Södertälje

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Södertälje is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 71.774 inhabitants in December 2016.The industrial city, about 30km southwest of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and the research and development arm of a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Södertälje is an international municipality and this fact is reflected in business, cultural life and the population.About 39 percent of Södertälje's inhabitants have foreign backgrounds, and this proportion increases by 1.5 percent per year. Western-Assyrians are one of the largest groups of immigrants in Södertälje.HistoryPrior to 600 AD, the lake Mälaren was connected to the sea. Due to land elevation, the lake was slowly cut off, and boats had to be dragged over land to and from the lake. This demanded labour, who settled in a village here.The name Telje is mentioned in the 11th century. To resolve a name conflict with another town that was founded north of Stockholm in the 17th century, Söder (meaning south) was added to create Södertälje; Norr (North) was added to the other to create ''Norrtälje.In the 18th century Södertälje had a charter. Due to the Great Northern War and a series of plague epidemics, the population of the city dipped to barely above 200.