Bergen

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Bergen kommune
—  Municipality  —
Coat of arms Hordaland within Norway
Bergen within Hordaland
Coordinates: 60°22′16″N 5°24′30″E / 60.37111, 5.40833
Country	Norway
County	Hordaland
District	Midhordland
Municipality ID	NO-1201
Administrative centre	Bergen
Government
- Mayor (2007)	Gunnar Bakke (Frp)
Area (Nr. 215 in Norway)
- Total	465 km² (179.5 sq mi)
- Land	445 km² (171.8 sq mi)
Population (2008)
- Total	250,000
- Density	533/km² (1,380.5/sq mi)
- Change (10 years)	8.0 %
- Rank in Norway	2
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Official language form	Neutral[1]
Demonym	Bergenser [2]
Data from Statistics Norway
Website: www.bergen.kommune.no

Bergen (help·info) is the second-largest city in the country of Norway.

This city is located on the south-western coast of Norway, in the county of Hordaland, with its center situated between a group of mountains known collectively as De syv fjell ("the Seven Mountains"), although the number of mountains or hills is a matter of definition. Bergen is the heart of part of Norway's large oil industry, as well as deep sea operations. Its harbors are used by everything from small pleasure vessels to cruise ships and cargo vessels, and it is the base of many of the country's fishing vessels.

Bergen is an important cultural center in its region and was one of nine European cities honored with the title of European Capital of Culture in 2000.^[3]

A municipality of Norway, and a former Norwegian county, in the county of Hordaland, the Norwegian city of Bergen was separated from Hordaland as a county of its own in 1831.^[4] It was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The rural municipality of Bergen landdistrikt was merged with Bergen on 1 January 1877.^[5] The rural municipality of Årstad was merged with Bergen on 1 July 1915. The rural municipalities of Arna, Fana, Laksevåg, and Åsane were merged with Bergen on 1 January 1972. The city lost its status as a separate county on the same date.^[6] Bergen was Norway's largest city until the 1830s,^[7] when it was surpassed by the capital city of Oslo.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Toponymy 2 Geography 2.1 Demographics 3 Cityscape 4 Administration 4.1 2007 elections 4.2 Boroughs 5 Climate 5.1 Climate change 6 Education 6.1 Higher education 6.2 Primary and secondary education 6.3 Research 7 Economy 8 Transportation 9 Culture and sports 9.1 Football 9.2 Dialect 10 Famous residents 11 Sister cities 12 References 13 External links

[edit] History

The city of Bergen, thought to have been founded by king Olav Kyrre, son of Harald Hardråde, in 1070 AD,^[8] celebrated its 900th anniversary in 1970. It is considered to have replaced Trondheim as Norway's capital in 1217, and that Oslo became the de jure capital in 1299.^{[citation needed]} Towards the end of the 13th century, Bergen became one of the Hanseatic League's most important bureau cities.^[9]

The main reason for Bergen's importance was the trade with dried cod from the northern Norwegian coast,^[10] which started around 1100 CE. By the late 1300s, Bergen had established itself as the center of the trade in Norway.^[11] The Saxon Hanseatic merchants lived in their own separate quarter of town, where Middle Saxon (“Middle Low German”) was used, enjoying exclusive rights to trade with the northern fishermen that each summer sailed to Bergen.^[12] Today, Bergen's old quayside, Bryggen is on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites.^[13]

In 1349, the Black Death was inadvertently brought to Norway by the crew of an English ship arriving in Bergen.^[15] In the 15th century the city was several times attacked by the Victual Brothers,^[16] and in 1429 they succeeded in burning the royal castle and much of the city. In 1536, the King of the country was able to force the Saxon merchants to become Norwegian citizens, or else to return home, heralding a decline in the Saxon influence. In 1665, the city's harbor was the site of the Battle of Vågen, between English ships on the one side and Dutch ships supported by the city's garrison on the other.

Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, Bergen remained one of the largest cities in Scandinavia, and was Norway's biggest city until the 1830s,^[7] when the capital city of Oslo became the largest. Bergen retained its monopoly of trade with Northern Norway until 1789.^[17]

In 1916, parts of the city center were destroyed by a devastating fire, the last of many such fires throughout the city's history. During World War II, Bergen was occupied on the first day of the German invasion on 9 April 1940, after a brief fight between German ships and the Norwegian coastal artillery. On 20 April 1944, during the German occupation, the Dutch cargo ship Voorbode anchored off the Bergenhus Fortress, loaded with over 120 tons of explosives, blew up, killing at least 150 people and damaging historic buildings. The city was subject to some Allied bombing raids, aiming at German naval installations in the harbor. Some of these caused Norwegian civilian casualties numbering about 100.

In 1972, Bergen was unified with the neighboring municipalities, of Arna, Fana, Laksevåg, and Åsane, abolishing its county status and setting its present boundaries.^[6]

[edit] Toponymy

The Norse forms of the name were Bergvin and Bjørgvin. The first element is berg (n) or bjørg (f), which translates to mountain. The last element is vin (f), which translates to pasture or meadow. The full meaning is then 'the meadow among the mountains'.^[18] (A suitable name: Bergen is often called 'the city among the seven mountains'. It was the playwright Ludvig Holberg who felt so inspired by the seven hills of Rome, that he decided that his home town must be blessed with a corresponding seven mountains - and locals still argue which they are.)

There are about one thousand names in Norway composed with the element -vin, which are pronounced with the second tone. The only exception^{[citation needed]} is the name Bergen (which is pronounced with the first tone). The cause of this is probably the German influence in the city.

In 1918, there was a campaign to reintroduce the Norse form Bjørgvin as the name of the city. This was turned down - but as a compromise the name of the diocese was changed to Bjørgvin bispedømme.^[19]

[edit] Geography

See also: Geography of Norway

Bergen municipality occupies the majority of the Bergen peninsula in mid-western Hordaland. It is sheltered from the North Sea by the islands Askøy, Holsnøy (municipality Meland) and Sotra (municipalities Fjell and Sund). It is the administration centre of Hordaland, as well as the second-largest city in Norway and the largest in Western Norway. Bergen is the centre of the Bergen region, a statistical metropolitan area with a population of 356,633.

The municipality covers an area of 465 km². The population is 244,620,^[20] making the population density 534 people per km². The population of the main urban area is 220,418.^[21] The municipality also contains eight minor urban settlements with a total population of 17,213,^[21] with Indre Arna, situated in the borough Arna, being the largest with a population of 6,151 as of 1 January 2007.^[21] Although not being geographically distant from the city centre, Arna is separated from it by mount Ulriken. Arna and the city centre are connected by a railway line; driving through Åsane or Nesttun is required if travelling by car or bus.

Bergen's city centre is situated between a group of mountains known collectively as de syv fjell ("the seven mountains"), describing the mountains Ulriken, Fløyen, Løvstakken and Damsgårdsfjellet, as well as three out of Lyderhorn, Sandviksfjellet, Blåmanen, Rundemanen, and Askøyfjellet. The first to name them "the seven mountains" might have been Ludvig Holberg,^[22] inspired by the seven hills of Rome. These seven mountains are, however, only a few of the mountains located within the borders of the Bergen municipality. Gullfjellet is the highest mountain in Bergen, at 987 metres above sea level.^[23]

Bergen borders the municipalities Meland, Lindås and Osterøy to the north, Vaksdal and Samnanger to the east, Os and Austevoll to the south, and Sund, Fjell and Askøy to the west.

[edit] Demographics

As of 2002, the average gross income for men above the age of 17 is 426,000 NOK, the average gross income for women above the age of 17 is 238,000 NOK, with the total average gross income being 330,000 NOK.^[24] In 2007, there were 104,6 men for every 100 women in the age group of 20-39.^[24] 22,8% of the population were under 17 years of age, while 4,5% were 80 and above. 2,1% were first or second generation immigrants with Western backgrounds and 6,6% were first or second generation immigrants with non-Western backgrounds.^[24] The largest immigrant groups in Bergen today are Iraqi (1 443), Vietnamese (1 217), Chileans (1 197), Polish (1 184) and Sri Lankan Tamils (1 050).^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Cityscape

The oldest remaining part of the city is on the north side of the bay of Vågen. Bryggen, the product of rebuilding after a fire in 1702, is in this area. The buildings that form Bryggen were done in the style of the medieval buildings that stood on the site prior to the fire.^[9] Saint Mary's Church is the oldest building in Bergen, parts of it dating from around 1130.^[9] The altar piece of the church is the oldest ornament preserved. It dates back to the Hanseatic period, probably the 15th century, when the church was used by the German hanseats as their parish church. Much of the interior was replaced during a restoration of the church in the second half of the 18th century.^[9]

Two other churches, the cathedral (Domkirken) and the Korskirken church are also medieval, although modified later. The Bergenhus fortress has several interesting buildings, notably Haakon's Hall, a royal hall dating from 1261,^[9] and the Rosenkrantz Tower, built around a medieval fortification in 1563.^[9]

An open air fishmarket is located along the inner harbour of Vågen. Further south is the main shopping area, rebuilt after a fire in 1916 in art nouveau and functionalist style, around the main square Torgallmenningen. Several old quarters of white, wooden houses are scattered in and around the centre, most notably in Nordnes, Marken and Sandviken. Nygårdshøyden is a quaint area with a large number of buildings dating from late 19th century, many with neoclassical facades. Some parts of Bergen were rebuilt after World War II, rectifying damage due to bombing, the 1944 explosion accident, and thoughtless urban planning.^[25] Whole blocks of old wooden houses have been demolished in the city centre, most recently in Nøstet and Krinkelkroken, due to a lack of maintenance of the buildings.^[26]

Fløyen (320 metres above sea level)^[27] and Ulriken (643 metres above sea level)^[28] are connected to the city centre with a funicular and a cable car, respectively. The mountains, as well as the areas that surround them, are popular hiking areas for locals as well as tourists. Several urban parks are present in the city centre, the largest being Nygårdsparken located between the neighbourhoods of Nygård and Møhlenpris.

Bergen Aquarium, housing fish, marine invertebrates, seals and penguins, as well as reptiles and monkeys, is located at the tip of the Nordnes peninsula.

[edit] Administration

Since 2000, the city of Bergen is governed by a city government (byråd) based on the principle of parliamentarism.^[29] The government consists of 6 government members called commissioners, and is appointed by the city council, the supreme authority of the city. Since the local elections of 2007, the city has been ruled by a centre-right coalition of the Progress Party, the Christian People's Party and the Conservative Party, each with two commissioners.^[30] The Progress Party member Gunnar Bakke is mayor,^[31] while conservative Monica Mæland is the leader of the city government,^[32] the most powerful political position in Bergen.

Bergen city council 2007–2011[33]
Conservative Party	18 0(0)
Labour Party	16 (+1)
Progress Party	14 (+2)
Socialist Left Party	05 (–3)
Christian Democratic Party	04 0(0)
Liberal Party	04 (+2)
Red Electoral Alliance	03 (–1)
Centre Party	02 (+1)
Pensioners Party	01 (–2)
Total	67

[edit] 2007 elections

The 2007 city council elections were held on 10 September. The Socialist Left Party (SV) and the Pensioners Party (PP) ended up as the losers of the election, SV going from 11.6% of the votes in the 2003 elections to 7.1%, and PP losing 2.9% ending up at 1.2%. The Liberal Party more than doubled, going from 2.7% to 5.8%. The Conservative Party lost 1.1% of the votes, ending up at 26.3%, while the Progress Party got 20.2% of the votes, a gain of 3% since the 2003 elections. The Christian Democratic Party gained 0.2%, ending up at 6.3%. The Red Electoral Alliance lost 1.4%, ending up at 4.5%, while the Centre Party gained 1.2%, ending up at 2.8%. Finally, the Labour Party continued being the second largest party in the city, gaining one percent and ending up at 23.9%.^[34]

[edit] Boroughs

Bergen is divided into 8 boroughs,^[35] as seen on the map to the left. Going clockwise, starting north, the boroughs are Åsane, Arna, Fana, Ytrebygda, Fyllingsdalen, Laksevåg, Årstad and Bergenhus. The city centre is located in Bergenhus. Parts of Fana (= the fens), Ytrebygda, Åsane (= the hills) and Arna are not part of the Bergen urban area, explaining why the municipality has approximately 20,000 more inhabitants than the urban area. The separate borough administrations were closed 30 June 2004,^[36] but were opened up again on 1 January 2008.^[37]

[edit] Climate

See also: Geography of Norway#Climate

Climate chart for Bergen
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
190   4 -0	152   4 -1	170   6 1	114   9 3	106   14 7	132   17 10	148   18 12	190   17 12	283   14 9	271   11 10	259   7 3	235   5 1
temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm
Imperial conversion   J F M A M J J A S O N D     7.5   38 31     6   39 31     6.7   43 34     4.5   48 37     4.2   57 45     5.2   62 50     5.8   64 53     7.5   63 53     11.1   58 48     10.7   52 49     10.2   44 37     9.3   40 33 temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

Bergen has been nicknamed The City of Rain for its plentiful rainfall - annual precipitation is 2250 mm (88 inches) on average.^[38] This is because the city is surrounded by mountains that the clouds can not get over easily. Rain fell every day between 29 October 2006 and 21 January 2007, 85 consecutive days.^[39] In the winter, Bergen is one of the warmest cities in Norway, thanks to the Gulf Stream; 10 °C and rain can happen in both January and July. The highest temperature ever recorded was 31.8 °C, a record that dates back to 1947.^[40] The lowest ever recorded is -16.3 °C, in 1987.^[41]

The high amount of precipitation is often used in the marketing of the city, and figures to a degree on postcards sold in the city. For a period of time there were umbrella vending machines in the city, but these did not turn out to be a success.^[42]

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg high °C	3.6	4.0	5.9	9.1	14.0	16.8	17.6	17.4	14.2	11.2	6.9	4.7
Avg low temperature °C	-0.4	-0.5	0.9	3.0	7.2	10.2	11.5	11.6	9.1	9.6	2.8	0.6
Mean Total Precipitation (mm)	190	152	170	114	106	132	148	190	283	271	259	235
Mean Number of Precipitation Days	21	17	19	17	17	16	18	19	23	24	22	22
Source: World Weather Information Service[43]

[edit] Climate change

See also: Hatlestad slide

In recent years, precipitation and winds have increased in the city. In late 2005, heavy rains caused floods and several landslides, the worst of which killed three people on 14 September. It is predicted by meteorologists that due to global warming, severe storms causing landslides and floods will become more powerful in the area and in surrounding counties in coming years. As a response, the municipality created a special 24-man rescue unit within the fire department in 2005, to future slides and other natural disasters,^[44] and neighbourhoods considered at risk of slides were surveyed in 2006.^[45] As of October 2007, the prediction has been supported by over 480 landslides in Hordaland county from the spring of '06 to the summer of '07. Most of the slides hit roads, but until October 2007, when a large rock dislodged and killed the driver of a car,^[46] none of them caused damage to cars, buildings, or people.^[47][48]

Another concern is the risk of rising sea levels. Already today, Bryggen is regularly flooded at extreme tide, and it is feared that as sea levels rise, floods will become a major problem in Bergen. Floods may in the future reach the old fire station in Olav Kyrres Gate, as well as the railroad tracks leading out of the city.^[49] It has therefore been suggested by among others Stiftelsen Bryggen, the foundation responsible for preserving the UNESCO site, that a sea wall, built so that it could be raised and lowered as demanded by the tides, be built outside the harbour to protect the city.^[50]

Another effect of recent years' weather conditions in the area is that Norwegians increasingly believe that climate change is a threat.^[51]

[edit] Education

See also: Education in Norway

[edit] Higher education

Bergen has one university, the University of Bergen, and one university college, Bergen University College, with a total of 22,000 students and 3,600 staff. With approximately 16,000 students and 3,000 staff,^[52] the University of Bergen (Norwegian: Universitetet i Bergen) is the third largest university in Norway, after the University of Oslo and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Although it was founded as late as 1946, academic activity had been taking place at Bergen Museum since 1825. The university's academic profile focuses on marine research and co-operation with developing countries.^[53] In 2002, the university was awarded three national centres of excellence in climate research, petroleum research and medieval studies.^[54] In December 2004, billionaire Trond Mohn donated 250 million NOK to the University as research funding.^[55] In addition, he has given the university several individual gifts of 50 million NOK.^[56][57]

Bergen University College (Norwegian: Høgskolen i Bergen) is one of 24 state-owned university colleges in Norway. As of 2007, it has approximately 6,000 students and 600 staff.^[58] The university college offers studies directed towards specific professions. The college is organised in 3 faculties: the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences.

The Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (Norwegian: Norges Handelshøyskole) is a leading school of business and economics in Norway. Finn E. Kydland, the last (2004) of three Norwegian laureates of the Economy Nobel Prize,^[59] has studied and lectured at the school. The school has approximately 2,700 students and 350 staff.^[60] As the result of a resolution passed by the Norwegian storting in 1917, the school was founded in 1936 as the first business school in Norway. As of 2007, the school's MSc programme is ranked by the Financial Times as the 36th best in Europe.^[61]

The Bergen School of Architecture (Bergen Arkitekt Skole), founded in 1986 by architect Svein Hatløy, has alternative programs, with graduants like 3RW arkitekter and Tommie Wilhemsen.

The Bergen National Academy of the Arts (Kunsthøgskolen i Bergen, approximately 300 students and 100 staff)^[62] is one of the two independent institutions of higher learning in the visual arts and design in Norway. Students can take a three-year Bachelor degree and a two-year Master degree in the following areas: Visual Art; Interior Architecture; Furniture Design; Room Design; Visual Communications; Photography; Printmaking; Ceramics and Textiles.

The Naval Academy (Sjøkrigsskolen) of the Royal Norwegian Navy is located at Laksevåg in Bergen.

[edit] Primary and secondary education

There are 64 elementary schools,^[63] 18 lower secondary schools^[64] and 20 upper secondary schools^[65] in Bergen, as well as 11 combined elementary/lower secondary schools.^[66]

Bergen Katedralskole (Latin: Scholae Bergensis Cathedralis) is believed to have been founded in 1153 by Pope Adrian IV^[67] (then known as Nicholas Breakspear), thus making it Bergen's oldest school and one of the oldest schools in Norway. The school moved to its present location in 1840, and the old building was left mostly unused until the School Museum of Bergen moved into the building in 2003.^[68] Since 1972 the school is a regular upper secondary school (similar to a high school in the United States and the United Kingdom).

In 2006, Bergen Handelsgymnasium, an upper secondary school in Bergen, was chosen as a finalist in the The Holberg Prize School Project.^[69]

[edit] Research

The University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital are by far the largest research institutions in Bergen.

The Chr. Michelsen Institute (Christian Michelsens Institutt), founded in 1930, is located in Bergen. With an annual turnover of 56 million NOK,^[70] it is one of Scandinavia's largest independent research institutes on human rights and development issues. The aim of CMI is to inform and influence policy on international development issues.^[70]

The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (Norwegian: Havforskningsinstituttet), formerly known as Norwegian Fisheries Investigations (Norwegian: Norske Fiskeriundersøgelser) has been located in Bergen since 1900. The primary responsibility of the institute is to provide advice to national authorities, society and industry regarding questions related to the ecosystems of the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea and the Norwegian coastal zone and in the field of aquaculture. The institute has a staff of 700,^[71] making it the largest marine research institution in Norway.

[edit] Economy

Bergen's inter-municipal harbour is by far Norway's largest port and one of Europe's largest ports, according to the inter-municipal company Port of Bergen.^[72]

In August 2004, Time magazine named the city one of Europe's 14 "secret capitals"^[73] where Bergen's capital reign is acknowledged within maritime businesses and activities such as aquaculture and marine research, with the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) (the second-largest in Europe) as the leading institution. Bergen is the main base for the Royal Norwegian Navy (at Haakonsvern) and its international airport Flesland is the main heliport for the huge Norwegian North Sea oil and gas industry, from where thousands of offshore workers commute to their work places onboard oil and gas rigs and platforms.^[74]

The headquarters of TV 2 Norway's largest commercial television channel are located in Bergen. However, they may be moving to Oslo when they lose their analog TV broadcasting license in 2008.^[75]

Tourism is an important income source for the city. The hotels in the city may be full at times,^[76][77] due to the increasing number of tourists and conferences. Prior to the Rolling Stones concert in September 2006, many hotels were already full-booked several months in advance.^[78] Bergen is recognised as the unofficial capital of the region known as West Norway, and recognised and marketed as the gateway city to the world famous fjords of Norway and for that reason it has become Norway's largest - and one of Europe's largest - cruise ship ports of call.^[79]

[edit] Transportation

Bergen has an international airport, Bergen Airport, Flesland, with direct flights to several European cities. The Bergensbanen railway line runs east to Voss, Geilo, Hønefoss and Oslo. The E16 road to Oslo passes through the Lærdalstunnelen, the longest road tunnel in the world.^[80] Bergen was the first city in Northern Europe to introduce a ring of toll roads entirely surrounding the city, making entering the city centre by car impossible without paying the toll. The toll road system, established to fund new roads and motorways, opened 2 January 1986. The toll was collected by both toll plazas and an electronic toll collection system. In the early 2000s, the electronic toll collection system AutoPASS was introduced, replacing both the remaining toll plazas and the existing but dated electronic toll collection system.^[81]

Public transportation is provided by the transportation company Tide, the result of a merger between Gaia and HSD. Among the fleet of buses are 8 trolleybuses (two of which are dual-mode buses). Local train transport to Arna is provided by Norges Statsbaner. There is a funicular (Fløibanen) and an aerial tramway (Ulriksbanen). The city's tram system was closed in 1965, although a museum line still operates on Møhlenpris.^[82] The construction of a modern light rail line connecting the city centre with Nesttun and Bergen Airport has been approved by Stortinget and is underway.^[83] Express buses go to all larger destinations in Norway.^[84][85][86]

The Norwegian coastal steamer service Hurtigruten originates in Bergen, running north to Trondheim, Bodø, Tromsø and Kirkenes.^[87] Passenger catamarans run from Bergen south to Haugesund and Stavanger,^[88] and north to Sognefjorden and Nordfjord.^[89] Car ferries connect to Hanstholm,^[90] and Hirtshals^[91] in Denmark, Lerwick,^[92] Scrabster,^[92] and Newcastle^[93] in the United Kingdom, Tórshavn^[92] on the Faroe Islands, and Seyðisfjörður^[92] on Iceland.

[edit] Culture and sports

Bergen is an important cultural centre in its region and in Norway, maybe best known for hosting the annual Bergen International Festival (Festspillene i Bergen). The city is home of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, which was founded in 1765 and is one of the world's oldest orchestral institutions.^[94] The orchestra performs regularly at the 1,500 seat^[95] Grieg Hall. The city is also home of the Bergen Woodwind Quintet, which is made up primarily of principal winds of the Bergen Philharmonic. Bergen was a European Capital of Culture in 2000.^[96] Other main cultural events include Nattjazz, Lost Weekend Festivalen and Bergenfest (formerly Ole Blues).^[97]

There are numerous amateur bands in Bergen and the surrounding communities, performing regularly throughout the city. They generally fall within two distinct categories: brass bands, following the British band tradition, and Janitsjar or wind bands, which include both woodwind and brass instruments. Both of these types of bands tend to be quite competitive, and the Grieg Hall in Bergen is home to the annual Norwegian Brass Band Championships, which takes place in late winter.^[98]

With circulations of 87,076 and 30,719 in 2006,^[99]) Bergens Tidende and Bergensavisen are the two largest newspapers in Bergen. Bergens Tidende has won three European Newspaper Awards, in 2006 for best designed regional newspaper,^[100] in 2004 for best designed weekly newspaper,^[101] and in 2002 for best designed regional newspaper.^[102] The city is also the home of several smaller newspapers and publications, including Fanaposten (circulation of 4,062^[99]), a local newspaper for the borough Fana, and the Christian newspaper Dagen (circulation of 8,936^[99]).

Bergen is home to Buekorps, a prominent feature in the Constitution Day celebrations in the city. Buekorps consists of a parade in the streets with wooden sticks shaped as guns or crossbows, sabres and even halberds, to a military snare sounded by several drummers. The performers are usually boys between 7 and 21 years of age, but older veterans can be seen. There are buekorps for girls and for both girls and boys as well. Buekorps are regarded with warmth by some, whilst others dislike it due to its militarised appearance or the dominant sound of the drumming.^[103][104]

In the late 1990s and early 2000s several pop, rock and black metal artists from Bergen became famous, at home as well as abroad. Many of these were connected to the small record label Tellé Records.^[105] In the domestic press this became known as the Bergen Wave. Musicians and bands from Bergen include Annie, Burzum, Enslaved, Gorgoroth, Borknagar, Immortal, Erlend Øye, Kings of Convenience, Röyksopp, Sondre Lerche, Nazgûl and Datarock.^[106][107]

Bergen has a small but thriving scene for contemporary art, most notably centered around BIT Teatergarasjen, Bergen Kunsthall, United Sardines Factory, USF and Bergen Center for Electronic Arts, BEK.

[edit] Football

Bergen has two professional football teams, Brann and Løv-Ham. Brann plays in the premier league,^[108] while Løv-Ham plays in the first division.^[109] Despite Løv-Ham playing in the 2nd highest level in Norwegian football, Brann is the only club to draw any considerable interest from the public. The first Løv-Ham supporter group, Selskapsløvene (English: The Party Lions) was created as recently as December 2005.^[110] Brann play their matches at Brann stadion, with a capacity of 17,824^[111] as of June 2007, while Løv-Ham play their matches at Krohnsminde kunstgressbane, with a capacity of 3000, but an attendance record of 1051 in the league.^[112]

Although Brann is one of the largest teams in Norway, the team has had limited success in the Premier League and the cup. They have won the cup six times, most recently in 2004. Brann won the Premier League in 1961/62 and then in 1963. The 1963 title was directly followed by the relegation of the team into the Second Division (today known as Adeccoligaen, the second highest level of Norwegian football). The team has won several silver and bronze medals since, but didn't win the league again until the 2007 season.^[113] Despite, or perhaps because of the lack of league titles, the team is met with high expectations from the national and local press and the inhabitants of Bergen every year.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Dialect

Main article: Bergensk

Bergensk, or the Bergen dialect, is the dialect of Norwegian spoken in Bergen. It is easy for Norwegians to recognise, as it is very distinguishable from the other dialects in Hordaland. Like almost all Norwegian dialects, Bergensk cannot be said to be either Bokmål or Nynorsk. While the vocabulary shows many traits of both Bokmål and Nynorsk, it has many characteristics that are not covered by any of these written languages.

Foreigners, such as the Low German speaking merchants of the Hanseatic League who lived in Bergen in the period from about 1350 to 1750, has had a profound impact on the dialect.^[114] Bergen being the major Norwegian city during the Dano-Norwegian union from 1536 to 1814 led to Bergensk absorbing more of the Danish than other Norwegian dialects. Many, but not all, influences from these languages since spread from Bergen to parts of or the whole of Norway.^[114]

The female grammatical gender disappeared in the 16th century, probably due to influence from Danish,^[114] making Bergensk one of the very few dialects in Norway with only two grammatical genders. All others, excepting sociolects in other Norwegian cities, have three. The Rs are uvular trills, as in French. It probably spread to Bergen (and Kristiansand) some time in the 18th century, overtaking the alveolar trill in the time span of 2 to 3 generations.^[114] Due to an improved literacy rate, Bergensk was influenced by riksmål and bokmål in the 19th and 20th centuries. This led to large parts of the German-inspired vocabulary disappearing and pronunciations shifting slightly towards East Norwegian.^[114]

[edit] Famous residents

Main article: Famous people from Bergen

See also People from Bergen (category)

Trond Torleivsson Benkestok, nobleman (1490–1558) Dorothe Engelbretsdotter, author (1634–1713) Hans Hansen Bergen, ship's carpenter, one of the earliest settlers of Nieuw Amsterdam (New York City), 1633 Ludvig Holberg, playwright (1684–1754) Johan Sebastian Welhaven, author, poet (1807–1873) Ole Bull, violinist, composer (1810–1880) Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy researcher (1841–1912) Edvard Grieg, composer, pianist (1843–1907) Amalie Skram, author (1846–1905) Christian Michelsen, ship owner, prime minister (1857–1925) Carl Joachim Hambro, politician, President of Parliament (1885-1964) Arnulf Øverland, author (1889–1968) Tryggve Gran, aviator (1889–1980) Nordahl Grieg, poet, author (1902–1943) Torborg Nedreaas, author and winner of the Kritikerprisen (1906-1987) Leif Andreas Larsen, a.k.a. Shetland Larsen, naval officer (1906–1990) Karsten Solheim, golf equipment manufacturer (1911–2000) (emigrated to the U.S. as a child)

Roald Jensen, football player (1943–1987) Helge Jordal, actor (1946–) Terje Rød-Larsen, diplomat, sociologist (1947–) Gunnar Staalesen, author (1947-) Jan Eggum, singer-songwriter (1951–) Terje Hauge, football referee (1965–) Sissel Kyrkjebø, singer (1969–) Roger Tiegs, musician (1972–) Olve Eikemo (Abbath),Black Metal musician (1973–) Varg Vikernes, black-metal musician (1973-) Eirik Glambek Bøe, musician (1975–) Erlend Øye, musician (1975–) Kurt Nilsen, musician (1978–) Sondre Lerche, musician (1982–) Christine Guldbrandsen, singer (1985–)

Ludvig Holberg playwright (1684–1754)

Edvard Grieg composer, pianist (1843–1907)

Christian Michelsen ship owner, prime minister (1857–1925)

Gunnar Staalesen author (1947-)

Sondre Lerche musician (1982–)

[edit] Sister cities

Bergen has several sister cities. They are:^[115]

• Asmara, Eritrea
• Gothenburg, Sweden
• Newcastle, United Kingdom. Each year Bergen donates the Christmas Tree seen in Newcastle's Haymarket as a sign of the ongoing friendship between the sister cities.
• Seattle, United States
• Turku, Finland
• Aarhus, Denmark

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Municipality website in Norwegian and English
• The World Heritage City Bergen
• Bergen Guide
• Bergen travel guide from Wikitravel

v • d • e Boroughs of Bergen Arna · Bergenhus · Fana · Fyllingsdalen · Laksevåg · Ytrebygda · Årstad · Åsane

v • d • e Municipalities of Hordaland Askøy · Austevoll · Austrheim · Bergen · Bømlo · Eidfjord · Etne · Fedje · Fitjar · Fjell · Fusa · Granvin · Jondal · Kvam · Kvinnherad · Lindås · Masfjorden · Meland · Modalen · Odda · Os · Osterøy · Radøy · Samnanger · Stord · Sund · Sveio · Tysnes · Ullensvang · Ulvik · Vaksdal · Voss · Øygarden

v • d • e 30 most populous urban settlements (cities) of Norway as of 2008, according to Statistics Norway [1] 1. Oslo 856,900 2. Bergen 223,600 3. Stavanger / Sandnes 185,900 4. Trondheim 156,800 5. Fredrikstad / S'borg1 100,500 6. Drammen 94,900 7. Skien / Porsgrunn 86,300 8. Kristiansand 66,500 9. Tromsø 54,100 10. Tønsberg 46,900 11. Ålesund 45,900 12. Haugesund 42,100 13. Sandefjord 40,600 14. Moss 40,300 15. Bodø 36,100 16. Arendal 32,100 17. Hamar 29,800 18. Larvik 23,600 19. Halden 22,700 20. Lillehammer 19,900 21. Harstad 19,500 22. Molde 19,200 23. Kongsberg 18,600 24. Gjøvik 18,400 25. Askøy 18,100 26. Horten 18,000 27. Mo i Rana 17,700 28. Kristiansund 16,900 29. Jessheim 14,600 30. Hønefoss 14,200 1 Sarpsborg.

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