Sarpsborg

Sarpsborg is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg.

Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neighbouring Fredrikstad. As of 1 January 2016, according to Statistics Norway these two municipalities have a total population of 132,351 with 54,192 in Sarpsborg and 78,159 in Fredrikstad.

Borregaard Industries is, and always has been, the most important industry in the city. The city is also the home of Borg Bryggerier, part of the Hansa Borg Bryggerier, which is Norway's second largest brewery-group.

General information

Name

In Norse times the city was just called Borg (from borg which means "castle"). The background for this was the fortification built by Olav Haraldsson (see History section). Later the genitive case of the name of the waterfall Sarpr (Sarp Falls) was added.

In Norse times Østfold county was called Borgarsýsla which means "the county (sýsla) of Borg" and the law district of southeast Norway was called Borgarþing meaning "the thing/court of Borg".

The old name has been revived in the diocese of Borg (1968) and Borgarting Court of Appeal (1995).

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 13 November 1991. It is based on a coat-of-arms from 1556. It shows a bear over a castle. The bear was introduced as early as sometime in the 13th century, by the earl of Sarpsborg (Comes de Saresburgh), Alv Erlingsson. He used the bear to symbolize his strength. The castle symbolizes the fortress (borg) that once gave the city its original name.

History

The city was founded as Borg by the Viking King Olav Haraldsson (Saint Olav) in 1016. It was burned to the ground by Swedish invaders in 1567 during the Northern Seven Years' War. Half the population was evacuated down the river to what is today known as Fredrikstad, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) downstream.

Much of the rebuilt town disappeared into the river Glomma during a 1702 mudslide. Again Borg was rebuilt, and it was recreated as a city in 1839, and separated from Tune as a municipality of its own.

The rural municipalities of Tune, Skjeberg, and Varteig were merged with the city on 1 January 1992. The population is steadily growing, and during the summer of 2005 it reached 50,000 inhabitants.

City districts

• Hasle
• Sandbakken
• Sarpsborg
• Ise
• Skjeberg
• Alvim
• Sannesund
• Greåker
• Grålum
• Borgenhaugen
• Klavestadhaugen
• Yven
• Høysand
• Varteig
• Hafslund
• Hannestad
• Gleng
• Fritznerbakken
• Kurland
• Lande
• Valaskjold
• Brevik

Musical artists and bands

• Apoptygma Berzerk
• Artch
• At Your Leisure
• Jan Groth
• Ragnarok
• Robert Normann
• Tonic Breed
• Witchhammer