Bærum () is a

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 ...

in 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) ...

in Norway that forms an affluent

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

on the west coast of the city. Bærum is Norway's fifth largest municipality with a population of 128,760 (2021). It is part of the electoral district and historical county of

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 ...

and of the newer

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 ...

. The administrative centre of the municipality is the

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

Sandvika Sandvika () is the administrative centre of the municipality of Bærum in Norway. It was declared a city by the municipal council in Bærum on 4 June 2003. Sandvika is situated approximately west of Oslo. It is the main transportation hub for W ...

. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. Bærum has the highest income per capita in Norway and the highest proportion of university-educated individuals. Bærum, particularly its eastern neighbourhoods bordering

West End Oslo The East End and West End ( nb, østkanten og vestkanten, nn, austkanten og vestkanten) are used as names for the two parts of Oslo, Norway, formed by the economic and socially segregating separation line that has historically passed along the st ...

, is one of Norway's priciest and most fashionable residential areas, leading Bærum residents to be frequently stereotyped as

snob ''Snob'' is a pejorative term for a person who believes there is a correlation between social status (including physical appearance) and human worth.De Botton, A. (2004), ''Status Anxiety''. London: Hamish Hamilton ''Snob'' also refers to a per ...

s in Norwegian popular culture. The municipality has been voted the best Norwegian place to live in considering governance and public services to citizens.

Name

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 ...

: ''Bergheimr'') is composed of ''berg'', which means "mountain", and ''heimr'', which means "

homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres *Homestead principle, a legal concept t ...

" or "farm". It probably originally belonged to a farm located at the base of the prominent mountain of

Kolsås Kolsås (), sometimes called Kolsaas, is a hill in the municipality of Bærum, Norway. Geologically, Kolsås belongs to the Oslo Graben area. Its two peaks consist of hard rhomb porphyric lava covering softer rocks, forming steep cliffs to the ...

. In

times, the municipality was often called ''Bergheimsherað'', meaning "the ''herað'' (parish/district) of ''Bergheimr''".

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 ...

was granted on 9 January 1976. They show an old silver-colored

lime kiln A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone ( calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime called quicklime (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this reaction is : CaCO3 + heat → CaO + CO2 This reaction can take p ...

on a green background. That was an important aspect of the local economy from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

until around 1800. There are still some original ovens visible in the municipality.

History

The area known today as Bærum was a fertile agricultural area as far back as the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

, and several archeological finds stem from the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

. The first mention of the name is from the

saga is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...

Sverre of Norway Sverre Sigurdsson ( non, Sverrir Sigurðarson) (c. 1145/1151 – 9 March 1202) was the king of Norway from 1184 to 1202. Many consider him one of the most important rulers in Norwegian history. He assumed power as the leader of the rebel party ...

, from about 1200. There are ruins of stone churches from the 12th century at

Haslum Haslum is a district in the municipality of Bærum, Norway. Its population (2007) is 6,041.Tanum. The pilgrim road to

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

that was established after 1030 went through Bærum, and there is evidence that

s were in use in the area in 850. There were shipping ports for the

quicklime Calcium oxide (CaO), commonly known as quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound. It is a white, caustic, alkaline, crystalline solid at room temperature. The broadly used term "''lime''" connotes calcium-containing inorganic ma ...

Slependen Slependen is a relatively large area in Bærum, Norway. On Slependen there is significant villa settlement, as well as considerable office and commercial activities. Building development Slependen posed originally as an area across large parts of ...

and

. The lime kiln is the main motif for the municipality's coat of arms. In the 17th century, iron ore was discovered in Bærum and the

ironworks An ironworks or iron works is an industrial plant where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e. the singular of ''ironworks'' is ''ironworks''. Ironworks succeeded bloomeri ...

Bærums Verk Bærums Verk is a village in Bærum in Akershus, Norway, with a population of about 8000. It is located on both sides of the river Lomma. History Iron ore was found in the areas now known as Kirkerud and Eineåsen in Bærum in 1603 and 1604, a ...

were founded. Industries such as

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, ...

nail Nail or Nails may refer to: In biology * Nail (anatomy), toughened protective protein-keratin (known as alpha-keratin, also found in hair) at the end of an animal digit, such as fingernail * Nail (beak), a plate of hard horny tissue at the tip ...

factories,

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

s, glassworks, and

brickworks A brickworks, also known as a brick factory, is a factory for the manufacturing of bricks, from clay or shale. Usually a brickworks is located on a clay bedrock (the most common material from which bricks are made), often with a quarry for cl ...

were established along the rivers

Lysakerelven Lysakerelven (also known as Lysakerelva, en, Lysaker River) is a river in Norway that forms the boundary between the municipalities of the capital city of Oslo and Bærum. The river by this name has its source in Bogstadvannet, though the sourc ...

and Sandvikselva in the following centuries. There were

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...

s and other agricultural concerns throughout the area, remnants of which still exist today. A number of artists established themselves in Bærum, particularly around the art school run by

Johan Fredrik Eckersberg Johan Fredrik Eckersberg (16 June 1822 – 13 July 1870) was a Norwegian painter most noted for his landscapes. Eckersberg was a prominent figure in the transition from Romanticism to Realism in 19th-century Norwegian art, both as an artistic p ...

. Among the artists who did much of their work in Bærum are

Frits Thaulow Frits Thaulow (20 October 1847 – 5 November 1906) was a Norwegian Impressionist painter, best known for his naturalistic depictions of landscape. Biography Johan Frederik Thaulow was born in Christiania, the son of a wealthy chemist, Haral ...

Christian Skredsvig Christian Skredsvig (12 March 1854 – 19 January 1924) was a Norwegian painter and writer. He employed an artistic style reflecting naturalism. He is especially well known for his picturesque and lyrical depictions of the landscape. Biogr ...

Harriet Backer Harriet Backer (21 January 1845 – 25 March 1932) was a Norwegian painter who achieved recognition in her own time and was a pioneer among female artists both in the Nordic countries and in Europe generally. She is best known for her detailed ...

Kitty Lange Kielland Kitty Lange Kielland (8 October 1843 – 1 October 1914) was a Norwegian landscape painter. Early life and training Kielland was born to an affluent family in Stavanger, the older sister of Alexander Kielland. Kielland's interactions with her b ...

Otto Sinding Otto Ludvig Sinding (20 December 1842 – 22 November 1909) was a Norway, Norwegian Painting, painter, illustrator, poet and dramatist. Sinding drew on motives from Norwegian nature, folk life and history. Personal life Otto Sinding was born in K ...

, Eilif Pettersen, Gerhardt Munthe, and

Erik Werenskiold Erik Theodor Werenskiold (11 February 1855 – 23 November 1938) was a Norwegian painter and illustrator. He is especially known for his drawings for the Asbjørnsen and Moe collection of '' Norske Folkeeventyr'', and his illustrations for ...

. Starting in the mid-20th century, Bærum's agricultural base gradually gave way to residential construction. Still, only a third of the area, , is built up for residential use; over half is productive forestry; and nearly is still agricultural. In 2010, that year's Eurovision Song Contest was hosted in Bærum. On 10 August 2019, a gunman opened fire on congregants at the Al-Noor Islamic Centre.

Geography

The physical geography of Bærum is dominated by a craggy coastline along the

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 ...

and inland, hilly areas rising to the north and east, where there are large forested areas. The mountain of

forms a natural center, but the municipality also includes the secluded valley of Lommedalen. Four major rivers flow through the municipality:

, Sandvikselva,

Lomma Lomma () is a locality and the seat of Lomma Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden. In 2020 it had 13,772 inhabitants. History Lomma was mentioned in a deed of Cnut the great under the name ''Lumaby'' in the year 1085. Skåne's cultural centre ...

, and Øverlandselva, and there are numerous lakes, both in residential and forested areas. The official municipality flower is '' Anemone ranunculoides''. The geology of Bærum is part of the

Oslo Graben The Oslo Graben or Oslo Rift is a graben formed during a geologic rifting event in Permian time, the last phase of the Variscan orogeny. The main graben forming period began in the late Carboniferous, which culminated with rift formation and volcan ...

and includes

Rhomb porphyry Porphyry ( ) is a textural term for an igneous rock consisting of coarse-grained crystals such as feldspar or quartz dispersed in a fine-grained silicate-rich, generally aphanitic matrix or groundmass. The larger crystals are called phenocr ...

at Kolsås. Since nearly two-thirds of Bærum's area consists of forests, there are rich opportunities for outdoor activities, such as

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

, hiking, and fishing. The forests are considered part of Marka, the forested areas in and around Greater Oslo. Areas within the municipality of Bærum include

Bærumsmarka Bærumsmarka is a forested recreational area located outside Oslo, Norway. The area constitutes part of Oslomarka and is bordered by Krokskogen and Nordmarka. Bærumsmarka is in the Bærum municipality of Viken Viken may refer to: *Viken, Scand ...

Vestmarka Vestmarka is a forested and hilly area in Asker, Bærum and Lier, Norway, Lier which constitutes part of Marka, Oslo, Oslomarka, Norway. The land is owned by Løvenskiold Vækerø and is a popular recreational area. It was the site of Braathens S ...

, and

Krokskogen Krokskogen is a forested area which located outside of Oslo, Norway. It is a part of Oslomarka and is situated between Bærumsmarka, Vestmarka and Nordmarka. The wooded and hilly area of around 300 square kilometres is bordered by Oslo and by ...

. The highest point in Bærum is Vidvangshøgda at with an altitude of . The largest lake is Stovivatnet with an area of at Fornebuveien 40 - 2010-05-06 at 17-08-21

Fornebuveien 40 - 2010-05-06 at 17-08-21

Economy

Bærum's industrial base has since the 1950s given way to service industries, including retailing, engineering, public services, etc. It derives much of its tax base by being a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

to Oslo. It is one of the most affluent areas in Norway. Two of Norway's busiest highways ( E18 and E16) and one railroad traverse the municipality. There has been considerable development of office parks along E18, especially around

Lysaker Lysaker is an area in Bærum Municipality, Viken (county), Viken County, Norway. Lysaker is the easternmost part of Bærum and borders Oslo city proper, proper. Lysaker was initially a farming community, later becoming a residential area. Today ...

in the last 20–30 years, reducing some of the pressure on downtown areas of Oslo.

Scandinavian Airlines System Scandinavian Airlines, more commonly known and styled as SAS, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. ''SAS'' is an abbreviation of the company's full name, Scandinavian Airlines System or legally Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark ...

Norway has its offices in

Fornebu Fornebu (local form ''Fornebo'') is a peninsular area in the suburban municipality of Bærum in Norway, bordering western parts of Oslo. Oslo Airport, Fornebu (FBU) served as the main airport for Oslo and the country since before World War II and ...

, Bærum. The airline

Widerøe Widerøes Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a Norwegian airline, and is the largest regional airline operating in the Nordic countries. The airline's fleet of 40 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft, and 3 Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, serves over 40 ...

has some administrative offices in

, Bærum.

Norwegian Air Shuttle Norwegian Air Shuttle Aksjeselskap, ASA, trading as Norwegian, is a Norway, Norwegian Low-cost carrier, low-cost airline and Norway's largest airline. It is the fourth largest low-cost carrier in Europe behind Wizz Air, easyJet and Ryanair, the ...

has its head office in Fornebu.

Partnair Partnair A/S was a Norwegian charter airline which operated from 1971 to 1989. During the later 1980s it was Norway's fifth-largest airline by revenue, operating a fleet of three Convair CV-580 and six Beechcraft Super King Air. The airline was b ...

, a charter airline, was headquartered at

Fornebu Airport Oslo Airport, Fornebu ( no, Oslo lufthavn, Fornebu), was the primary international airport serving Oslo and Eastern Norway from 1 June 1939 to 7 October 1998. It was then replaced by Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, and the area has since been redev ...

. When the airline

Busy Bee of Norway Busy Bee was an airline which operated in Norway between 1966 and 1992. Entirely based around wet lease, it conducted a mix of regional services for larger airlines and the military, as well as corporate, ''ad hoc'' and inclusive tour charters. ...

existed, its head office was on the grounds of Fornebu Airport.

Braathens Braathens ASA, until 1997 Braathens South American & Far East Airtransport A/S and trading as Braathens SAFE, was a Norwegian airline which operated from 1946 until it merged with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) in 2004 to become SAS Braathens. ...

and SAS Braathens had their head office facilities in a building on the grounds of Fornebu Airport. In 2010

bought the former Braathens head office.

Demographics

Bærum (2009) is the fifth most densely populated municipality in Norway. Along the E18 highway, the residential area is

continuous Continuity or continuous may refer to: Mathematics * Continuity (mathematics), the opposing concept to discreteness; common examples include ** Continuous probability distribution or random variable in probability and statistics ** Continuous ...

with Oslo and continues with some interruption through to the neighboring municipality of

Asker Asker ( no, Asker), properly called Askerbygda in Norwegian, is a district and former Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Akershus, Norway. From 2020 it is part of the larger administrative municipality Asker, Viken (also known as Greate ...

. Bærum is also the most affluent of Norwegian municipalities, with average per capita income (2002 figures) of

NOK Nok is a village in Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The village is an archeological site. Archaeology The discovery of terracotta figurines at this location caused its name to be used for the Nok culture, of which these ...

370,800; compared with the national average of NOK 262,800. It also has the highest level of education nationwide. Administratively, Bærum is divided into 22 sections. The population for each section on 1 January 2005 was:

Community

According to a local survey conducted by

Dagbladet ''Dagbladet'' (lit.: ''The Daily Magazine'') is one of Norway's largest newspapers and is published in the tabloid format. It has 1,400,000 daily readers on mobile, web and paper. Traditionally ''Dagbladet'' is considered the main liberal newsp ...

, Bærum is the best place to live in

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 ...

in terms of governance and services to residents. In addition is it also one of the best places for young people to grow up. Bærum score high on national surveys when it comes to local economical governance, education and possibilities for young people, health coverage, school rankings, and work rights and possibilities

Churches in Bærum

Schools in Bærum

There are a number of schools in Bærum, both public and private. There are a total of 43 public elementary schools ( primary and / or secondary ) and some private, including Bærum Montessori School. According to national surveys, Jar public elementary school ranks the highest when it comes to math, while Lommedalen public elementary school ranks the highest in reading, both are located in Bærum. There are eight public high schools in Bærum; Dønski, Eikeli,

Nadderud Nadderud is a district in eastern Bærum, Norway. It was formerly farmland under one of Bærum's larger farms, named Nadderud, but since the 1950s it has been built up with housing, several schools and sporting facilities. The best known facility, ...

, Rosenvilde, Rud,

Stabekk Stabekk is a suburban centre in the municipality of Bærum, Norway, west of Oslo. It is predominantly a residential area, with many residents commuting to Oslo. As of 2005 the population was 6,261. Bærum has the highest income per capita and the hi ...

and Valler. In addition, the Norwegian College of Elite Sport and Steiner School. The Folk University also has a branch in Sandvika. Valler High School has been ranked within the top 5 high schools in Norway for several years, while Nadderud High School ranks within the top 20. In the later years both schools have met competition from the newly established Sandvika High School. Sandvika High School has had the highest number of applications in the county for the past six years, and is now ranked within top 10 in the country. In 2013 the school also won for Best Entrepreneurship School in Norway.

Sports

Stabæk IF Stabæk Idrætsforening is a Norwegian multi-sports club in Bærum, a municipality bordering on Oslo in the west. It has sections for football, bandy, handball and alpine skiing. While the football team Stabæk Fotball is the most prominent, the m ...

plays in

Eliteserien Eliteserien () is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotio ...

, the highest division for men's

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

in Norway.

Bærum SK Bærum Sportsklubb is a Norwegian association football club founded on 26 March 1910. The men's team is currently playing in the Norwegian Second Division, after being relegated from the 1. divisjon in 2015. The club comes from Sandvika, the a ...

plays in the

2. divisjon The Norwegian Second Division, also called 2. divisjon and often referred to as PostNord-ligaen for sponsorship reasons, is the third-highest level of the Norwegian football league system. There are 28 teams divided into two groups, and at the ...

, the third highest division of the

Norwegian football league system The Norwegian football league system, or pyramid, is a series of League system, interconnected leagues for club Association football, football in Norway. 2017 system in men's football , the current national league system administered by the Norwegi ...

. Stabæk IF's women's football team, Stabæk Fotball Kvinner, plays in

Toppserien The Toppserien is the top level of women's association football in Norway. It was founded in 1984. History Women's league football was introduced on a county basis in 1977. These leagues acted as qualification for the regional (South) league in 1 ...

, the Norwegian top division. Høvik IF and

plays in the highest

bandy Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two teams wearing ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The international governing body for bandy is ...

division and Hauger BK in the second highest.

Notable residents

Public Service & Business

Høyesterettsadvokat Christian Fredrik Michelet

* Hans Haslum (1789 in Haslum – 1875) farmer, rep. at

Norwegian Constitutional Assembly The Norwegian Constituent Assembly (in Norwegian ''Grunnlovsforsamlingen'', also known as ''Riksforsamlingen'') is the name given to the 1814 constitutional assembly at Eidsvoll in Norway, that adopted the Norwegian Constitution and formalised th ...

Otto Sverdrup Otto Neumann Knoph Sverdrup (31 October 1854, in Bindal, Helgeland – 26 November 1930) was a Norwegian sailor and Arctic explorer. Early and personal life He was born in Bindal as a son of farmer Ulrik Frederik Suhm Sverdrup (1833–1914) ...

(1854 – 1930 in Sandvika) a Norwegian sailor and Arctic explorer * Fridtjof Nansen (1861–1930),

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

, explorer, scientist, diplomat, 1922 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

High Commissioner * Christian Fredrik Michelet (1863–1927) a lawyer and Mayor of Bærum 1899 to 1910 and acting

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 ...

in 1923 *

Halvdan Koht Halvdan Koht (7 July 1873 – 12 December 1965) was a Norwegian historian and politician representing the Labour Party. Born in the north of Norway to a fairly distinguished family, he soon became interested in politics and history. Star ...

(1873–1965) an historian and Bærum councillor 1910's, 20's & 30's * Alf Staver (1874 in Bærum – 1953) a skier, sports official, educator and politician *

Torger Baardseth Torger Baardseth (23 September 1875 – 21 October 1947) was a Norwegian bookseller and publisher. Background Torger Baardseth was born at Bærum in Akershus county, Norway. His parents were Nils Baardseth (1839–1920) and Gunda Elisa Morris ...

(1875 in Bærum – 1947) bookseller and publisher *

Viktor Esbensen Viktor Esbensen (11 March 1881 – 29 January 1942) was a Norwegian mariner known for exploring the Antarctic region together with his father-in-law Carl Anton Larsen, looking to make a living from whaling. He was killed when his ship was sunk ...

(1881–1942),

Whaler A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales. Terminology The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Japa ...

and explorer, brought up in Bærum * Johs Haugerud (1896–1971) engineer, politician and Mayor of Bærum from 1959 to 1967 *

Ingrid Bjerkås Ingrid Bjerkås (8 May 1901 – 30 November 1980) was the first female minister in the Church of Norway. Early life She was born in Kristiania as a daughter of Olaf Johansen (1874–1958) and Hilda Charlotte Elise Holmsen (1874–1953). She finis ...

(1901–1980) first female minister in the

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...

, lived in Bærum *

Odd Nansen Odd Nansen (6 December 1901 – 27 June 1973) was a Norwegian architect, writer, and humanitarian. He is credited with being a co-founder of UNICEF and for his humanitarian efforts on behalf of Jews in the early years of World War II. Biogr ...

(1901 in Bærum – 1973) architect, author and humanitarian; co-founded

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

Leif Tronstad Leif Hans Larsen Tronstad DSO, OBE (27 March 1903 – 11 March 1945) was a Norwegian inorganic chemist, intelligence officer and military organizer. He graduated from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1927 and was a prolific research ...

DSO, OBE (1903 in Bærum – 1945) scientist and intelligence officer in WWII *

Else Werring Else Werring, née Wilhelmsen (29 April 1905 – 23 November 1989) was a Norwegian Norwegian Royal Family, royal hostess. Personal life She was born in Tønsberg as a daughter of shipowner Halfdan Wilhelmsen (1864–1923) and Ragnhild Oppen (1869� ...

(1905–1989) a Norwegian royal hostess, lived at Munkebakken estate in Lysaker * Håkon Stenstadvold (1912–1977) a painter, journalist and politician; lived in Sandvika * Sgt

Per Bergsland Sgt Per Bergsland (17 January 1918 – 9 June 1992) was a Norwegian fighter pilot and POW in the German POW camp Stalag Luft III and one of only three men to escape to freedom in the " Great Escape". Sports career During the 1930s Bergsland c ...

(1918 in Bærum – 1992) fighter pilot and POW, escaped from Stalag Luft III * Willy Greiner (1919–2000) Mayor of Bærum from 1968 to 1978 &

Norsk Hydro Norsk Hydro ASA (often referred to as just ''Hydro'') is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. It is one of the largest aluminium companies worldwide. It has operations in some 50 countries around the world a ...

chief *

Jo Benkow Jo Benkow (born Josef Elias Benkowitz; 15 August 1924 – 18 May 2013) was a Norwegian politician and writer, notable for being an important person in the Conservative Party of Norway, and the President of the Parliament 1985–1993. He was also ...

(1924–2013), politician and author, brought up in Bærum *

Arvid Anseth Arvid Anseth (29 January 1925 – 3 August 2006) was a Norwegian ophthalmologist. Anseth was born in Bærum. He finished his secondary education in 1943, took the Candidate of Medicine degree at Lund University in 1947 and the Doctor Medicinae de ...

(1925 in Bærum – 2006), ophthalmologist * Gunnar Gravdahl (1927–2015) a psychologist and Mayor of Bærum 1979 to 1992 * Elisabeth Sveri (1927–2018) first female senior official in the military; lived in Eiksmarka *

Torild Skard Torild Skard (born 29 November 1936) is a Norwegian psychologist, politician for the Socialist Left Party, a former Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a former Chairman of UNICEF. She served as a Member of Parliame ...

(born 1936) politician, former CEO of UNICEF, brought up Lysaker and Stabekk *

Gro Harlem Brundtland Gro Brundtland (; born Gro Harlem, 20 April 1939) is a Norwegian politician ( Arbeiderpartiet), who served three terms as the 29th prime minister of Norway (1981, 1986–89, and 1990–96) and as the director-general of the World Health Organizat ...

(born 1939 in Bærum), politician, former

Rasmus Hansson Rasmus Johan Michael Hansson (born 4 September 1954) is a Norwegian biologist, civil servant, environmental activist and a former national spokesperson for the Green Party. He led the Norwegian chapter of World Wide Fund for Nature from 2000 to 2 ...

(born 1954 in Bærum) biologist and politician; lives in Bærumsmarka *

Lars Kobberstad Lars Egil De Lange Kobberstad (born 1962) is a Norwegian businessperson, known as the CEO of Widerøe. He grew up in Bærum and took his upper secondary education at Dønski. He took his economics education at the University of Augsburg as well ...

(born 1962 in Bærum) a businessperson, the CEO of

* Christian Tybring-Gjedde (born 1963) a controversial politician, raised in Sandvika *

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 ...

(born 1965 in Bærum), politician and

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (born 22 September 1971) is a member of the Norwegian royal family, a businesswoman and a self-described clairvoyant. The only daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, she is fourth in the line of success ...

(born 1971), fourth in

line of succession to the Norwegian throne The line of succession to the Norwegian throne consists of people entitled to become head of state of Norway. The succession is currently governed by Article 6 of the Constitution, altered most recently in 1990 to introduce absolute primogenitu ...

, lived in Lommedalen * Anita Schjøll Brede (born 1985 in Bærum), technology entrepreneur Henny Mürer

The Arts

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During ...

(1840–1926), painter, stayed in Sandvika in 1895 where he painted Sandvika featuring the Løkke bridge, with Kolsås in the background *

(1845–1932) a landscape painter, a street in Bærum is named after her. *

(1845–1932), painter of interior scenes; lived in Sandvika from 1888 *

Eilif Peterssen Hjalmar Eilif Emanuel Peterssen (4 September 1852 – 29 December 1928) was a Norwegian painter. He is most commonly associated with his landscapes and portraits. Biography Hjalmar Eilif Emanuel Peterssen was born in Christiania, now Osl ...

(1852–1928 in Lysaker) painter of landscapes and portraits * Elise Brandes (1873 in Lysaker – 1918) a Danish sculptor who specialized in busts * Jens Peter Book-Jenssen (1910 in Bærum – 1999) a singer, songwriter and revue artist *

Ivo Caprino Ivo Caprino (17 February 1920 – 8 February 2001) was a Norwegian film director and writer, best known for his puppet films. His most noted film, '' Flåklypa Grand Prix'' ("Pinchcliffe Grand Prix"), was made in 1975. Early life Caprino ...

(1920–2001),

Film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

of puppet films; lived at Snarøya *

Gunnar Brunvoll Gunnar Brunvoll (6 June 1924 – 27 April 1999) was a Norwegian impresario and opera administrator. He was co-founder of the Norwegian Opera Company, and was manager at Norwegian National Opera and Ballet for more than twenty years. Persona ...

(1924 in Bærum – 1999) opera administrator at

Den Norske Opera The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet ( no, Den Norske Opera & Ballett, links=no) is a Norwegian opera company and ballet company. The first fully professional company each for opera and ballet in Norway and the only such professional organisati ...

* twins (from Bærum)

Henny Mürer Henny Mürer (22 February 1925 – 14 January 1997) was a Norwegian choreographer and dancer. She was also a journalist and critic for the broadcast and newspaper media. Her twin sister was Alice Mürer Siem (1925-2002) who was also a choreogra ...

(1925–1997) & Alice Mürer Siem (1925–2002) ballet dancers * Kristian Bergheim (1926 in Bærum – 2010) a noted saxophonist, lived in Stabekk *

Toralv Maurstad Toralv Maurstad (24 November 1926 – 4 November 2022) was a Norwegian stage, film, and television actor. He was the son of actor Alfred Maurstad and actress Tordis Maurstad (née Witzøe), and half-brother of actress Mari Maurstad. His screen ...

(1926 in Bærum – 2022) a prominent stage, screen, and TV actor * Leif Husebye (1926–2009) sports journalist and sailor, lived in Sandvika *

Jan Voigt Jan Voigt (24 June 1928 – 5 December 1997) was a Norwegian actor, dancer and museum director. Biography He was born in Bærum as a son of Charles Antonius Voigt (1891–1962) and Nathalie Reuter Sande (1896–1986). He became a student at t ...

(1928 in Bærum – 1997) actor, dancer and museum director *

Sølvi Wang Sølvi Valborg Wang (28 August 1929 – 31 May 2011) was a Norwegian singer, actress and comedian. She was born in Bærum, Akershus, to the jazz musician Yngvar Wang and the singer Marie Gulbrandsen. Already at an early age she sang with ...

(1929 in Høvik – 2011) a Norwegian singer, actress and comedian *

Alf Nordvang Alf Nordvang (15 December 1931 – 11 June 2007) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He was born in Bærum. He made his stage debut at Det Norske Teatret in 1954, was hired at Falkbergets Teater in the same year and Rogaland Teater ...

(1931 in Bærum – 2007) a Norwegian actor and theatre director *

Finn Alnæs Finn Alnæs (20 January 1932 – 3 November 1991) was a Norwegian novelist. He was born in Bærum. He made his literary debut with the novel ''Koloss'' (1963). Alnæs was awarded the Norwegian Booksellers' Prize and the Norwegian Critics Pr ...

(1932 in Bærum – 1991) writer of the novel ''Koloss'' in 1963 * Kjell Hallbing (1934 in Bærum – 2004) writer of

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

books * Anne-Grethe Leine Bientie (born 1954 in Bærum) writer and psalmist, uses South Sami * Vebjørn Sand (born 1966 in Bærum) painter, artist and does public arts projects *

Harald Eia Harald Meldal Eia (born 9 February 1966) is a Norwegian comedian, and sociologist. In recent years, Eia has also made TV-documentaries and written books. Eia became a household name in Norway in the mid-90s and has since then been one of cou ...

(born 1966 in Bærum) comedian, sociologist and documentarian *

Ane Dahl Torp Ane Dahl Torp (born 1 August 1975 in Bærum, Norway) is a Norwegian actress. Career Torp had her first film appearance in ''The Woman of My Life'' (2003). She has received Amanda Awards for her performances as Trude Eriksen in ''Svarte penger ...

(born 1975 in Bærum) a Norwegian actress *

Solveig Heilo Solveig Heilo (born December 24, 1981), simply known as Sol Heilo, is a Norwegian composer, artist, musician, music producer, arranger, designer and costume designer. She is mostly known for the band Katzenjammer. Sol works in different genres, s ...

(born 1981 in Bærum) composer, artist, musician, member of Katzenjammer * Martin Danielle (born 1988 in Snarøya) stage name ''

CLMD Martin Danielle (born 22 January 1988), commonly known by his stage name CLMD is a Norwegian music producer, DJ, songwriter and artist. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic music project CLMD, and he founded and manages record ...

'', a DJ, songwriter and artist * Mona Berntsen (born 1990 in Jar) a Norwegian-Moroccan dancer *

Andreas Haukeland Andreas Andresen Haukeland (born 12 April 1993), better known as Tix (stylized as TIX), is a Norwegian singer. He represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest, Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Fallen Angel (Tix song ...

(born 1993 in Bærum) stage name ''

TIX Andreas Andresen Haukeland (born 12 April 1993), better known as Tix (stylized as TIX), is a Norwegian singer. He represented Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Fallen Angel". He has Tourette syndrome, a condition charact ...

'', a Norwegian musician, producer and contestant at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest

Sport

2018 EC Sondre Oddvoll Bøe 2018-01-19 18-23-14 (3)

Narve Bonna Narve Bonna (16 January 1901 – 2 March 1976) was a Norwegian ski jumper. Born in Bærum and representing Lommedalens IL, Bonna won the first Olympic ski jumping silver medal at the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( ...

(1901 in Bærum – 1976) ski jumper, won the first ski jumping silver medal at the 1924 Winter Olympics * Godtfred Holmvang (1917 in Bærum – 2006) a decathlete and skier, later worked for the UN * Knut Østby (1922–2010) Olympic silver medal sprint canoeist, grew up in Bærum * Arne Bakker (1930 in Bærum – 2009) footballer with 54 caps for

and a

player *

Dordi Nordby Dordi Agate Nordby (born 8 April 1964 in Bærum) is a retired Norwegian curler from Snarøya. Nordby has amassed an array of medals in major international competitions over a career spanning three decades, including two world championship gol ...

(born 1964 in Bærum) a curler from Snarøya, with world and Euro. gold medals * Ole Petter Pollen (born 1966) a sailor and Olympic silver medalist, lives in Stabekk * Hans Petter Buraas (born 1975 in Bærum),

Alpine skier Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...

, gold medallist,

1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in the ...

Bjørn Einar Romøren Bjørn Einar Romøren (born 1 April 1981) is a Norwegian former ski jumper who competed at World Cup level from 2001 to 2014. His career highlights include eight individual World Cup wins, two ski flying world records, and a team bronze medal at ...

(born 1981),

ski jumper Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the fina ...

with 8 individual World Cup wins * Henning Hauger (born 1985 in Bærum) a footballer with 350 club caps and 23 for

Caroline Westrup Caroline Westrup (born 11 February 1986) is a Norwegian- Swedish professional golfer. She represented Sweden until she acquired Norwegian citizenship in 2015. Early life Westrup moved from her home of Åhus, Sweden to Bærum, Norway at age 11 aft ...

(born 1986) a Norwegian-Swedish professional golfer, brought up in Bærum *

Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen (born 29 November 1987) is a Norwegian World Cup alpine ski racer, specializing in the technical events of giant slalom and slalom. Haugen made his World Cup debut in October 2009 in Sölden, and collected his fi ...

(born 1987 in Lommedalen) alpine skier, 2 Olympic bronze medals *

Marius Thorp Marius Thorp (born 28 June 1988) is a Norwegian professional golfer. Thorp had a successful amateur career, winning the European Amateur in 2005 and claiming the silver medal for lowest amateur in the 2006 Open Championship. He turned profession ...

(born 1988 in Bærum) a Norwegian former professional golfer * Andreas Martinsen (born 1990 in Bærum), ice hockey player *

Magnus Carlsen Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen (born 30 November 1990) is a Norwegian chess grandmaster who is the reigning five-time World Chess Champion. He is also a three-time World Rapid Chess Champion and five-time World Blitz Chess Champion. Carlsen has h ...

(born 1990) a Norwegian

chess grandmaster Grandmaster (GM) is a title awarded to chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain. Once achieved, the title is held for life, though exceptionally it h ...

and

World Champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

, brought up in Bærum *

Tiril Eckhoff Tiril Kampenhaug Eckhoff (born 21 May 1990) is a Norwegian former biathlete. Eckhoff is a two-time Olympic champion, winning the mixed relay at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics, and also won a bronze in the mass start, ...

(born 1990 in Bærum) an Olympic champion biathlete * twins Sanna Solberg-Isaksen &

Silje Solberg Silje is a Norway, Norwegian given female name. It is a short form of the Latin female name Caecilia / Cecilie from the family name Caecilius which is formed from the Latin adjective Caecus, "blind". Notable people with the name include: * Silje Bo ...

(born 1990 in Bærum) handball players *

Jørgen Skjelvik Jørgen Skjelvik (; born 5 July 1991) is a Norway, Norwegian professional association football, footballer who plays for Odense Boldklub, Odense as a Defender (association football)#Full-back, left back. After starting his career with the local ...

(born 1991 in Hosle) a footballer with 220 club caps and 8 for

Emilie Haavi Emilie Bosshard Haavi (born 16 June 1992) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a left midfielder who plays for Italian Serie A club AS Roma and the Norway women's national team. Haavi was according to Fjordabladet, elected ''P ...

(born 1992 in Bærum),

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

, 82 caps for Norway women * Ståle Sandbech (born 1993 in Rykkinn) a silver medal snowboarder at

2014 Winter Olympics , ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'') , nations = 88 , events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , athletes = 2,873 , opening = 7 February 2014 , closing = 23 February 2014 , opened_by = President Vladimir Putin , cauldron = , stadium = Fisht Olympic ...

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 Bærum) a footballer with 150 club caps and 24 for

Sondre Oddvoll Bøe Sondre Oddvoll Bøe (born 13 January 1998) is a Norwegian former figure skater. He is the 2019 Nordic champion and a four-time Norwegian national champion. He has competed in the final segment at nine ISU Championships (six European and three ...

(born 1998 in Bærum) a figure skater, Nordic and four-time Norwegian champion *

Casper Ruud Casper Ruud (born 22 December 1998) is a Norwegian professional tennis player. Ruud has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2, achieved on 12 September 2022, making him the highest-ranked Norwegian tennis player in history. He has won nine ...

(born 1998 in Snarøya) a professional tennis player and an ATP title winner *

Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen Geir Eriksen (born 15 May 1965), former names Geir Selvik and Geir Selvik Malthe-Sørenssen,

(born 1965) a con artist and convicted felon, brought up in Bærum. * Philip Manshaus (born 1998), perpetrator who committed the

Bærum mosque shooting The Bærum mosque shooting or Al-Noor Islamic Centre shooting occurred on 10 August 2019 at the Al-Noor Islamic Centre mosque in Bærum, Norway, about west of the capital city Oslo. A gunman broke in through a locked door and opened fire inside ...

* Hugo Vetlesen (born 2000) a footballer who currently plays for Bodø/Glimt * Ayla Ågren (born 1993 in Bærum) a Norwegian-Swedish racing driver, currently residing in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

The following cities are twinned with Bærum: * –

Frederiksberg Frederiksberg () is a part of the Capital Region of Denmark. It is formally an independent municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality, separate from Copenhagen Municipality, but both are a part of the City of Copenhagen. It occupies an area of ...

Region Hovedstaden The Capital Region of Denmark ( da, Region Hovedstaden, ) is the easternmost administrative region of Denmark. The Capital Region has 29 municipalities and a regional council consisting of 41 elected members. As of 1 August 2021 the chairperso ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

* –

Hafnarfjörður Hafnarfjörður (), officially Hafnarfjarðarkaupstaður (), is a port town and municipality in Iceland, located about south of Reykjavík. The municipality consists of two non-contiguous areas in the Capital Region, on the southwest coast of t ...

, Iceland * –

Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna (; sv, Tavastehus; krl, Hämienlinna; la, Tavastum or ''Croneburgum'') is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Tavastia and the modern province of Kanta-Häme in the south of F ...

Tavastia Proper Tavastia or Tavastland may refer to: * Häme (Swedish: ''Tavastland'', Latin: ''Tavastia'') * Tavastia (historical province), a historical province of the kingdom of Sweden, located in modern-day Finland * Tavastia (constituency), formerly Tavas ...

, Finland * –

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...

Tartumaa Tartu County ( et, Tartu maakond or ''Tartumaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in eastern Estonia bordering Põlva County, Valga County, Viljandi County and Jõgeva County. The area of Tartu County is , which covers 6.9% of t ...

, Estonia * –

Uppsala Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...

Uppsala län Uppsala County ( sv, Uppsala län) is a county or ''län'' on the eastern coast of Sweden, whose capital is the city of Uppsala. It borders the counties of Dalarna, Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea. Provi ...

, Sweden

Gallery

File:View of Bærum Norway.jpg, View of most of Bærum from Holmenkollen in Oslo File:Anemone ranunculoides (xndr).jpg, Local flower File:Kommunegården Bærum Sandvikselva.JPG, Community garden File:Klokketårnet til Bærum rådhus.JPG, The tower of Bærum Town Hall

Notes and references

External links

*
Municipality of Bærum official web site

Tourist information from the municipality of Bærum

IT Fornebu

Weather forecast and map for Bærum

Budstikka
(local newspaper for Asker and Bærum)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baerum Municipalities of Akershus Municipalities of Viken (county)