Lojsta

Lojsta
Lojsta Church
Lojsta
Coordinates: 57°18′46″N 18°23′2″E / 57.31278°N 18.38389°E / 57.31278; 18.38389Coordinates: 57°18′46″N 18°23′2″E / 57.31278°N 18.38389°E / 57.31278; 18.38389
Country	Sweden
Province	Gotland
County	Gotland County
Municipality	Gotland Municipality
Area
• Total	22 km2 (8 sq mi)
Population (2014)
• Total	103
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Lojsta , is a settlement in the central part of the island of Gotland, Sweden. Formerly a socken, on 1 January 2016, it was reconstituted into the administrative area Lojsta District. The rift valley landscape of Lojsta is unusual for Gotland and the area contains the highest point, as well as some of the deepest lakes, on the island. Sweden's only native wild ponies have their natural habitat in an animal reserve in Lojsta.

The name comes from lojst or lojstar, which means "flat land", "flat barren plain". However , it is uncertain which place it refers to.

Lojsta dates back to Medieval times. It is the name of a larger area surrounding medieval Lojsta Church, the Lojsta socken. It was originally part of the Fardhem thing, which in turn was in the southernmost of the three original districts (similar to ridings) that Gotland was divided into during the Middle Ages. In 1862, it became an independent municipality. In 1952, it was incorporated into the Hemse municipality and in 1971, all of Gotland became one municipality. The boatswains from Lojsta under the allotment system, were part of the Second Gotlandic Boatswains Company.

There are several small grave fields from the Iron Age in Lojsta as well as house foundations, collapsed stone walls and stones with grooves. Two rune inscriptions have been found by the church and one Viking silver treasure as well as a gold bracteate have also been found within the socken. Although named after Lojsta, the defence-structure Lojsta Castle and the Lojsta Hall, a reconstruction of an Iron Age longhouse, are situated in the neighboring Stånga socken.

...
Wikipedia