history of Bergen, Norway

Bergen was founded by Olav Kyrre in 1070 under the name Bjørgvin. It was the largest city in Scandinavia until the 16th century and Norway's largest city until the 18th century. He built a wooden Christian church on the ground that later should be called Bergen Hus and at the same time he also started building a larger church building in stone. After this he singled out Bergen as the Bishop's headquarters for Western Norway. The city's second founder King Øystein (1103-28) built a fortress of wood near the two churches.

From the mid 12th century the wooden buildings of the king was replaced with stone halls, among them the Haakon Hall. In the area around it there were built walls with towers and in one of these the king created a chancery. The reason for the king’s association to Bergen was due to the city’s fast growing trading with fish from the north and grain, clothing and wine from foreign trade countries. German merchants established in Bergen from the mid 13th century as a resident colony attached to the German (Hanseatic) office. 

In the 13th and 14th century Bergen suffered from financial crises and misery and it was not until the 15thcentury that things were getting better. In the end of 15thcentury immigration from Denmark, Germany, Scottland, Netherlands increased and gave the shipping industry new impulses and built new relations with Arkhangelsk in the north to Sicily in the south. In the centuries that followed Bergen can be characterized by many ups and downs. In the first half of each century the city was marked by economic recessions. 

Then came the golden times, often accompanied by a new immigration wave. The same pattern repeated itself in each century until the 1850’s. Here we reached the industrial age and Bergen became the leading city in Norwegian shipping with fast transition from sail to steam. Export goods had until the 1900's mainly been fish products and lumber, but new technology and industry like textiles and clothing, mechanical workshops, merchant mills and new businesses like banks, insurance companies and new stock exchange building had made its way. This became the basis for further growth until 1914. 

After the first World War Bergen was once again hit by financial crises, closed industrial facilities and bankruptcies. And then came the great fire in 1916 that nearly burned down the entire Bergen city center. It was not until 1935 that the business sector experienced a definite improvement. Then came World War II and the damages that Bergen suffered from were bigger and more expensive than in any other city in Norway. Buildings on Bergen Hus, Nykirken and Tollboden had also been destroyed and it took several years before the buildings were rebuilt. Although it is a long time since the Hanseatic times, Bergen is still a commerce city and appear today as an important, modern hub in Norway.