Sarpsborg ( or ), historically Borg, 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 ...

Viken Viken may refer to: *Viken, Scandinavia, a historical region *Viken (county), a Norwegian county established in 2020 *Viken, Sweden, a bimunicipal locality in Skåne County, Sweden *Viken (lake), a lake in Sweden, part of the part of the Göta cana ...

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 ...

. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg. Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neighbouring

Fredrikstad Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a city and municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad. The city of Fredrikstad was founded in 15 ...

. As of 1 January 2018, according to

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 ...

these two municipalities have a total population of 136,127 with 55,840 in Sarpsborg and 81,278 in Fredrikstad.

Borregaard Borregaard is a Norwegian company, established in 1889 in the southeastern town of Sarpsborg in Østfold county. Its main products were traditionally pulp and paper. The company later started producing chemicals based on timber as a raw materi ...

Industries is, and always has been, the most important industry in the city. The city is also the home of

Borg Bryggerier Borg Bryggerier was formerly an independent brewery based in the city of Sarpsborg, Norway. Borg Bryggerier was founded in 1855 under the name Lande Gaard og Bryggeri by merchant Hans Hafslund. In 1905, the Egenæss family acquired the brewery. ...

, part of the Hansa Borg Bryggerier, which is Norway's second largest

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of be ...

-group.

General information

Name

In Norse times the city was just called ''Borg'' (from ''borg'' which means "

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

"). The background for this was the

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

built by Olav Haraldsson (see History section). Later the

genitive case In grammar, the genitive case (abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can al ...

of the name of the

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

''Sarpr'' (

Sarp Falls Sarp Falls ( no, Sarpefossen or ') is a waterfall at Sarpsborg in Viken, Norway. It is the second largest waterfall in Europe by discharge, after the Rhine Falls. This is the last waterfall on the Glomma River, which is the longest river in Norwa ...

) was added, it's unclear how Sarpsborg received this part of its name, two interpretations are the most prevalent. The first coming from the Icelandic word ''Sarpr'' which means

birdcage A birdcage (or bird cage) is a cage (enclosure), cage designed to house birds as pets. Antique (or antique-style) birdcages are often popular as collectors' items or as household decor but most are not suitable for housing live birds, being too ...

in English. The other interpretation is that ''Sarpr'' means "the one who swallows", probably referring to the local waterfall. In Norse times Østfold county was called ''Borgarsýsla'' which means "the county (sýsla) of Borg" and the law district of southeast Norway was called ''Borgarþing'' meaning "the

thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...

/court of Borg". The old name has been revived in the diocese of Borg (1968) and

Borgarting Court of Appeal The Borgarting Court of Appeal ( no, Borgarting lagmannsrett) is one of six intermediate courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Oslo. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Oslo and western Viken. ...

(1995).

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 and was granted on 13 November 1991. It is based on a coat of arms dating from 1556 and shows a bear above a castle. The bear was introduced as early as some time in the 13th century, by the

earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

of Sarpsborg ''(Comes de Saresburgh)'',

Alv Erlingsson Alv Erlingsson (''Alv Erlingsson den yngre'', died 1290) was a Norwegian nobleman, earl of Sarpsborg and governor of Borgarsyssel. Alv Erlingsson was born at Tanberg in Norderhov, Buskerud. Alv Erlingsson was the son of Erling Alvsson of Tanbe ...

. He used the bear to symbolise his strength. The castle symbolises the fortress (borg) that gave the city its original name.

History

The city was founded as ''Borg'' by the Viking King Olav Haraldsson (Saint Olaf) in 1016. It was burned to the ground by Swedish invaders in 1567 during the

Northern Seven Years' War The Northern Seven Years' War (also known as the ''Nordic Seven Years' War'', the ''First Northern War'' or the ''Seven Years War in Scandinavia'') was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden and a coalition of Denmark–Norway, Lübeck, and Polan ...

. Half the population was evacuated down the river to what is today known as Fredrikstad, about downstream. Much of the rebuilt town disappeared into the river

Glomma The Glomma, or Glåma, is Norway's longest and most voluminous river. With a total length of , it has a drainage basin that covers fully 13% of Norway's surface area, all in the southern part of the country. Geography At its fullest length, the ...

during a 1702

mudslide A mudflow or mud flow is a form of mass wasting involving fast-moving flow of debris that has become liquified by the addition of water. Such flows can move at speeds ranging from 3 meters/minute to 5 meters/second. Mudflows contain a significa ...

. Again Borg was rebuilt, and it was recreated as a city in 1839, and separated from Tune as a municipality of its own. The rural municipalities of Tune,

Skjeberg Skjeberg is a district of Sarpsborg, Østfold County, Norway. Skjeberg was formerly a municipality in Østfold County. The last administrative centre was at Borgenhaugen. As of 2018, Skjeberg has a population of 1,397. The parish of Skjeberg ...

, and Varteig were merged with the city on 1 January 1992. The population is steadily growing, and during the summer of 2005 it reached 50,000 inhabitants. In 2016 the town celebrated its 1,000th anniversary, and the entire year was commemorated by a special programme that encouraged historic preservation within the town. Historically, the sawmill and timber shipping industry has been Sarpsborg's most important sources of income, however since the

industrialisation Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...

in Norway, more specifically Sarpsborg and the establishment of local manufacturing businesses during the late 1800s, the biggest being

, Sarpsborg has changed from its traditional timber-based economy and

pre-industrial society Pre-industrial society refers to social attributes and forums of political and cultural organization that were prevalent before the advent of the Industrial Revolution, which occurred from 1750 to 1850. ''Pre-industrial'' refers to a time before ...

to a more manufacturing and refining-based economy and

industrial society In sociology, industrial society is a society driven by the use of technology and machinery to enable mass production, supporting a large population with a high capacity for division of labour. Such a structure developed in the Western world i ...

. In modern times Sarpsborg has moved away from being a city based on the local manufacturing and refining industry, with only around ten percent employed within the local manufacturing industry, coinciding with Norway's general shift towards a

post-industrial society In sociology, the post-industrial society is the stage of society's development when the service sector generates more wealth than the manufacturing sector of the economy. The term was originated by Alain Touraine and is closely related to si ...

. Despite this, the city is still widely regarded by Norwegians both unofficially and officially, to be an industrial city.

City districts

Sport

During the 1950s and 1960s, Sarpsborg was famous for its

football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

team,

Sarpsborg FK Sarpsborg Fotballklubb is a Norwegian football club from Sarpsborg, Viken. It was founded on 8 May 1903. Sarpsborg is one of the most successful teams in the Norwegian Football Cup, with six titles and twelve finals in total. In 2007, the club m ...

, but is now more known for its

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

team,

Sparta Warriors Ishockeyklubben Sparta Sarpsborg, commonly referred to as the Sparta Warriors, is a Norwegian ice hockey team based in Sarpsborg, Norway. They currently play in the GET League. They play their home games in the Sparta Amfi arena and is Norway's ...

. In football,

Sarpsborg 08 FF Sarpsborg 08 Fotballforening, commonly known as Sarpsborg 08 or simply Sarpsborg (), is a Norwegian football club based in Sarpsborg, playing in Eliteserien. Sarpsborg 08 and its predecessors played in 1. divisjon from 2005 to 2010. In 2010, the ...

has taken over the local throne, currently playing at the highest national level. On 6 November 2009, they sent arch-rival FFK down from the top division in a play-off game in

Fredrikstad stadion The Fredrikstad Stadion is a football stadium in Fredrikstad, Norway and home of the Norwegian First Division team Fredrikstad FK. It is located in an area which formerly used to be a large shipyard (locally known as Værste or FMV), but which no ...

. Sarpsborg 08 has a women's football team that was promoted to the women's Division 1 at the end of 2011, at the same time as the club's under-19 girls reached the Junior Cup Final.

Sarpsborg BK Sarpsborg Bandyklubb are a bandy club from Sarpsborg, Norway, formed on 14 June 1989. They have finished in lowly positions in the Premier League in recent seasons. They have only competed in a major international tournament once since the turn o ...

plays in the highest

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

division. Sarpsborg is famous for its two elite leagues teams in floorball, Sarpsborg IBK and Greåker IBK.

Climate

Sarpsborg has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(Dfb) or temperate

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

(Cfb), depending on winter threshold used ( as in USA or as in Europe). The all-time high was recorded in July 2018. The all-time low was set in December 2002. Since the weather station was incepted in 1991, the records may not be representative of a longer time frame. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below ) in spring is 20 April and average date for first freeze in autumn is 22 October giving a frost-free season of 184 days (1981-2010 average).

Musical artists and bands

Notable residents

Public service

* Zacharias Mellebye (1781 in Skjeberg – 1854) farmer, military officer and rep. at the

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

* Harald Dahl (1863–1920), father of the British writer

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...

came from Sarpsborg *

Roald Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (, ; ; 16 July 1872 – ) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Amundsen bega ...

(1872-1928) explorer, first person to reach the South Pole, came from Borge *

Oscar Torp Oscar Fredrik Torp (, 8 June 1893 – 1 May 1958) was a Norwegian politician for the Norwegian Labour Party. He was party leader from 1923 to 1945, and mayor of Oslo in 1935 and 1936. In 1935 he became the acting minister of Defence in the governm ...

(1893 in Skjeberg – 1958) former

Prime Minister of Norway The prime minister of Norway ( no, statsminister, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government department ...

, 1951-1955 *

Carl Fredrik Wisløff Carl Fredrik Wisløff (31 December 1908 – 25 June 2004) was a Norwegian Lutheran theologian and preacher, who spent much of his professional career at the MF Norwegian School of Theology. He is considered among the most important lay preac ...

(1908–2004) theologian and Christian preacher, grew up in Sarpsborg * Øistein Strømnæs (1914 in Sarpsborg – 1980) head of XU, the WWII intelligence organization * Torbjørn Sikkeland (1923 in Varteig – 2014) chemist, nuclear physicist and radiation biophysicist * Thorvald Gressum (1932–2008) a politician and Mayor of Sarpsborg 1984 to 1995 *

Kai Eide Kai Aage Eide (born 28 February 1949 in Sarpsborg) is a Norwegian diplomat and writer. He was appointed the United Nations Special Representative to Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on 7 March ...

(born 1949 in Sarpsborg) a diplomat and writer; roles with the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

Erik Varden Erik Varden, O.C.S.O. (born 13 May 1974) is a Norwegian Catholic spiritual writer, Trappist monk, and bishop-prelate of the Territorial Prelature of Trondheim since 1 October 2019. Early life and education Varden was born in a non-practising ...

(born 1974), a Roman Catholic spiritual writer and

Bishop-Prelate In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an Holy Orders, ordained Minister (Catholic Church), minister who holds the fullness of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, sacrament of Holy orders in the Catholic Church, holy orders and is responsible ...

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

The Arts

Nils Ole Oftebro som konge i spelet 1992

* Julius Fritzner (1828 in Skjeberg – 1882) a restaurateur and hotelier in Christiania *

Bjarne Bø Bjarne Bø (April 3, 1907 – August 9, 1998) was a Norwegian actor. Bø was born in Skjeberg in the municipality of Sarpsborg in Østfold county, Norway. He debuted in 1939 in the role of Sjur in the play ''Hu Dagmar'' by Ove Ansteinsson (1884� ...

(1907 in Skjeberg – 1998) a Norwegian actor * Arne Arnardo, (1912 in Sarpsborg – 1995) circus performer and owner, ''"Circus King of Norway"'' * Walther Aas, (Norwegian Wiki) (1928–1990), neo-romantic artist; lived in Sarpsborg from 1954 *

Kjell Karlsen Kjell Oddvar Karlsen (29 July 1931 – 5 May 2020) was a Norwegian band leader, composer, arranger, jazz pianist and organist, and a Nestor of Norwegian music and show business, with a career spanning more than 60 years. He was the father of the ...

(1931 in Sarpsborg – 2020) band leader, composer, jazz pianist and organist *

Nils Ole Oftebro Nils Ole Oftebro (born ) is a Norwegian actor and illustrator. He was born in Sarpsborg. He worked for Fjernsynsteatret from 1969 to 1971. From 1971 he was assigned to Nationaltheatret. He was artistical director at Torshovteatret from 1987 to 19 ...

(born 1944 in Sarpsborg) a Norwegian actor and illustrator *

Jan Groth Jan Leonard Groth (25 February 1946 – 27 August 2014) was a Norwegian musician. Biography Groth was born in the borough of Greåker in Sarpsborg, Norway. He first made his name in the early 1970s as a member of the progressive rock band Aunt Ma ...

(born 1946 in Greåker) vocalist, songwriter, artist with

Aunt Mary Aunt Mary is a Norwegian prog rock band from the 1970s. They signed a recording contract with Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationsh ...

and other bands * Ketil Gudim (born 1956 in Sarpsborg) a Norwegian dancer and actor *

Einstein Kristiansen Øistein Kristiansen, formerly known under his artist name Einstein Kristiansen (born 12 September 1965), is a Norwegian cartoonist, designer, TV-host and co-founder of Singapore-based Earthtree Pte Ltd, who together with his two business partne ...

(born 1965 in Greåker) a cartoonist, designer and TV-host *

Kåre Christoffer Vestrheim Kåre Christoffer Vestrheim (born 1969) is a Norwegians, Norwegian record producer, musician and composer from Sarpsborg, Norway. He plays guitar and Keyboard instrument, keyboards. He is also the co-founder of Propeller Recordings, which has relea ...

(born 1969 in Sarpsborg) record producer, musician and composer * Stian Johansen (born 1971 in Sarpsborg) stage name ''Occultus'',

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...

musician *

Stephan Groth Stephan Groth (born 10 August 1971) is a Danish-Norwegian singer. He is the man behind Apoptygma Berzerk, an electronic body music act that plays in styles such as synthpop and futurepop. Groth was born in Odense but relocated with his famil ...

(born 1971) musician with Apoptygma Berzerk; lived in Sarpsborg since 1986 * Jasmin Haugstuen Please (born 1988) actress *

Ulrikke Brandstorp Ulrikke Brandstorp (born 13 July 1995), known professionally as Ulrikke, is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, musical actress and voice actress. Early life Ulrikke Brandstorp was born on 13 July 1995 in Skjeberg, a district of Sarpsborg, to Jørn ...

(born 1995 in Sarpsborg) singer, songwriter and musical actress Thomas Myhre 04

2009 Women's British Open - Marianne Skarpnord (2)

Sport

* Therese Bertheau (1861 in Skjeberg – 1936) a pioneering female Norwegian mountaineer *

John Anderson John Anderson may refer to: Business *John Anderson (Scottish businessman) (1747–1820), Scottish merchant and founder of Fermoy, Ireland * John Byers Anderson (1817–1897), American educator, military officer and railroad executive, mentor of ...

(1873 in Sarpsborg – 1949) US

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player for 15 seasons * Bjørn Spydevold (1918 in Sarpsborg – 2002) a footballer with 37 caps for

* Bent Skammelsrud (born 1966 in Sarpsborg) footballer, with 366 club caps, mainly for

Rosenborg BK Rosenborg Ballklub, commonly referred to simply as Rosenborg () or RBK, is a Norwegian professional football club from Trondheim that plays in Eliteserien. The club has won a record 26 league titles, a shared record 12 Norwegian Football Cup ti ...

and 38 for

Thomas Myhre Thomas Harald Myhre (born 16 October 1973) is a Norwegian football manager and former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently the manager of Moss. The last club he played for before his retirement was Kongsvinger, ha ...

(born 1973 in Sarpsborg) goalkeeper with 346 club caps and 56 for

Raymond Kvisvik Raymond Kvisvik (born 8 November 1974) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a winger. He is most noted for his spells at Brann, but he did also play for Moss, Austria Wien and Fredrikstad. Kvisvik won the Norwegian Cup ...

(born 1974 in Sarpsborg) footballer, with 425 club caps and 11 for

Jens Arne Svartedal Jens Arne Svartedal (born February 14, 1976) is a Norwegian former cross-country skier who competed in the World Cup between 1999 and 2010. He represented Trøsken IL from Sarpsborg in Norway. His greatest achievement is winning the individual s ...

(born 1976 in Sarpsborg), cross-country skier, team silver medallist at the

2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...

Per-Åge Skrøder Per-Åge Skrøder (born August 4, 1978) is a Norwegian former ice hockey player, who last played for Modo in the HockeyAllsvenskan (Allsv). Playing career Previously, he played for the Norwegian teams Lillehammer and Sparta Warriors, and the ...

(born 1978 in Sarpsborg),

player with men's national team *

Marianne Skarpnord Marianne Skarpnord (born 11 February 1986) is a Norwegian professional golfer playing on the Ladies European Tour. Amateur career As a junior, Skarpnord was considered one of the biggest talents in Norwegian golf. In 2003, she won the Girls Am ...

(born 1986 in Sarpsborg) pro. golfer, plays on

Ladies European Tour The Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1978. It is based at Buckinghamshire Golf Club near London in England. Like many UK-based sports organisations it is a company limited by guarantee, a legal stru ...

* Jonas Holøs (born 1987 in Sarpsborg),

player with men's national team *

Marie Solberg Marie Solberg (born 6 June 1988) is a Norwegian sailing (sport), sailor from Sarpsborg. She took part in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London in the Sonar class and won a bronze medal together with Per Eugen Kristiansen and Aleksander Wang-Hans ...

(born 1988 in Sarpsborg) a sailor, bronze medallist at the

2012 Summer Paralympics The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Gam ...

* Sander Skogli (born 1993 in Sarpsborg), ice hockey player

Twin towns - Sister cities

Sarpsborg has several

sister cities A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Cities and towns in Norway Municipalities of Østfold Municipalities of Viken (county) Populated places on the Glomma River