“Oshögha,” an old name echoes around us here in Oxie. That name meant the mound by the spring. Oxie started as the center of the church municipality. It also served as the seat of the hundred thing. This “thing” was a judicial assembly held each spring and autumn.
Oxie’s story goes back a long time. Archaeological finds reveal settlements from the Stone Age. Discoveries also include the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Look toward Kungshögarna. Those spectacular Bronze Age burial mounds provide a monumental sight. They overlook the highway to Malmö. These mounds rise 60 meters above sea level. This makes them the highest natural point in Malmö municipality.
Let’s talk about justice. Tingbacken and Tingdammen hint at the location of these things. But Galjebacken tells a darker tale. Gallow Hill reminds us of the hundred thing’s judicial powers. Executions took place here well into the 19th century. Imagine the weight of those decisions.
Oxie Church stands as the oldest building in Oxie. Its story began around 1160. Carl Georg Brunius heavily restored it in 1848. Yet, the nave walls remain from the original church. See the southern gate. Notice the baptismal font. Those are also original. Some even suggest a wooden church stood here before the stone one.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries brought change. Several brick and gravel industries arose. Railroad communications supported this rapid growth. You can still see remnants of this industrial past in Oxie’s landscape.
Oxie wasn’t always part of Malmö. It was its own municipality until 1967. Today, Oxie includes the villages of Oxie, Käglinge, Toarp, and Kristineberg. Lockarp, Glostorp, and Krumby were also part of the Oxie district.
In the late 20th century, Oxie grew rapidly. Its population increased from 1,608 in 1957 to over 10,000. Families found it attractive to move here. Oxievång, a large residential area, emerged in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Öresund Bridge changed things again. The high cost of living in Denmark led many Danes to settle in Oxie. Its proximity to Copenhagen and good transportation links made it ideal for commuters. In 2009, 858 Danes called Oxie home.
Today, Oxie is known for more than just its history. It is the number one flower transit point in Sweden. A lot of flower importing companies operate here. They receive shipments from all over Europe. Almost 80% of the imported cut flowers pass through Oxie.
Oxie continues to evolve. New residential developments and a renewed center are planned. Oxie blends its historical roots with modern growth.