Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Østfold Østfold () is a county in Eastern Norway, which from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2023 was part of Viken. Østfold borders Akershus and southwestern Sweden (Västra Götaland County and Värmland), while Buskerud and Vestfold are on the other ...

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad. The city of Fredrikstad was founded in 1567 by King Frederick II, and established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see ''

formannskapsdistrikt () was the name of a Norwegian self-governing municipality. The name was used from the establishment these municipalities in 1838 until the name fell out of use in 1863. The municipalities had their legal basis from two laws enacted on 14 Jan ...

''). The rural municipality of

Glemmen Glemmen is a parish and former municipality with the city of Fredrikstad, Østfold county, Norway. History The parish of ''Glemminge'' was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). A part of Glemmen with 2,013 inhab ...

was merged with Fredrikstad on 1 January 1964. The rural municipalities of Borge,

Onsøy Onsøy is a peninsula and a former municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre was Gressvik. History The parish of ''Onsø'' was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). A part of Onsøy w ...

Kråkerøy Kråkerøy is an island and a former municipality in Østfold, Norway. The island of Kråkerøy was separated from Glemmen as a municipality of its own January 1, 1908. At that time Kråkerøy had a population of 3,311. The rural municipality wa ...

, and

Rolvsøy Rolvsøy is a village, an island, and a former municipality in Østfold county, Norway. It was created by a split from Tune on 1 January 1911. At that time Rolvsøy had a population of 2,381. On 1 January 1994 Rolvsøy was incorporated into th ...

were merged with Fredrikstad on 1 January 1994. The city straddles the river

Glomma The Glomma or Glåma is Norway's longest and most voluminous river. With a total length of , it has a drainage basin that covers 13% of Norway's surface area, all in the southern part of the country. Geography At its fullest length, the river r ...

where it meets the

Skagerrak The Skagerrak (; , , ) is a strait running between the North Jutlandic Island of Denmark, the east coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea. The Skagerrak contains some of the busiest shipping ...

, about from the

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

border. Along with neighboring

Sarpsborg Sarpsborg ( or ), historically Borg, is a List of cities in Norway, city and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Østfold Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg. Sarpsbor ...

, Fredrikstad forms the fifth largest city in Norway: Fredrikstad/Sarpsborg. As of 31 December 2024, according to

Statistics Norway Statistics Norway (, abbreviated to ''SSB'') 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 rele ...

, these two municipalities have a total population of 146,001 with 85,862 in Fredrikstad and 60,139 in Sarpsborg. Fredrikstad was built at the mouth of Glomma as a replacement after Sarpsborg ( upstream) was burnt down by the

Swedish Army The Swedish Army () is the army, land force of the Swedish Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Beginning with its service in 1521, the Swedish Army has been active for more than 500 years. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1 ...

in the 1500s. Some of the citizens stayed behind and rebuilt their old town at its original site and got their city status back in 1839. The city centre is on the west bank of the Glomma, while the old town on the east bank is Northern Europe's best preserved fortified town. Fredrikstad used to have a large sawmill industry and was an important

harbour A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be Mooring, moored. The t ...

for timber export, then later on

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

, until the main yard was closed in 1988. The main industries are currently various

chemical A chemical substance is a unique form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Chemical substances may take the form of a single element or chemical compounds. If two or more chemical substances can be combin ...

plants and other light industry. In 2005, Fredrikstad was the final host port for the Tall Ships' Race, attracting thousands to the city. In 2019, it was the first host port. In 2017, Fredrikstad won the national award for most attractive city. The award is given yearly by the Norwegian government on the basis of social, economic and environmental factors.

General information

Name

The city was named after the Danish king Frederick II in 1569. The last element ''stad'' means "city". Prior to 1877, the name was spelled ''Frederiksstad'', then from 1877 to 1888 it was written as ''Fredriksstad'', and finally since 1889 it has been spelled in its current form: ''Fredrikstad''.

Coat-of-arms

The

coat-of-arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achiev ...

is from modern times. They were granted on 21 April 1967. The old arms are based on the oldest known seal of the city, which dates from 1610. They showed a

fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...

being guarded by a bear. Strangely, Fredrikstad had no fortifications in 1610 (it received some at the end of the 17th century). Fredrikstad was founded by citizens of Sarpsborg and both the fortress and the bear are taken from the old arms of Sarpsborg. The composition of the seal was also used as arms since the beginning of the 19th century. The new arms were granted at the 400th anniversary of the city in 1967 and show a more modern variation on the fortress and bear.

History

After

, which was founded by Olav the Holy in 1016, was burned to the ground by the

Swedes Swedes (), or Swedish people, are an ethnic group native to Sweden, who share a common ancestry, Culture of Sweden, culture, History of Sweden, history, and Swedish language, language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countries, ...

during the

Northern Seven Years' War The Northern Seven Years' War (also known as the ''Nordic Seven Years' War'', the ''First Northern War,'' the ''Seven Years' War of the North'' or the ''Seven Years War in Scandinavia'') was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden (1523–1611), K ...

, the ruling king, Frederik II, decided by

royal decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, royal figure, or other relevant authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislative laws, or customary l ...

to build a new town south of the original location. The new town was founded in 1567 as Sarpsborg, regarded as a reconstruction of the original town. This new site's proximity to the sea and the accessible open land surrounding it made it a better location than the old one. The name Fredrikstad was first used in a letter from the King dated 6 February 1569. The temporary fortification built during the

Hannibal War The Torstenson War was fought between Sweden and Denmark–Norway from 1643 to 1645. The name derives from Swedish general Lennart Torstenson. Denmark-Norway had withdrawn from the Thirty Years' War in the 1629 Treaty of Lübeck. After its vic ...

(1644–1645) between

and Denmark-Norway, became permanent in the 1660s. The work on the fortifications was first led by Willem Coucheron and later Johan Caspar von Cicignon. During the next 60 years, several fortifications at the

Fredrikstad Fortress Fredrikstad fortress (''Fredrikstad festning'') was a fortification in Fredrikstad, Norway. It was the base of the Østfold Regiment, with defence related responsibilities for the east side of Oslofjord. History Fredrikstad Fortress was construc ...

were built, including Isegran, Kongsten, and Cicignon. In 1735, a suburb on the western side of Glomma, ''Vestsiden'', was founded. This part later grew faster than the old city, and became the dominant city centre. Most of the buildings in the old city burned down during a fire in 1764. In the 1840s, timber exporting from Fredrikstad started to gain momentum. In the 1860s, several steam powered saws were built along the river, and in 1879 the railway reached Fredrikstad, leading to further growth. With the decline of the timber exports as a result of the modernization of wood-processing industries in the early 1900s, Fredrikstad's production changed to other types of products. It later became one of Norway's most important industrial centres, famous for its large

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are shipbuilding, built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes m ...

Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a List of cities in Norway, city and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Østfold Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipal ...

Education

Fredrikstad has three high schools. Frederik II Upper Secondary School offers general studies and financial / administrative studies. It is a merger of the former and Christianslund Handelsgymnasium. offers professional training and study. offers sports, science, languages, social sciences and economics. In addition, there is a Steiner school, a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

educational alternative.

Østfold University College Østfold University College (, HiØ) is a University college (Scandinavia), university college in Østfold, Østfold county, Norway. It has campuses in Fredrikstad and Halden, and has around 7000 students (as of 2017) and 550 employees (as of 20 ...

offers higher education (master's and bachelor's studies) at the Academy of Performing Arts, Faculty of Health and Social Care and the Faculty of Engineering at Kråkerøy. offers short professional craft or technical courses. The Department of Journalism offers primarily continuing education for journalists and editors.

Fredrikstad Museum

Fredrikstad Museum is located in Old Fredrikstad. The museum shows the history of the city and the surrounding region. The museum also manages Elingaard Manor in Onsøy and Torgauten Fort. Fredrikstad Museum was founded in 1903. Since 2003, the museum's management has been located in Tøihuset in Old Town.

Sport

Fredrikstad is home to nine-time Norway football winners Fredrikstad FK who play at the Fredrikstad Stadion. Egil Olsen, manager for the Norwegian national football team, is from Fredrikstad. There is also an American football team, the Fredrikstad Eagles. Fredrikstad has a top-division handball team, Fredrikstad BK, and a top-division ice hockey team,

Stjernen Hockey Stjernen Hockey is a Norway, Norwegian ice hockey team based in Fredrikstad, Norway. They currently play in the EliteHockey Ligaen. They play their home games in Stjernehallen. Their team colours are red and white. History Stjernen was founded ...

. The city also has a number of

floorball Floorball (also known by other names) is a sport played with five players and a goalkeeper in each team. It is played indoors with sticks and a hollow plastic ball with holes. Matches are played in three periods. The sport of bandy also playe ...

teams, including Slevik IBK, Fredrikstad IBK and St. Croix Pirates.

Notable residents

Public service

* Albert Andriessen Bradt (ca.1607 in Fredrikstad – 1686) a Norwegian settler in

New Netherland New Netherland () was a colony of the Dutch Republic located on the East Coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod. Settlements were established in what became the states ...

* Henrik Bjelke (1615 on Onsøy – 1683) a Norwegian-Danish Admiral of the Realm 1662 to 1679 *

Jørgen Bjelke Jørgen Bjelke (2 June 1621 – 17 June 1696) was a Dano-Norwegian or Norwegian officer and nobleman. He was born at Elingaard Manor on Onsøy near Fredrikstad, in Østfold County, Norway, and died in Kalundborg, Denmark. Early and personal lif ...

(1621 on Onsøy – 1696) an officer and nobleman from Elingaard Manor * Johan Caspar von Cicignon (ca.1625-1696) general and engineer, lived in Fredrikstad * Hans Jacob Stabel (1769 in Onsøy – 1836) priest and rep. at

Norwegian Constituent Assembly The Norwegian Constituent Assembly ( or ) is the name given to the 1814 constitutional assembly that adopted the Norwegian Constitution and formalised the dissolution of the union with Denmark. The meetings took place at the Eidsvoll Manor in th ...

Hans Nielsen Hauge Hans Nielsen Hauge (3 April 1771 – 29 March 1824) was a 19th-century Norwegian Lutheran lay minister, spiritual leader, business entrepreneur, social reformer and author. He led a noted Pietism revival known as the Haugean movement. Hauge is al ...

(1771 in Rolvsøy – 1824) revivalist preacher for the

Hauge Synod The Hauge Synod (formally Hauge's Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America) was the name of a Norwegian Lutheran church body in the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Background The Hauge Synod (Norwegian: ) wa ...

* Johannes Wilhelm Christian Dietrichson (1815 in Fredrikstad – 1883) a Lutheran Minister * Ole Jacob Broch (1818 in Fredrikstad – 1889) physicist, economist and Govt. minister * Ole Peter Petersen (1822 in Fredrikstad – 1901) founder of

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

in Norway and co-founder of Norwegian and Danish Methodism in the United States *

Katti Anker Møller Katti Anker Møller (23 October 1868 – 20 August 1945) was a Norway, Norwegian feminist, Children's rights movement, children's rights advocate, and a pioneer of reproductive rights. Biography She was born Cathrine Anker in Hamar, the daughter ...

(1868–1945) feminist and advocate for reproductive rights * Hieronymus Heyerdahl (1867 in Fredrikstad – 1959) lawyer and Mayor of Oslo, 1911 to 1914 * Waldemar Ager (1869 in Fredrikstad – 1941) newspaperman in

Eau Claire, Wisconsin Eau Claire ( ; lit. "clear water") is a city in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, Eau Claire and Chippewa County, Wisconsin, Chippewa counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the county seat, seat of Eau Claire County. It is the List of citie ...

* Johan Oscar Smith (1871 in Fredrikstad – 1943) founder of the

Brunstad Christian Church Brunstad Christian Church (BCC) is a worldwide evangelicalism, evangelical Non-denominational Christianity, non-denominational Christian church. Established in Norway early in the 20th century. It is represented by more than 220 churches in 54 co ...

Roald Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (, ; ; 16 July 1872 – ) was a Norwegians, Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Am ...

(1872 in Borge – 1928) a Norwegian explorer of polar regions * Charles Anderson (1875 in Fredrikstad – 1949) Mayor of

Murray, Utah Murray () is a city situated on the Wasatch Front in the core of Salt Lake Valley in the U.S. state of Utah. Named for territorial governor Eli Murray, the city had a population of 50,637 as of the 2020 United States Census. Murray shares borde ...

1920–1923 * Nils F. Ambursen (1876 in Fredrikstad – 1953) civil engineer and inventor, designed dams * Peder Kolstad (1878 in Borge – 1932)

Prime Minister of Norway The prime minister of Norway (, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet of Norway, Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government departme ...

, 1931 to 1932 * Johannes Brun (1891 in Fredrikstad – 1977) military officer and bridge champion * Tove Mohr (1891 in Thorsø – 1981) a physician, socialist and proponent for women's rights * Jens Gram Jr. (1897 in Fredrikstad – 1982) barrister and politician * Ragnvald Marensius Gundersen (1907 in Glemmen – 1985) Mayor of Fredrikstad 1945–1965 * Rolf Jørgen Fuglesang (1909 in Fredrikstad – 1988) Govt. minister in WWII for

Vidkun Quisling Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling (; ; 18 July 1887 – 24 October 1945) was a Norwegian military officer, politician and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, Nazi collaborator who Quisling regime, headed the government of N ...

* Bernt Karsten Øksendal (born 1945 in Fredrikstad) a Norwegian mathematician *

Svein Aaser Svein Aaser (born 7 October 1946) is a former CEO of DnB NOR, the largest financial group in Norway. He resigned on 31 December 2006. He is chair of FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 and the National Gallery of Norway Early career Aaser ...

(born 1946 in Fredrikstad) former CEO of '' DnB NOR'', the large financial group * Tore Eriksen (born 1947 in Fredrikstad) economist, diplomat and civil servant; ''"Norway's most powerful bureaucrat"'' * Louise Kathrine Dedichen (born 1964 in Fredrikstad) Vice-admiral, rep. on the

NATO Military Committee The NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s Military Committee (MC) is the body that is composed of Member states of NATO, member states' Chief of Defence, Chiefs of Defence (CHOD). These national CHODs are regularly represented in the M ...

Arts

* Eyvind Alnæs (1872 in Fredrikstad – 1932) composer, pianist, organist and choir director * Harald Heide (1876 in Fredrikstad – 1956) violinist, conductor and composer * Hans Jacob Nilsen (1897 in Fredrikstad – 1957) actor, theatre director and film director * Tore Segelcke (1901 in Fredrikstad – 1979) actress * Herbert Herding, stage name Herberth (1904 in Fredrikstad – 1958) revue writer, revue artist, and theater director *

Georg Løkkeberg Georg Løkkeberg (20 November 1909 – 19 August 1986) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He appeared in 29 films between 1934 and 1978. He starred in the film '' The Master and His Servants'', which was entered into the 9th Berlin ...

(1909 in Fredrikstad – 1986) actor and theatre director *

Herman Hebler Herman Hebler (23 September 1911 – 21 August 2007) was a Norway, Norwegian printer and graphic artist who lived in Fredrikstad. Hebler's works were displayed on many important graphic biennials and triennials. He won a number of awards in Norwa ...

(1911-2007) a

printmaker Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand processed technique ...

and graphic artist, lived in Fredrikstad * Karsten Andersen (1920 in Fredrikstad – 1997) conductor * Arne Dørumsgaard (1921 in Fredrikstad – 2006) composer, poet and music collector * Bjørn Johansen (1940 in Fredrikstad – 2002) an influential Norwegian jazz musician *

Gerd Brantenberg Gerd Mjøen Brantenberg (born October 27, 1941) is a Norwegian author, teacher, and feminist writer. Biography Brantenberg was born in Oslo, but grew up in Fredrikstad. She studied English, History, and Sociology in London, Edinburgh, and Oslo. ...

(born 1941) author, teacher and feminist writer, grew up in Fredrikstad * Jon Mostad (born 1942 in Fredrikstad) composer *

Terje Formoe Terje Falk Formoe (born 6 December 1949) is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, actor, playwright and author. Background Born in Fredrikstad, Norway, he was educated as a schoolteacher. In the 1970s, he began making records of his music. He curren ...

(born 1949 in Fredrikstad) singer/songwriter, actor, playwright and author * Jørn Christensen (born 1959) artist, actor and record producer *

Dennis Storhøi Jahn Dennis Storhøi (born July 15, 1960 in Fredrikstad, Norway) is a Norwegian actor. Biography He is an acclaimed theatre actor in Norway, having won several awards. However, he is known for his role as ''Herger the Joyous'' in John McTiernan ...

(born 1960 in Fredrikstad) actor * Petronella Barker (born 1965) British-born Norwegian actress, grew up in Fredrikstad *

Harald Zwart Harald Zwart (born 1 July 1965) is a Dutch-Norwegian Film director, director, writer and producer. Early life Although born in the Netherlands, Zwart was raised in Fredrikstad, Fredrikstad, Norway. By age eight, he had started making short films ...

(born 1965) Dutch-Norwegian film director, grew up in Fredrikstad * Andy LaPlegua (born 1975 in Fredrikstad) singer / songwriter, founded

Combichrist Combichrist is an American Electro-industrial, aggrotech / industrial metal band formed in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua, who also founded the bands Icon of Coil, Panzer AG, Scandinavian Cock and Scandy. Combichrist was formed in Atlan ...

, Icon of Coil and Panzer AG

Sport

* Charles Hoff (1902 in Fredrikstad – 1985) athlete, coach, and sports journalist * Arne Pedersen (1931 in Fredrikstad – 2013) footballer with Fredrikstad FK, with 231 club caps and 40 for

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

* Roar Johansen (1935 in Fredrikstad – 2015) footballer and manager with Fredrikstad FK, with 190 club caps and 61 for

* Egil "Drillo" Olsen (born 1942 in Fredrikstad) manager of

Norway national football team The Norway national football team (, or informally ''Landslaget'') represents Norway in men's international Association football, football, and is controlled by the Norwegian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Norway. Norwa ...

* Per Egil Ahlsen (born 1958 in Fredrikstad) footballer with 350 club caps and 54 for

* Harald Huysman (born 1959 in Frederikstad), racing driver *

Jørn Andersen Jørn Andersen (born 3 February 1963), sometimes written as Jörn, is a Norwegian Association football, football manager and former player who is the currently head coach of Chinese Super League club Yunnan Yukun F.C., Yunnan Yukun. Club career ...

(born 1963 in Fredrikstad) football manager with 454 club caps, 27 for

* Erik Lund (born 1979 in Fredrikstad) former rugby union footballer * Kari Mette Johansen (born 1979 in Fredrikstad) team handballer, twice Olympic team champion * Stian Paulsen (born 1987 in Frederikstad), racing driver * Isabell Herlovsen (born 1988) footballer with 133 caps with Norway women; lives in Fredrikstad * Tarik Elyounoussi (born 1988) footballer, played for Fredrikstad FK, 60 caps with

* Vegard Stake Laengen (born 1989) professional cyclist for UAE Team Emirates, lives in Fredrikstad * Oliver Solberg (born 2001 in Frederikstad) Swedish-Norwegian rally driver

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

The following cities are twinned with Fredrikstad:

References

Footnotes

Sources

* ''Aschehougs Konversasjonsleksikon'', Volume 7. Oslo: H. Aschehoug & Co, 1969. .

External links

Bratt Family from Fredrikstad
{{Authority control Municipalities of Østfold Cities and towns in Norway Populated coastal places in Norway Populated places on the Glomma River Port cities and towns in Norway Populated places established in 1567 1567 establishments in Norway Frederick II of Denmark

General information

Name

Coat-of-arms

History

Education

Fredrikstad Museum

Sport

Notable residents

Public service

Arts

Sport

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

See also

References

Footnotes

Sources

External links