Askøy
Encyclopedia
Askøy is a municipality
in the county of Hordaland
, Norway
. Since the opening of the Askøy Bridge
leading to the mainland in Bergen
in 1992, the population has increased rapidly. Its population growth is as of 2008 among the highest in Norway. Most of the population growth is due to immigration from Bergen, Nordhordland
and Midhordland
.
: Askr) and the last element is øy, meaning "island". The name of the farm is identical with the word askr, meaning "ash tree
". Until 1918 the name was written "Askøen".
was granted on 28 September 1961. The arms are a canting
showing an ash tree
(aske) on an island (øy) with waves of the sea in the base of the shield.
). Laksevåg
was separated from Askøy on 1 July 1918. Most of Herdla
was merged with Askøy on 1 January 1964.
The music festival Lost Weekend is held on the island every summer in Kollevågen
. The festival, first held in August 2001, attracts a large number of minor Norwegian
bands. The festival has been threatened by economic trouble several times.
In the village of Strusshamn you will find old wooden houses, dating back to the early 19th century. Strusshamn then served as quarantine harbour for Bergen
. Today Strusshamn is one of the cultural capital's of Askøy with a lot of activities and a museum
of its own showing life at Askøy in earlier times.
s; Hjeltefjorden
to the west and north, Byfjorden
to the east, and Herdlefjorden to the north-east. The municipality borders Radøy
to the north, Meland
to the north-east, Bergen
to the south-east, Fjell
to the south-west, and Øygarden
to the north-west. The area around the bridge, where Kleppestø and Strussham are located, and the east coast, especially the very urban settlement of Florvaag which for many decades had excellent direct communication with downtown Bergen via ferries,are densely populated, while the northern and western parts of the island are thinly populated. Kleppestø is the administrative centre of the municipality.
Askøy has one of the fastest growing populations in Norway due to an influx of new inhabitants from the Bergen, Midhordland
and Nordhordland
after the opening of the Askøy Bridge
in 1992. North of Askøy lies the island of Herdla
, a popular recreational area with an old German
airbase dating from World War II
.
from Ask
. The Sea food industry is also well settled at Askøy.
Askøy also houses several boat building companies; whom the most famous is Viksund Yachts of Norway situated in Strusshamn, Viknes situated in Bakarvågen, and NB Marine situated at Herdla
.
Askøy houses some big industrial facilities such as Hanøytangen , Mjølkeviksvarden and Storebotn.
Ask is a village in the eastern part of Askøy. Due to its pleasant climate and its convenient location to Bergen, Ask was the location of a kongsgård (lit. "royal farm"); a very old church and churchyard was also located in Ask. The location where the church was situated from about 1200 until 1741 is today marked by a stone cross. Ask is the saga
location for a famous dispute over inheritance between Egill Skallagrímsson
and Berg-Önundr.
The local dialect of the village also reflects the close ties to Bergen, with the dialect being more similar to that of Bergen than that of the rest of Askøy except the dialect of Florvaag; the connection was reinforced into modern times as the wealthy merchants and other residents of Bergen spent their summer there. Ask has had famous residents up to recent times. Fridtjof Nansen
lived in a house near Kongshaugen in a short period. Amalie Skram
lived at Lien at Ask from 1876 to 1878.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in the county of Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Since the opening of the Askøy Bridge
Askøy Bridge
The Askøy Bridge is a suspension bridge which crosses Byfjorden between Bergen and Askøy in Hordaland, Norway. It is long and has a main span of , making it the longest suspension bridge in Norway. It carries two lanes of County Road 562 and a combined pedestrian and bicycle path...
leading to the mainland in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
in 1992, the population has increased rapidly. Its population growth is as of 2008 among the highest in Norway. Most of the population growth is due to immigration from Bergen, Nordhordland
Nordhordland
Nordhordland is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, consisting of the northern portion of the county of Hordaland. It includes the municipalities Austrheim, Fedje, Lindås, Masfjorden, Meland, Modalen, Osterøy, Radøy and Vaksdal....
and Midhordland
Midhordland
Midhordland , is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, consisting of the central portion of the county of Hordaland...
.
Name
The first element is the name Askøy came from the farm Ask (Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Askr) and the last element is øy, meaning "island". The name of the farm is identical with the word askr, meaning "ash tree
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
". Until 1918 the name was written "Askøen".
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
was granted on 28 September 1961. The arms are a canting
Canting arms
Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name in a visual pun or rebus. The term cant came into the English language from Anglo-Norman cant, meaning song or singing, from Latin cantāre, and English cognates include canticle, chant, accent, incantation and recant.Canting arms –...
showing an ash tree
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
(aske) on an island (øy) with waves of the sea in the base of the shield.
Background
The parish of Askøen was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). Laksevåg
Laksevåg
Laksevåg is a borough of the city of Bergen, Norway.-Location:Laksevåg was separated from Askøy as a municipality of its own July 1, 1918. It was merged with Bergen January 1, 1972....
was separated from Askøy on 1 July 1918. Most of Herdla
Herdla
Herdla is an island in Askøy, Norway, at the north end of the island of Askøy. The island was part of the municipality of Herdla until 1 January 1964. The island has a nature reserve with 220 registered species of birds...
was merged with Askøy on 1 January 1964.
Culture
Askøy is home to several sports teams. Askøy Fotballklub is an association football club, formed in 1999 by the merger of Florvåg Idrettsforening and Kleppestø Fotball. The club has a large number of teams, of which the majority are junior football teams. The men's senior team plays in the Norwegian third division as of 2008. The oldest sports club on the island is Ask Idrettslag, mainly an athletics club, founded in 1928.The music festival Lost Weekend is held on the island every summer in Kollevågen
Kollevågen
Kollevågen is a recreational area on the island Askøy just outside Bergen . Includes both textile and naturist beaches, and is the arena for the Lost Weekend music festival each August....
. The festival, first held in August 2001, attracts a large number of minor Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
bands. The festival has been threatened by economic trouble several times.
In the village of Strusshamn you will find old wooden houses, dating back to the early 19th century. Strusshamn then served as quarantine harbour for Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. Today Strusshamn is one of the cultural capital's of Askøy with a lot of activities and a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
of its own showing life at Askøy in earlier times.
Geography
Askøy is surrounded by fjordFjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
s; Hjeltefjorden
Hjeltefjorden
Hjeltefjorden is a fjord in Hordaland in Norway. Its name is derived from Hjaltland, the Old Norse name for Shetland - the routes to Shetland ran through Hjeltefjorden. It is a major route into Bergen, and runs from Fedje in the north to Byfjorden in the south...
to the west and north, Byfjorden
Byfjorden
Byfjorden is a fjord in the county of Hordaland, Norway. It separates the island of Askøy from the city of Bergen on the mainland. The western entrance to Byfjorden is between Drotningsvik in Laksevåg, Bergen, and Marikoven on Askøy...
to the east, and Herdlefjorden to the north-east. The municipality borders Radøy
Radøy
Radøy is an island municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Radøy was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1964, after the merger of large parts of Hordabø, Manger, and Sæbø, and smaller parts of Austrheim and Lindås.-Name:...
to the north, Meland
Meland
Meland is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway.-History:The municipality is named after the farm of Meland. The norse name of the farm was "Meðalland"...
to the north-east, Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
to the south-east, Fjell
Fjell
Fjell is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. The parish of Fjæld was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
to the south-west, and Øygarden
Øygarden
Øygarden is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Midhordland. The administrative centre is Rong.Øygarden was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1964 after the merger of Hjelme and parts of Herdla....
to the north-west. The area around the bridge, where Kleppestø and Strussham are located, and the east coast, especially the very urban settlement of Florvaag which for many decades had excellent direct communication with downtown Bergen via ferries,are densely populated, while the northern and western parts of the island are thinly populated. Kleppestø is the administrative centre of the municipality.
Midhordland
Midhordland , is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, consisting of the central portion of the county of Hordaland...
and Nordhordland
Nordhordland
Nordhordland is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, consisting of the northern portion of the county of Hordaland. It includes the municipalities Austrheim, Fedje, Lindås, Masfjorden, Meland, Modalen, Osterøy, Radøy and Vaksdal....
after the opening of the Askøy Bridge
Askøy Bridge
The Askøy Bridge is a suspension bridge which crosses Byfjorden between Bergen and Askøy in Hordaland, Norway. It is long and has a main span of , making it the longest suspension bridge in Norway. It carries two lanes of County Road 562 and a combined pedestrian and bicycle path...
in 1992. North of Askøy lies the island of Herdla
Herdla
Herdla is an island in Askøy, Norway, at the north end of the island of Askøy. The island was part of the municipality of Herdla until 1 January 1964. The island has a nature reserve with 220 registered species of birds...
, a popular recreational area with an old German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
airbase dating from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Industry and trade
Askøy is well known for the tasty strawberriesStrawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
from Ask
Ask, Hordaland
Ask is a small village in the eastern part of Askøy municipality, Hordaland county, Norway. Ask is well known for raising strawberries, which are sold in the market place at Bergen during the summer season....
. The Sea food industry is also well settled at Askøy.
Askøy also houses several boat building companies; whom the most famous is Viksund Yachts of Norway situated in Strusshamn, Viknes situated in Bakarvågen, and NB Marine situated at Herdla
Herdla
Herdla is an island in Askøy, Norway, at the north end of the island of Askøy. The island was part of the municipality of Herdla until 1 January 1964. The island has a nature reserve with 220 registered species of birds...
.
Askøy houses some big industrial facilities such as Hanøytangen , Mjølkeviksvarden and Storebotn.
Ask
Saga
Sagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
location for a famous dispute over inheritance between Egill Skallagrímsson
Egill Skallagrímsson
Egill Skallagrímsson was a Viking Age warrior and skald. Egill is one of the great anti-heroes of the Icelandic sagas.-Life:...
and Berg-Önundr.
The local dialect of the village also reflects the close ties to Bergen, with the dialect being more similar to that of Bergen than that of the rest of Askøy except the dialect of Florvaag; the connection was reinforced into modern times as the wealthy merchants and other residents of Bergen spent their summer there. Ask has had famous residents up to recent times. Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
lived in a house near Kongshaugen in a short period. Amalie Skram
Amalie Skram
Amalie Skram was a Norwegian author and feminist who gave voice to a woman's point of view with her naturalist writing. She moved to Denmark in 1894 where she settled in Copenhagen with her husband, the Danish writer Erik Skram...
lived at Lien at Ask from 1876 to 1878.