important industries include lumbering, papermaking, steel making, and metal smelting. The capital and major city is rebro, at the western edge of Lake Hjalmar. Area 3,289 square miles (8,519 square km). Pop. (1994 est.) 275,532.