RONNEBY

town, ln (county) of Blekinge, southern Sweden. It lies along the Ronneby River near its Baltic mouth. Because of its location, it was the most important place in Blekinge from the time it was chartered, c. 1230, until the founding of Karlskrona in 1679, when King Charles XI withdrew its charter. Like other Blekinge towns, it suffered greatly during the wars between Sweden and Denmark and from frequent fires. In 1707 it became a market town, but before it received full town privileges again in 1879, it was overshadowed by Karlshamn as a commercial centre. The town has industries including sugar refining, tanning, stone quarrying, and the manufacture of enamelware. Among its historic buildings is the Church of the Holy Cross (c. 13th century), the scene of the Blood Bath of Ronneby (1564; the massacre by King Erik XIV's soldiers of about 2,000 people who had taken refuge in it). In the town's main square are two well-known statues by the 19th-century Swedish sculptor Pehr Hasselberg. Nearby, to the south, is Ronneby Well, once a popular spa because of its chalybeate springs, discovered in 1705. Pop. (1986 est.) mun., 29,382.