Asker ( no, Asker), properly called Askerbygda in Norwegian, is a district and former

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Akershus Akershus () is a traditional region and current electoral district in Norway, with Oslo as its main city and traditional capital. It is named after the Akershus Fortress in Oslo. From the middle ages to 1919, Akershus was a fief and main county ...

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 ...

. From 2020 it is part of the larger administrative municipality Asker, Viken (also known as Greater Asker) in

Viken county Viken may refer to: *Viken, Scandinavia, a historical region *Viken (county), a Norwegian county established in 2020 *Viken, Sweden, a bimunicipal locality in Skåne County, Sweden *Viken (lake), a lake in Sweden, part of the part of the Göta cana ...

, together with the traditional

Buskerud Buskerud () is a former county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Ha ...

districts

Røyken Røyken is a district and village (''bygd'') and a former municipality in Buskerud in Viken County, Norway. In 2020 Røyken was merged with the municipalities of Hurum and Asker to form the new Asker Municipality (informally called "Greater Asker ...

and

Hurum Hurum was a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. As of 1 January 2020 Hurum has merged with the municipalities of Røyken and Asker to form the new Asker Municipality located in the newly formed Viken county. The administrative centre of the ...

; Asker proper constitutes the northern fourth and is part of the

Greater Oslo Region Greater Oslo Region ("Stor-Oslo-regionen" in Norwegian) is a statistical metropolitan region surrounding the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The region includes the city of Oslo (population: 658,390), the entire county of Akershus (population: 573,326) ...

. The administrative centre was the town of Asker, which remains so for the new larger municipality. Asker was established as a parish in the Middle Ages and as a municipality on 1 January 1838.

History

Since the Middle Ages, the Asker parish consisted of the later municipalities Asker and Bærum. In the 19th century Bærum became the Vestre Bærum and Østre Bærum parish, and Asker and Bærum were also established as separate municipalities. In 2020, Asker municipality merged with

and

to form Asker, Viken, a larger administrative region than traditional/geographical Asker.

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old ''Asker'' farm, since the first church was built here. The name (

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

: ''Askar'') is the

plural The plural (sometimes abbreviated pl., pl, or ), in many languages, is one of the values of the grammatical category of number. The plural of a noun typically denotes a quantity greater than the default quantity represented by that noun. This de ...

form of ''ask'' which means "

ash tree ''Fraxinus'' (), commonly called ash, is a genus of flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45–65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous, though a number of subtropical species are evergree ...

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 its w ...

is from modern times. They were granted on 7 October 1975. The arms show a green background with three silver-colored tree trunks ( no, askekaller) and are thus

canting arms Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name (or, less often, some attribute or function) in a visual pun or rebus. French heralds used the term (), as they would sound out the name of the armiger. Many armorial all ...

. The trees are ashes, which were cropped every year to provide food for the animals. The trees thus developed after many years a very typical shape, which was characteristic for the area.

Place of the Millennium

In 1998, just before the millennium, the 'Askerbøringer' (the inhabitants of Asker) elected the beautiful area of

Semsvannet Semsvannet is a lake in Asker municipality in Viken county, southwest of Oslo, in Norway. The lake is situated close to, for the Norwegians, famous places such as the ridge Skaugumsåsen, the old cultural house Tangen and Skaugum the official res ...

including the mountain ridge

Skaugumsåsen Skaugumsåsen is a mountain in Asker in the county of Akershus, in southeastern Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and nort ...

– to be their Place of the Millennium.

Geography

Its main parts are Asker, Gullhella, Vollen, Vettre, Blakstad, Bleiker, Borgen, Drengsrud, Dikemark, Vardåsen, Engelsrud, Holmen, Høn,

Hvalstad Hvalstad is a village and a small part of the municipality of Asker. Hvalstad has slightly over 2,000 inhabitants, a number that has doubled since the 1970s. Hvalstad lies 20 kilometres from the centre of Oslo. Hvalstad Station is on the Drammen ...

, Billingstad, Nesøya, Nesbru, and

Heggedal Heggedal is a part of the Asker municipality in Viken county, Norway. For statistical purposes, it's usually treated as part of the Oslo urban areaIn 2000, its population was 3,30 and the election district named Heggedal had 2,329 registered vote ...

. Asker is a coastal place with many beaches, but also contains hills and woods. The district is known for many important businesses. It is also known for gardening. The

Skaugum Skaugum is an estate, manor house and the official residence of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The estate is located in Asker municipality, southwest of Oslo, by the foot of the mountain Skaugumsåsen. T ...

estate, where

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway (; Haakon Magnus; born 20 July 1973) is the heir apparent to the Norwegian throne. He is the only son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja. Haakon represents the fourth generation of the sitting Norwegian royal famil ...

lives with his family, is situated here. The first

IKEA IKEA (; ) is a Dutch multinational conglomerate based in the Netherlands that designs and sells , kitchen appliances, decoration, home accessories, and various other goods and home services. Started in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA has been t ...

store outside of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

opened at Slependen in Asker in 1963. There are many hiking/ sightseeing spots around Asker; such as Semsvannet lake and Drengsrud cultural path around the area.

Municipality reform

As part of the municipality reform process instigated by Minister of Local Government

Jan Tore Sanner Jan Tore Sanner (born 6 May 1965) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party who served as Minister of Finance from 2020 to 2021. He previously served as Minister of Education from 2018 to 2020 and Minister of Local Government from 2013 ...

the municipalities of Asker, Hurum and Røyken evaluated if they should merge into a new common municipality during the first half of 2016. A tentative agreement was reached and on 16 June 2016 the Municipal Council of

approved the merger with Asker and Hurum with 24 votes for and 3 against. On 14 June 2016 the Municipal Council of Asker also approved the merger with 42 votes for and 5 against. A few days later the Municipal Council of

followed suit and approved the merger. The proposed merger date was 1 January 2020 and the new name will be Asker. Asker was merged with the municipalities of

and

as of 1 January 2020.

Minorities

Culture

Although Asker is principally a rural municipality, the expansion of Oslo has resulted in its becoming an affluent suburb. Thus numerous celebrities now reside in the area. According to SSB (Statistics Norway), Asker ranks as the 2nd wealthiest municipality in Norway based on median household income.

Sports

Asker is also the home of sports club

IF Frisk Asker Idrettsforeningen Frisk Asker is a Norwegian sports club from Asker, Akershus. It has sections for association football and ice hockey. It also used to play bandy. Ice hockey The men's ice hockey team are one of Norway's leading teams. Their ...

; the club won the Norwegian Hockey championship in 1975, 1979, 2002 and 2019. Asker Skiklubb is the largest sports club in Norway. It has a long history dating back to 1889. Many of Asker's famous people have been successful individuals associated with the sports club. The city is the home of

Asker svømmeklubb Asker Svømmeklubb is a swimming (sport), swimming club based in Asker, Norway. With about 1800 members, at present ASK is one of the biggest swimming clubs in Norway according to memberships, second only to its neighbour Bærumssvømmerne. It wa ...

. Asker women's football club has been home to many international players including four who played in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China.

Politics

Asker is politically dominated by the conservatives, and the mayor is Lene Conradi who represents the

Conservative Party of Norway The Conservative Party or The Right ( nb, Høyre, nn, Høgre, , H; se, Olgešbellodat) is a liberal-conservative political party in Norway. It is the major party of the Norwegian centre-right, and was the leading party in government as part o ...

''(Høyre)''.

Church

Asker Church (''Asker Kirke'') is located not far from

in Asker. The neo-Gothic red brick church was built during 1879 based upon designs by architect

Jacob Wilhelm Nordan Jacob Wilhelm Nordan (23 February 1824 – 11 April 1892) was a Danish-born, Norwegian architect. During his career, he was one of the most prolific church architects in Norway. Biography Nordan was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and came to Norw ...

. The church renovation in 1930 was led by the architects

Gudolf Blakstad Gudolf Blakstad (19 May 1893 – 22 November 1985) was a Norwegian architect. He was noted for his work in the transition between neo-classicism and functionalism in Norwegian architecture. Biography Blakstad was born in Gjerpen, Norway. He ...

and

Herman Munthe-Kaas Herman Munthe-Kaas (25 May 1890 – 5 May 1977) was a Norwegian architect. He was primarily known for his functionalist building designs. Biography Munthe-Kaas was born at Christiania (now Oslo), Norway. He was the son of Marius William M ...

. Architect

Arnstein Arneberg Arnstein Rynning Arneberg (6 July 1882 – 9 June 1961) was a Norwegian architect. He was active professionally for 50 years and is often considered the leading architect in Norway of his time. Personal life Arnstein Rynning Arneberg was b ...

was in charge of the renovation in the 1950s. The church was the sight of the wedding of Princess Ragnhild and

Erling Lorentzen Erling Sven Lorentzen (28 January 1923 – 9 March 2021) was a Norwegian-Brazilian shipowner and industrialist. He founded Aracruz Celulose in 1968. He was the widower of Princess Ragnhild, the eldest child of King Olav V of Norway. In additio ...

in 1953. The statue of

Crown Princess Märtha ''Crown Princess Märtha'' is a bronze statue of Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, by Kirsten Kokkin. It is located at the Norwegian residence at Massachusetts Avenue and 34th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. It was unveiled 18 September 2005. ...

in front of the church was designed by sculptor

Dyre Vaa Dyre Vaa (19 January 1903 – 11 May 1980) was a Norwegian sculptor and painter. Background He was born in Kviteseid, Telemark, and later lived and worked in Rauland. He was the son of Tor Aanundsson Vaa (1864–1928) and Anne Marie Roholt ...

in 1957.

''Maud''

In 1916 (or 1917) the Arctic expedition ship '' Maud'' was built in nearby Vollen and launched into

Oslofjord The Oslofjord (, ; en, Oslo Fjord) is an inlet in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the and lighthouses and down to in the south to Oslo in the north. It is part of the Skagerrak strait, connecting the Nor ...

. The ship was designed and built especially for

Roald Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (, ; ; 16 July 1872 – ) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Amundsen bega ...

and sailed through the Northeast Passage between 1918 and 1924. Sold to the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...

as the supply vessel ''Baymaud'' she sank at Cambridge Bay,

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

(now Nunavut), Canada in 1930. In 1990, the ship was sold by the Hudson's Bay Company to Asker town with the expectation that she would be returned there; however the export permit expired due to the 230 million kroner () cost to repair and move the ship. In 2011 a new project was commenced to salvage ''Maud'' and transport her to a new museum to be built at Vollen. On 31 July 2016 it was reported that the hull of ''Maud'' had been raised to the surface and placed on a barge in preparation for shipment to Norway. In August 2017 ''Maud'' began the journey back to Norway; she was towed through the

Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arc ...

. In September 2017 she arrived in Greenland to stay for the winter. ''Maud'' arrived in Bergen on 6 August 2018, finally returning to Norway nearly a century after her departure with Amundsen. She was then towed along the Norwegian coast, and arrived at Vollen on 18 August.

Media

Magazines

*''

Development Today ''Development Today'' is an independent magazine on Nordic and multilateral aid, published fortnightly since 1991. Founded by a group of Nordic journalists, ''Development Today'' has a policy of not accepting funding from donors, NGO A non- ...

Notable residents

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway 2012-03-26 001

Royalty

Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway (; Haakon Magnus; born 20 July 1973) is the heir apparent to the Norwegian throne. He is the only son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja. Haakon represents the fourth generation of the sitting Norwegian royal fa ...

(born 1973) the family lives in

Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway (born Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, , on 19 August 1973) is the wife of Crown Prince Haakon. Haakon is the heir apparent to the throne, which means that should he ascend to the throne, she will automatica ...

(born 1973) *

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (born 21 January 2004) is the eldest child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and the grandchild of King Harald V. She is second in line of succession to the Norwegian throne after her fat ...

(born 2004) *

Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway (born 3 December 2005) is the younger child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. He is third in line to succeed his grandfather King Harald V, after his father and elder sister Princess Ingrid A ...

(born 2005)

Public service

Einar Gerhardsen Einar Henry Gerhardsen (; 10 May 1897 – 19 September 1987) was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was the 22nd prime minister of Norway for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With totally 17 years in ...

(1897 in Asker – 1987)

Prime Minister of Norway The prime minister of Norway ( no, statsminister, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government department ...

1940s to 1960s * Dagny Berger (1903 in Asker – 1950) Norway's first woman aviator *

Anders Lange Anders Sigurd Lange (5 September 1904 – 18 October 1974) was a Norway, Norwegian political organiser, speaker and editor who led his eponymously named political party Anders Lange's Party for a Strong Reduction in Taxes, Duties and Public In ...

(1904 in Nordstrand – 1974), politician, founded the Progress Party (Norway) * Arne Skaare (1907-1981) politician, Mayor of Asker municipality from 1956 to 1967 *

Jens Evensen Jens Ingebret Evensen (5 November 1917 – 15 February 2004) was a Norwegian lawyer, judge, politician (for the Labour Party), trade minister, international offshore rights expert, member of the International Law Commission and judge at the Int ...

(1917–2004 in Asker), Norwegian lawyer, judge, politician, member of the

International Law Commission The International Law Commission (ILC) is a body of experts responsible for helping develop and codify international law. It is composed of 34 individuals recognized for their expertise and qualifications in international law, who are elected by t ...

and judge at the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

* Hans Christen Mamen (1919 in Asker – 2009) a resistance member, local historian and priest * Sverre Bergh (1920 in Asker – 2006) an engineer and spy in Nazi Germany during WWII *

Erik Gjems-Onstad Erik-Ørn Gjems-Onstad, MBE (22 February 1922 – 18 November 2011) was a Norwegian resistance member, officer, lawyer, sports official, politician, author and anti-immigration activist. Gjems-Onstad joined the Norwegian resistance movement a ...

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

(1922–2011) resistance member and lawyer; lived in Hvalstad * Jon Fossum (1923 in Hvalstad – 2007) orienteer and Mayor of Asker municipality 1968/80 *

Berit Ås Berit Ås (born ''Skarpaas'', 10 April 1928 in Fredrikstad, Norway) is a Norwegian politician, psychologist, and feminist, who is currently Professor Emerita of social psychology at the University of Oslo. She was the first leader of the Social ...

(born 1928) former Asker councillor, psychologist and feminist * Jan Martin Larsen (born 1938) cartographer, orienteer and Asker councillor 1995 to 2007 * Eyvind W. Wang (born 1942) politician, Mayor of Asker 1980 to 1995 and car mechanic * Morten Strand (born 1947) politician, Mayor of Asker 1995 to 2007 and footballer *

Valgerd Svarstad Haugland Valgerd Svarstad Haugland (born 23 August 1956) is a Norwegian teacher, politician and civil servant. She was leader of the Christian Democratic Party in Norway from 1995 to 2004. She was Minister of Children and Family Affairs from 1997 to 20 ...

(born 1956) politician, county Governor of Oslo and Akershus 2011/18 *

Beate Gangås Beate Gangås (born 24 April 1963) is a Norwegian police officer and civil servant. In 2019, she was appointed Oslo Chief of Police. She was born in Asker. In her younger days she played football for Asker. She graduated from the University of O ...

(born 1963 in Asker) LGBT Oslo Chief of Police

Art

Axel Ender Axel Hjalmar Ender (14 September 1853- 10 September 1920) was a Norwegian painter and sculptor, remembered primarily for his genre painting . Biography Ender was born to a farming family at Asker in Akershus, Norway. He began his art studies f ...

(1853 in Asker - 1920) a Norwegian

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

painter and sculptor *

Hulda Garborg Hulda Garborg (née Bergersen, 22 February 1862 – 5 November 1934) was a Norwegian writer, novelist, playwright, poet, folk dancer, and theatre instructor. She was married to Arne Garborg, and is today perhaps best known for kindling interes ...

(1862–1934) playwright, poet and folk dancer; lived in Hvalstad from 1897 *

Nini Roll Anker Nini Roll Anker (3 May 1873 – 20 May 1942) was a Norwegian novelist and playwright. Her books often concerned the lives of women within different social classes as well as the women's rights movement and the rights of the working class. P ...

(1873–1942 in Asker) writer, lived in Lillehaugen * Christian Hartmann (1910 in Asker – 1985) a Norwegian composer *

Alf Prøysen Alf Prøysen () (23 July 1914 – 23 November 1970) was a Norwegian author, poet, playwright, songwriter and musician. Prøysen was one of the most important Norwegian cultural personalities in the second half of the 20th century. He worke ...

(1914–1970), singer, songwriter and writer; lived in

in his youth *

Grete Nordrå Grete Nordrå (22 November 1924 – 13 March 2012) was a Norwegian actress who appeared on screen from the 1950s onwards. She was born in Asker.Erik Bye Erik Erikssønn Bye (March 1, 1926 – October 13, 2004) was a versatile Norwegian-American journalist, artist, author, film actor, folk singer and radio and television personality. He was one of the 20th century's most well-known and popular ra ...

(1926–2004), journalist, singer, TV personality; lived in Hvalstad *

Tom Tellefsen Tom Tellefsen (30 October 1931 – 17 January 2012) was a Norwegian actor. He was born in Asker. He was married to actress Rut Tellefsen from 1955 to 1962. He made his film debut in 1949, in Arne Skouen's '' Gategutter'', and also played in '' ...

(1931 in Asker – 2012) a Norwegian actor * Arild Nyquist (1938–2004), poet, painter and singer/songwriter; grew up on Røa *

Wenche Myhre Wenche Synnøve Myhre (born 15 February 1947), known in some countries as Wencke Myhre, is a Norwegian singer who has had a great number of hit songs since the 1960s in the Norwegian, Danish, German and Swedish markets and languages. Early caree ...

(born 1947 in Kjelsås) singer *

Espen Rud Espen Rud (born 29 January 1948 in Asker, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (drums), composer, and music arranger, and the son of Norwegian author Nils Johan Rud (1908–93). He is known from numerous recordings and in collaboration with Kar ...

(born 1948 in Asker) a jazz drummer, composer and music arranger *

Brit Elisabeth Haagensli Brit Elisabeth Haagensli (born 24 August 1953) is a Norwegian actress and singer, known from theatre and revue productions, television and several films. Haagensli grew up in Asker. Since 1981, she has used the most of her summers to do theatre ...

(born 1953) an actress and singer, grew up in Asker * Jan Knudsen (born 1957) crime writer, grew up in Asker *

Morten Harket Morten Harket () (born September 14, 1959) is a Norwegian vocalist and songwriter, who is the lead singer of the synthpop/rock band A-ha. A-ha has released 10 studio albums to date, and topped the charts internationally after their breakthrough ...

(born 1959) singer in a-ha, grew up in Asker *

Vigdis Hjorth Vigdis Hjorth (born 19 July 1959) is a Norwegian novelist. She was long listed for the National Book Award for Translated Literature, National book Award. Life She grew up in Oslo, and studied philosophy, literature and political science. I ...

(born 1959) author, lives in Asker *

Kåre Conradi Kåre Conradi (born 11 January 1972) is a Norwegian actor. Conradi was born in Asker and he is a graduate of the Norwegian Theatre Academy and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He made his stage debut at Oslo Nye Teater in 1989, was ...

(born 1972 in Asker) a Norwegian actor *

Svein Magnus Furu Svein Magnus Furu (born 10 November 1983) is a Norwegian Jazz musician (saxophone) composer and music journalist, known from several bands and album releases. Career Furu was born in Asker and is a graduate of the Norwegian Academy of Music i ...

(born 1983 in Asker) jazz saxophonist, composer and music journalist * Nina Fjalestad (born 1993 in Asker) a model, dancer and

Miss Globe Miss Globe is a global beauty pageant group that holds annual events. Currently, Miss Globe is produced simultaneously by three various organizations claiming to be the ''official'' organizers. The Miss Globe was first known to public in 1925. In ...

International 2011 * Vilde Marie Zeiner (born 1999 in Asker) a Norwegian actress

Sport

Johan Ferner Johan Martin Ferner ( né ''Johan Martin Jacobsen''; 22 July 192724 January 2015) was a Norwegian sailor and Olympic medalist. He won a silver medal in the 6 metre class with the boat ''Elisabeth X'' at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, tog ...

(1927 in Asker – 2015) sailor, team silver medallist

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...

* Harald Stenvaag (born 1953) rifle shooter, two Olympic medals, runs a shop in Asker * Linda Medalen (born 1965) former footballer with 152 caps with Norway women's national football team, Norway women, police officer and local councillor * Halvard Hanevold (1969 in Asker – 2019) Biathlon, biathlete, multiple Olympic medal, Olympic Gold medallist * Jan Frode Andersen (born 1972 in Asker) a Norwegian former tennis player * Pål Arne Fagernes (1974 in Asker – 2003), Javelin thrower and boxer * Tone Gunn Frustøl (born 1975 in Asker) former footballer, with 32 caps for Norway women's national football team, Norway women and Olympic medalist. * Tom Hilde (born 1987 in Asker) ski jumper, bronze medallist at the 2010 Winter Olympics * Erik Follestad Johansen (born 1989 in Asker) former ice hockey player * twins Harald Østberg Amundsen & Hedda Østberg Amundsen (born 1998 in Asker) cross-country skiers * Sander Berge (born 1998 in Asker) footballer * Oskar Spiten-Nysæter (born 2007 in Asker) footballer * Tanjim Mishkat (born 2007 in Dhaka) footballer

Twin towns

Asker is Sister city, twinned with: * Eslöv Municipality, Eslöv, Sweden * Garðabær, Iceland * Jakobstad, Finland * Mapo District, Mapo (Seoul), South Korea * Rudersdal Municipality, Rudersdal, Denmark