Lund

Sweden

Lund, city, Skåne län (county), southern Sweden, northeast of Malmö. It was

founded about 990 and became the seat of a bishopric in 1060 and the seat of
the archbishop of all Scandinavia in 1103; today it is the seat of a Lutheran
bishopric. After Sigtuna, Lund is Sweden’s second oldest town. During the
Middle Ages it played an important part in Danish affairs. It was reduced in
importance after the Reformation and the Swedish conquest in 1658 but
developed rapidly after 1850.

The city centre is dominated by the 12th-century Romanesque cathedral, and

several examples of medieval streets and architecture have survived. Among
the city’s museums are the Cultural History Museum, the Archives of
Decorative Art, and the Art Exhibition Hall. Known as the cultural centre of
southern Sweden, Lund has the second oldest university in Sweden, founded
in 1666 by Charles XI. The various educational institutions and hospitals of
the city employ a considerable part of the population, but there are also
important industries, including packaging, pharmaceuticals, and the
manufacture of food-processing and medical equipment. Pop. (2005 est.)
mun., 102,257.