Skien
| coat of arms | map | ||
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| Basic data | |||
| Commune number : | 3807 | ||
| Province (county) : | Vestfold and Telemark | ||
| Administrative headquarters: | Skien | ||
| Coordinates : | 59 ° 12 ' N , 9 ° 33' E | ||
| Surface: | 779.2 km² | ||
| Residents: | 54,942 (Feb 27, 2020) | ||
| Population density : | 71 inhabitants per km² | ||
| Language form : | neutral | ||
| Postal code : | 3701-3799 | ||
| Website: | |||
| traffic | |||
| Railway connection: |
Vestfoldbanen Bratsbergbanen |
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| politics | |||
| Mayor : | Hedda Foss Five ( AP ) (2011) | ||
| Located in the province of Vestfold og Telemark | |||
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Skien ( ) is the administrative center of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway . The municipality of the same name is 779 km² and has 54,942 inhabitants (as of February 27, 2020).
history
Skien was founded in the year 1000. Presumably people settled here before. The most important branch of industry at that time was the export of whetstones (see Eidsborger whetstone quarry ), which were mined in Telemark. From the 15th century, Skien was the most important wood producer in Norway.
traffic
railroad
Skien is connected to the Norwegian railway network: Vestfoldbane Skien– Oslo , which opened in 1882, begins here, as does Bratsbergbane Skien– Notodden, which opened in 1919 .
plane
The local airport ( Skien Geiteryggen ) has scheduled flights to Bergen and Stavanger .
Culture and sights
Skien is the birthplace of the playwright Henrik Ibsen . Accordingly, the city is a center of Ibsen research and the location of important Ibsen performances, primarily in the Ibsen Theater in Skien. Also worth seeing are the old harbor with the Telemark Canal , the town hall and the large church from the 19th century, which can accommodate 1400 believers (that was half of the population at the time).
sons and daughters of the town
Well-known personalities born in Skien, besides Ibsen, include the polar explorer Fredrik Hjalmar Johansen and the singer Julie Bergan .
economy
Skien is home to a number of Norwegian companies in the wood , paper , food and electrical engineering industries . The EVS as group , with more than 800 employees in Europe , Asia and North America , has its headquarters in Skien, the EFD Induction as is under this roof for the development and production of semiconductors - inverters to 2000 kW / 400 kHz responsible.
Skien has a maximum security prison where Anders Behring Breivik is imprisoned.
Sports
- Odds BK , football club
- Gjerpen Håndball , handball club
- Skien IK , ice hockey club
- Skien is the starting point for the annual Telemark Tours bicycle race
Twin cities
Skien maintains town twinning with
