Tønsberg

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Tønsberg kommune

—  Municipality  â€”

Coat of arms
Vestfold within
Norway

Tønsberg within Vestfold

Coordinates: 59°17′53″N 10°25′25″E / 59.29806, 10.42361

Country Norway

County Vestfold

District Viken

Municipality ID NO-0704

Administrative centre Tønsberg

Government

 - Mayor (2004) Per Arne Olsen (FrP)

Area (Nr. 381 in Norway)

 - Total 107 km² (41.3 sq mi)

 - Land 106 km² (40.9 sq mi)

Population (2008)

 - Total 38,393

 - Density 362/km² (937.6/sq mi)

 - Change (10 years) 10.1 %

 - Rank in Norway 21

Time zone CET (UTC+1)

 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)

Official language form BokmÃ¥l

Data from Statistics Norway

Website: www.tonsberg.kommune.no

Tønsberg (help·info) is a town and municipality in the county of Vestfold, Norway.

The town of Tønsberg was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The rural municipality of Sem was merged with Tønsberg 1 January 1988.

The population of the entire urban area, regardless of municipality borders, and following the guidelines set by the national statistician agency, the SSB, was 46,862 as of 1 January 2008, making Tønsberg the tenth most populated city in Norway. Tønsberg is generally regarded as the oldest town in Norway.

[edit] History

The Oseberg burial mound from early viking age.

According to Snorri Sturluson, Tønsberg was founded before the Battle of Hafrsfjord, which, according to Snorri, took place in 871. What year the battle took place is disputed, however, and most current historians believe the battle took place closer to 900. However, if the battle did in fact take place in 871, this would make Tønsberg the oldest present Scandinavian town.

Slottsfjellet (lit. the Castle Mountain), north of the city centre, makes for a near impregnable natural fortress. During the civil war of the 12th century, it was fortified by the Baglers. The Birkebeiners besieged it for 20 weeks in the winter of 1201 before the Baglers surrendered. In the 13th century, King Haakon Haakonson set up a castle in Tønsberg, Tønsberg Fortress. The town was destroyed by fire in 1536, but Tønsberg remained one of the most important harbour towns in Norway.

During the German occupation of Norway in World War II, the Berg concentration camp was constructed near Tønsberg. In 1948, Tønsberg became the cathedral city of the Diocese of Tunsberg (Tunsberg bispedømme), created when the counties of Buskerud and Vestfold were separated from the Diocese of Oslo.

The Norse form of the name was Túnsberg. The first element is the genitive case of tún (n), meaning fenced area. The last element is berg (n), meaning mountain. The name originally referred to the fortifications on Slottsfjellet. The old spelling has been retained in the name of the diocese, Tunsberg bispedømme. Tønsberg's coat-of-arms is a seal from the Middle Ages, and shows Tønsberg Fortress.

[edit] Economy

Øvre Langgate, a street in Tønsberg

Tønsberg is still an industrial and maritime centre, with such diverse concerns as metal shops, shipyards, paper mills, leather processing, and breweries. It is noted especially for its silverware.

Tourist sites include ruins of the Tønsberghus, St. Michael's Church, the Royal Castle, Sem Church, and the Vestfold Museum. The Oseberg ship was found near the city in 1904. The longship is now in the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. Perhaps the most important landmark in the town is the tower standing on the hill. It was erected in 1888 as a memorial to the old fortress, of which just fragmentary ruins remain today. Several streets in the town are named after old kings of Norway.

The city is served by the railway line Vestfoldbanen, which runs in a loop through the city before reaching Tønsberg Station.

[edit] Population

As of 1 January 2008, the population of Tønsberg municipality was 38,393.^[1] The population of the urban area, Norway's tenth most populous, was 46,091. 30,061 lived in Tønsberg municipality, while 16,030 lived in Nøtterøy municipality. The urban area extends from Eik in the north, to Tolvsrød, Vallø and Ringshaug in the east and Borgheim on Nøtterøy in the south. Tønsberg municipality contains four additional urban areas; Sem, with 2,147 inhabitants of which 2,100 live in Tønsberg and 47 live in Stokke, Barkåker, with 1,292 inhabitants, Åsgårdstrand, with 2,847 inhabitants - 2,794 in Horten and 53 in Tønsberg, and Vear, with a population of 3,502 of which 2,263 live in Stokke and 1,239 live in Tønsberg.^[2]

[edit] Famous residents

[edit] Twin towns

Tønsberg and Covarrubias in Spain have entered a friendship agreement as the result of an old connection through Princess Kristina of Norway. In addition, Tønsberg has four twin towns, all in the Nordic region:

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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Tønsberg