Kongsberg
Encyclopedia
is a town and municipality
in Buskerud
county
, Norway
. It is located at the southern end of the traditional region
of Numedal
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsberg.
The town was founded in 1624 under the name Konings Bierg by Danish-Norwegian king Christian IV
as a mining
community. It was granted its royal charter
of trade—amounting to official township
—in 1802. The municipality of Kongsberg was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
). The rural municipalities of Ytre Sandsvær
and Øvre Sandsvær
were merged into the municipality of Kongsberg on 1 January 1964.
Today, Kongsberg is perhaps best known for being the home of Norway's major defense contractor
, Kongsberg Gruppen
, formerly Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk. Two of its well known products were the Kongsberg Colt
and the Krag-Jørgensen
rifle. The latter was adopted in the late 19th century as the standard army rifle in Denmark, United States of America and Norway.
of konge which means "king
" (referring to king Christian IV) and berg which means "mountain
".
is from modern times and was designed by Hallvard Tretteberg. They were granted on 25 August 1972. They are based upon the old seal for the city from 1689 which shows the Roman god
Janus
dressed as an emperor
(to represent the king); the sword
and the pair of scales represents justice
. The color green represents the forests, silver represents the mountains, and gold represents wealth.
mines, from which roughly 1350 tonnes (2,976,240.5 lb) of silver was extracted between the discovery of silver ore
seams in 1623, and the last year of mining
, in 1957. In 1770, the mines employed about 4,000 workers, and the town was the second largest in Norway, after Bergen
(and thus larger than today's capital, Oslo
).
Following several hard years with reduced silver output from the mines, the war of 1807–1814, and a severe town fire in 1810 where 56 houses on the west side were destroyed, mining was complemented by the government establishing a defense industry
in 1814. During peaceful times, the defense industry gradually evolved into many other kinds of high tech
activities as well, now dominating the town's employment.
In 1987, however, the state-owned Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk
(Kongsberg Weapons Factory) suffered a major financial crisis as well as accusations of breaching the CoCom
rules by selling sensitive technology to the Soviet bloc
. As a result the company was split into several smaller units and partly sold to private investors. Today, the separate firms thrive as one of Norway's main high-tech industrial clusters, centering on the defence and maritime company Kongsberg Gruppen
which is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange
.
Kongsberg is also home to the Mint of Norway , which exclusively makes Norwegian coins. It was established in 1686, and was renamed from the Royal Norwegian Mint in 2004 after having been sold to private investors (the Mint of Finland
and Norwegian company Samlerhuset
) in 2003.
to the north; Øvre Eiker
and Hof to the east; Lardal
, Siljan
, and Skien
to the south; and Sauherad
and Notodden
to the west. Of these, the two first lie in Buskerud county like Kongsberg, while Hof and Lardal lie in Vestfold
, and the others lie in Telemark
. The town is divided by the river Numedalslågen
, which has three waterfall
s in the town itself.
, crossing Kongsberg east to west (and connected to the E18
to Oslo
), and Norwegian national road
40 (Riksvei 40), going north to south. Sørlandsbanen railway line stops at Kongsberg station
, with connection to local and regional bus lines.
exterior, but a richly decorated baroque
interior including one-of-a-kind chandelier
s made at Nøstetangen Glass Works in neighbouring Hokksund
. Kongsberg Church remains one of the largest in Norway with a seating capacity
of 2,400.
The church's original baroque-era pipe organ
, made by renowned German organ
builder Gottfried Heinrich Gloger
in 1760–65, was fully restored by Jürgen Ahrend
in 1999–2000 and reopened to great fanfare in January 2001. With its 42 voices, it is the largest baroque organ in Scandinavia
. At the end of January each year, the Gloger Music Festival now draws a select crowd of artists and music lovers from all over the world.
Since 1964, Kongsberg has hosted Kongsberg Jazzfestival
, an annual international jazz
festival. Heavily sponsored by the local industry, prominent world acts such as BB King, Diana Krall
, Ornette Coleman
, Joshua Redman
and John Scofield
have played at the festival in recent years.
s. Birger Ruud
and his two brothers, as well as many other townsmen, such as Petter Hugsted
, won numerous medals in Winter Olympics and other international championships in the 1930s and 1940s. The first ski jumping technique, the Konsberger
was developed by Jacob Tullin Thams
and Sigmund Ruud
in Kongsberg, and was the most popular ski jumping technique from the late 1920s to the late 1950s. Their medals and equipment can be seen at the Kongsberg Skiing Museum
(Kongsberg Skimuseum) which is co-located with the Norwegian Mining Museum (Norsk Bergverksmuseum) in central Kongsberg. Inventor of the modern ski binding
, Norwegian-American skier and Olympic skiing coach Hjalmar Hvam
, was born in Kongsberg in 1902.
Recent winter sports athletes of the Kongsberg region include Olympic snowboarders Stine Brun Kjeldaas
and Halvor Lunn; cross-country ski
sprinter Børre Næss
of the village Efteløt; and ski jumper Sigurd Pettersen
of nearby municipality Rollag
(60 km/37 mi north of Kongsberg). A large ski center for alpine skiing
and snowboard
ing, with several lift
s and ca 320 m of height difference has been in operation and gradually expanding since 1965. Kongsberg hosted the cross-country skiing parts of the 2006 Nordic skiing
National Championships. The arranging sportsclub was IL Skrim, the ski tracks being located at former military camp Heistadmoen
.
The first monogram on the hillside property belonged to Christian IV who in 1624 founded the Kongsberg at the site of the newly discovered silver deposits. His visit was followed by that of Frederik III (1648) and Christian V (1685). Christian VI and his Queen Sofie Magdalene (1733), Frederik V
(1749), Oscar I (1845), Oscar II
(1890), Haakon VII
(1908), Olav V (1962) and most recently Harald V (1995).
with Kongsberg: - Chitose
, Hokkaidō
, Japan
- Espoo
, Etelä-Suomi
, Finland
- Gouda
, South Holland
, Netherlands
- Kristianstad
, Skåne County
, Sweden
- Køge, Region Sjælland
, Denmark
- Red Wing
, Minnesota
, United States
- Skagafjörður
, Iceland
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Buskerud
Buskerud
is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, 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...
. It is located at the southern end of the traditional region
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
of Numedal
Numedal
Numedal is a traditional district and valley Buskerud, Norway. Running north–south, it extends between Kongsberg in the south to Rødberg in the north, passing through the municipalities of Kongsberg, Flesberg, Rollag and Nore og Uvdal.. The river Numedalslågen, the third-longest in the country,...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsberg.
The town was founded in 1624 under the name Konings Bierg by Danish-Norwegian king Christian IV
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
as a mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
community. It was granted its royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
of trade—amounting to official township
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
—in 1802. The municipality of Kongsberg was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
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...
). The rural municipalities of Ytre Sandsvær
Ytre Sandsvær
Ytre Sandsvær is a former municipality in Buskerud county, Norway.It was created when Sandsvær was split into Ytre and Øvre Sandsvær on 1 January 1908. At that time Ytre Sandsvær had a population of 3,245....
and Øvre Sandsvær
Øvre Sandsvær
Øvre Sandsvær is a former municipality in Buskerud county, Norway.It was created when Sandsvær was split into Øvre and Ytre Sandsvær on 1 January 1908. At that time Øvre Sandsvær had a population of 2,464. In 1939 a district with 33 inhabitants was moved to Flesberg municipality.On 1 January 1964...
were merged into the municipality of Kongsberg on 1 January 1964.
Today, Kongsberg is perhaps best known for being the home of Norway's major defense contractor
Defense contractor
A defense contractor is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a military department of a government. Products typically include military aircraft, ships, vehicles, weaponry, and electronic systems...
, Kongsberg Gruppen
Kongsberg Gruppen
Kongsberg Gruppen is Norway's major defence contractor and maritime automation supplier, located in Kongsberg, a former mining town....
, formerly Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk. Two of its well known products were the Kongsberg Colt
Kongsberg Colt
The Kongsberg Colt is a nickname used for Colt M1911 pistols produced under license by the Norwegian factory Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk.- History :...
and the Krag-Jørgensen
Krag-Jørgensen
The Krag-Jørgensen is a repeating bolt action rifle designed by the Norwegians Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen in the late 19th century. It was adopted as a standard arm by Denmark, the United States of America and Norway...
rifle. The latter was adopted in the late 19th century as the standard army rifle in Denmark, United States of America and Norway.
Name
The name Konings Bierg, a modern form Kongsberg, is based on the following two elements: the genitive caseGenitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of konge which means "king
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
" (referring to king Christian IV) and berg which means "mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
".
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...
is from modern times and was designed by Hallvard Tretteberg. They were granted on 25 August 1972. They are based upon the old seal for the city from 1689 which shows the Roman god
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
Janus
Janus (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, thence also of gates, doors, doorways, endings and time. He is usually a two-faced god since he looks to the future and the past...
dressed as an emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
(to represent the king); the sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
and the pair of scales represents justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
. The color green represents the forests, silver represents the mountains, and gold represents wealth.
History
Kongsberg is particularly known for its old silverSilver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
mines, from which roughly 1350 tonnes (2,976,240.5 lb) of silver was extracted between the discovery of silver ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
seams in 1623, and the last year of mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, in 1957. In 1770, the mines employed about 4,000 workers, and the town was the second largest in Norway, after 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 , ....
(and thus larger than today's capital, Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
).
Following several hard years with reduced silver output from the mines, the war of 1807–1814, and a severe town fire in 1810 where 56 houses on the west side were destroyed, mining was complemented by the government establishing a defense industry
Defense industry
The defense industry, also called the military industry, comprises government and commercial industry involved in research, development, production, and service of military materiel, equipment and facilities...
in 1814. During peaceful times, the defense industry gradually evolved into many other kinds of high tech
High tech
High tech is technology that is at the cutting edge: the most advanced technology currently available. It is often used in reference to micro-electronics, rather than other technologies. The adjective form is hyphenated: high-tech or high-technology...
activities as well, now dominating the town's employment.
In 1987, however, the state-owned Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk
Kongsberg Gruppen
Kongsberg Gruppen is Norway's major defence contractor and maritime automation supplier, located in Kongsberg, a former mining town....
(Kongsberg Weapons Factory) suffered a major financial crisis as well as accusations of breaching the CoCom
CoCom
CoCom is an acronym for Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls. CoCom was established by Western bloc powers in the first five years after the end of World War II, during the Cold War, to put an arms embargo on COMECON countries.CoCom ceased to function on March 31, 1994, and the...
rules by selling sensitive technology to the Soviet bloc
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
. As a result the company was split into several smaller units and partly sold to private investors. Today, the separate firms thrive as one of Norway's main high-tech industrial clusters, centering on the defence and maritime company Kongsberg Gruppen
Kongsberg Gruppen
Kongsberg Gruppen is Norway's major defence contractor and maritime automation supplier, located in Kongsberg, a former mining town....
which is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange
Oslo Stock Exchange
The Oslo Stock Exchange serves as the main market for trading in the shares of Norwegian companies. It opens at 9:00am and closes 5:30pm local time...
.
Kongsberg is also home to the Mint of Norway , which exclusively makes Norwegian coins. It was established in 1686, and was renamed from the Royal Norwegian Mint in 2004 after having been sold to private investors (the Mint of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Norwegian company Samlerhuset
Samlerhuset
The Samlerhuset Group is a Norwegian-owned, international mail order company headquartered in Almere. The company sells mainly traditional collectibles such as coins, medals, stamps, banknotes and coin-letters. The Samlerhuset Group has subsidiaries in 16 countries. The company had 400 employees in...
) in 2003.
Geography
The neighbouring municipalities of Kongsberg are FlesbergFlesberg
Flesberg is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lampeland....
to the north; Øvre Eiker
Øvre Eiker
Øvre Eiker is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Eiker. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hokksund. The old municipality of Eiker was divided into Øvre Eiker and Nedre Eiker on 1 July 1885.-Name:The Old Norse form of...
and Hof to the east; Lardal
Lardal
Lardal is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Svarstad. The parish of Laurdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . The municipality is divided into the parishes of Svarstad, Styrvoll, and Hem.-Name:The Old...
, Siljan
Siljan, Norway
Siljan is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Siljan. The parish of Slemdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
, and Skien
Skien
' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....
to the south; and Sauherad
Sauherad
Sauherad is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Midt-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Akkerhaugen...
and Notodden
Notodden
is a town and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Notodden....
to the west. Of these, the two first lie in Buskerud county like Kongsberg, while Hof and Lardal lie in Vestfold
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...
, and the others lie in Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
. The town is divided by the river Numedalslågen
Numedalslågen
-Location:Numedalslågen stretches for over 250 kilometres through the counties of Vestfold and Buskerud, beginning at the Hardangervidda plateau and meeting the ocean at Larvik in Vestfold. Numedalslågen is one of Norway's longest rivers. The rivers runs through the municipalities Larvik, Lardal,...
, which has three waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s in the town itself.
Transportation
The main highways are the E134European route E134
European highway E 134 goes through Norway, eastwards from Haugesund, over the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. With the highest point at 1085 meters above sea level, the road is sensitive to snow conditions and foul weather during the winter season, during which the mountainous sections may...
, crossing Kongsberg east to west (and connected to the E18
European route E18
European route E18 runs from Craigavon in the United Kingdom to Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Norway, Sweden, and Finland. It is about 1,890 km in length.-United Kingdom:...
to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
), and Norwegian national road
Norwegian national road
Norwegian national road , are roads thus categorized by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration which also maintains them...
40 (Riksvei 40), going north to south. Sørlandsbanen railway line stops at Kongsberg station
Kongsberg Station
Kongsberg Station is a railway station located in downtown Kongsberg in Buskerud, Norway, on the Sørland Line. The station is served by express trains to Kristiansand and is the terminus of the local trains from Oslo and Eidsvoll.-History:...
, with connection to local and regional bus lines.
Culture
With the population increase during the town's silver mining heyday of the mid-sixteenth century came the need for a new church, which was built over a period 21 years and inaugurated in 1761. It has an austere red brickBrick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
exterior, but a richly decorated baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
interior including one-of-a-kind chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
s made at Nøstetangen Glass Works in neighbouring Hokksund
Hokksund
Hokksund is a town in the municipality of Øvre Eiker in the county of Buskerud in Norway.-History:Hokksund is the administrative centre, and largest town in Øvre Eiker, with a population of around 8,000. The river Drammenselva flows through the town, 500m from the centre. Hokksund has developed on...
. Kongsberg Church remains one of the largest in Norway with a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 2,400.
The church's original baroque-era pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
, made by renowned German organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
builder Gottfried Heinrich Gloger
Gottfried Heinrich Gloger
Gottfried Heinrich Gloger was born in Hannover, Germany, and received his first organ-building training under his father, Johann Heinrich Gloger. Gloger came to Norway as early as 1738, and in 1746 the King awarded him the royal privilege of organ builder. He was the greatest organ builder in...
in 1760–65, was fully restored by Jürgen Ahrend
Jürgen Ahrend
Jürgen Ahrend is a German organ builder famous for restoring instruments such as the Rysum organ and the Arp Schnitger organ in St. Jacobi, Hamburg as well as building original instruments...
in 1999–2000 and reopened to great fanfare in January 2001. With its 42 voices, it is the largest baroque organ in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. At the end of January each year, the Gloger Music Festival now draws a select crowd of artists and music lovers from all over the world.
Since 1964, Kongsberg has hosted Kongsberg Jazzfestival
Kongsberg Jazzfestival
Kongsberg Jazzfestival is an international jazz festival held annually in Kongsberg, Norway since 1964.-Artists:Several worldwide great artists have visited Kongsberg during this festival; international stars including Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, John Scofield, Nigel Kennedy and Pat Metheny have...
, an annual international jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
festival. Heavily sponsored by the local industry, prominent world acts such as BB King, Diana Krall
Diana Krall
Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...
, Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
, Joshua Redman
Joshua Redman
Joshua Redman is an American jazz saxophonist and composer who records for Nonesuch Records. He won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991.-Biography:...
and John Scofield
John Scofield
John Scofield , often referred to as "Sco," is an American jazz guitarist and composer, who has played and collaborated with Miles Davis, Dave Liebman, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Joey Defrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Pat Martino, Mavis Staples, Phil Lesh, Billy Cobham,...
have played at the festival in recent years.
Sports
The town is known for many great ski jumperSki jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
s. Birger Ruud
Birger Ruud
Birger Ruud was a Norwegian ski jumper.Born in Kongsberg, Birger Ruud, with his brothers Sigmund and Asbjørn, dominated international jumping in the 1930s, winning three world championships in 1931, 1935 and 1937. Ruud also won the Olympic gold medal in 1932 and 1936...
and his two brothers, as well as many other townsmen, such as Petter Hugsted
Petter Hugsted
Petter Hugsted was a champion Norwegian ski jumper. Born in Kongsberg, he won the Olympic gold medal in Ski Jumping in 1948 Winter Olympics at St. Moritz. This was impressive, especially after being held in the Grini concentration camp during the German occupation of Norway...
, won numerous medals in Winter Olympics and other international championships in the 1930s and 1940s. The first ski jumping technique, the Konsberger
Kongsberger technique
The Kongsberger technique in ski jumping was created in Kongsberg, Norway by Jacob Tullin Thams and Sigmund Ruud. The technique was developed after World War I, and was characterized by the upper body being bent at the hip, and arms extended at the front with the skis parallel to each other...
was developed by Jacob Tullin Thams
Jacob Tullin Thams
Jacob Tullin "Tulla" Thams was a Norwegian Olympian. He won the first Olympic ski jumping gold medal in 1924, and became the third person to medal in both the Winter and Summer Olympics in 1936 as a member of the silver medal-winning...
and Sigmund Ruud
Sigmund Ruud
Sigmund Ruud was a Norwegian ski jumper.Born in Kongsberg, Norway, Sigmund Ruud, with his brothers Birger and Asbjørn, dominated ski jumping in the 1920s and 1930s. At the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Sigmund earned a silver medal in the ski jumping competition...
in Kongsberg, and was the most popular ski jumping technique from the late 1920s to the late 1950s. Their medals and equipment can be seen at the Kongsberg Skiing Museum
Kongsberg Skiing Museum
Kongsberg Skiing Museum is a museum of skiing, located in Kongsberg, Norway. It was initially created by the two friends and well known ski jumpers, Birger Ruud and Petter Hugsted...
(Kongsberg Skimuseum) which is co-located with the Norwegian Mining Museum (Norsk Bergverksmuseum) in central Kongsberg. Inventor of the modern ski binding
Ski binding
A ski binding is an attachment which anchors a ski boot to the ski. There are different types of bindings for different types of skiing.-Universal designs:...
, Norwegian-American skier and Olympic skiing coach Hjalmar Hvam
Hjalmar Hvam
Hjalmar P. Hvam was a competitive Norwegian-American Nordic skier and inventor of the first safety ski binding.-Early life:...
, was born in Kongsberg in 1902.
Recent winter sports athletes of the Kongsberg region include Olympic snowboarders Stine Brun Kjeldaas
Stine Brun Kjeldaas
Stine Brun Kjeldaas is a snowboarder from Kongsberg, Norway, now living in Oslo.-Snowboarding career:She won a silver medal in the half-pipe at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and also participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, USA.-Commentating career:She joined the...
and Halvor Lunn; cross-country ski
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
sprinter Børre Næss
Børre Næss
Børre Næss is a Norwegian cross-country skier who has competed since 2002. He has three World Cup victories, all in individual sprint events .-External links:...
of the village Efteløt; and ski jumper Sigurd Pettersen
Sigurd Pettersen
Sigurd Pettersen is a Norwegian ski jumper . His greatest achievement is winning the Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck and Bischofshofen in 2003....
of nearby municipality Rollag
Rollag
Rollag is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Numedal. The municipality of Rollag was established on 1 January 1838 . Nore og Uvdal was separated from Rollag in 1858....
(60 km/37 mi north of Kongsberg). A large ski center for alpine skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
and snowboard
Snowboard
Snowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...
ing, with several lift
Ski lift
The term ski lift generally refers to any transport device that carries skiers up a hill. A ski lift may fall into one of the following three main classes:-Lift systems and networks:...
s and ca 320 m of height difference has been in operation and gradually expanding since 1965. Kongsberg hosted the cross-country skiing parts of the 2006 Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
National Championships. The arranging sportsclub was IL Skrim, the ski tracks being located at former military camp Heistadmoen
Heistadmoen
Heistadmoen is a Norwegian military encampment in Kongsberg, in the county of Buskerud, Norway. Heistadmoen currently provides able quarters for the Telemark and Buskerud Home Guard District . The camp is large and modern, most of the buildings have been recently refurbished...
.
Crown in Håvet
Crown in Håvet (Kronene i Håvet) is the location where Norwegian royal monograms have been carved into a mountainside to mark royal visits to Kongsberg. In June 1704 King Frederik IV visited Kongsberg and started a tradition that is alive to this day. King Frederik also arranged to have cut made for the monograms of previous monarchs from earlier royal visits.The first monogram on the hillside property belonged to Christian IV who in 1624 founded the Kongsberg at the site of the newly discovered silver deposits. His visit was followed by that of Frederik III (1648) and Christian V (1685). Christian VI and his Queen Sofie Magdalene (1733), Frederik V
Frederick V of Denmark
Frederick V was king of Denmark and Norway from 1746, son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.-Early life:...
(1749), Oscar I (1845), Oscar II
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...
(1890), Haakon VII
Haakon VII
Haakon VII may refer to:People* Haakon VII of Norway , King of Norway Ships* HNoMS King Haakon VII, a Royal Norwegian Navy escort ship in commission from 1942 to 1951...
(1908), Olav V (1962) and most recently Harald V (1995).
Notable residents
- Håkon AustbøHåkon AustbøHåkon Austbø is a Norwegian classical pianist, born in Kongsberg. He is also a professor at the Amsterdam conservatory....
- pianist - Halfdan CleveHalfdan CleveHalfdan Cleve was a Norwegian composer, born and raised in Kongsberg. He lived some time in Germany. Some examples on his output as a composer are piano concertos, other piano works, and some chamber music. He was described as a child prodigy...
(1879–1951) - composer - Ivar Grydeland - jazz guitarJazz guitarThe term jazz guitar may refer to either a type of guitar or to the variety of guitar playing styles used in the various genres which are commonly termed "jazz"...
ist - Morten HarketMorten HarketMorten Harket is a Norwegian musician, best known as the lead singer of the Norwegian synthpop/rock band A-ha, which released nine studio albums and topped the charts in several countries after their breakthrough hit "Take on Me" in 1985. A-ha disbanded in 2010. Harket has also released four solo...
- lead singer of the synthpopSynthpopSynthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
band a-haA-haA-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar... - Hjalmar HvamHjalmar HvamHjalmar P. Hvam was a competitive Norwegian-American Nordic skier and inventor of the first safety ski binding.-Early life:...
(1902–1996) - Norwegian-American Nordic skier - Petter HugstedPetter HugstedPetter Hugsted was a champion Norwegian ski jumper. Born in Kongsberg, he won the Olympic gold medal in Ski Jumping in 1948 Winter Olympics at St. Moritz. This was impressive, especially after being held in the Grini concentration camp during the German occupation of Norway...
(1921–2000) - ski jumper. - Bryan KingBryan KingBryan King is a former English football goalkeeper and current scout for Tottenham. He lives now in Kongsberg, Norway. In Norway he is chiefly remembered for coaching goalkeeping legend Roberto Palma....
- British football goalkeeper and scoutScout (association football)A football scout attends football matches on the behalf of clubs to collect intelligence. Primarily, there are two types of scouts: player scouts and tactical scouts.... - Tinius OlsenTinius OlsenTinius Olsen was a Norwegian born, American engineer and inventor. He was the founder of the Tinius Olsen Engineering Testing Machine Company. He was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal of The Franklin Institute in 1891....
(1845–1932) - Norwegian AmericanNorwegian AmericanNorwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...
engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and inventor - Morten Qvenild - jazz pianistJazz pianoJazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instrument's combined melodic and harmonic capabilities...
- Birger RuudBirger RuudBirger Ruud was a Norwegian ski jumper.Born in Kongsberg, Birger Ruud, with his brothers Sigmund and Asbjørn, dominated international jumping in the 1930s, winning three world championships in 1931, 1935 and 1937. Ruud also won the Olympic gold medal in 1932 and 1936...
(1911–1998) - ski jumper - Sigmund RuudSigmund RuudSigmund Ruud was a Norwegian ski jumper.Born in Kongsberg, Norway, Sigmund Ruud, with his brothers Birger and Asbjørn, dominated ski jumping in the 1920s and 1930s. At the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Sigmund earned a silver medal in the ski jumping competition...
(1907–1994) - ski jumper. - Christian SindingChristian SindingChristian August Sinding was a Norwegian composer.-Personal life:He was born in Kongsberg as a son of mine superindendent Matthias Wilhelm Sinding and Cecilie Marie Mejdell . He was a brother of the painter Otto Sinding and the sculptor Stephan Sinding...
(1856–1941) - composers and pianist - Otto Ludvig Sinding (1842–1909) - painter
- Stephan Abel Sinding (1846–1922) - sculptor
Twin towns — sister cities
The following cities are twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Kongsberg: - Chitose
Chitose, Hokkaido
-Economy:China Airlines operates its Sapporo office on the third floor of the airport building.The airline Hokkaido Air System was at one time headquartered at the New Chitose Airport in Chitose...
, Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- Espoo
Espoo
Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....
, Etelä-Suomi
Southern Finland
Southern Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Western Finland and Eastern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Finland and Russia.- History :...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
- Gouda
Gouda
Gouda is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Gouda, which was granted city rights in 1272, is famous for its Gouda cheese, smoking pipes, and 15th-century city hall....
, South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
- Kristianstad
Kristianstad
Kristianstad is a city and the seat of Kristianstad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 35,711 inhabitants in 2010.-History:The city was founded in 1614 by King Christian IV of Denmark, the city's name literally means 'Town of Christian', as a planned city after the burning of the town of Vä...
, Skåne County
Skåne County
Skåne County is the southernmost administrative county or län, of Sweden, basically corresponding to the historical province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Kronoberg and Blekinge. The seat of residence for the Skåne Governor is the town of Malmö...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
- Køge, Region Sjælland
Region Sjælland
Region Zealand is an administrative region of Denmark established on January 1, 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which replaced the traditional counties with five larger regions. At the same time, smaller municipalities were merged into larger units, cutting the number of...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
- Red Wing
Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River. The population was 16,459 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Goodhue County....
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- Skagafjörður
Skagafjörður
Skagafjörður is a deep bay in northern Iceland.-Location:Skagafjörður is about 40 km long and 15 km wide, situated between Tröllaskagi to the west and the Tjornes Peninsula to the east. There are two municipalities in the area, Skagafjörður Municipality and Akrahreppur Municipality Skagafjörður...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...
- Kongsberg Tourist Office - Comprehensive information about the town and surrounding landscape, including photos and webcams
- Kongsberg Travel Guide- From VirtualTourist.com; contains tourist-submitted photos and articles
- Kongsberg Jazz Festival - Official website, with lists of artists and concert dates
- The Gloger Academy - History of the Gloger Organ and information on upcoming concerts and the Gloger Music Festival
- Laagendalsposten Local newspaper covering Kongsberg and NumedalNumedalNumedal is a traditional district and valley Buskerud, Norway. Running north–south, it extends between Kongsberg in the south to Rødberg in the north, passing through the municipalities of Kongsberg, Flesberg, Rollag and Nore og Uvdal.. The river Numedalslågen, the third-longest in the country,...
- Kongsberg Church 360 degrees image inside the Church