Torshälla is a locality situated in Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 7,612 inhabitants in 2010. It is mainly known for steel manufacturing, centered on the Nyby Bruk steel mill, and also for its historic old town centre.

Because of its historic town status, from 1317 to 1971, Torshälla is customarily referred to as a stad (town or city) even though it does not have a population of 10,000, which is the limit presently in use defined by Statistics Sweden.

Before the local government reform of 1971 Torshälla was an independent municipality. A new proposal to detach Torshälla from Eskilstuna Municipality was turned down in a referendum in 2006.

Economy

The main industry and private employer in Torshälla is Outokumpu, producing cold rolled stainless steel products at Nyby Bruk.

Sports

• Torshälla Nyby Idrottsällskap (TNIS) is the local soccer team, founded on February 12, 1914, when the existing local teams Torshälla Guif, Nyby Bruk IF and IF Östermalms merged and formed Torshälla-Nyby Idrottsällskap; TNIS. Soon thereafter Torshälla AIK choose to join the club and March 7 of that year four cooperating sports clubs became TNIS. Initially the club had Guif’s red shirts and black pants. Nowadays the team plays in green / black-striped shirts with white pants and green socks.

Sights

• Bergströmska gården (Bergström House) is a well preserved 18th century merchant loghouse which houses the local history museum. The surrounding blocks form the oldest surviving parts of the historic small town.
• Ebelingmuseet (Ebeling Museum) is an art museum with a permanent collection of the works of Swedish-American artist and sculptor Allan Ebeling. Many of his works are exhibited in prominent public places in Torshälla, including Tors bockar in Torshällaån and Vattenbärerskan in Östra Torget.
• The 19th century mill village of Nyby bruk with Nyby Manor House and workers’ houses.
• Torshälla Church has a well preserved 15th century painted ceiling made by the painter Albertus Pictor, featuring the earliest known depiction of eyeglasses in Sweden.
• Torshälla Town Hall at Rådhustorget, built in 1833. The tower clock was originally made for Strängnäs Cathedral and dates from the 16th century.

Transport

Torshälla is situated 4 mi (7 km) north of the municipal seat in Eskilstuna. European route E20 passes south of Torshälla, and the distance by E20 to Stockholm is 71 mi (114 km). Swedish national road 56 passes west of Torshälla, providing road connections to northern and southern Sweden.

The old Northern Södermanland Railway connection to the present day main line of Svealandsbanan has since the 1930s only been used for goods traffic. The closest train station is in Eskilstuna, and there are frequent city bus connections to Eskilstuna available.

Torshälla boat harbour is reachable by boat from Lake Mälaren through the river Torshällaån and is mostly used by leisure boats and tourist boats. The Eskilstunaån river, upstream of the now-defunct locks in Torshälla Canal, is only partially navigable, due to the very low clearance under the several fixed bridges which have been built over the river since the 1960s.

Notable residents

Notable present and former residents of Torshälla include:

• Kjell Bergqvist, actor
• Allan Ebeling (1897–1975), artist and sculptor
• Ulf Kristersson, liberal-conservative politician, Moderate Party leader
• Walter Kurtsson, stage name for Peter Torsén, local comedian
• Anni-Frid Lyngstad, formerly of ABBA.
• Markus Mustonen, member of Swedish rock band Kent.
• Anna Nordqvist, professional golfer playing for Torshälla GK
• Yvonne Ryding, Miss Universe pageant winner
• Sami Sirviö, member of Swedish rock band Kent.