Ålesund
| coat of arms | map | ||
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| Basic data | |||
| Commune number : | 1507 | ||
| Province (county) : | Møre and Romsdal | ||
| Administrative headquarters: | Ålesund | ||
| Coordinates : | 62 ° 28 ′ N , 6 ° 10 ′ E | ||
| Surface: | 632.42 km² | ||
| Residents: | 66,258 (Feb 27, 2020) | ||
| Population density : | 105 inhabitants per km² | ||
| Language form : | Nynorsk | ||
| Postal code : | 6002-6020 | ||
| Website: | |||
| politics | |||
| Mayor : | Eva Vinje Aurdal ( Ap ) (2015) | ||
| Location in the province of Møre og Romsdal | |||
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is a city andmunicipalityin the province (Fylke)Møre og RomsdalinNorway. Theart nouveaucenter as well as the location of the city and the surrounding area make it a destination for tourism in Norway.
location
The city is located about 236 km north-northeast of Bergen on several islands - mainly Heissa in the west, Aspøy in the middle and Nørvøy in the east - on the European Arctic Ocean . The area around Ålesund is characterized by fjords , mountain and island chains. Through the city center, the islands Aspøy and Nørvøy draws separating Alesundet .
history
Ålesund was first mentioned in a document around the middle of the 15th century as a settlement for Bergen merchants on their way north. With a royal decree of September 11, 1793, Ålesund received port and customs rights through the use of Johan Lausen Bull . In 1848 it was granted city rights. The city grew rapidly and became one of the largest fishing ports in Norway and the largest export port for stockfish in Norway. In 1864 Ålesund prison was built. Various hills originally existed on the town's grounds, but these were gradually removed to allow the development. One of the few surviving elevations is the Lihaugen .
During the fire in Ålesund on the night of January 23, 1904, almost the entire city center was destroyed. Triggered by an overturned kerosene lamp in a margarine factory, the fire burned for over 16 hours. Around 850 houses - all built almost entirely of wood - were completely destroyed and over 10,000 residents became homeless.
The city was rebuilt with the help of Germany , among others . Kaiser Wilhelm II. , A great fan of Norway, ordered the immediate delivery of aid for food, medicine and building materials. He sent four ships of the Imperial Navy for disaster relief, financed from his private fortune. The unloaded ships temporarily served as emergency accommodation for the people who had become homeless due to the fire. The two large German shipping companies, HAPAG and Norddeutsche Lloyd , also participated in the financing . Due to the reconstruction, Ålesund is famous for the city center, which was completely built in Art Nouveau . After a decree, new houses could only be built from stone. Most of Ålesund was rebuilt in just seven years. In gratitude for the quick help, one of the main streets is named after Kaiser Wilhelm and the Kaiser Wilhelm II memorial was erected. An excursion steamer in the bay still bears his name (in German spelling) and a church window in the main church shows the Prussian coat of arms.
The importance of Art Nouveau as an asset worth protecting and as a remarkable and formative feature of the city was recognized in Ålesund in the 1970s. The art nouveau buildings began to be preserved and looked after. Previously, no consideration had been given to the Art Nouveau ensemble in new or replacement buildings. But then some improper changes were made. Kongens gate 4, which was built in Art Nouveau style in 1905 and a modern facade was fitted in front of it in 1960, was given its original appearance again. The Skippergården house at Kongens gate 18 was so dilapidated that it had to be demolished in the 1970s. It was replaced by a true copy.
In the 1970s, the Rønneberghaugen rock, which had previously been in the city, was blown up for the new construction of the town hall and the Kremmergaarden shopping center . On March 26, 2008, there was an accident when a six-story residential building collapsed, presumably as a result of a landslide, and buried six people under it.
Ålesund has been a member of the Covenant of Mayors since November 26, 2008 .
As part of the municipal reform in Norway , Ålesund, Haram , Sandøy , Skodje and Ørskog were merged to form the new municipality of Ålesund on January 1, 2020.
politics
coat of arms
The Ålesund municipal coat of arms is a shield coat of arms and was first used in 1898. On a red background a silver boat on four stylized waves with three cod on the bottom; The motif shows fishing. The helmet shows a castle wall with a large central castle tower flanked by two smaller towers.
Local election
The last local election took place on September 9, 2019.
economy
Ålesund seat of shipbuilding - Company VARD AS , which the Italian Fincantieri group belongs, including shipyards in Brazil, Romania and Vietnam.
traffic
Ålesund is easily accessible from all parts of the country by land via well-developed highways. The European roads 136 and 6 connect the city with the eastern parts of the country and via the E 39 running in north-south direction you can reach Bergen and Trondheim .
Airfield
The Ålesund Airport is about 20 km outside the city on the island of Vigra .
From there there are several connections to Oslo , other Norwegian cities and, since April 4, 2013, also to Amsterdam. There are corresponding air buses to and from Ålesund for all flights.
The connecting road between Ålesund and the airport leads u. a. through two submarine tunnels : the Ellingsøy tunnel and the Valderøy tunnel .
Hurtigruten
Ålesund is the landing stage for the Hurtigruten . In summer the ships stop twice going north.
Because of the passengers who use the Hurtigruten for tourist purposes, the ships also sail from Ålesund to the Geirangerfjord and back to Ålesund in summer . The former Norwegian mail ship fleet also continues to supply ports with food and goods.
Train and bus
Ålesund does not have a railway connection; the nearest train station is in Åndalsnes , about 100 kilometers away , on the Raumabanen branch line that ends there and leaves the main Oslo – Trondheim line in Dombås . The journey time from Oslo is around 5:30 hours. From Åndalsnes train station there is a bus to Ålesund several times a day. There is also a direct bus line from Bergen on the Oslo-Bergen railway line . There are other direct long-distance bus connections to Oslo and Trondheim.
Sightseeing and tourism
After the fire in 1904, Ålesund was rebuilt in Art Nouveau style and offers a beautiful cityscape, with many Art Nouveau buildings such as the House of the Workers' Association or the house at Kongens gate 12 . In 1907 the house Kongens gate 10B was built, the narrowest house in Norway. The historic Rønnebergbua warehouse was built in the same year . In 1923 the neoclassical building of the Ålesund Masonic Lodge was built . In the same year the Løvenvold Cinema , which is still operated as a cinema, was built. From Kongens gate to gate Lihaug performs built in the 1930s staircase Tusentrappene .
In Ålesund there is an aquarium with the Atlantic Park, where you can see the local fish species.
The city center is home to several monuments and works of art. The Avisgutten statue , erected in 1998, is located in Kongens gate , not far from Søster og bror , the Margit Johnsen monument inaugurated in 2013 and the 1995 Monument over Englandsfarten by the harbor . The Fiskergutten and Sildekona sculptures are on Apotekertorget . To the east of Ålesund Church stands De falne til minne , a memorial to those who died in World War II . The Mot Havet memorial, erected in 1989, commemorates the deaths of 33 fishermen . In front of the town hall is the sculpture of the Elf King Oberon and the Joachim Rønneberg monument, unveiled in 2014 .
The Molja fyr lighthouse , which was built in 1858 and is now used as a hotel room, stands on the pier . Opposite it on the other side of the harbor is the listed Kaihuset, built in 1860 . The Waldehuset was also spared from the city fire . The landmarked house Slinningbua at the easternmost point of the island of Heissa , formerly used for the fishing industry, is a landmark of the city .
Every year around the time of the St. John's is in Ålesund the Slinningsbålet , one of the highest wood fire in the world, inflamed.
City mountain Aksla and the city park
From Ålesund City Park , 418 steps lead up to the city hill Aksla with the viewpoints Fjellstua and Kniven . From here you have a beautiful view of the city of Ålesund, the sea with its islands and the Sunnmøre Alps. In the city park there is the Rollo monument , a monument to the Viking Hrolf Ganger . Gange-Rolv is a direct predecessor of Wilhelm the Conqueror and thus of the English royal family. There is also a seven-meter-high obelisk in the city park for the German Emperor Wilhelm II as thanks for the help in rebuilding the city after the fire in 1904 and the sculpture Gener . The Kristofer Randers memorial stands on the Aksla .
Ålesund City Museums
- Art Nouveau center in the Schwanenapotheke : the fire in 1904 and the reconstruction in Art Nouveau are shown here.
- Ålesunds Museum, a museum of the city's history
- Sunnmøre Museum , an open-air museum with old houses, boats and the Viking ship Borgundknarren
- Ålesund Fisheries Museum , history of the fishing town of Ålesund
- Atlantic Park , a large aquarium with the fauna of the European North Sea and the North Sea
Churches in Ålesund
- Ålesund Church , built in 1909 with beautiful stained glass. Behind the organ a church window shows the Prussian coat of arms (thanks to Prussia / Germany for the generous help after the great fire in 1904).
- Volsdalen Church, built 1974
- Borgund Church, built in 1904 on the remains of the old St. Peter's Church from the 12th century with beautiful wood carvings inside.
- Spjelkavik Church, built in 1987 with beautiful stained glass
- Vår Frue kirke, Catholic church, near Nørvasundet
The Ålesund bedehus in the eastern part of the city center dates from 1907 .
Around Ålesund
The lighthouse near Vigra Airport is open to visitors in summer. It also houses Ålesund University . The Geirangerfjord is very close. The fjord landscape, with the Geirangerfjord and the Hjorundfjord, is well suited for hiking holidays. Awarded a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the region is a relevant tourist destination for Norway .
- Runde island in Herøy municipality , has 100 inhabitants and 500,000 birds in summer
- Herøy Coastal Museum , buildings and equipment from the 19th century
- Aarvak Arctic Museum in Brandal , Norway's largest Arctic Museum, here is also a seal-catching ship
- Hjørungavåg , memorial to a battle in 986.
Town twinning
Ålesund's twin cities are:
sons and daughters of the town
Other cities with the same name
The town of Ny-Ålesund on Svalbard was named after the town.
literature
- Flat share: Aalesund before and after the fire. With 7 illustrations . In: From rock to sea. The wide world. 23rd vol. 1, September 1903 to February 1904, pp. 882-886.
Web links
Wikisource: Aalesund - Article of the 4th edition of Meyers Konversations-LexikonIndividual evidence
- ↑ Statistisk sentralbyrå - Befolkning
- ↑ Harald Grytten, Eli Anne Tvergrov, Through the Streets of Ålesund , Ålesund Municipality, 2011, page 14
- ↑ Robert von Lucius: Not everything was bad about the Keizer here. The Norwegian town of Alesund keeps Wilhelm II an honorable memory . Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, July 20, 2013
- ↑ Harald Grytten, Eli Anne Tvergrov, Through the streets of Ålesund , Ålesund Municipality, 2011, page 15
- ↑ Harald Grytten, Eli Anne Tvergrov, Through the Streets of Ålesund , Ålesund Municipality, 2011, page 12
- ^ Spiegel Online: Apartment block collapses - many injured , March 26, 2008
- ↑ Navn på nye kommuner. February 19, 2019, accessed January 22, 2020 (Norwegian).
- ↑ The identity with Rollo is of course controversial. See the article on Rollo.
- ↑ Innovation Norway, Ålesund and Sunnmøre . Online at visitnorway.com. April 18, 2013.
