is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

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 ...

Telemark Telemark is a traditional region, a former county, and a current electoral district in southern Norway. In 2020, Telemark merged with the former county of Vestfold to form the county of Vestfold og Telemark. Telemark borders the traditional ...

in the

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 ...

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 ...

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 region Historical regions (or historical areas) are geographical regions which at some point in time had a cultural, ethnic, linguistic or political basis, regardless of latterday borders. They are used as delimitations for studying and analysing social ...

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 ...

. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Porsgrunn. The municipality of Porsgrunn was established 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 ...

). The town of Brevik and the rural district of

Eidanger Eidanger is a rural parish and former municipality of Porsgrunn, in Telemark County, Norway. History Eidanger was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was merged with Porsgrunn on 1 January 1964. The mai ...

were merged into the municipality of Porsgrunn on 1 January 1964. The

conurbation A conurbation is a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ca ...

of Porsgrunn and

Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the Norsj ...

is considered by

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 ...

to be the seventh-largest city in Norway.

General information

Name

The place is first mentioned in

1576 Year 1576 (Roman numerals, MDLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 20 – Viceroy Martín Enríquez de Almanza founds the settle ...

(''"Porsgrund"'') by the writer

Peder Claussøn Friis Peder Claussøn Friis (1 April 1545 – 15 October 1614) was a Norwegian clergyman, author and historian. He is most associated with his translation of ''Snorre Sturlessøns Norske Kongers Chronica''. Peder Claussen Friis grew up in Audnedal i ...

in his work ''Concerning the Kingdom of Norway'' (see the article:

Norwegian literature Norwegian literature is literature composed in Norway or by Norwegian people. The history of Norwegian literature starts with the pagan Eddaic poems and skaldic verse of the 9th and 10th centuries with poets such as Bragi Boddason and Eyvindr Sk ...

). He writes: "Two and a half miles from the sea, the Skien river flows into the

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 ...

, and that place is called Porsgrund." The name was probably given during medieval times to the then

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

y area by the

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

s of

Gimsøy Abbey Gimsøy Abbey (''Gimsøy kloster'') was a Benedictine monastery located on the eastern end of the island of Klosterøya at Skien in Telemark, Norway. The island was commonly referred to as ''Gimsøy'' or ''Gjemsø''. History The abbey was founded ...

, who went here to collect the shrub '' pors'' ("Bog Myrtle"), and the Norwegian word ''grunn'' meaning "ground". Prior to 1931, the name was spelled "Porsgrund".

Coat-of-arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

is from modern times. They were granted on 16 January 1905. The arms were devised in 1905 when the city needed a new

city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

. The silver bend is the small river running through the city. The upper half shows a silver-colored branch of

bog myrtle ''Myrica gale'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Myricaceae, native to parts of Japan, North Korea, Russia, mainland Europe, the British Isles and parts of northern North America, in Canada and the United States. Common names include ...

on a red background and is thus a

canting ' (IPA: , VOS Spelling: ''tjanting'', jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦛꦶꦁ, Tjanting) is a pen-like tool used to apply liquid hot wax ( jv, ) in the batik-making process in Indonesia, more precisely '' batik tulis'' (lit. "written batik"). Traditional ''T ...

symbol. The silver

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄγ ...

on a blue background symbolizes the importance of the local

harbor A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

History

Porsgrunn has been an important harbor town in the Grenland area since the late 16th century. In

1653 Events January–March * January 3 – By the Coonan Cross Oath, the Eastern Church in India cuts itself off from colonial Portuguese tutelage. * January– The Swiss Peasant War begins after magistrates meeting at Lucerne ...

, the

Customs House A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting c ...

was moved further down the '' Telemarksvassdraget'' from

to Porsgrunn mainly because industrial waste such as sawdust and mud made the river too shallow to allow boats to go any further up the river. Moving the Custom House to Porsgrunn added to the flourishing harbor activity and Porsgrunn became a thriving

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

. In the 18th century, it was the home of some of Norway's most influential families at the time, such as the Aalls,

Cappelen Cappelen is a Norwegian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Cappelen (family), a distinguished Norwegian family * Andreas Zeier Cappelen (1915–2008), Norwegian jurist and politician * August Cappelen (1827–1852), Norwegian paint ...

s, Løvenskiolds, and Deichmans. Also in this period, Porsgrunn was considered the cultural centre of Norway. On the ecclesiastical side, Porsgrunn was separated from the ancient rural parishes of

Solum The solum (plural, sola) in soil science consists of the surface and subsoil layers that have undergone the same soil forming conditions. The base of the solum is the relatively unweathered parent material. Solum and soils are not synonymous. Som ...

, and

Gjerpen Gjerpen is a former township which is now part of the municipality of Skien, in Telemark county, Norway. Location The parish of Gjerpen was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). According to the 1835 census th ...

1764 1764 ( MDCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday and is the fifth year of the 1760s decade, the 64th year of the 18th century, and the 764th year of the 2nd millennium. Events January–June * January 7 – The Siculicidium is ...

to become a

prestegjeld A ''prestegjeld'' was a geographic and administrative area within the Church of Norway (''Den Norske Kirke'') roughly equivalent to a parish. This traditional designation was in use for centuries to divide the kingdom into ecclesiastical areas tha ...

with its own minister. Churches within the Porsgrunn prestegjeld include

Østre Porsgrunn Church Østre Porsgrunn Church (full name: ''Jesu Kirke i Østre Porsgrunn'', also called Østsiden Church) was a church in the Rococo style built in 1760 and located in the city of Porsgrunn in Vestfold og Telemark, Norway. In 2011 the building was comp ...

and Vestre Porsgrunn Church. The city was granted limited city status in

1807 Events January–March * January 7 – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland issues an Order in Council prohibiting British ships from trading with France or its allies. * January 20 – The Sierra Leone Company, faced with b ...

, but this was expanded to full city status in 1842. Porsgrunn was once home to '' Skomvær'', the country's largest

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 ...

. In 1985, the sculpture '' Amphitrite, the wave and the sea birds'' was unveiled in Porsgrunn. The sculpture, which is one of

Jørleif Uthaug Jørleif Uthaug (3 August 1911 – 25 August 1990) was a Norwegian illustrator, painter and sculptor. Biography He was born at Brekstad in the municipality of Ørland in Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. He was the son of Daniel Meier Uthaug (1886–1 ...

's best known works, has a nautical theme in honor of Porsgrunn's maritime history.

Geography

Porsgrunn borders the municipalities of

and Siljan to the north,

Bamble Bamble 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 Langesund. General information Name The Old Norse form of the name ...

in the west, and

Larvik Larvik () is a List of cities in Norway, town and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik. The municipality ...

in the east. It is part of a cluster of municipalities in southern

that constitute the

area of Norway. The city is situated near

Gunneklevfjord Gunneklevfjord is a small fjord at the head of Frierfjord in Porsgrunn municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The west side of Gunneklevfjord is defined by the peninsula of Herøya, at the mouth of Telemarksvassdraget. Herøya features a larg ...

, and at the mouth of the river '' Telemarksvassdraget'' or Porsgrunn River (''Porsgrunnselva''). The peninsula of

Herøya Herøya is a peninsula in the municipality of Porsgrunn, Norway. It is located between the fjords of Frierfjord to the west and Gunneklevfjord to the east, at the River mouth, mouth of Telemarksvassdraget. The name stems from the Old Norse word "h ...

, southeast of the city, was originally an industrial park and has grown into a suburb of Porsgrunn.

Industry

Porsgrunn is an important center of industry and has a long history of

heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...

. Important industries in Porsgrunn include:

Transportation

Transportation links from Porsgrunn: *Bus (

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 ...

Kristiansand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...

Notodden Notodden () is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city and List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold og Telemark Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Øst-Telemark. ...

) *Train (stops at

Porsgrunn Station Porsgrunn Station ( no, Porsgrunn stasjon) is a railway station serving Porsgrunn, Norway. It serves regional trains on Vestfold Line and local trains on Bratsberg Line, all operated by Vy. The station was built as part of Vestfold Line, then kn ...

) **The

Vestfold Line The Vestfold Line ( no, Vestfoldbanen) is a railway line which runs between Drammen and Eidanger in Norway. The line connects to the Drammen Line at the northern terminus at Drammen Station and continues as the Bratsberg Line past Skien Station. ...

Drammen Drammen () is a city and municipality in Viken (county), Viken, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and village ...

and onwards to

**The

Bratsberg Line The Bratsberg Line ( no, Bratsbergbanen) is a railway line between Eidanger and Notodden in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It opened in 1917, connecting the Tinnos Line, the Sørland Line and the Vestfold Line; allowing Norsk Hydro to tran ...

and Notodden *Ferry (

Fjordbåtene i Brevik Fjordbåtene i Brevik is a passenger ferry operator based in Porsgrunn, Norway, that provides the route Brevik, Norway, Brevik–Sandøya–Bjørkøya–Brevik twenty-four times daily on contract with Vestviken Kollektivtrafikk. The company is owned ...

)

Notable residents

Public Service & public thinking

Cort Adeler Cort Sivertsen Adeler (16 December 16225 November 1675), known in Denmark as Coort Sifvertsen Adelaer, in the Netherlands as Koert Sievertsen Adelaer and in Italy as Curzio Suffrido Adelborst, was the name of honour given to Kurt Sivertsen, a No ...

(1622-1675) a Norwegian/Danish

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Niels Aall Niels Aall (1 December 1769 – 23 October 1854) was a Norwegian estate owner, businessman and politician. Family Niels Aall was the son of lumber merchant Nicolai Benjamin Aall (1739–98) from Porsgrunn and his wife Amjørg Jørgensdatter ...

(1769–1854) an estate owner, businessman and politician; built Ulefos Manor *

Severin Løvenskiold Severin Løvenskiold (7 February 1777 – 15 September 1856) was a Norwegian nobleman, politician and the prime minister of Norway. Family Severin Løvenskiold, the younger, was born in Porsgrunn in Telemark, Norway to Severin Løvenskiold, t ...

(1777–1856) a nobleman, politician and Prime Minister of Norway 1828/1841 *

Thobias Petter Wiibe Thobias Petter Wiibe (1815–1891) was a Norway, Norwegian businessperson and politician. Niels Mathiesen Niels Mathiesen (1829–1900) was a Norwegian politician and merchant.Storgaden 137
i ...

(1829–1900) a politician and merchant, Mayor of Porsgrund, 1860s to 1880s *

Jørgen Christian Knudsen Jørgen Christian Knudsen (5 January
in ''Porsgrunds udvikling 1860-1900'', by A. L. Coll. Hosted by Porsgrunn public ...

(1843–1922) a Norwegian ship-owner and politician *

Johan Castberg Johan Castberg (21 September 1862 – 24 December 1926) was a Norwegian jurist and politician best known for representing the Radical People's Party (Labour Democrats). He was a government minister from 1908 to 1910 and 1913 to 1914, and also se ...

(1862-1926)

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

, Govt. Minister 1900s & 1910s *

Carl P. Wright Carl August Petersen Wright (7 September 1893 – 28 April 1961) was a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. He was born in Porsgrunn. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from the Market towns of Telemark and Aust-Agder co ...

(1893–1961) politician, Mayor of Porsgrund, 1930s *

Erik Hesselberg Erik Bryn Hesselberg (4 June 1914 – 15 September 1972) was a Norwegian sailor, author, photographer, painter and sculptor. He is most known as a crewmember of the Kon-Tiki raft expedition from South America to French Polynesia in 1947. Biogr ...

(1914–1972) a sailor, author, painter, sculptor and

Kon-Tiki The ''Kon-Tiki'' expedition was a 1947 journey by raft across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands, led by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl. The raft was named ''Kon-Tiki'' after the Inca god Viracocha, for ...

crewmember * Einar Tufte-Johnsen (1915–1985) an aviation officer and head of

NATO Defense College NATO Defense College (NDC) is the international military college for North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries. It is located in Rome, Italy. History The idea of a NATO Defense College originated with General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the f ...

Finn Kristensen Finn Kristensen (born 24 July 1936) is a Norwegian electrician, trade unionist and politician for the Labour Party. He served as Minister of Industry in 1981, from 1986–1988 and from 1992-1993 and Minister of Petroleum and Energy from 1990-19 ...

(born 1936) electrician, trade unionist and Govt. Minister 1980s & 1990s *

Ann-Marit Sæbønes Ann-Marit Sæbønes (born 11 December 1945) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She was born in Porsgrunn. She worked as a physiotherapist in Norway and Kenya from 1969 to 1979, and studied sociology at the University of Oslo in 197 ...

(born 1945) physiotherapist and first female Mayor of Oslo, 1992/1995 *

Mads Gilbert Mads Fredrik Gilbert (born 2 June 1947) is a Norwegian physician, humanitarian, activist, and politician for the Red Party. He is a specialist in anesthesiology and head of the emergency medicine department at the University Hospital of North No ...

(born 1947) a Norwegian physician, humanitarian, activist and politician *

Kristin Halvorsen Kristin Halvorsen (born 2 September 1960) is a Norwegian politician of the Socialist Left Party. She served as Minister of Finance from 2005 to 2009 and as Minister of Education from 2009 to 2013. She also served as the party's leader from 1997 ...

(born 1960), former leader of Socialist Left Party, Govt. Minister *

Vibeke Hein Bæra Vibeke Hein Bæra (born 29 July 1964) is a Norwegian lawyer. She was a defence lawyer for Anders Behring Breivik in his trial for his role in the 2011 Norway attacks. Biography From 1992 to 1999 Bæra, who hails from the city Porsgrunn in Telemar ...

(born 1964) a Norwegian lawyer, defended

Anders Behring Breivik Fjotolf Hansen (born 13 February 1979), better known by his birth name Anders Behring Breivik () and by his pseudonym Andrew Berwick, is a Norwegian far-right domestic terrorist, known for committing the 2011 Norway attacks on 22 July 2011. On ...

at his

trial In law, a trial is a coming together of Party (law), parties to a :wikt:dispute, dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence (law), evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to Adjudication, adjudicate claims or d ...

Robin Kåss Robin Martin Kåss (born 10 January 1977 in Dublin, Ireland) is a Norwegian politician for the Norwegian Labour Party, Labour Party. He has lived most of his life in Porsgrunn, Telemark, Norway. He joined the Workers' Youth League (Norway), Work ...

(born 1977) a Norwegian politician, Mayor of Porsgrund 2015 & 2019 *

Torbjørn Røe Isaksen Torbjørn Røe Isaksen (born 28 July 1978) is a Norwegian politician, MP for the Conservative Party who served as Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion from 2020 to 2021. He previously served as Minister of Trade and Industry from 2018 to 2020 ...

(born 1978), former leader of

Norwegian Young Conservatives Norwegian Young Conservatives (Norwegian: Unge Høyres Landsforbund, UHL, normally referred to as Unge Høyre) is the Norwegian youth party of the Conservative Party. Its ideology is liberal conservatism Liberal conservatism is a political ...

, Minister of Education and Research * brothers

Kjetil Aleksander Lie Kjetil Aleksander Lie (born 18 November 1980 in Porsgrunn) is a Norwegian chess player, and Norway's eighth International Grandmaster (GM). Lie was the Norwegian chess champion in 2009 and 2010. Representing the chess club in Porsgrunn, Lie is ...

(born 1980) &

Espen Lie Espen Lie (born January 3, 1984) is a Norwegian chess player who currently holds the title of International Master, and was the Norwegian Chess Champion for 2007. He is the younger brother of GM Kjetil A. Lie. Lie plays for the chess club in Por ...

(born 1984) Norwegian chess players

Business

Hans Eleonardus Møller Sr. Hans Eleonardus Møller Sr. (1780 – 8 April 1860
in ''Gjerpen. En bygdebok'', by J. L. Qvisling. Hosted by ...

(1780–1860) a Norwegian businessperson *

Jørgen Wright Cappelen Jørgen Wright Cappelen (10 August 1805 – 6 October 1878) was a Norwegian bookseller and publisher. He was one of the founders of the publishing house Cappelen Damm. Personal life Jørgen Wright Cappelen was born at Porsgrund, Norway as the nint ...

(1805–1878) a bookseller and publisher, co-founded

Cappelen Damm Cappelen Damm AS is a Norwegian publisher established in 2007. The present company resulted from the merger of J.W. Cappelens Forlag, founded in 1829, and N.W. Damm & Søn, founded in 1843. Cappelen Damm is jointly owned by the Bonnier Group ...

* Johan Jeremiassen (1843-1889) an entrepreneur, ship-owner, consul and politician; founded the porcelain flatware company

Porsgrund Porselænsfabrik Porsgrund Porcelain Factory (''Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik'', abbreviated PP) is a porcelain flatware company located at Porsgrunn in Telemark county, Norway. History The company's production plant is a popular tourist attraction. The company wa ...

Petter Stordalen Petter Anker Stordalen Bjorvand (born 29 November 1962) is a Norwegian billionaire businessman, hotel and property developer and self-proclaimed environmentalist. He has an estimated net worth of US$1.3 billion stemming from investments in hotel ...

(born 1962) a Norwegian billionaire businessman,

real estate developer Real estate development, or property development, is a business process, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of developed land or parcels to others. R ...

and

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

owner

The Arts

Halfdan Christensen Halfdan Christensen (12 December 1873 – 17 September 1950) was a Norwegian stage actor and theatre director. Biography Christensen was born at Porsgrunn in Telemark, Norway. His family moved to Kristiania (now Oslo) where he attended Aars ...

(1873–1950) a Norwegian stage actor and theatre director * Tone Schwarzott (born 1941) a Norwegian actress and poet *

Yngvar Numme Yngvar Numme (born 1 October 1944 in Porsgrunn, Norway) is a Norwegian singer, actor, revue writer and director. He is particularly known for his central role in the show group Dizzie Tunes for about forty years, one of the most successful ensembl ...

(born 1944) a Norwegian singer, actor, revue writer and director *

Bugge Wesseltoft Jens Christian Bugge Wesseltoft (born 1 February 1964) is a Norwegian jazz pianist, composer, and producer, son of jazz guitarist Erik Wesseltoft. Career In 1989, Wesseltoft collaborated with the Knut Riisnæs Quartet and was soon after ...

(born 1964) a Norwegian jazz musician, pianist, composer and producer *

Stephen Ackles Stephen Ackles (born 15 February 1966), son of Norwegian mother (Bergliot Kittilsen) and American father (Allan Dale Ackles) is a beloved Norwegian vocalist, pianist, and songwriter who mainly play rock 'n' roll inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis, Chu ...

(born 1966) a Norwegian vocalist, pianist, and songwriter *

Øyvind Torvund Øyvind Torvund (born 1976 in Porsgrunn) is a Norwegian composer. He studied composition at the Norwegian Academy of Music (Oslo) with Bjørn Kruse and Ivar Frounbergand, as well as at Berlin University of the Arts, Universität der Künste (Ber ...

(born 1976) a Norwegian composer *

Aleksander Walmann Aleksander Walmann Åsgården (born 12 January 1986) is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. He represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 alongside Jowst with the song "Grab the Moment", finishing in 10th place. Early life and caree ...

(born 1986) singer for

Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 Norway participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. The Norwegian broadcaster NRK organised the national final ''Melodi Grand Prix 2017'' in order to select the Norwegian entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. Background Prior to th ...

Linda Aslaksen Linda Charlotte Aslaksen, also known as Zina, (born 1986) is a Sámi artist and educator from Porsgrunn in the south of Norway. After spending several years in Shoreditch, London, where she gained fame as a street artist, in 2018 she returned to N ...

(born 1986) also known as ''Zina'', a Sámi artist and educator *

Didrik Solli-Tangen Didrik Solli-Tangen (born 11 June 1987) is a Norwegian people, Norwegian singer who represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "My Heart Is Yours". Biography Solli-Tangen wa ...

(born 1987) singer for

Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 Norway participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "My Heart Is Yours" written by Hanne Sørvaag and Fredrik Kempe. The song was performed by Didrik Solli-Tangen. In addition to participating in the contest, the Norwegian broa ...

Emil Solli-Tangen Emil Solli-Tangen (born 26 February 1990) is a Norwegian opera singer. Hailing from Porsgrunn, he is a younger brother of Didrik Solli-Tangen.Norderhaug, Martin & Hekkli, Lina (2013)Han får sjåfør fra Gøteborg til Oslo, seher.no, 8 February ...

(born 1990) a Norwegian opera singer

Sport

Jørgen Juve Jørgen Juve (22 November 1906 – 12 April 1983) was a Norwegian association football, football player, jurist, journalist and non-fiction writer. He played as a striker for F.C. Lyn Oslo, Lyn, and also for the Norway national football team, No ...

(1906–1983) a Norwegian football player, jurist, journalist and non-fiction writer; highest scoring player for Norway, 33 goals in 45 games; captain of Norway, which won Olympic bronze medals in the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

* Cathrine Roll-Matthiesen (born 1967) a former handball player, team silver medallist at the

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

* sisters

Anita Valen Anita Valen (born 12 December 1968) is a Norwegian cyclist. She won the Norwegian National Road Race Championship six times. She was born in Porsgrunn, and is the sister of Monica Valvik. She competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and again at ...

(born 1968) &

Monica Valvik Grethe Monica Eikild Valen (born 15 September 1970) is a Norwegian racing cyclist. She won the Norwegian National Road Race Championship five times in the 1990s. She was born in Porsgrunn, and is the sister of Anita Valen. She was married to ...

(born 1970), Norwegian racing cyclists, won the

Norwegian National Road Race Championships The Norwegian National Road Race Championships, have been held annually with an event for each category of rider; Men, Women, junior riders & under 23 riders, since 1946. The event also includes the Norwegian National Time Trial Championships an ...

eleven times between them *

Ronny Deila Ronny Deila (born 21 September 1975) is a Norwegian football manager and former player, who is the manager of Standard Liège. He spent most of his playing career at Odd before becoming head coach at Strømsgodset, winning the Norwegian Cup in ...

(born 1975) football manager, head coach of

New York City FC New York City Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in New York City that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), the highest level of American soccer, as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. The club is co-owned ...

and former player with 352 club caps *

Tony Capaldi Anthony Charles Capaldi (born 12 August 1981) is a former footballer who made nearly 250 appearances in the Football League and is a former Northern Ireland international. Born in Porsgrunn, Norway, Capaldi won 22 caps for Northern Ireland at f ...

(born 1981), professional

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 le ...

, nearly 300 club caps *

Rune Jarstein Rune Almenning Jarstein (born 29 September 1984) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club Hertha BSC and the Norway national team. Club career Early career Jarstein was born in Porsgrunn. He started ...

(born 1984) a football goalkeeper with about 400 club caps and 69 for

Espen Ruud Espen Ruud (born 26 February 1984) is a Norwegian football defender who plays for Odd. Club career He joined the Odd Grenland from local team Hei in 2003. Ruud established himself in the Odd squad by 2005. International career Ruud has 35 caps ...

(born 1984) a football defender with 430 club caps and 35 for

* Fredrik Nordkvelle (born 1985) a footballer with 360 club caps

Twin towns – sister cities

Porsgrunn is twinned with: *

Kisumu Kisumu ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Kenya by population, third-largest city in Kenya after the capital, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa (census 2019). It is the third-largest city after Kampala and Mwanza in the Lake Victor ...

, Kenya *

Pori ) , website www.pori.fi Pori (; sv, Björneborg ) is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäki River, west of Tampere, north of Turku and north-w ...

, Finland *

Sigtuna Sigtuna () is a locality situated in Sigtuna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 8,444 inhabitants in 2010. It is the namesake of the municipality even though the seat is in Märsta. Sigtuna is for historical reasons often still referre ...

, Sweden *

Sønderborg (; german: Sonderburg ) is a Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Sønderborg Municipality (Kommune). The town has a population of 27,766 (1 January 2022),Sundsvall Sundsvall () is a city and the seat of Sundsvall Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden. It has a population of 58,807 as of 2020; more than 95,000 live in the municipal area. It is Sweden's 21st largest city by population. History Th ...

, Sweden

References

Footnotes

Books

* Harald Hals (1968). ''Eidanger bygdehistorie''. Brødrene Kjaer Boktrykkeri. * Johan N. Tønnessen (1956–1957). ''Porsgrunns historie''. * Ole Georg Moseng (2006). ''Porsgrunns historie . Bind I . Byen i emning ''. * Ellen Schrumpf (2006). ''Porsgrunns historie . Bind II . Byen ved elva''.

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from

* *
Municipal website

Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik AS
(porcelain factory)
www.isola.com

Porsgrunn public library
{{Authority control Municipalities of Vestfold og Telemark Cities and towns in Norway Port cities and towns in Norway Port cities and towns of the North Sea