Kongsberg

25 964 ( March 31, 2013 )

Kongsberg ( in Norwegian called "King Mountain " ) is a city and municipality in Buskerud, Norway. In her live to 792 km ² 25 964 people ( as of March 31, 2013). The city is situated on the banks of Numedalslågen.

History

The discovery of the silver mine at Numedalslågen 1623, the city owes its origin. On May 2, 1624 founded by King Christian IV, it quickly became the largest mining town in Norway. Christian IV had German miners from the silver mines come in the Ore Mountains and resin in order to develop the deposits. In addition, German miners came from other Norwegian pits to Kongsberg. Adolf Friedrich von Grabow from Saxony was appointed the first mountain captain. The mines contributed German name. The first services were held in German, later also in Danish. The German miners wore their own mountain man garb and were organized in the form of the German Miners. The work was performed by the German mining regulations. Kongsberg possible at this time a small piece of Germany in Norway. During the heyday about 4,200 employees worked in the silver mines. 1757 Mountain Seminar was founded, the first technical university in Norway. 1686 Royal Mint of Akershus was moved to Kongsberg. The town was only 1802, the market law. The reduction in the old mines in 1805 was initially set. Only after new silver deposits were discovered in 1816 was again the start of operations. In the 1830s about 10 percent of the Norwegian state budget were financed out of the proceeds of the silver mines. Until the elimination of silver mining in 1957 a total of about 1,350 tons of pure silver were produced.

Coat of arms

Description: In a green zweigesichtiger silver man, in his right hand a golden sword held high and in the other a golden scale entertaining

Economy

As 1814, the state Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk (KV ) ( German: Kongsberg Arms Factory ) was founded, the city received a new industry focus, who provided not only the Norwegian government with weapons. Only in 1987 was the arms factory, which is to have violated the COCOM guidelines for arms exports and stood before the bankruptcy, dissolved. It was split into several smaller companies and partially privatized. From it the Kongsberg Group ( Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace og Kongsberg Maritime ) and the Kongsberg Automotive Holding ( FMC Technologies og Kongsberg Automotive ) have emerged among others. This Kongsberg has now become a center of high technology, in which more than 6,000 engineers and other highly skilled specialists work. In their operations, among other technologies for space and aircraft industry, shipping, for motor vehicles, and off-shore systems are developed and produced for the oil and natural gas production. The city still hosts the State Mint of Norway and a Fachhochschule (optics, computer science, engineering, and political science ) with more than 800 students.

Culture

Since 1964, takes place every year in July the international Kongsberg Jazz Festival.

Sports

Kongsberg is home to many well-known Norwegian ski jumper and snowboarders. The city is a famous resort with a chairlift and ski lifts. The slopes have a difference in height of about 400 meters. There are a total of seven illuminated at night trails. The city has an 18 -hole golf course and a motor sports center for autocross, motocross, go-karting and Speedway.

Twin Cities

  • Japan - Chitose, Japan
  • Finland - Espoo, Finland
  • Netherlands - Gouda, The Netherlands
  • Denmark - Køge, Denmark
  • Sweden - Kristianstad, Sweden
  • United States - Red Wing, Minnesota, United States
  • Iceland - Skagafjordur, Iceland

Attractions

  • Kongsberg Kirke from 1761, the largest and best-preserved Norwegian Baroque church with a Gloger organ from 1765
  • Kongsberg Ski Museum, founded in 1987, with numerous exhibits Norwegian ski jumper as Birger Ruud, but also German athletes like Helmut Recknagel
  • Lågdalsmuseum, an open air museum with buildings and facilities of the historic Miner time
  • Museum of the Royal Mint with the coinage of silver since 1628 to the Present
  • Norwegian Mining Museum with a large collection of finds from the silver mines and exhibits on the history of silver mining
  • Kongsberg silver mine, mine with underground facilities and a walk- mine the former mining in Kongsberg

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Halfdan Cleve, Norwegian composer
  • Sverre Fehn, Norwegian architect of modernity and Pritzker Prize winner
  • Maurits Christopher Hansen, Norwegian writer
  • Morten Harket, lead singer of the Norwegian pop band a-ha
  • Petter Hugsted, Norwegian ski jumper
  • Hanne Hukkelberg, Norwegian musician
  • Arnholdt Kongsgård, Norwegian ski jumper
  • Silje Norendal, Norwegian snowboarder
  • Tormod Mobraaten, Canadian ski jumper
  • Hilmar Myhra, Norwegian ski jumper
  • Sigurd Pettersen, Norwegian ski jumper
  • Morten Qvenild, Norwegian jazz pianist
  • Asbjørn Ruud, Norwegian ski jumper
  • Birger Ruud, Norwegian ski jumper
  • Roger Ruud, Norwegian ski jumper
  • Sigmund Ruud, Norwegian ski jumper
  • Christian Sinding, Norwegian composer
  • Susanne Wallumrød, Norwegian jazz singer
Counties of Norway Labour Party (Norway) Municipalities of Norway Offshore Kongsberg Jazzfestival Chitose, Hokkaido Red Wing (Minnesota) Gottfried Heinrich Gloger Kongsberg Skiing Museum Maurits Hansen Drammen Flesberg Gol, Norway Hemsedal Hole, Norway Hurum Lier, Norway Modum Nedre Eiker Nes (Buskerud) Nore og Uvdal Ringerike Rollag Sigdal
483942
de