Sandefjord BK Players

Sandefjord () is a city and the most populous municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838. The municipality of Sandar was merged into Sandefjord on 1 January 1969. On 1 January 2017, rural municipalities of Andebu and Stokke were merged into Sandefjord as part of a nationwide municipal reform. This merger was the first one to take place during the reform.

The city is known for its rich Viking history and the prosperous whaling industry, which made Sandefjord the richest city in Norway.Porter, Darwin and Danforth Prince (2003). ''Frommer's Norway''. Wiley. p. 158. . Today, it has built up the third-largest merchant fleet in Norway. It is home to Europe's only museum dedicated to whaling, and is home to Gokstad Mound where the 9th century Gokstad Ship was discovered.

Sandefjord has numerous nicknames, including the Viking, Whaling "capital" of Norway or as the undisputed summer city of Norway. The city is also known as the "whaling capital of the world."Engel, Lyle Kenyon (1963). ''Scandinavia: A Simon & Schuster Travel Guide''. Cornerstone Library. p. 145.Ryder, Simon and Cameron Duffy (2018). ''Insight Guides Norway''. Insight Guides. p. 163. .Alspaugh, Emmanuelle (2006). ''Fodor's Norway''. Fodor's Travel Publications. p. 73. .Bertelsen, Hans Kristian (1985). ''Sandefjord: A modern city with vast potential''. Grafisk Studio. p. 81. . It has also been dubbed the "Bathing City" (Badebyen), due to its many beaches and former resort spas.Alspaugh, Emmanuelle (2006). ''Fodor's Norway''. Fodor's Travel Publications. pp. F-7, 73. . It is still considered a resort town, due to high numbers of visitors during summer months.Berman, Martha (1995). ''Fielding's Scandinavia''. Fielding Worldwide. p. 240. .

Sandefjord has become a transportation hub, home of Torp International Airport, one of Norway's largest airports. Daily ferry connections to Sweden are provided by ''Fjord Line'' and '' Color Line'' from the city harbor. European Route E18, one of Norway's most important roads, traverses the municipality.

Sandefjord is a stronghold for the Conservative Party; the Conservative coalition received over 70 percent of votes cast in 2011. Current mayor is Bjørn Ole Gleditsch from the Conservative Party, who has been mayor since 2004.

General information

Etymology

The name Sandefjord, which dates to 1200 A.D., originates from the ancient farm name ''Sandar''.Tore, Sandberg and Cato Arveschoug (2001). ''Sandefjord zoomet inn av fotograf Tore Sandberg''. C. Arveschoug and Magne Helland. p. 6. . The first element is the genitive case of the name of the parish and former municipality of Sandar. The name Sandar derives from the Old Norse term "sandar", which is the plural form of "sandr", translating to 'stretch of sand' (sandstrekning).

The name Sandefjord was first mentioned in chapter 169 of ''Sverris saga'' from the year 1200. It was then referring to the fjord which is now known as ''Sandefjordsfjord''.

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms dates from modern times, having been granted on 9 May 1914.Davidsen, Roger (2008). ''Et Sted i Sandefjord''. Sandar Historielag. p. 296. . The Viking ship symbolizes the famous Gokstad ship, which was found in Sandefjord in 1880, one of the best preserved Viking ships known. The whale symbolizes that in the late 19th and early 20th century, Sandefjord was a main home port for whalers operating in the southern oceans.

On 1 January 2017, Sandefjord received a new coat of arm after the merge with Andebu- and Stokke municipalities. The arms has the title: Courage and Strength, and is created in black and gold. The arms was designed by Erik Raastad from Sandefjord, with minor modification by the heraldic expert Jan Eide from Oslo. The decision to get a new coat of arms was made by the merger committee in Andebu on 24 May 2016.

History

Viking history

Sandefjord has been inhabited for thousands of years. Excavations indicate that people have inhabited Sandefjord for around 3,000 years. Rock carvings at Haugen farm by Istrehågan in Jåberg are dated to 1,500–500 BCE. Haugen farm is home to Vestfold County's largest petroglyph site.Børresen, Svein E. (2004). ''Vestfoldboka: en reise i kultur og natur''. Skagerrak forl. p. 38. . In 1961-1962, 78 rock carvings were discovered at the site. They consist of ships, spiral figures, circular hollows, and much more.

The Vikings lived in Sandefjord and surrounding areas about 1,000 years ago, and numerous Viking artifacts and monuments can be found in Sandefjord. One of the most important remains from the Viking Age was found at the grave site '' Gokstadhaugen'' (Gokstad Mound) in Sandefjord. The Gokstad ship was excavated by Nicolay Nicolaysen. The ''Viking'', an exact replica of the Gokstad ship, crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Bergen to be exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. A replica of the Gokstad ship, called ''Gaia'', currently has Sandefjord as home port. Other known replicas include the ''Munin'', (a half scale replica) located in Vancouver, Canada.

The Gokstad Ship, Norway's largest preserved Viking ship, was discovered during an excavation at Gokstad Mound in 1880. The Vikings first settled here due to its speedy route from Sandefjord and along the coast. Viking settlements and grave sites have been discovered in Sandefjord.

Sandefjord functioned as a seaport defined by the twin industries of shipping and shipbuilding throughout the 1600s and 1700s. It was formally recognized as a market town by King Oscar in 1845. Its population at the time was 749 residents.

Health resort

The city became known as a world-renowned health resort destination between 1837 and 1939. Royalty and Prime Ministers from throughout Europe visited the town for its spas in the late 1800s. The city gained its reputation as a health- and pleasure community when Sandefjord sulfur spa and resort ("Sandefjord Kurbad") was established in 1837. It was the first spa in town and functioned as a medical institution focusing on the treatment of symptoms for rheumatic diseases. The original bathhouse has been restored and is now a culture house by the city center. It was one of Europe's most visited baths until its closure in 1939.

Around 50,000 people, mostly Norwegians, visited the bath from 1837 to 1939. Majority of spa visitors were from Norway, but international guests from Germany, Britain and the United States also visited the spas of Sandefjord. Today the bath's building, '' Kurbadet'', has been restored and hosts cultural events and various annual activities.

Town fires

Sandefjord has experienced numerous town fires, including a town fire in 1800 which led to most of the town burning down and subsequently having to be rebuilt. An additional fire in 1900 destroyed 56 houses and caused major damage. Sandefjord's most important capital, its ships, and the shipping industry, remained untouched from the major fire of March 1900. The fire, which started on the night before March 16, 1900, led to the entire city center burning down, including important business offices. Both newspapers in town, ''Sandefjords Blad'' and ''Vestfold'', saw their offices burnt down. Six jewelry stores, three watchmakers, eight grocery stores, and a variety of other shops were destroyed. The fire started in the factory ''Nordmannen''. The fire caused the loss of 51 buildings for a total value of NOK 1.5 million in addition to NOK 1 million in loss of store items. Sandefjord Church from 1872 also burnt down during the town fire of 1900.Davidsen, Roger (2008). ''Et sted i Sandefjord: lokalhistorisk stedsnavnsleksikon''. Sandar historielag. Page 330. ISBN 9788299456753.

A new town fire March 27 and 28 in 1915 led to the death of two people and destroyed seven farms. Large parts of the street Storgata were also destroyed.

Whaling and ships

Sandefjord is perhaps best known as a whaling community. The centre of the world's modern whaling industry was located in town, and Sandefjordians not only made up practically all the crew on the Norwegian whaling fleet, but substantial numbers of Sandefjordians also worked within the whaling industry in nearby countries. For over fifty years in the late 1800s, Sandefjord functioned as the world center for the whaling industry, including the manufacture and equipment of whaling vessels, floating factories, and whale-catchers. The city has also been named the "whaling capital of the world." 25 whaling companies were established in Sandefjord between 1905 and 1914.Schandy, Tom and Tom Helgesen (2012). ''Naturperler i Vestfold''. Forlaget Tom & Tom v/Schandy. Page 170. . During the 1911/12 season, Sandefjord had 27 whaling companies with a total of 115 vessels. This made up over 30 percent of the world's whaling firms.

From 1850, a number of ships from Sandefjord were whaling and sealing in the Arctic Ocean and along the coast of Finnmark. The first whaling expedition from Sandefjord to the Antarctic Ocean was sent in 1905. Towards the end of the 1920s, Sandefjord had a fleet of 15 factory ships and more than 90 whalers. In 1954, more than 2,800 men from the district were hired as crew on the whalers, but from the mid-1950s whaling was gradually reduced. The number of southbound expeditions rapidly decreased during the 1960s, and the 1967/68 season became the last for Sandefjord. In 1971, the city’s last whale processing vessel was sold to Japan. The shipping industry was gradually readjusted from whaling to other ship types during this period. The local Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted and Jotun Group Private Ltd. had major roles in this business.

Today, the memories of this important period of the city's history are kept alive at the Whaling Museum (''Hvalfangstmuseet''). This museum is the only museum in Europe specializing in whales and the history of whaling. The history of the whalers can also be explored at the Museum's Wharf with a visit aboard the whale-catcher ''Southern Actor''. Whaling is considered to be the industry which made Sandefjord the richest city in Norway.

Sandefjord also has shipping traditions of tall sailing ships and steam ships. The full-rigged sailing ship ''Christian Radich'', three-masted barquentine ''Endurance'', whale catcher ''Jason'' and Viking ship replica ''Viking'' were some of the many ships built by Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted.

Hans Albert Grøn of Sandefjord established the first whaling station in the Faroe Islands in 1894, which was located at Gjánoyri on the island of Streymoy. As of 1903, half of all whaling companies in the Faroe Islands were operated out of Sandefjord. Furthermore, Sandefjord was the headquarters of the South African Whaling Company (SAWC), which was established in 1908 and managed by shipowner Johan Bryde of Sandefjord. Sandefjordian whaling firms were also established on the coast of Africa, in Portugal, Mexico, Western Australia, among other places.

Antarctic expeditions

Towards the beginning of World War I, Norwegian whaling spread throughout the world, most and foremost from Sandefjord. Expeditions from Sandefjord went as far as Norwegian Bay in Australia, Stewart Island in New Zealand, Walvis Bay in Namibia, Corral, Chile, and also isolated places such as Kerguelen Islands, South Georgia Island, Bouvet Island, and the Southern Ocean.

In the 1910s, affluent Sandefjordian August F. Christensen was given a grant to practice whaling outside Peru and Ecuador. He was also appointed Ecuador's consul to Norway. He achieved an agreement with Ecuadorian government officials which allowed Norwegians to inhabit the Galápagos Islands, and also receive 200 hectares of land, pay no taxes for ten years, and be allowed to keep their Norwegian citizenship. Christensen created huge local interest of Galápagos, and the local company '' La Colonia de Floreana A/S'' was established on 21 March 1925. Its main goal was to exploit the Norwegian fishing rights at the Galápagos Islands. A ship named ''Floreana'' departed from Sandefjord on 15 May 1925, equipped with enough men and goods to establish a colony.

On 16 November 1904, Carl Anton Larsen of Sandefjord established the whaling community of Grytviken, the largest settlement in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. South Georgia Island lies a few thousand kilometers east of Cape Horn.

Nils Larsen (1900–76) was a sea captain from Sandefjord, famous for his expeditions of Antarctica in the early 20th century. It was under his expeditions that Norway achieved annexation of Bouvet Island in 1927 and Peter I Island two years after. A cove on Antarctica's Peter I Island is named Sandefjord Cove in honor of Larsen's hometown. Sandefjord Ice Bay in continental Antarctica is also named after Sandefjord. Mount Nils Larsen in Queen Maud Land, Mount Nils in Enderby Land and Nils Larsen Glacier are examples of many geographical names given in honor of Nils Larsen.

World War II

A week after Operation Weserübung, German forces entered Sandefjord on April 16, 1940. 30-40 men arrived in semi-trucks from Horten under the leadership of Erik von Drydalski. After handing their directives to Sandefjord police chief Kjartan Bruun Hansen, the men left for Hotel Atlantic, where they established their headquarters in the city. German troops in the city soon rose to 200. At the beginning of the German occupation of Norway, a German ''Hafenkapitän'' (harbormaster) was placed at Tollboden, and a representative for Admiral Norwegen was placed in an office building at Framnes verft. German soldiers could be seen marching throughout the city. At the beginning of the occupation, over 2,000 German officers visited ''Socitetsbygningen'' (today's Park Hotel), which belonged to Sandefjord Spa. The Nazi flag was waving over the building during the visit. Norwegian students were told to learn the German language, and handed out a book, '' Deutsche Fibel''. They were also given a copy of Adolf Hitler's book ''Mein Kampf'' translated into the Norwegian language.

German forces constructed two coastal forts in Sandefjord, located at the southern tips of both West- and East Islands. The largest German construction in Sandefjord took place at Folehavna, where a fortress was erected in the spring of 1941. Four cannons with a target range of 14 kilometers were installed at the site, along with a 120-meter tunnel. The four 15 cm cannons were installed in concrete gun pits on the sloping rocks. German construction also took place by Goksjø Lake, and also at Jernbaneallén, where a former garage structure was turned into a prison camp.

Many Sandefjordians were killed during World War II, including a number of seamen. Håkon Andersen of Framnes was killed onboard ''Arcturus'' when the ship was attacked by British Beaufighters. Albert K. J. Skålsvik (1921–1944) of Krokemoa, a member of the Norwegian Homefleet ("Hjemmeflåten"), was 18 years when the war broke out. Skålsvik was killed, along with the captain, when the ship ''DS Kong Bjørn'' was attacked by allied warplanes by Ryvingen Lighthouse in 1944. He is now commemorated at the Hall of Remembrance in Stavern (Larvik). Skålsvik's younger brother, Bernard, was also a part of the Homefleet and was killed at age 17 in 1945.Holskjær, Lars (2017). ''Kamper uten tall''. Forlagshuset i Vestfold. p. 192. .

Radios were illegal, and Sandefjordians such as Henry Melby of Gokstad was arrested for having a radio in 1942. He was incarcerated at the tanker ''Inger Johanne'', which was attacked by allied warplanes in 1944, killing 15 people, including Henry Melby.

In the fall of 1941, German occupation forces replaced Sandefjord's city manager Finn Sandberg with NS-member Frithjof Holtedahl who was soon appointed mayor. Sandar received its NS mayor in November 1941, Ole Kristian Holtan.Olstad, Finn (1997). ''Sandefjords historie. B. 2: En vanlig småby?'' Sandefjord kommune. Page 119. ISBN 8299379725. Olaf Bøe from Nasjonal Samling was appointed editor for Sandefjords Presse by Anders Beggerud in 1944.

Following World War II, Norway became one of the founding members of NATO and several air bases were constructed in Norway using NATO funds. One of these was Sandefjord Airport Torp, which was to be used by the United States Air Force in case of war. Construction began in 1953 and was completed in July 1956.

SAS merge

The municipalities of Sandefjord (S), Andebu (A) and Stokke (S) merged on 1 January 2017. The merge was the first of numerous nationwide merges following a municipal reform by the Solberg Cabinet. The "new" municipality is 425.47 km², including freshwater lakes and rivers. It is 11th most populated municipality in Norway, and the most populous in Vestfold County.Larsen, Erlend (2016). ''Tre kommuner blir til én''. Erlend Larsen Forlag. pp. 13 and 171. . Proposed names for the "new" municipality were Gokstad, Sandar and Torp Airport, Torp, however, the name ''Sandefjord'' was ultimately kept.

A poll conducted by ''Sandefjords blad'' in January 2015 called 600 residents in Andebu, 750 in Stokke, and 1,000 in Sandefjord. All were given the question "Do you think Stokke, Andebu, and Sandefjord should establish one single municipality?". 69% of Sandefjord residents answered "yes", while 64% (Andebu) and 61% (Stokke) answered "yes" in Stokke and Andebu.

Few Stokke residents read ''Sandefjords Blad'', the main newspaper of Sandefjord, and relatively few residents commute to Sandefjord proper for work. However, Sandefjord's wealth and its international airport have been seen as key factors as to why Stokke residents decided to merge. 77.8 percent of Stokke residents ultimately voted to merge into Sandefjord during the September 2015 elections.

Historical population

The city experienced a 98.6 percent population growth from 1875 to 1900. Even not including Sandar's merge into Sandefjord in 1888, this population increase was substantially higher than most Norwegian cities. Sandar experienced the largest population growth of any Norwegian town, and over twice the growth of other towns in Vestfold County.

From 1875 to 1900, the disposable income of Sandefjordians increased by over 200 percent. Total assets in local banks also increased, and in 1895–1900, total assets went from 0.6 to 1.9 million in Aktiekreditbanken and from 1.1 million to 1.3 million in Sandefjords Sparebank. Even after whaling lost its importance, Sandefjord remained Norway's richest city, and from 1913 to 1917, the median income increased by over 350 percent.

Geography

Sandefjord is a coastal city on the western shore of the Oslo Fjord. It can be described as a suburb of Oslo, situated southwest of the capital.Bertelsen, Hans Kristian (1985). ''Sandefjord: A modern city with vast potential''. Grafisk Studio. p. 4. . It is the largest city in Vestfold og Telemark County. Its 93-mile long coastline has various beaches and sheltered coves, and several forests are also within city limits. The two headland, peninsulas called Østerøya ("East Island") and Vesterøya ("West Island") contribute to a total coastline of , and form the Sandefjordsfjord and Mefjord. The coastline offers a wide variety of sandy beaches, skerry, skerries, and islets (116 in total), along with bays and sloping rocks. Forested areas are often laced with paths and lighted for trails for summer hikes and winter skiing. Of Sandefjord's total area, (31%) is agricultural and (26%) is forest. 2 percent is made up of lakes and rivers. Neighbouring towns are Tønsberg and Larvik.

124-116 islands are within city limits. Small island bays give shelter for overnight campers, and many islets have relatively accessible beaches. Sandefjord is home to several peninsulas, including Vesterøya, West Island (12 km²), Østerøya, East Island (8 km²), Engø (1 km²), Marøy, and Årø. Langø (Sandefjord), Langøya (Langø) is the largest island at 0.55 km², while other islands include Ravnø (0.40 km²), Skogøy/Storøya (0.25 km²), Natholmen (0.2 km²), Storholmen (0.13 km²), Ormestadholmen (0.1 km²), Grindholmen (0.08 km²), and Granholmen (12 acres). Despite its location in-between Flautangen and Lindholmen (Tjøme) in the Tønsbergfjord, the archipelago of Stauper belongs to Sandefjord. It consists of ten large islands and a number of smaller skerries and islets.

There were two natural lakes in Sandefjord prior to the 2017 merge: Goksjø, which is the third-largest in Vestfold County, and the smaller Napperødtjern (). Napperødtjern lies a few hundred meters north of Goksjø and is a nature preserve surrounded by swamp forests and wetland. Artificial ponds include Bugårdsparken, Bugårdsdammen, Brydedammen, Virikdammen, Kroksjø, Veradammen, Svarttjern, and others. Local wildlife such as moose, deer, and avifauna can often be observed near freshwater lakes and rivers.

Sandefjord has four fjords: Sandefjordsfjord, Lahellefjord, Mefjord, and Tønsbergfjord, which it shares with neighboring Tønsberg.

The highest point in the municipality is Brånafjell at , which lies northwest of Høyjord. Hjertås at above sea level is the highest point in the city of Sandefjord. From the peak are surrounding views of the Oslofjord, Vealøs by Skien, Skrim and Torp Airport, Torp.

Climate

Climate of Norway, The climate of the entirety of Norway is extremely affected by the Gulf Stream. Were it not for the warming effects of the Gulf Stream, coastal cities by Oslo Fjord would be up to 4 °C (7 °F) colder. This means that the climate, the summers especially, are warmer than in other regions at the same latitude, i.e. the State of Alaska or Siberia. Sandefjord has a higher latitude than Juneau, Alaska; Sandefjord is at 59°08′N, while the capital of Alaska is at 58°18′N. Sandefjord experiences more sun than any other Norwegian city during the summer months.

Warm breezes from Skagerrak cause a mild climate, and Sandefjord experiences the highest annual number of cloud-free days in Norway. The climate is relatively mild for its latitude. Fields become green in early May, but the air remains slightly cold. The summer seldom begins before the end of May, when temperatures often rapidly increase. The whole month of June and most of July experience little darkness during night and songbirds are silent for only 2–3 hours at most.Ebbesen, Jorgen Tandberg (2018). ''The Sulphureous Bath at Sandefjord in Norway''. Sagwan Press. p. 6. . July is the warmest month of the year in Sandefjord when temperatures often rise above .

Sandefjord has a relatively humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification, Dfb) with warm summers, no dry season, and relatively much precipitation year long. During the colder season, which is from the end of November until early March, there is a 56 percent average chance that precipitation will be observed during a given day. The likelihood of snow falling is highest in late January and the season in which it is likely to snowfall spans from early November until early April. The coldest day of the year in Sandefjord is 4 February, with an average low temperature of and average high of only .

Villages

Sandefjord Municipality consists of Sandefjord proper and an additional six villages:
* Stokke (2016 pop. 3,391)
* Andebu (pop. 2,160)
* Melsomvik (pop. 2,076)
* Kodal (pop. 1,002)
* Fossnes (pop. 519)
* Høyjord (pop. 316)

A small part of Sandefjord – Himberg (Sandefjord), the Himberg farm – is lying as an exclave inside the borders of the municipality of Larvik. All efforts at annexing Himberg into surrounding Larvik have been met with massive protests from local residents. A 1995 annexation attempt was ultimately canceled due to large protests from Himberg residents. Himberg is a rural agricultural community consisting of no more than ten households. There are only four similar exclaves in Norway, and Himberg (Sandefjord), Himberg is the most populous exclave in the nation, with a population of around 40. It is .

Townscape

Whaler's Monument, a Sandefjord trademark, is located at the end of the city's main street, Jernbanealléen, in the harbour area. Nearby are the oceanfront restaurants ''Kokeriet'' and ''La Scala'', two of the relatively few places where whale meat is regularly served. The Sandefjord Station, Train- and nearby bus stations are approximately up Jernbanealléen from the waterfront.Lee, Phil and Jules Brown (2003). ''The Rough Guide to Norway''. Rough Guides. p. 129. . The main commercial areas are found on Jernbanealléen (main street), Storgata, Kongensgate and Hvaltorvet Shopping Centre.

Sandefjord has a city centre, consisting of a mixture of old and modern buildings and a selection of shops. It has a good selection of restaurants and cafés. According to the renowned restaurant guide, ''Salt & Pepper,'' Sandefjord holds what is possibly Norway's best gourmet restaurant which is located in a modern building near the harbour, known as ''Brygga11'', run by Bocuse d'Or winner Geir Skeie.Gjerseth, Simen (2016). ''Nye Sandefjord''. Liv forlag. Page 329. . Other restaurants include ''Chili'', ''Kismat'', ''Restaurant La Scala'', ''Peppes Pizza'', ''Kokeriet'', ''Zorba'', ''Lady og Landstryker'n'', and others. Also located at the harbour, is the fishmonger well known for the quality of its goods and delicacies, including freshly caught shrimp, crab and fish. The fishmonger, known as ''Brødrene Berggren'', was established in 1911 and is among the oldest in Norway. It processed 1,000 tons of fish and shellfish per year as of year 2000.

In the Bakgaarden (backyard) area are numerous cafés, boutiques, and art shops, as well as occasional summer concerts. Restaurants are found throughout the city and offer local specialties such as smoked salmon, dry-cured salmon, moose, reindeer, grouse, and deer. ''Sandar Haandverksbryggeri'' is a popular microbrewery, while wine tastings are offered at ''SMAK Winebar''. Bars include ''Draaben Bar'', ''James Clark Pub'', ''Brygga Bar'', and ''Pir 4''.

Street names are named for notable women in the Krokemoa area, such as Lauras vei (named for Laura Konstanse Jensen in 1993), planets (Mosserød), bird species (Lystad), plant species (Unneberg), rock species (Nygård), insects (Gjekstad), and Norse mythology (Breidablikk), which has streets named for Freyja, Odin, Thor, Týr, Baldr, Frigg, Mjölnir, Bragi, Urðr, Loki, Þrymr, Jötunheimr, and various Norse gods. Streets are also named for notable people with ties to the city, including Wilhelm Wetlesen, Johan Bryde, Carl Anton Larsen, Christen Christensen (shipowner), Christen Christensen, Jørgen Tandberg Ebbesen, Heinrich Arnold Thaulow, Nils Vibe Stockfleth, Peter Hersleb Harboe Castberg, Magnus Brostrup Landstad, and others.

Architecture

Sandefjord's architecture varies from smaller tree homes to large modern complexes. Sandefjord is one of few Art Nouveau towns in Norway; it is the town with the second-most Art Nouveau buildings in Norway. The major town fires of 1882, 1900 and 1915 devastated much of town and paved the way for new architecture. While neighboring towns mostly consist of wooden clapboard houses, Sandefjord is home to pastel-painted fronts, spires, turrets, and gargoyles. Jugend style structures include Saint John the Baptist's Church, Sandefjord, Saint John the Baptist's Church, Privatbanken, Gunilla's (''Kongens gate 18''), and an award-receiving 1915 structure at ''Stockfleths gate 9''. Noble examples are also found at Christopher Hvidts Plass, including the bakery Ivar Halvorsen (built in 1900) and the former Methodist Church (1918).Tore, Sandberg and Cato Arveschoug (2001). ''Sandefjord zoomet inn av fotograf Tore Sandberg''. C. Arveschoug and Magne Helland. p. 147. .

Certain parts were left untouched by the town fires, including the street known as Bjerggata. Bjerggata is the oldest or one of the oldest parts of Sandefjord. It consists mostly of white wooden homes and is an indicator of how Sandefjord looked until the 1950s.Lee, Phil (2012). ''The Rough Guide To Norway''. Rough Guides. p. 118. .Davidsen, Roger (2008). ''Et Sted i Sandefjord''. Sandar Historielag. pp. 304–305. . Most of the homes at Bjerggata are dated to the early 1800s.

Other architecture includes the Viking-inspired dragon style complex from 1899, which housed Sandefjord Spa.Bertelsen, Hans Kristian (1985). ''Sandefjord: A modern city with vast potential''. Grafisk Studio. p. 51. . It is one of Scandinavia's largest wooden buildings.

Politics and government

Sandefjord is a stronghold for the Conservative Party. In the 2011 Norwegian local elections, Norwegian local elections of 2011, 47.9% of voters voted for the Conservative Party. The right-wing parties received a total of 70.4% of the vote in Sandefjord, compared to 51.2% nationwide. The current mayor, Bjørn Ole Gleditsch, was elected in 2004 with the support of the Progress Party (Norway), Progress Party. Gleditsch is the wealthiest mayor to ever be elected in Norway. Cathrine Andersen from the Progress Party has been deputy mayor since 2015.

Municipal council

The Municipal council (Norway), municipal council of Sandefjord is made up of 57 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. Each representative from Sandefjord proper is represented by 1,160 inhabitants, representatives from Stokke by 1,045, and Andebu by 837 residents per municipal council member.

The party breakdown as of 2017 is:

Demographics

According to Statistics Norway in 2017, the municipality is home to 62,622 residents. There were 2,797 vacation homes in Sandefjord as of 2018, and 2,19 people per housing unit. 69.2% are members of Church of Norway, 18% are unaffiliated and 12.8% are members of other religious communities. In addition to State Churches, the city also houses various minor congregations, including an Adventist- and Methodist Church.

Religious minorities with congregations in town include Pentecostals (Salem), Catholics (Saint John the Baptist's Church, Sandefjord, St. Johannes Døperen), Methodists (Metodistkirken), Seventh-day Adventists (Adventkirken), Baptists (Baptistkirken), Norwegian Lutheran Mission (Den lille gren), Jehovas Witnesses (Rikets Sal) and Muslims (Alkawther Islam Center and Sandefjord Islamic Center). Baptists first established a congregation in town in the 1880s and Methodists in the 1890s.

Brunstad Christian Church (Smith's Friends) is an evangelical non-denominational church which was established in neighboring Horten in 1905. Brunstad Conference Center is the denomination's headquarters and is located in Stokke. It is the only worldwide denomination which was established in Norway.

The largest minority groups in 2017 (first- and second generation immigrants) are Lithuanians (1.95%), Polish (1.93%), Iraqis (1.24%), Vietnamese (0.80%), Germans (0.71%), Swedes (0.69%), Kosovans (0.67%), Bosnians (0.64%), and Danes (0.51%).

Sandefjord has a high population density of 339 people per square kilometre. The population density is particularly high in Sandefjord proper, and between European route E18, E18 and the coast, the city has an equivalent population density to that of the Netherlands. The population increases significantly during summer months due to tourism.

After the merge with Stokke and Andebu in 2017, Sandefjord has a population of over 63,000. This makes Sandefjord to the 11th most populous municipality in Norway. It is the most populous city in Vestfold County; One in four people from Vestfold County are from Sandefjord, or 25.2 percent of the county population.

Economy

Sandefjord is the wealthiest city in Norway. Important industries in Sandefjord are information technology, chemical production, tourism, navigation, ship building and fishing. It is home to the international airport Sandefjord Airport Torp, Torp Airport, paint producer Jotun (company), Jotun, the brewery Grans Brewery, Grans Bryggeri, the chocolate factory Hval Sjokoladefabrikk, and the engineering company Ramboll Oil & Gas. High-tech and information technology have become important industries in recent times, represented by some of Norway's largest web shops: Komplett, mpx.no, and netshop.no.

The largest employer, besides the city itself, is Jotun (company), Jotun, which was established in Sandefjord in 1926. Jotun is now one of the world's largest manufacturers of paints and coating products. As of February 2017, Jotun has a presence in over 100 countries and employed 9,500 employees worldwide. The Jotun Group operates four divisions, while its head office is located in Sandefjord. As of 2016, Jotun had 9,800 employees including one thousand employees within Norway. It operated 37 factories in 21 countries and is represented in 120 countries through distributors, offices, and agents. It is owned by the Bjørn Ole Gleditsch, Gleditsch family and Orkla ASA.

While Jotun by far is the largest company in Vestfold County, the second-biggest company is Komplett. A web shop operating in all of Scandinavia, Komplett had a 7.3 billion Norwegian krone, NOK revenue in 2015 and had 800 employees.

Sandefjord had Norway's most expensive seaside vacation homes as of 2011, with an average price of 7.2 million crowns. General property values in Sandefjord appreciated 25.7 percent between 2010 and 2015.

Largest companies in Sandefjord based on operating income in 2015:

Tourism

Sandefjord is dubbed a resort town due to its many summer visitors. Sandefjord is also nicknamed the "Bathing City" due to its many beaches, islands and minor archipelagos. Beaches such as Vøra and nearby Langeby on Vesterøya, West Island attract summer visitors from Oslo and other larger Norwegian cities. Sandefjord became a bathing destination when sulphur was discovered in waters and gyttja in 1837.

Sandefjord is home to over two thousand vacation homes, most of which are built along the seaside. Sandefjord had Norway's most expensive vacation homes as of 2012; the mean vacation home price was 7.1 million crowns in 2012.

The city of Sandefjord may be best known for its bathing and many beaches.Alspaugh, Emmanuelle (2006). ''Fodor's Norway''. Fodor's Travel Publications. p. 74. . It is first and foremost known as a summer community. The city lies on a low, slightly inclined Shore, strand, protected on three sides by hills, and only open towards the south where the Sandefjordsfjord is located. It is known for its great bathing and pure sea water quality. It has a country-like appearance with clean streets and quaint roads. The city is dependent on the bathing establishment during the summer season when many tourists arrive in Sandefjord. The bathing season in Sandefjord generally begins on 1 June, while it ends on the last day of August.

Visitors to Sandefjord Spa in the 19th century were the city's first tourists, and made Sandefjord into a popular holiday destination.Tollnes, Ivar and Olaf Akselsen (1994). ''Sandefjord: Den lille storbyen''. Sandefjords blad. p. 140. . The city's fame as a seaside mecca dates back to 1837, when sulphur springs first were discovered in town. Sandefjord has been nicknamed "Eastern Norway's vacation paradise." A majority of current tourists and vacation homeowners are from the capital of Oslo.

Sandefjord is home to four hotels: Scandic Park Hotel, Hotel Kong Carl, Torp Hotel, and Clarion Collection Hotel Atlantic.

Culture

The 9th century Gokstad Ship was discovered in Sandefjord during an 1880 excavation led by Nicolay Nicolaysen

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