Haraldshaugen (Norwegian: ''Riksmonumentet Haraldshaugen'') is a national monument in

Haugesund, Norway Haugesund () is a municipality on the North Sea in Rogaland county, Norway. While the population is greater in the neighboring Karmøy municipality, the main commercial and economic centre of the Haugaland region in northern Rogaland and southern ...

. The monument was erected during the millennial celebration of Norway's unification into one kingdom under the rule of King

Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagre Modern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Nor ...

(Norwegian: ''Harald Hårfagre''). Haraldshaugen was unveiled on July 18, 1872 by Crown Prince Oscar (later King

Oscar II of Sweden Oscar II (Oscar Fredrik; 21 January 1829 – 8 December 1907) was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death in 1907 and King of Norway from 1872 to 1905. Oscar was the son of King Oscar I and Queen Josephine. He inherited the Swedish and Norweg ...

) in connection with the one thousand year anniversary of the

Battle of Hafrsfjord The Battle of Hafrsfjord ( no, Slaget i Hafrsfjord) was a great naval battle fought in Hafrsfjord sometime between 872 and 900 that resulted in the unification of Norway, later known as the Kingdom of Norway. After the battle, the victorious Vikin ...

. The monument is designed by Norwegian architect

Christian Christie Eilert Christian Brodtkorb Christie (24 December 1832 – 13 September 1906) was a Norwegian architect. Personal life He was born in Bergen as a son of customs officer Werner Hosewinckel Christie (1785–1872) and Hansine Langsted (1802–1864) ...

. Norwegian national poet,

Ivar Aasen Ivar Andreas Aasen (; 5 August 1813 – 23 September 1896) was a Norwegian philologist, lexicographer, playwright, and poet. He is best known for having assembled one of the two official written versions of the Norwegian language, Nynorsk, from va ...

, wrote a poem entitled ''Haraldshaugen'' to commemorate the event. The monument was opposed by Norway's political left, which questioned the merits of celebrating a figure whom they viewed as a brutal, authoritarian conqueror. Haraldshaugen is located in the northern suburbs of Haugesund. The monument consists of a large mound surrounded by a granite memorial stones with 29 smaller stones, one from each of the historic counties of Norway. At the top of the mound stands a 17m high granite main obelisk, with four bronze panels around the base. Each panel depicts important scenes from the life of King Harald I. Haraldshaugen commemorates the

which commonly dates to the year 872. The Battle of Hafrsfjord has traditionally been regarded as the point in which western Norway was for the first time unified under one monarch. Tradition holds that Haraldshaugen is the burial site of King Harald I, who died circa 933 at

Avaldsnes Avaldsnes is a village in Karmøy municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located on the northeastern part of the island of Karmøy, along the Karmsundet strait, just south of the town of Haugesund. The village was an ancient ...

on nearby

Karmøy Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is southwest of the town of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kopervik. Most of the municipality lies on t ...

, south of Haugesund, but currently there is no clear archeological evidence of this.''Haraldshaugen monument to the "founder of Norway" in Haugesund'' (Stavanger Travel AS)
/ref>

References

External links

View from Haraldshaugen
{{coord, 59, 25, 44, N, 5, 15, 32, E, region:NO-11_type:adm3rd_source:kolossus-nowiki, display=title Monuments and memorials in Norway Haugesund Obelisks in Norway Outdoor sculptures in Norway Culture in Rogaland Buildings and structures in Rogaland Tourist attractions in Rogaland Buildings and structures in Haugesund Harald Fairhair