Kragerø () is a

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 ...

and

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 ...

Vestfold og Telemark Vestfold og Telemark (; ) is a county under disestablishment in Norway. The county is the southernmost one of Eastern Norway and consists of two distinct and separate traditional regions: the former counties of Telemark and (most of) Vestfold. T ...

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

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 ...

. It is part of the traditional regions of

Grenland Grenland is a traditional district in the county of Vestfold og Telemark, in the south-east of Norway. Located in the southeastern part of the county, Grenland is composed of the municipalities Skien, Porsgrunn, Bamble, and Siljan. Sometimes the ...

and the smaller

Vestmar Grenland is a traditional district in the county of Vestfold og Telemark, in the south-east of Norway. Located in the southeastern part of the county, Grenland is composed of the municipalities Skien, Porsgrunn, Bamble, and Siljan. Sometimes the ...

. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kragerø. The city of Kragerø lies furthest south in the county of Telemark. The

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

-based

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', published an article on Kragerø stating that "When Norwegians want to get away from it all they head for Kragero.

Forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Ice ...

s and islands await them at the place where

Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( , ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His best known work, ''The Scream'' (1893), has become one of Western art's most iconic images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dr ...

found peace and relaxation." The population of Kragerø quadruples during its summer months due to high tourism. Edvard Munch fell in love with Kragerø in his time, and called it "The Pearl of the Coastal Towns" (''Perlen blandt kystbyene''). In 2002, ''The Independent'' published an article on the region's coastline saying that "It may not have many sandy beaches, but the coast of Norway offers sophistication and stunning scenery."

General information

Name

The Norse form of the name was ''Krákarey''. The first element is (probably) the genitive of ''kráka'' ' crow', the last element is ''ey'' 'island'. ''Kragerø'' is a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

form of the name, established in the 17th Century. For a similar name see

Kråkerøy Kråkerøy is an island and a former municipality in Viken county, Norway. The island of Kråkerøy was separated from Glemmen as a municipality of its own January 1, 1908. At that time Kråkerøy had a population of 3,311. The rural municipality ...

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 28 January 1938. The arms are black with a silver

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

in the center. Kragerø received

town privileges Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

in 1666, but was dependent on Skien until 1842. The town used a seal which was identical to that of Skien. The galley in the arms is derived from the fact that since 1666, Kragerø had to supply a galley with five guns to the King.

History

The town of Kragerø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see

formannskapsdistrikt () is the name for Norwegian local self-government districts that were legally enacted on 1 January 1838. This system of municipalities was created in a bill approved by the Parliament of Norway and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January ...

). In the days of the

sailing ship A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing square-rigged or fore-and-aft sails. Some ships c ...

s, Kragerø was one of Norway's largest port cities. The rural municipalities of

Sannidal Sannidal is a former municipality which is now located in the municipality of Kragerø in Telemark county, Norway. History Sannidal is situated at the end of the Kil fjord. For this reason it was one of the earliest settlements in the area, bein ...

and

Skåtøy ''Skåtøy is the largest island in Kragerø municipality in Telemark county, Norway. Skåtøy was formerly a municipality. Skåtøy was separated from Sannidal January 1, 1882. It was merged with Kragerø January 1, 1960. Skåtøy is the bigg ...

were merged into the municipality of Kragerø on 1 January 1960. The municipality now includes 495

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

s, islets, and

skerries A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. Skerry, skerries, or The Skerries may also refer to: Geography Northern Ireland * Skerries, County Armagh, a townland in County Armagh * Skerry, County Antrim, a ...

along with 4,000 leisure houses. There are also 190

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

lakes in the municipality.

1694 murder

On 17 August 1694 Christian Hansen Ernst was killed at present-day ''Knivstikkersmauet'' ("knife stabber alley"). He was an employee of the postal service, and a former servant

Ulrik Fredrik Gyldenløve Ulrik is a male name, a Scandinavian form of Ulrich. Ulrik may refer to: *Ulrik Frederik Christian Arneberg (1829–1911), Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party *Albert Ulrik Bååth (1853–1912), Swedish poet *Ulrik Balling (born 1975), ...

, and one of few Africans of the time living in Norway, whose identity is known.

Geography

Kragerø is the southernmost municipality in Telemark. To the southwest, it borders the municipality of Risør (in

Aust-Agder Aust-Agder (, en, "East Agder") was a county (''fylke'') in Norway until 1 January 2020, when it was merged with Vest-Agder to form Agder county. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which was 2.2% of Norway's population. Its area was . The ...

county); to the west is

Gjerstad Gjerstad is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional region of Sørlandet, in the southeastern part of the county, along the border with Telemark county. The administrative centre of the municipality is the villa ...

(also in Aust-Agder county); to the northwest is

Drangedal Drangedal is a municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Prestestranda. The municipality of Drangedal was established ...

; and to the northeast is Bamble. Kragerø is popular among Norwegians (as well as foreigners) as a vacation destination during the summer, when the population swells considerably (approx. 250% increase).

Villages

Villages in Kragerø include Helle,

Stråholmen Stråholmen is a small island off the coast of Kragerø and Bamble in southern Telemark, Norway. The island is about 1.5 km long and 1 km wide at the widest, and lies approximately 2 km north of the island Jomfruland. Stråholmen f ...

Jomfruland Jomfruland is a small elongated Norwegian island located off the coast of mainland Kragerø in the county of Vestfold og Telemark, about 2 km south of the island of Stråholmen. It measures about 7.5 km by 1 km. Jomfruland provides ...

, and

Portør Portør is a village and port on the south coast line of Kragerø in Telemark, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and norther ...

Notable residents

Anton Martin Schweigaard Anton Martin Schweigaard (11 April 1808 – 1 February 1870) was a Norwegian educator, jurist, economist and member of the Norwegian Parliament. Background Schweigaard was born at Kragerø in Telemark, Norway. He was one of three children of J� ...

(1808–1870), Norwegian

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...

and economic reformer *

Nels Anderson Nels Anderson (July 31, 1889 – October 8, 1986) was an early American sociologist who studied hobos, urban culture, and work culture. Biography Anderson studied at the University of Chicago under Robert E. Park and Ernest Burgess, whose Con ...

(born 1828), member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

Johan Christian Heuch Johan Christian Heuch or J. C. Heuch (23 March 1838–13 February 1904) was a Norwegian bishop in the Church of Norway and politician for the Conservative Party. Personal life He was born in Kragerø, Norway as the son of merchant and po ...

(1838–1904) a Norwegian Bishop of the

Diocese of Agder The Diocese of Agder og Telemark ( no, Agder og Telemark bispedømme) is a diocese of the Church of Norway, covering all of Agder county and most of Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. The cathedral city is Kristiansand, Norway's fifth larges ...

* Theodor Kittelsen (1857–1914),

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

; also illustrated fairy tales, legends and trolls *

Hans Daae Hans Daae (15 October 1865 – 10 December 1926) was a Norwegian physician, military officer and sports official. Personal life Daae was born in Kragerø to prison director Anders Daae and Anna Honoria Hansen. He married Anna Helen Alm in 1 ...

(1865–1926) a Norwegian physician, military officer and sports official * Johan Søhr (1867–1949) a Norwegian jurist and police officer * Thomas Krag (1868–1913) a Norwegian novelist, playwright and writer of short stories *

Samson Eitrem Samson Eitrem (28 December 1872 – 8 July 1966) was a Norwegian philologist, an expert in ancient literature, religion and magic. Personal life Eitrem was born in Kragerø to Samson Eitrem (1832–1923) and Anine Marie Nielsen, and he was a brot ...

(1872–1966) a philologist, expert in ancient literature, religion and magic * Edvard Amundsen (1873–1928) a Lutheran missionary in China and

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

and an explorer *

Ronald Fangen Ronald Fangen (29 April 1895 – 22 May 1946) was a Norwegian novelist, essayist, playwright, psalmist, journalist and literary critic. Biography Ronald August Fangen was born at Kragerø in Telemark, Norway. His parents were Sten August Fan ...

(1895–1946) a novelist, playwright, psalmist, journalist and literary critic *

Eugen Skjønberg Conrad Eugen Skjønberg (March 27, 1889 – July 25, 1971) was a Norwegian actor. Eugen Skjønberg was married to the actress Henny Skjønberg. They resided at Ramstad. He was the father of Per Skjønberg, Pål Skjønberg, and Espen Skjønberg, ...

(1889–1971) a Norwegian actor *

Kirsten Heiberg Kirsten Heiberg (25 April 1907 – 2 March 1976) was a Norwegian/German actress and singer who had a major film career in Germany between 1938 and 1954. She reached the peak of her career in 1942–43, performing in Joseph Goebbels version ...

(1907–1976) a Norwegian/German actress and singer *

Else Heiberg Else Cathrine Heiberg (November 5, 1910 – November 25, 1972) was a Norwegian actress. Heiberg started her professional career as a pianist and dance teacher, and she made her stage debut at Bergen's National Theater in 1934 in the role of a y ...

(1910–1972) a Norwegian actress *

Ole Myrvoll Ole Myrvoll (18 May 1911 – 16 July 1988) was a Norwegian professor in economy and politician for the Liberal Party and later the New People's Party. He was born in Kragerø. He served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliame ...

(1911–1988), professor of

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

, liberal politician,

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", " ...

Carsten Hopstock Carsten Henrik Hopstock (13 March 1924 – 31 January 2014) was a Norwegian museum curator and art historian. Biography Hopstock was born in Kragerø in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. He was the son of pharmacist Frantz Philip Hopstock (1 ...

(1924–2014) art historian, curator of Norwegian Museum of Cultural History *

Alf Cranner Alf Cranner (25 October 1936 – 3 March 2020) was a major Norwegian folk singer, lyricist and painter, considered by many to be the pioneer of the Norwegian folk music wave of the 1960s. (in Norwegian) (in Norwegian) The citation for the award o ...

(1936-2020) folk singer, lyricist and painter; lived in Kragerø from the 1960s *

Robert Mood Lieutenant General Robert Mood (born 8 December 1958) is the President of Norwegian Red Cross and a retired Norwegian Army officer. He is the former head of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), Inspector General of the Norwegi ...

(born 1958),

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

, Head of the

United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria The United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) was a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Syria, set up in 2012 as a result of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2043 in response to the Syrian Civil War. It was commanded by No ...

(UNSMIS)

Sport

* Olaf Ørvig (1889–1939) a sailor, team gold medallist at the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

* Knut Lundstrøm (born 1951), athlete, winter

paralympian The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

* Geir Borgan Paulsen (born 1957), IFBB Pro bodybuilder * Preben Fjære Brynemo (born 1977) a Nordic combined skier, competed at the

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

The following cities are twinned with Kragerø:

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 ...

*
Kragerø Municipality

Kragerø city

Gigapan from Kragerø
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kragero Municipalities of Vestfold og Telemark Cities and towns in Norway Populated places in Vestfold og Telemark Port cities and towns in Norway Port cities and towns of the North Sea Islands of Vestfold og Telemark