Kragerø () is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares ...

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 ...

Vestfold og Telemark Vestfold og Telemark (; ) is a county under disestablishment in Norway. The county is the southernmost one of Eastern Norway and consists of two distinct and separate traditional regions: the former counties of Telemark and (most of) Vestfold. T ...

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. It is part of the

traditional region Historical regions (or historical areas) are geographical regions which at some point in time had a cultural, ethnic, linguistic or political basis, regardless of latterday borders. They are used as delimitations for studying and analysing socia ...

s of

Grenland Grenland is a traditional district in the county of Vestfold og Telemark, in the south-east of Norway. Located in the southeastern part of the county, Grenland is composed of the municipalities Skien, Porsgrunn, Bamble, and Siljan. Sometimes ...

and the smaller

Vestmar Grenland is a traditional district in the county of Vestfold og Telemark, in the south-east of Norway. Located in the southeastern part of the county, Grenland is composed of the municipalities Skien, Porsgrunn, Bamble, and Siljan. Sometime ...

. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kragerø. The city of Kragerø lies furthest south in the county of Telemark. The

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

-based

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sport ...

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...

'', published an article on Kragerø stating that "When Norwegians want to get away from it all they head for Kragero.

Forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Icela ...

s and islands await them at the place where

Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( , ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His best known work, '' The Scream'' (1893), has become one of Western art's most iconic images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the d ...

found peace and relaxation." The population of Kragerø quadruples during its summer months due to high tourism. Edvard Munch fell in love with Kragerø in his time, and called it "The Pearl of the Coastal Towns" (''Perlen blandt kystbyene''). In 2002, ''The Independent'' published an article on the region's coastline saying that "It may not have many sandy beaches, but the coast of Norway offers sophistication and stunning scenery."

General information

Name

The

Norse Norse is a demonym for Norsemen, a medieval North Germanic ethnolinguistic group ancestral to modern Scandinavians, defined as speakers of Old Norse from about the 9th to the 13th centuries. Norse may also refer to: Culture and religion * Nor ...

form of the name was ''Krákarey''. The first element is (probably) the genitive of ''kráka'' '

crow A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term " raven" is not pinned scientifica ...

', the last element is ''ey'' 'island'. ''Kragerø'' is a Danish form of the name, established in the 17th Century. For a similar name see Kråkerøy.

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 latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in i ...

is from modern times. They were granted on 28 January 1938. The arms are black with a silver galley in the center. Kragerø received

town privileges Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditio ...

in 1666, but was dependent on

Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the ...

until 1842. The town used a seal which was identical to that of Skien. The galley in the arms is derived from the fact that since 1666, Kragerø had to supply a galley with five guns to the King.

History

The town of Kragerø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see

formannskapsdistrikt () is the name for Norwegian local self-government districts that were legally enacted on 1 January 1838. This system of municipalities was created in a bill approved by the Parliament of Norway and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 Janua ...

). In the days of the

sailing ship A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing square-rigged or fore-and-aft sails. Some ships ...

s, Kragerø was one of Norway's largest port cities. The rural municipalities of Sannidal and

Skåtøy ''Skåtøy is the largest island in Kragerø municipality in Telemark county, Norway. Skåtøy was formerly a municipality. Skåtøy was separated from Sannidal January 1, 1882. It was merged with Kragerø January 1, 1960. Skåtøy is the bi ...

were merged into the municipality of Kragerø on 1 January 1960. The municipality now includes 495

island An island or isle is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be ...

islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be perman ...

s, and skerries along with 4,000 leisure houses. There are also 190

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does in ...

lakes in the municipality.

1694 murder

On 17 August 1694 Christian Hansen Ernst was killed at present-day ''Knivstikkersmauet'' ("knife stabber alley"). He was an employee of the postal service, and a former servant

Ulrik Fredrik Gyldenløve Ulrik is a male name, a Scandinavian form of Ulrich. Ulrik may refer to: *Ulrik Frederik Christian Arneberg (1829–1911), Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party *Albert Ulrik Bååth (1853–1912), Swedish poet *Ulrik Balling (born 1975), ...

, and one of few Africans of the time living in Norway, whose identity is known.

Geography

Kragerø is the southernmost municipality in Telemark. To the southwest, it borders the municipality of

Risør is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located on the Skagerrak coast in the traditional region of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of Risør municipality is the town of Risør. There are many villages in Risør such as Akland, ...

(in Aust-Agder county); to the west is

Gjerstad Gjerstad is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is located in the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Sørlandet, in the southeastern part of the county, along the border with T ...

(also in Aust-Agder county); to the northwest is Drangedal; and to the northeast is Bamble. Kragerø is popular among Norwegians (as well as foreigners) as a vacation destination during the summer, when the population swells considerably (approx. 250% increase).

Villages

Villages in Kragerø include Helle, Sannidal,

Stråholmen Stråholmen is a small island off the coast of Kragerø and Bamble in southern Telemark, Norway. The island is about 1.5 km long and 1 km wide at the widest, and lies approximately 2 km north of the island Jomfruland. Stråholmen f ...

, Jomfruland, and Portør.

Notable residents

* Anton Martin Schweigaard (1808–1870), Norwegian

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Un ...

and economic reformer * Nels Anderson (born 1828), member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms ...

Johan Christian Heuch Johan Christian Heuch or J. C. Heuch (23 March 1838–13 February 1904) was a Norwegian bishop in the Church of Norway and politician for the Conservative Party. Personal life He was born in Kragerø, Norway as the son of merchant and ...

(1838–1904) a Norwegian Bishop of the Diocese of Agder * Theodor Kittelsen (1857–1914),

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

; also illustrated fairy tales, legends and trolls *

Hans Daae Hans Daae (15 October 1865 – 10 December 1926) was a Norwegian physician, military officer and sports official. Personal life Daae was born in Kragerø to prison director Anders Daae and Anna Honoria Hansen. He married Anna Helen Alm in 1 ...

(1865–1926) a Norwegian physician, military officer and sports official * Johan Søhr (1867–1949) a Norwegian jurist and police officer * Thomas Krag (1868–1913) a Norwegian novelist, playwright and writer of short stories *

Samson Eitrem Samson Eitrem (28 December 1872 – 8 July 1966) was a Norwegian philologist, an expert in ancient literature, religion and magic. Personal life Eitrem was born in Kragerø to Samson Eitrem (1832–1923) and Anine Marie Nielsen, and he was a brot ...

(1872–1966) a philologist, expert in ancient literature, religion and magic *

Edvard Amundsen Edvard Amundsen (January 27, 1873 – December 21, 1928) was a Norwegian Lutheran missionary in China and India near the borders of Tibet. He is also remembered as an explorer and Tibetan specialist. Biography Amundsen was born in Lille Kir ...

(1873–1928) a Lutheran missionary in China and

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

and an explorer * Ronald Fangen (1895–1946) a novelist, playwright, psalmist, journalist and literary critic *

Eugen Skjønberg Conrad Eugen Skjønberg (March 27, 1889 – July 25, 1971) was a Norwegian actor. Eugen Skjønberg was married to the actress Henny Skjønberg. They resided at Ramstad. He was the father of Per Skjønberg, Pål Skjønberg, and Espen Skjønberg, ...

(1889–1971) a Norwegian actor * Kirsten Heiberg (1907–1976) a Norwegian/German actress and singer *

Else Heiberg Else Cathrine Heiberg (November 5, 1910 – November 25, 1972) was a Norwegian actress. Heiberg started her professional career as a pianist and dance teacher, and she made her stage debut at Bergen's National Theater in 1934 in the role of a ...

(1910–1972) a Norwegian actress * Ole Myrvoll (1911–1988), professor of

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analy ...

, liberal politician,

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

* Carsten Hopstock (1924–2014) art historian, curator of

Norwegian Museum of Cultural History Norsk Folkemuseum (Norwegian Museum of Cultural History), at Bygdøy, Oslo, Norway, is a museum of cultural history with extensive collections of artifacts from all social groups and all regions of the country. It also incorporates a large open ...

Alf Cranner Alf Cranner (25 October 1936 – 3 March 2020) was a major Norwegian folk singer, lyricist and painter, considered by many to be the pioneer of the Norwegian folk music wave of the 1960s. (in Norwegian) (in Norwegian) The citation for the award o ...

(1936-2020) folk singer, lyricist and painter; lived in Kragerø from the 1960s *

Robert Mood Lieutenant General Robert Mood (born 8 December 1958) is the President of Norwegian Red Cross and a retired Norwegian Army officer. He is the former head of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), Inspector General of the Norw ...

(born 1958),

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

, Head of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS)

Sport

Olaf Ørvig Olaf Ørvig (born 26 November 1889 in Kragerø – died 25 June 1939 in Bergen) was a Norwegian sailor who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomersp ...

(1889–1939) a sailor, team gold medallist at the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

Knut Lundstrøm Knut Lundstrøm (17 February 1951) is a retired Norwegian Paralympic cross-country skier and ice sledge speed racer. He is amongst the most successful Paralympians of all time having won 14 gold medals, 5 silvers, and 2 bronzes. He attended four ...

(born 1951), athlete, winter

paralympian The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired ...

Geir Borgan Paulsen Geir Borgan Paulsen (born 9 April 1957) is a Norwegian weightlifter and IFBB Pro bodybuilder active in the 1990s. His highest placings in professional bodybuilding were at the 1991 Night of the Champions on New York, placing third, and at the ...

(born 1957), IFBB Pro bodybuilder *

Preben Fjære Brynemo Preben Fjære Brynemo (born 14 August 1977) is a Norwegian Nordic combined skier. He was born in Porsgrunn and represented the club Sannidal IL. He competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olym ...

(born 1977) a Nordic combined skier, competed at the

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soó ...

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

The following cities are

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with Kragerø:

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from

Statistics Norway Statistics Norway ( no, Statistisk sentralbyrå, 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 ye ...

*
Kragerø Municipality

Kragerø city

Gigapan from Kragerø
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kragero Municipalities of Vestfold og Telemark Cities and towns in Norway Populated places in Vestfold og Telemark Port cities and towns in Norway Port cities and towns of the North Sea Islands of Vestfold og Telemark