Meraker Brug
Encyclopedia
AS Meraker Brug is a company which owns 1330 square kilometres (513.5 sq mi) of wilderness and forest estate, mostly in Meråker
, Norway
. Activities include forestry, cabin rental, hunting and fishing. It owns 1219 square kilometres (470.7 sq mi) in Meråker
, consisting of 96% of the municipality, 63 square kilometres (24.3 sq mi) in Malvik
, 48 square kilometres (18.5 sq mi) in Stjørdal
and 0.5 square kilometre (0.193051079296268 sq mi) in Steinkjer
. 250 square kilometres (96.5 sq mi) is productive forest. The company is owned by the Astrup family, who live in the Oslo area.
Commercial activities in Meråker started the first centuries BCE, with iron mining and later charcoal
and tar
. Later copper mines and sawmills were established. The estate eventually became known as Selbo Kobberverk ("Selbo Copper Works"), which was bought by Hans Rasmus Astrup
, which changed name to Meraker Brug. After Astrup's death in 1898, the estate was sold and was incorporated in 1906, and by then consisted of Mostadmarken gods, Hommelvik Bruk, the Port of Muruvik
, Tangen Sagbruk, a sawmill in Stjørdal, Nustad Tesliperi, a sawmill, the carbide
plant in Meråker (later Elkem Meraker
), the copper mines and a limestone quarry in Meråker, as well as the hunting, fishing, waterfall and forestry rights on the real estate. It was bought by Thomas Fearnley, who incorporated the company after merging in the estates Forbygdgodset and Mostadmarka.
Meråker
Meråker is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Midtbygda which is about west of Storlien in Sweden and east of Stjørdalshalsen in Stjørdal. Other villages in Meråker include Gudåa,...
, 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...
. Activities include forestry, cabin rental, hunting and fishing. It owns 1219 square kilometres (470.7 sq mi) in Meråker
Meråker
Meråker is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Midtbygda which is about west of Storlien in Sweden and east of Stjørdalshalsen in Stjørdal. Other villages in Meråker include Gudåa,...
, consisting of 96% of the municipality, 63 square kilometres (24.3 sq mi) in Malvik
Malvik
Malvik is a village and a municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Trondheim Region. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Hommelvik. Other villages in Malvik include Muruvika, Smiskaret, Sneisen, Vikhammer, and Hundhammeren.While "Malvik" refers...
, 48 square kilometres (18.5 sq mi) in Stjørdal
Stjørdal
is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Stjørdal, also called Stjørdalshalsen...
and 0.5 square kilometre (0.193051079296268 sq mi) in Steinkjer
Steinkjer
is a town and a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Steinkjer, which is also the seat of the county government...
. 250 square kilometres (96.5 sq mi) is productive forest. The company is owned by the Astrup family, who live in the Oslo area.
Commercial activities in Meråker started the first centuries BCE, with iron mining and later charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
and tar
Tar
Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
. Later copper mines and sawmills were established. The estate eventually became known as Selbo Kobberverk ("Selbo Copper Works"), which was bought by Hans Rasmus Astrup
Hans Rasmus Astrup
Hans Rasmus Astrup was a Norwegian politician for the Liberal Party. He was Minister of Labour 1885-1887, and member of the Council of State Division in Stockholm 1887-1888. Astrup was a merchant before entering Sverdrup Cabinet in 1885...
, which changed name to Meraker Brug. After Astrup's death in 1898, the estate was sold and was incorporated in 1906, and by then consisted of Mostadmarken gods, Hommelvik Bruk, the Port of Muruvik
Muruvik
Muruvika or Muruvik is a village in the municipality of Malvik in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located near the end of the Stjørdalsfjorden, an arm of the Trondheimsfjord...
, Tangen Sagbruk, a sawmill in Stjørdal, Nustad Tesliperi, a sawmill, the carbide
Carbide
In chemistry, a carbide is a compound composed of carbon and a less electronegative element. Carbides can be generally classified by chemical bonding type as follows: salt-like, covalent compounds, interstitial compounds, and "intermediate" transition metal carbides...
plant in Meråker (later Elkem Meraker
Elkem Meraker
Elkem Meraker, formerly known as Meraker Smelteverk, was a microsilica plant located at Kopperå in Meråker, Norway. The plant was established in 1898 to manufacture carbide, put later rebuilt to manufacture microsilica. In 1981, it was sold from Union Carbide to Elkem. Products were transported...
), the copper mines and a limestone quarry in Meråker, as well as the hunting, fishing, waterfall and forestry rights on the real estate. It was bought by Thomas Fearnley, who incorporated the company after merging in the estates Forbygdgodset and Mostadmarka.