Drammen
Encyclopedia
Drammen is a city 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, 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...

. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.

Location

There are more than 63 000 inhabitants in the municipality, but the city is the regional capital of an area with more than 150,000 inhabitants. Drammen and the surrounding communities are growing more than ever before. The city makes good use of the river and inland waterway called Drammensfjord
Drammensfjord
Drammensfjord is a fjord in Norway that connects to Ytre Oslofjord on the west side. It stretches to the north and northeast. The Drammenselva river discharges into the head of the fjord...

, both for recreation, activities and housing. No city in the country has received as many awards for environmental and urban development as Drammen: 6 national and 2 international prizes since 2003.

Name and Coat of arms

The Old Norse
Old 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....

 form of the city's name was Drafn, and this was originally the name of the inner part of Drammensfjord
Drammensfjord
Drammensfjord is a fjord in Norway that connects to Ytre Oslofjord on the west side. It stretches to the north and northeast. The Drammenselva river discharges into the head of the fjord...

. The fjord
Fjord
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...

 is, however, probably named after the river Drammenselva
Drammenselva
Drammenselva is a river in Buskerud county, southeastern Norway.-Location:Drammenselva is one of the largest rivers in Norway, with a drainage basin of about 17,000 square kilometers and a flow rate of 300 cubic meters per second. The river has an average discharge of about 300 m3 / s...

 (Norse Drǫfn), and this again is derived from drǫfn f 'wave
Wave
In physics, a wave is a disturbance that travels through space and time, accompanied by the transfer of energy.Waves travel and the wave motion transfers energy from one point to another, often with no permanent displacement of the particles of the medium—that is, with little or no associated mass...

'.
The coat-of-arms
Coat 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. They were granted on 17 November 1960. The arms are blue with a gray/silver column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...

 on top of a foundation of rocks. A key
Key (lock)
A key is an instrument that is used to operate a lock. A typical key consists of two parts: the blade, which slides into the keyway of the lock and distinguishes between different keys, and the bow, which is left protruding so that torque can be applied by the user. The blade is usually intended to...

 and a 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...

 are crossed in the middle forming an x
X
X is the twenty-fourth letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet.-Uses:In mathematics, x is commonly used as the name for an independent variable or unknown value. The usage of x to represent an independent or unknown variable can be traced back to the Arabic word šay شيء = “thing,” used in Arabic...

. It is based upon the old seal dating from 1723 for Bragernes
Bragernes
Bragernes is one of the central parts of the Norwegian city of Drammen.-Location:Bragernes is located on the northern side of the Drammen River and contains the famous town square Bragernes square , the town hall, the Drammen Theatre , Drammen park and most of the shopping and nightlife in Drammen...

, one of the central parts of Drammen. The motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...

 for Bragernes (in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

) was In Fide Et Justitia Fortitudo (in faith and justice is strength), and the items in the seal are referring to this: key = faith, sword = justice, column on rocks = strength.

Governance

The municipality of Drammen 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 municipality of Skoger
Skoger
Skoger is a village located on the border between Buskerud and Vestfold counties, Norway. Of its population of 1,082 as of 2005, 654 were registered as residents of Drammen whereas 428 live in Sande in Vestfold county, Norway....

 was merged with the municipality of Drammen on 1 January 1964 and was transferred from 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...

 county to Buskerud county at the same time. The city itself has 63 000 inhabitants, making it Norway's seventh largest.

Districts

Drammen is currently divided into eight districts.
  • Åssiden
    Åssiden
    Åssiden is the largest borough of Drammen in Buskerud county, Norway.Åssiden was a part of Lier municipality until 1951, when it became part of Drammen municipality. Åssiden is located on the western side of Drammen, north of the Drammenselva. Historically Åssiden was the location through which...

  • Austad-Fjell
  • Bragernes
    Bragernes
    Bragernes is one of the central parts of the Norwegian city of Drammen.-Location:Bragernes is located on the northern side of the Drammen River and contains the famous town square Bragernes square , the town hall, the Drammen Theatre , Drammen park and most of the shopping and nightlife in Drammen...

  • Gulskogen
    Gulskogen
    Gulskogen is a borough in Drammen, Buskerud, Norway.Gulskogen has a population of 3,856 inhabitants . Strømsgodset was the name of the parish from early times...

  • Konnerud
    Konnerud
    Konnerud is an affluent residential area south in the city of Drammen in Buskerud county, Norway, known for snowy winters and hosting the FIS Cross-Country World Cup on several occasions.-Name:...

  • Skoger
    Skoger
    Skoger is a village located on the border between Buskerud and Vestfold counties, Norway. Of its population of 1,082 as of 2005, 654 were registered as residents of Drammen whereas 428 live in Sande in Vestfold county, Norway....

  • Strømsø
    Strømsø
    Strømsø is a brough of Drammen, in Buskerud county, Norway. Strømsø is located at the southern side of the river Drammenselva. Until about 1600, Stømsø was an island surrounded by the Drammenselva, but was later made landfast. In 1728 Strømsø was granted rights as a trade center by the king, and...

    -Danvik
  • Tangen-Åskollen
    Åskollen
    Åskollen is a part of the borough Tangen-Åskollen in the city of Drammen, Norway.Tangen-Åskollen is one of the eight districts in Drammen and had 6,123 inhabitants . Tangen-Åskollen is located south-east of the city centre. Before 1964 Åskollen was a part of Skoger municipality.Tangen Church was...


History

rock carving
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...

s at Åskollen and Austad are 6000 to 7000 years old, and are the first signs of human activity in the area. The largest rock carving at Åskollen depicts a moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...

.

Drammen originally consisted of three small seaports: Bragernes
Bragernes
Bragernes is one of the central parts of the Norwegian city of Drammen.-Location:Bragernes is located on the northern side of the Drammen River and contains the famous town square Bragernes square , the town hall, the Drammen Theatre , Drammen park and most of the shopping and nightlife in Drammen...

 (on the northern side of the Drammenselva
Drammenselva
Drammenselva is a river in Buskerud county, southeastern Norway.-Location:Drammenselva is one of the largest rivers in Norway, with a drainage basin of about 17,000 square kilometers and a flow rate of 300 cubic meters per second. The river has an average discharge of about 300 m3 / s...

 river) and Strømsø
Strømsø
Strømsø is a brough of Drammen, in Buskerud county, Norway. Strømsø is located at the southern side of the river Drammenselva. Until about 1600, Stømsø was an island surrounded by the Drammenselva, but was later made landfast. In 1728 Strømsø was granted rights as a trade center by the king, and...

 and Tangen (both on the southern side of the river). For trade purposes, small seaports were placed under market towns. Despite their geographical proximity, Bragernes was placed under Christiania
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 Strømsø under Tønsberg
Tønsberg
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, southern Norway, located around north-east of Sandefjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tønsberg....

. For this reason, cooperation between the adjacent seaport towns was almost impossible.

In 1662, a merger was proposed to unite Strømsø and Bragernes to form a market town with the name Frederiksstrøm. The proposal was rejected by Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark and Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in western historiography. He was born the second-eldest son of Christian IV of Denmark and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...

. Bragernes received limited market town rights in 1715, and merged with Strømsø to gain status as a single city on 19 June 1811.

2011 is a special year for Drammen as the city celebrates her 200 years with many city jubilee celebrations.

Its unique geographical location made the city a centre for seafaring, shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...

, log driving
Log driving
Log driving is a means of log transport which makes use of a river's current to move floating tree trunks downstream to sawmills and pulp mills.It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America...

, timber trade, and (since the 19th century) paper and pulp industries. During the 1960s most of the pulp and paper factories along the Drammenselva were closed down.


Large parts of the city were ruined in the great fire of 12–13 July 1866, which led to the reconstruction of the city centre, including the characteristic town square and Bragernes church.

In 1909, Drammen got the first trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...

 system 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,...

, the Drammen trolleybus. The lines ran until 1967. For many years the centre of Drammen suffered from heavy traffic, but in 1970 the European route 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:...

 bridge helped somewhat, and in 1999 the opening of the Bragernes tunnel diverted much of the traffic away from the centre of the city. In recent years, the city centre has seen significant regeneration , with the introduction of new housing, shopping facilities, restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as a public pathway along the Drammenselva
Drammenselva
Drammenselva is a river in Buskerud county, southeastern Norway.-Location:Drammenselva is one of the largest rivers in Norway, with a drainage basin of about 17,000 square kilometers and a flow rate of 300 cubic meters per second. The river has an average discharge of about 300 m3 / s...

 river.

Geography

Drammen is one of the larger cities in Norway, and lies about 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) from the capital of Norway, 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...

. The city centre lies at the end of a valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...

, on both sides of the Drammenselva river, and where the river meets the Drammensfjord
Drammensfjord
Drammensfjord is a fjord in Norway that connects to Ytre Oslofjord on the west side. It stretches to the north and northeast. The Drammenselva river discharges into the head of the fjord...

. Drammen is also the main harbor
Harbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...

 for car and fruit import in Norway.

As of 1 January 2007, the population of the urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...

 of Drammen is 93,006. Drammen is the sixth largest urban area of Norway and occupies territory in five municipalities: Drammen (with about 61% of the population), Nedre Eiker
Nedre Eiker
Nedre 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 Mjøndalen. The old municipality of Eiker was divided into Nedre Eiker and Øvre Eiker on 1 July 1885.-Name:The Old Norse form of...

 (23%), 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...

 (8%), Lier
Lier, Norway
Lier is an affluent municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lier. The municipality of Lier was established on 1 January 1838...

 (5%), and Røyken
Røyken
Røyken is a village and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Midtbygda. The parish of Røken was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 ....

 (3%).

The Øvre Sund area, situated along Drammenselva, will be regulated by the municipality in order to restore this area's character. The buildings there are from the 18th and 19th century, and contribute, as well as the river and the brewery, to give the city a special identity.
In 2008 Drammen won the prestigious prize for the best city development in Europe.

Attractions

Aass Brewery

Aass Brewery is the oldest surviving brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....

 in Norway, and has won acclaim for both its beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...

 and its conservative building. Founded in 1834, the brewery's primary products are soft drinks, beer and aquavit.

Bridges

  • Drammen City Bridge (Drammensbrua bybro) - concrete bridge which connects the two centers of the town, built 1936
  • Drammen Bridge
    Drammen Bridge
    Drammen Bridge is a motorway box girder bridge that crosses Drammenselva river in the town of Drammen in Norway. It is the longest bridge in Norway, 1892 metres long. The bridge has 41 spans; the longest span is 60 metres. The maximum clearance to the water is 11 metres.Drammen Bridge was opened...

     (Drammensbrua) - motorway box girder bridge that crosses Drammenselva, built 1971
  • Ypsilon bridge
    Ypsilon (bridge)
    Ypsilon is a cable-stayed bridge over Drammenselva in Drammen, Norway.The pedestrian bridge connects Kunnskapsparken, the science park of Grønland in Drammen with the city park on Bragernes. The bridge was designed by the firm of Arne Eggen Architects...

     (Ypsilon bru) - cable-stayed bridge over Drammenselva, built 2007

Drammen Museum

The Drammen Museum of Art and Cultural History includes the Marienlyst farm, a manor house from approx. 1770, museum building from 1930 with the museum's administration, permanent exhibitions and collections, and Lyche pavilion from 1990 with the gallery, temporary exhibitions and museum café, Halling yard, with 5 old buildings, the oldest from 1760's. The museum also includes the two largest preserved like farms in Drammen, Gulskogen Manor
Gulskogen Manor
Gulskogen Manor is a manor house and landscape park which forms part of Drammen Museum in Drammen, Norway. The manor house is filled with historic furnishings and original works of art.-Background:...

 and Austad farm.

Drammen Theater

Drammen Theater in Bragernes was built in 1869 and was designed by architect Emil Victor Langlet
Emil Victor Langlet
Emil Victor Langlet was a Swedish architect.He was born in Borås. He first made his mark when designing the Norwegian Parliament Building, which was finally competed in 1866. He also drew the city hall and the hospital in Fredrikstad, several villas and Sagatun, the first folk high school in Norway...

. The theater was the first modern theater in the country. It was designed in a complex Renaissance style with symmetrical facades and round arched windows. After Drammen Theater suffered total destruction by fire in December 1993, a new theater was rebuilt on the model of the original house. It was finished during February 1997.

Sport clubs

  • Drammen FK
    Drammen FK
    Drammen Fotballklubb is a Norwegian association football club from Drammen, founded in 2008. It currently plays in the Third Division.-History:...

    . Founded 23 August 2008.
  • Drammen golfklubb. Founded in 1988. Golf
    Golf
    Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

     club with 18-hole course situated in the southern part of Drammen, on the border to Sande
    Sande, Vestfold
    Sande is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of "Sande i Vestfold". The municipality of Sande was established on 1 January 1838 ....

     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...

    .
  • Drammen HK
    Drammen HK
    Drammen HK is a team handball club from Drammen, Norway. Currently, Drammen HK competes in the Norwegian First League of Handball.The club was founded on March 3, 1992. The foundation was the result of a long going project where handball clubs in Drammen and Lier gathered to discuss how to build a...

     Handball club competing in Men's European Champions League (07/08)
  • IF Hellas
  • IF Sturla
    IF Sturla
    Idrettsforeningen Sturla is a Norwegian sports club from Drammen, founded in 1923. It has sections for athletics, orienteering and skiing.The athletics uses Marienlyst stadion as their home field....

  • Konnerud IL Sport club most famous for its cross-country skiing
    Cross-country skiing
    Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...

     facilities.
  • SBK Drafn Founded Sept. 15, 1910, 21 Norwegian Championships in bandy, 1 lost cup final in football (1927). One World Champion ski jumper, Hans Bjørnstad 1950. Ole Olympic Gold medallist, Thorleif Haug 1924 (three gold, one bronze).
  • SBK Skiold
  • Strømsgodset IF. Founded 10 February 1907. Five Norwegian championships in football (1969, 1970, 1973, 1991, 2010). Winner of the Norwegian football league in 1970. Won 6 Norwegian championships in bandy
    Bandy
    Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...

    .
  • Drammen Bandy
    Drammen Bandy
    Drammen Bandy are a bandy club from Drammen, Norway, formed on 16 June 1997 as a cooperation between several teams in the city.They play in the Norwegian Bandy Premier League. Their current head coach is former football manager Dag Vidar Kristoffersen....

     plays in the highest division.

Twin towns — Sister cities

The following cities are twinned with Drammen: - Kolding
Kolding Municipality
Kolding municipality is a municipality in Region Syddanmark on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in southeast Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 640 km², and has a total population of 87,781 . Its mayor is Jørn Pedersen, a member of the Liberal Party political party...

, Region of Southern Denmark, 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...

 - Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta is a city and municipality that resides on the shore of the lake Saimaa in South-Eastern Finland, about from the Russian border. It belongs to the region of South Karelia. With approximately inhabitants Lappeenranta is the largest city in Finland...

, Etelä-Suomen lääni, 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...

 - Burgas
Burgas
-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...

, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

 - Stykkishólmur
Stykkishólmur
Stykkishólmur is a town and municipality situated in the western part of Iceland, to the north of the Snæfellsnes peninsula.With its 1,100 inhabitants, it is a center of services and commerce for the area. Most of the people make their living from fishing and tourism. A ferry called Baldur goes...

, 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...

 - Örebro
Örebro Municipality
Örebro Municipality is a municipality in Örebro County in central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Örebro.The municipality was created from the City of Örebro and surrounding rural municipalities in 1971 and with some areas added in 1974 it had an area of 1,840 km²...

, Örebro County
Örebro County
Örebro County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland.- Province :...

, 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....


External links

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