View source for Motala

{{about|the locality in Sweden|the town in [[Maharashtra]], India|Motala, Buldhana}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name          = Motala
|image_skyline          = Court_house_Motala_Sweden.JPG
|image_caption          = The old court house
|pushpin_map            = Sweden Östergötland#Sweden
|pushpin_label_position = 
|subdivision_type       = [[Country]]
|subdivision_name       = [[Sweden]]
|subdivision_type3      = [[Municipalities of Sweden|Municipality]]
|subdivision_name3      = [[Motala Municipality]]
|subdivision_type2      = [[Counties of Sweden|County]]
|subdivision_name2      = [[Östergötland County]]
|subdivision_type1      = [[Provinces of Sweden|Province]]
|subdivision_name1      = [[Östergötland]]
|area_footnotes         = <ref name=scb>{{cite web |url=https://www.statistikdatabasen.scb.se/sq/157274 |title=Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km<sup>2</sup> 2023 |date=9 January 2025 |publisher=[[Statistics Sweden]] |language=sv |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250109012522/https://www.statistikdatabasen.scb.se/sq/157274#expand |archive-date=9 January 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=9 January 2025 }}</ref>
|area_total_km2         = 20.56
|population_as_of       = 31 December 2023
|population_footnotes   = <ref name=scb />
|population_total       = 31 367 <!-- This is the official figure from Statistics Sweden (Statistiska centralbyrån). -->
|population_density_km2 = 1 525
|timezone               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
|utc_offset             = +1
|timezone_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
|utc_offset_DST         = +2
|coordinates            = {{coord|58|32|N|15|02|E|region:SE|display=inline,title}}
|website                = 
}}
'''Motala''' ({{IPA|sv|ˈmûːˌtɑːla|-|sv-Motala.ogg}})<ref>{{cite book|url=https://runeberg.org/ortnamn/0021.html|author1=Jöran Sahlgren|author2=Gösta Bergman|title=Svenska ortnamn med uttalsuppgifter|language=sv|year=1979|page=17}}</ref> is a [[Urban areas in Sweden|locality]] and the seat of [[Motala Municipality]], [[Östergötland County]], [[Sweden]] with a municipal population of 43,717 inhabitants in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Folkmängd och befolkningsförändringar - Kvartal 1, 2024 |url=https://www.scb.se/hitta-statistik/statistik-efter-amne/befolkning/befolkningens-sammansattning/befolkningsstatistik/pong/tabell-och-diagram/folkmangd-och-befolkningsforandringar---manad-kvartal-och-halvar/folkmangd-och-befolkningsforandringar---kvartal-1-2024/ |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=Statistikmyndigheten SCB |language=sv}}</ref> It is the third largest city of Östergötland, following [[Linköping]] and [[Norrköping]]. Motala is situated on the eastern shore of [[Lake Vättern]] and is regarded as the main centre of both the [[Göta Canal]] and the surrounding lake region.

== History ==
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2024}}
[[Image:Worker's housing Motala Sweden.JPG|thumb|left|Workers' housing in Motala]]

[[Motala Church]] dates from the 13th century. For several centuries, Motala remained a small village, mainly regarded as a stopping post on the road to the nearby town of [[Vadstena]], one of the cultural centres of medieval Sweden. However, King [[Gustav Vasa]] had a [[manor house]] built at Motala and later Queen [[Christina of Sweden|Kristina]] had a summer residence built at the [[spa]] resort of [[Medevi]], {{cvt|20|km|1}} north of the town.

When the [[Göta Canal]] was built in the early 19th century, Motala became an important town for the trade on the canal. The builder of the canal, [[Baltzar von Platen (1766–1829)|Baltzar von Platen]], has his grave beside it. The town received the minor privilege status of ''[[köping]]'' in 1823, while full city rights were granted as of April 1, 1881. With the Swedish municipal reform of 1971, Motala became the seat of [[Motala Municipality]].

[[Motala Verkstad]] is an engineering company specialising in bridge and railway construction equipment. In the 1870 [[science fiction]] novel ''[[Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas]]'' by [[Jules Verne]], the prow of the submarine [[Nautilus (Verne)|''Nautilus'']] was built at Motala Verkstad. Later major Swedish industrial manufacturers such as [[Electrolux]] and [[Luxor AB|Luxor]] had their main factories built in the city.

In 1963, [[Tetra Pak]] installed the first [[Tetra Brik]] packaging machine in Motala.

== Climate ==
Motala has a temperate climate. Lake Vättern provides Motala with slightly cooler summers and milder winters compared to areas of inner Östergötland (±{{cvt|0.5|-|0.9|C-change|0}} compared to the nearby city of Linköping<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sv.climate-data.org/location/80/|title=Klimat Linköping: Temperatur, Klimat graf, Klimat bord|website=sv.climate-data.org|access-date=2018-06-03}}</ref>). The warmest month is July with an average daily mean temperature at {{cvt|16.4|C}}, and an average daytime temperature at {{cvt|21.6|C}}. The coldest month is February with an average daily mean at {{cvt|-3.3|C}}, and an average daytime temperature at {{cvt|+0.1|C}}.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://sv.climate-data.org/location/37483/|title=Klimat Motala: Temperatur, Klimat graf, Klimat bord|website=sv.climate-data.org|access-date=2018-06-03}}</ref> Record temperatures between 1961 and 1990, as registered by Motala Kraftverk weather station, reaches from {{cvt|-26.3|C}} in February 1985 to {{cvt|32.6|C}} in August 1975. The most recent data is from Swedish Armed Forces' weather station located approximately 30 km north-east of the city centre. Its inland position renders greater diurnal temperature difference. In addition the geographic location makes seasonal lag is less visible compared to station located near Vättern. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://opendata-download-metobs.smhi.se/explore/?parameter=0|title=SMHI Öppna Data {{!}} Meteorologiska Observationer {{!}} Lufttemperatur, timvärde – Motala Kraftverk (1961–1990)|last=SMHI|website=SMHI|access-date=2018-06-03|archive-date=2018-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717222907/http://opendata-download-metobs.smhi.se/explore/?parameter=0|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Motala generally experiences much rainfall, with the wettest month being August with an average of {{convert|71|mm|in}} of rain. The driest month is March, with an average of {{convert|29|mm|in}} of rain.<ref name=":0" />

==Climate table==
{{Weather box
|location = Kvarn (1991–2020 averages & extremes since 1901)
|collapsed = 
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 11.1 
|Feb record high C = 13.1 
|Mar record high C = 16.4
|Apr record high C = 24.9
|May record high C = 28.6 
|Jun record high C = 30.7 
|Jul record high C = 32.4
|Aug record high C = 33.6 
|Sep record high C = 26.2 
|Oct record high C = 21.9
|Nov record high C = 17.5
|Dec record high C = 12.8
|year record high C = 33.6
|Jan high C = -0.1
|Feb high C = 0.0
|Mar high C = 3.9
|Apr high C = 10.2
|May high C = 16.3
|Jun high C = 19.2
|Jul high C = 21.6
|Aug high C = 20.2
|Sep high C = 15.1
|Oct high C = 9.8
|Nov high C = 3.8
|Dec high C = 0.8
|year high C = 10.1
|Jan mean C = -2.7
|Feb mean C = -2.8
|Mar mean C = 0.0
|Apr mean C = 4.8
|May mean C = 9.9
|Jun mean C = 13.7
|Jul mean C = 16.2
|Aug mean C = 15.0
|Sep mean C = 10.7
|Oct mean C = 5.6
|Nov mean C = 1.5
|Dec mean C = -1.4
|year mean C = 5.9
|Jan low C = -5.3
|Feb low C = -5.6
|Mar low C = -3.9
|Apr low C = -0.6
|May low C = 3.5
|Jun low C = 8.2
|Jul low C = 10.8
|Aug low C = 9.8
|Sep low C = 6.3
|Oct low C = 1.4
|Nov low C = -0.8
|Dec low C = -3.6
|year low C = 1.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 35.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 23.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 28.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 31.0
|May precipitation mm = 37.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 44.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 65.7
|Aug precipitation mm = 61.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 58.8
|Oct precipitation mm = 44.3
|Nov precipitation mm = 46.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 39.3
|year precipitation mm = 515.9
 
|source 1 = SMHI<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/meteorologi/ladda-ner-meteorologiska-observationer/#param=airTemperatureMinAndMaxOnceEveryDay,stations=all,stationid=52230
| title = Försvarsmakten Open Data for Kvarn, Militärområde
| publisher = [[Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute]]
| language = sv
| access-date = 2020-11-15
| archive-date = 2019-04-11
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190411092753/https://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/meteorologi/ladda-ner-meteorologiska-observationer#param=airTemperatureMinAndMaxOnceEveryDay,stations=all,stationid=52230
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>
|source 2 = SMHI Monthly Data 2015–2019<ref>{{cite web
 |url          = http://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/meteorologi/temperatur/2.1240
 |title        = Monthly and Yearly Statistics
 |language     = sv
 |publisher    = SMHI
 |date         = 11 April 2019
 |access-date  = 15 November 2020
 |archive-date = 25 December 2018
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20181225065632/http://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/meteorologi/temperatur/2.1240%20
 |url-status   = dead
}}</ref>}}


{{Weather box
|location = Motala 1991–2020
|collapsed = Yes
|metric first = Yes
|single line  = Yes
|
|Jan high C = 2.1
|Feb high C = 2.3
|Mar high C = 6.3
|Apr high C = 12.4
|May high C = 17.3
|Jun high C = 21.1
|Jul high C = 22.8
|Aug high C = 22.0
|Sep high C = 17.5
|Oct high C = 11.3
|Nov high C = 6.2
|Dec high C = 3.5
|year high C = 11.9
|Jan mean C = 0.0
|Feb mean C = -0.1
|Mar mean C = 2.6
|Apr mean C = 7.3
|May mean C = 12.2
|Jun mean C = 16.0
|Jul mean C = 18.4
|Aug mean C = 17.6
|Sep mean C = 13.3
|Oct mean C = 8.3
|Nov mean C = 4.2
|Dec mean C = 1.4
|year mean C = 8.4
|Jan low C = -2.1
|Feb low C = -2.5
|Mar low C = -1.1
|Apr low C = 2.2
|May low C = 7.1
|Jun low C = 10.9
|Jul low C = 14.0
|Aug low C = 13.4
|Sep low C = 9.2
|Oct low C = 5.3
|Nov low C = 2.2
|Dec low C = -0.5
|year low C = 4.8
|source 1 = SMHI Open Data<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/meteorologi/ladda-ner-meteorologiska-observationer/#param=precipitationMonthlySum,stations=all,stationid=53430 |title = Nederbörd för Lund |access-date = 20 May 2019 |language = sv |publisher = SMHI |date = April 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190411092753/https://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/meteorologi/ladda-ner-meteorologiska-observationer#param=precipitationMonthlySum,stations=all,stationid=53430 |archive-date = 11 April 2019 |url-status = live }}</ref>
|source 2 = SMHI Average Data 2002–2018<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/meteorologi/temperatur|title=SMHI Data för väder och vatten|publisher=[[Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute]]|language=sv|access-date=2019-05-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426200812/https://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/meteorologi/temperatur|archive-date=2019-04-26|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

{|style="width:100%;text-align:center;line-height:1.2em;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|-
!Colspan=14|Climate data for Motala
|-
!Month
!Jan
!Feb
!Mar
!Apr
!May
!Jun
!Jul
!Aug
!Sep
!Oct
!Nov
!Dec
!style="border-left-width:medium"|Year
|-
!Average temperature Vättern °C 
|style="background:#9090FF;color:#000000;"|3.2<br />
|style="background:#8484FF;color:#000000;"|2.0<br />
|style="background:#7E7EFF;color:#000000;"|1.3<br />
|style="background:#8888FF;color:#000000;"|3.8<br />
|style="background:#9C9CFF;color:#000000;"|8.1<br />
|style="background:#B8B8FF;color:#000000;"|14.5<br />
|style="background:#D3D3FF;color:#000000;"|18.2<br />
|style="background:#DFDFFF;color:#000000;"|18.3<br />
|style="background:#DEDEFF;color:#000000;"|14.8<br />
|style="background:#D3D3FF;color:#000000;"|10.5<br />
|style="background:#C4C4FF;color:#000000;"|7.5<br />
|style="background:#A9A9FF;color:#000000;"|4.9<br />
|style="background:#B0B0FF;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|8.9<br />
|-
!Mean daily daylight hours
|style="background:#E2E200;color:#000000;"|7.0
|style="background:#F0F011;color:#000000;"|10.0
|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.0
|style="background:#FFFF55;color:#000000;"|15.0
|style="background:#FFFF77;color:#000000;"|17.0
|style="background:#FFFF88;color:#000000;"|18.0
|style="background:#FFFF77;color:#000000;"|17.0
|style="background:#FFFF66;color:#000000;"|15.0
|style="background:#FFFF44;color:#000000;"|13.0
|style="background:#F7F722;color:#000000;"|11.0
|style="background:#E9E900;color:#000000;"|8.0
|style="background:#E2E200;color:#000000;"|6.0
|style="background:#FFFF3A;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|12.4
|-
!Average [[Ultraviolet index]]
|style="background:#289500;color:#000000;"|0
|style="background:#289500;color:#000000;"|1
|style="background:#289500;color:#000000;"|2
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;"|4
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;"|5
|style="background:#f85900;color:#000000;"|6
|style="background:#f85900;color:#000000;"|6
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;"|5
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;"|4
|style="background:#289500;color:#000000;"|2
|style="background:#289500;color:#000000;"|1
|style="background:#289500;color:#000000;"|0
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|3
|-
!Colspan=14 style="background:#f8f9fa;font-weight:normal;font-size:95%;"|Source: Weather Atlas<ref name="Weather Atlas">{{cite web |url=https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/sweden/motala-climate |title=Motala, Sweden – Monthly weather forecast and Climate data |publisher=Weather Atlas |access-date=25 January 2019 }}</ref>
|}

{{notelist}}

== Longwave radio ==
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2024}}
[[Image:Long wave radio station 001 Motala Sweden.JPG|thumb|left|The old longwave broadcasting station in Motala]]
Another important episode of Motala history began in 1927, when the Swedish national [[Motala longwave transmitter]] station was built. The town marks the middle of a straight line between Sweden's two biggest cities, [[Stockholm]] and [[Gothenburg]]. Radio programs were transferred from studios in Stockholm to Motala by telephone wire. The call was "Stockholm-Motala". The transmitter operated on 191&nbsp;kHz until 1962, when the transmissions were moved to [[longwave transmitter Orlunda|Orlunda]]. Since 1991 there have been no longwave transmissions at all by the Swedish Broadcasting Company, but the Motala transmitter, which is a museum today, sometimes makes low power transmissions which may only be received in the Motala area.

At [[Ervasteby Transmitter|Ervasteby]], near Motala, there is a {{convert|332|m|ft|0|adj=on}} tall guyed mast, used for FM- and TV-broadcasting.

Some years before the broadcasting station was established the [[Luxor AB|Luxor]] company was founded in Motala. Luxor soon became one of the largest [[radio]] and later [[television]] manufacturers in [[Sweden]]. In the 1980s Luxor started producing their own line of computers, like the [[ABC 80]]. In 1985 Luxor was acquired by [[Nokia]], and eventually production moved elsewhere.

==Main sights==
*The [[Motala Motor Museum]] ([http://www.motala-motormuseum.se/ site]) contains cars and many hundreds of other period pieces, including motorbikes, racing cars, radios, record players, tools, and many, many, other objects from the first 70 or so years of the 20th century.
*[[Motala longwave transmitter|The Swedish Broadcasting Museum]] with the twin radio towers. 
*The [[Göta Canal]] with locks.
*The old [[Motala Verkstad|Motala Works]] with museums and exhibitions in historical buildings. 
*[[Motala Church]], dating back to the 13th Century.
*Motala Museum at [[Charlottenborg Castle]].
*[[Varamon]] beach.
*[[Baltzar von Platen (1766–1829)|Baltzar Von Platen]]'s gravesite, located along the Göta Canal
For sights surrounding Motala, see [[Motala Municipality]].

==Sports==
The following sports clubs are located in Motala:

* [[BK Zeros]] (football)
* [[IFK Motala]] (bandy)
* [[Motala AIF]] (football)
* [[Piraterna]] (speedway), who race at the [[Motala Arena]]
* [[Motala Segelsällskap]]

==Archaeogenetics==
{{See also|Nordic Bronze Age#Genetics|Zvejnieki burial ground|Deriivka|Khvalynsk|Iron Gates Mesolithic|Samara culture#Genetics}}
A November 2015 genetic study published in [[Nature (journal)|Nature]] included an analysis of six [[hunter-gatherer]]s buried at Motala between ca. 6000 BC and 5700 BC. Of the four males surveyed, three carried the paternal [[Haplogroup I-M438|haplogroup I2a1]] or various subclades of it, while the other carried [[Haplogroup I-M170|I2c]]. With regards to [[mtDNA]], four individuals carried subclades of [[Haplogroup U (mtDNA)#Haplogroup U5|U5a]], while two carried [[Haplogroup U (mtDNA)#Haplogroup U2|U2e1]].{{sfn|Mathieson|2015}}{{sfn|Mathieson|2018}}

== Notable people ==
* [[Alexander Bard]], musician and political activist
* [[Torbjörn Caspersson]] (1910–1997), cytogeneticist
* [[Anders Holmertz]], swimmer
* [[Per Holmertz]], swimmer
* [[Ulla Håkanson]], equestrian
* [[Sophia Isberg]] (1819–1875), artist
* [[Jan Jönsson (equestrian)|Jan Jönsson]], equestrian
* [[Helena Kallenbäck]], actress
* [[Hanna Lindblad]], musical artist and singer
* [[Andreas Norlén]], politician and [[Speaker of the Riksdag]] since 2018
* [[Ilmar Reepalu]], politician
* [[Åsa Regnér]], politician
* [[Agnes Sandström]] (1887–1985), [[Sinking of the Titanic|Titanic]] survivor
* [[Lars Stjernkvist]], politician
* [[Fredrik Virtanen]], journalist
* [[Baltzar von Platen (1766–1829)|Baltzar von Platen]] (1766–1829), statesman and founder of [[Göta Canal|Göta Kanal]]
* [[Owe Wiktorin]], [[Swedish Air Force]] officer, previous [[Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite journal |last1=Mathieson |first1=Iain |date=November 23, 2015 |title=Genome-wide patterns of selection in 230 ancient Eurasians |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |publisher=[[Nature Research]] |volume=528 |issue=7583 |pages=499–503 |bibcode= 2015Natur.528..499M|doi=10.1038/nature16152 |pmc=4918750 |pmid=26595274 }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Mathieson |first1=Iain |date=February 21, 2018 |title=The Genomic History of Southeastern Europe |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |publisher=[[Nature Research]] |volume=555 |issue=7695 |pages=197–203 |bibcode= 2018Natur.555..197M|doi=10.1038/nature25778 |pmc=6091220 |pmid=29466330 }}

== External links ==
* {{commons category-inline|Motala}}
* {{wikivoyage inline|Motala}}
{{Localities in Motala Municipality}}
{{Östergötland County}}{{50 most populous urban areas of Sweden}}{{authority control}}

[[Category:Motala| ]]
[[Category:Populated lakeshore places in Sweden]]
[[Category:Populated places in Motala Municipality]]
[[Category:Municipal seats of Östergötland County]]
[[Category:Swedish municipal seats]]