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 Asker Municipality, informally referred to as Greater Asker ( no, Stor-Asker), is a municipality in Viken county, Norway, that was established in 2020 by the merger of Asker in Akershus and Røyken and Hurum in Buskerud. Asker proper (also called ...

(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 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; Asker proper constitutes the northern fourth and is part of the Greater Oslo Region. 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 Hurum to form

, 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 allus ...

. The trees are

ashes Ashes may refer to: *Ash, the solid remnants of fires. Media and entertainment Art * ''Ashes'' (Munch), an 1894 painting by Edvard Munch Film * ''The Ashes'' (film), a 1965 Polish film by director Andrzej Wajda * ''Ashes'' (1922 film), a ...

, 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 Vettre is a coastal village situated on the shores of the Oslo Fjord. It is proximal to Asker Sentrum and not far from Heggedal and also Borgen Borgen may refer to: Places * Borgen, Akershus, Norway * Borgen, Oslo, a neighborhood of Oslo, Norwa ...

, 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 Billingstad is a village in Asker municipality, Akershus county, Norway. It is close to the border of Bærum and Vestmarka and is 18 km west of Oslo. It has 2,349 residents (2006). The area is both residential and commercial. It is served b ...

, 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. The ...

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 Hurum 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 Hurum 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 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 was founded in 19 ...

. Asker women's football club has been home to many international players including four who played in the

2007 FIFA Women's World Cup The 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, the fifth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, was an international association football competition for women held in China from 10 to 30 September 2007. Originally, China was to host the 2003 edition, but th ...

in China.

Politics

Asker is politically dominated by the conservatives, and the mayor is Lene Conradi who represents the Conservative Party of Norway ''(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. 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 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 The Northeast Passage (abbreviated as NEP) is the shipping route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, along the Arctic coasts of Norway and Russia. The western route through the islands of Canada is accordingly called the Northwest Passage (N ...

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 Cambridge Bay (Inuinnaqtun: ''Iqaluktuuttiaq'' Inuktitut: ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᖅ; 2021 population 1,760; population centre 1,403) is a hamlet located on Victoria Island in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is the largest settl ...

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 Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...

), 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 Arct ...

. 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 (born 1973) the family lives in

* Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway (born 1973) * Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (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 (1897 in Asker – 1987) Prime Minister of Norway 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) The Progress Party ( nb, Fremskrittspartiet; nn, Framstegspartiet; se, Ovddádusbellodat), commonly abbreviated as FrP, is a right-wing political party in Norway. The FrP has traditionally self-identified as classical-liberal and as a libertari ...

Arne Skaare Arne Odd Skaare (16 January 1907 - 11 August 1981) was a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. He served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus during the term 1954–1957. On the local level, Skaare ...

(1907-1981) politician, Mayor of Asker municipality from 1956 to 1967 * Jens Evensen (1917–2004 in Asker), Norwegian lawyer, judge, politician, member of the International Law Commission 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 Hans Christen Mamen (20 April 1919 – 14 October 2009) was a Norwegian resistance member, local historian, priest and politician for the Christian Democratic Party. Biography He hailed from the farm Vogellund in Asker. He started studies at the M ...

(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,

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 Jon Fossum (23 February 1923 – 10 July 2007) was a Norwegian orienteer and politician for the Conservative Party. He was born at Hvalstad. In his younger days he was an active sportsman, representing Asker SK. In addition to ski jumping and cros ...

(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 Jan Martin Larsen (born 27 October 1938) is a Norwegian cartographer, orienteer and politician. Biography He graduated from the Norwegian College of Agriculture in 1963, and in his early career he worked in Fjellanger-Widerøe and the Norweg ...

(born 1938) cartographer, orienteer and Asker councillor 1995 to 2007 *

Eyvind W. Wang Eyvind W. Wang (born 8 December 1942) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. Wang is from Blommenholm in Bærum and started his career as a car mechanic. He became a workshop manager at Skotvedt and later served on its board of dire ...

(born 1942) politician, Mayor of Asker 1980 to 1995 and car mechanic *

Morten Strand Morten Strand (born 23 September 1947) is a Norwegian footballer and politician for the Conservative Party. He hails from Bekkestua in Bærum, but now resides in Vollen. In his younger days he was a football goalkeeper for Stabæk, from 1965 to ...

(born 1947) politician, Mayor of Asker 1995 to 2007 and footballer * Valgerd Svarstad Haugland (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 (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 (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 (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 (1926–2004), journalist, singer, TV personality; lived in Hvalstad * Tom Tellefsen (1931 in Asker – 2012) a Norwegian actor *

Arild Nyquist Arild Nyquist (6 March 1937 – 21 December 2004) was a Norwegian novelist, poet, writer of children's books and musician. Biography He was born in Oslo, the son of Arild Otto Nyquist (1911–74) and Gerd Nyquist (1913-84). His father was a sh ...

(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 Kari ...

(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 A-ha (usually stylised as ''a-''h''a''; ) is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars and vocals), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitars and vocals), and Morten Harket (lead vocals), the band ...

, 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 e ...

(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 Nina Elise Fjalestad (born 27 April 1993 in Asker, Norway) is a Norwegian model, dancer and beauty pageant titleholder. Nina was a finalist in Frøken Norge 2011, the Norwegian national preliminary for Miss World and Miss Universe. Later the sam ...

(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 Vilde Marie Zeiner (born July 7, 1999) is a Norwegian actress. Career Her first role as an actress was as Sonja in the film '' Reisen til julestjernen'', which premiered on November 9, 2012. Filmography *2012: '' Reisen til julestjernen'' as S ...

(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 Harald Stenvaag (born 5 March 1953) is a Norwegian rifle shooter who started competing internationally at the ISSF World Shooting Championships in Switzerland in 1974. He has represented Norway in the Summer Olympics 6 times, and has two Olympi ...

(born 1953) rifle shooter, two Olympic medals, runs a shop in Asker * Linda Medalen (born 1965) former footballer with 152 caps with Norway women, police officer and local councillor *

Halvard Hanevold Halvard Hanevold (3 December 1969 – 3 September 2019) was a Norwegian biathlete. Career Hanevold won medals in biathlon events at the 1998 Winter Olympics and the 2002 Winter Olympics by winning his first Olympic gold followed by another gold ...

(1969 in Asker – 2019) biathlete, multiple Olympic Gold medallist *

Jan Frode Andersen Jan Frode Andersen (born 29 August 1972) is a Norwegian former tennis player. He played tennis for Norway, including competing in at least 60 countries over a span of 8 years after turning professional in 1997. He represented Norway in the Davis ...

(born 1972 in Asker) a Norwegian former tennis player *

Pål Arne Fagernes Pål Arne Fagernes (8 June 1974 – 4 August 2003) was a Norwegian javelin thrower. He represented Asker SK and IK Tjalve during his active career. As a junior, Fagernes competed on top national level in cycling, athletics, and cross country ski ...

(1974 in Asker – 2003),

Javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with th ...

thrower and boxer * Tone Gunn Frustøl (born 1975 in Asker) former footballer, with 32 caps for Norway women and Olympic medalist. *

Tom Hilde Tom André Hilde (; born 22 September 1987) is a Norwegian former ski jumper. Career Having first competed with the Norwegian World Cup team in 2006, he won two silver medals in the team large hill event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championshi ...

(born 1987 in Asker) ski jumper, bronze medallist at the

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...

Erik Follestad Johansen Erik Follestad Johansen (born June 22, 1989) is a former Norwegian professional ice hockey defenceman who has played for Vålerenga in Norway's GET-ligaen. He is participating at the 2011 IIHF World Championship as a member of the Norway men's na ...

(born 1989 in Asker) former

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

player * twins

Harald Østberg Amundsen Harald Østberg Amundsen (born 18 September 1998) is a Norwegian cross-country skier. At the 2017 Junior World Championships he won a relay gold medal and a skiathlon bronze medal, following up with gold medals in both events at the 2018 Juni ...

Hedda Østberg Amundsen Hedda Østberg Amundsen (born 18 September 1998) is a Norwegian cross-country skier. At the 2018 Junior World Championships she recorded an 11th place, a ninth place as well as a seventh place in the relay. She made her World Cup debut in Decemb ...

(born 1998 in Asker) cross-country skiers *

Sander Berge Sander Gard Bolin Berge (born 14 February 1998) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Sheffield United and the Norway national team. Berge is a product of Asker's youth academy. Club career Early career 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 twinned with: *

Eslöv Eslöv (; older da, Eslev) is a town and the seat of Eslöv Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 19,598 inhabitants as of 2018. Eslöv is part of the Öresund Region. History According to a map from 1717, Eslöv village was originally l ...

, Sweden * Garðabær, Iceland * Jakobstad, Finland * Mapo (Seoul), South Korea * Rudersdal, Denmark

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from

Statistics Norway Statistics Norway ( no, Statistisk sentralbyrå, abbreviated to ''SSB'') is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876. Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every yea ...

* *
/ Asker sentrum

Asker Museum

Asker skiklubb

Visit Asker – official website and visitors guide for Asker

Frisk Asker Tigers

Budstikka
(local newspaper for Asker and Bærum)
Asker videregående skole
(School for Upper Secondary Education)
The Open University in Asker (Folkeuniversitetet)

Church of Asker

Asker Svømmeklubb
{{Authority control Former municipalities of Norway Municipalities of Akershus Villages in Viken (county) Villages in Akershus Villages in Asker Villages in Northern Asker