Send Gift Baskets to Malmo, Sweden

The first written mention of Malmö dates back to 1275. Approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) to the northeast, it was a fortified quay or ferry berth of the Archbishop of Lund. For centuries, Malmö has been the second-largest city in Denmark. Its original name was Malmhaug (with alternate spellings), meaning “Ore Hill” or “Gravel pile.” Alternatively, a maiden was ground up on the town square in a mill based on an even more gruesome tale. A millstone placed on the town square in 1538 would have given the name ‘Mal Mö,’ which means ‘Ground up the maiden.’

With a population of approximately 5,000, Malmö became one of Denmark’s largest and most visited cities in the 15th century. The German Hanseatic League frequented this city as a marketplace, and its flourishing herring fishery made it the most important town along the Resund. A griffin gules is displayed on argent with a griffin argent, based on Eric’s Arms from Pomerania granted in 1437. Until 1660, the griffin’s head was a symbol of Malmö that extended to the entire province of Skne

The new citadel was built on the beach south of town in 1434. Malmöhus was not established until the mid-16th century when it took its current form. Malmö was Sweden’s most fortified city, but only Malmöhus survived the fortifications.

In the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation spread Lutheran teachings, and Malmö was one of the first cities in Scandinavia to convert (1527–1529).

As a result of the Treaty of Roskilde with Denmark, which was signed in 1658, Malmö and Skneland came under Swedish control. Danish troops besieged Malmö for a month in June 1677, but they could not prevail.