
Stockholm is the capital and largest city of Sweden. The Old Town was settled by Vikings in 1000 AD, and the town was named Stockholm ("fortified islet") in reference to the islet, Helgeandsholmen, on which the city center was built. Modern Stockholm was founded by Birger Jarl in 1252, and the city became a center of trade due to its connections with the Baltic Hanseatic League. From 1296 to 1478, half of Stockholm's 24 city councillors were German-speaking burghers. In 1520, King Christian II of Denmark's entry into the city resulted in the "Stockholm Bloodbath", which resulted in the dissolution of the Kalmar Union three years later. From 1610 to 1680, Stockholm's population multiplied sixfold, in spite of the Great Fire which destroyed the city walls and parts of the city center in 1625, and Stockholm became the national capital in 1634. Stockholm resumed its status as the central hub of Baltic and Scandinavian trade. In 1710, 20,000 people (36% of the population) died during a plague outbreak, and, following the Great Northern War, the city stagnated as Sweden lost its great power status. However, the city continued to develop culturally under King Gustav III of Sweden, a patron of the Enlightenment. During the second half of the 19th century, Stockholm's trade and service industries boomed, and its population increased due to immigration. Stockholm became a modern and diverse city during the second half of the 20th century; by 2020, 25.5% of the population was foreign-born (the largest groups being Iraqis, Finns, Iranians, and Poles). By 2021, Stockholm had a population of 978,770 people, and it was the largest metropolitan area in Sweden.