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Osby () is a locality and the seat of Osby Municipality, Scania County, Sweden with 7,157 inhabitants in 2010 and 13,238 inhabitants in 2022. It is the birthplace of the toy manufacturer BRIO, whose museum, the BRIO Lekoseum, remains in the town.
Osby's history is tied to the arrival of the Southern Main Line railway in 1862. This development transformed Osby from a small farming village into a growing industrial hub, with sawmills, metal foundries, and other enterprises driving its expansion during the late 19th century and early 20th century.
With the railway's opening, market activity shifted from Marklunda to Osby, and the town began to grow around the station. Early industries such as sawmills, a steam-powered tannery, and a metal foundry emerged, taking advantage of the region's abundant natural resources, including timber. By the late 19th century, Osby’s sawmills were thriving, with timber floating along the Helge River to supply local and regional markets.
The townscape featured houses with ornate woodwork and gardens lining new streets like Jernvägsgatan and Storgatan. By 1900, Osby's population had surpassed 1,000 residents, marking its transition into an urban center.
The entrepreneurial spirit of Osby’s residents played a key role in its growth. Innovators like Per Persson, who founded a metal foundry and even built a steamship for Osby Lake, exemplified this resourcefulness. This led to the establishment of numerous industries in the early 20th century, including the toy company BRIO, a torvströfabrik (Sphagnum factory), a foundry with a mechanical workshop, a steam sawmill, a gasworks and even educational institutions.
Some of this industrial development disappeared after World War I and gradually the landscape around Osby started changing. Previously open fields, pastures, and meadows have been replanted with Conifer forests. Many farmsteads have been shut down, with their buildings either abandoned or repurposed as holiday homes.
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