Drammen () is a city and municipality in

Buskerud Buskerud () is a Counties of Norway, county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Innlandet, Vestland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Hardanger ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. 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 villages such as

Konnerud Konnerud is a village located south of the city of Drammen in Buskerud, Norway. Konnerud has a population of 10 314 (2019) History Etymology One of the local farms gave its name to the entire area. Many of the farms located on Konnerud have nam ...

Svelvik is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town in Drammen Municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The town is located along the west shore of the Drammensfjorden, about to the southeast of the Drammen (town), town of Drammen and about north ...

Mjøndalen Mjøndalen is a built up area in Drammen municipality in Buskerud, Buskerud county, Norway. It is situated south of the Drammenselva River opposite of Krokstadelva. History Mjøndalen has traditionally been a railway site most known as an indu ...

and

Skoger Skoger is a village in Drammen Municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The village is located just north of the Vestfold county border, about south of the centre of the town of Drammen. The villages of Klever and Eikeberg are located about ...

Location

Drammen is located west of the

Oslofjord The Oslofjord (, ; ) is an inlet in southeastern Norway. The fjord begins at the small village of Bonn in Frogn, Frogn Municipality and stretching northwards to the city of Oslo, and then curving to the east and then south again. It then flows s ...

inlet, situated approximately 44 km (27 mi) southwest of the capital city of Oslo. There are more than 100,000 inhabitants in the municipality, though the city is the regional capital of an area with around 82,000 residents. Drammen, and its adjacent communities, are experiencing more socioeconomic and population growth than ever before. The city makes good use of the

Drammensfjord Drammensfjord () is a fjord in along the border of Akershus and Buskerud counties in Norway that connects to Ytre Oslofjord on the west side. It stretches about to the north and northeast. The Drammenselva river discharges into the head of the f ...

, a waterway utilised for recreation, fishing and other activities, as well as waterfront housing.

Name and coat of arms

The

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

form of the city's name was ''Drafn'', and this was originally the name of the inner part of

. The

fjord In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...

is, however, probably named after the river

Drammenselva Drammenselva () is a river in Buskerud Counties of Norway, county, southeastern Norway. Location Drammenselva is one of the largest rivers in Norway, with a drainage basin of about and a Discharge (hydrology), discharge of per second. Drammen R ...

(Norse ''Drǫfn''), and this again is derived from ''drǫfn'' f '

wave In physics, mathematics, engineering, and related fields, a wave is a propagating dynamic disturbance (change from List of types of equilibrium, equilibrium) of one or more quantities. ''Periodic waves'' oscillate repeatedly about an equilibrium ...

'. The

coat-of-arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achiev ...

is from modern times. They were granted on 17 November 1960. The arms has a silver-colored column on top a silver-colored bedrock crossed with a silver-colored key and sword against a blue background. It is based upon the old seal dating from 1723 for

Bragernes Bragernes is one of the central areas of the city of Drammen in Buskerud, Norway, on the north side of the Drammen River (''Drammenselva''). Bragernes Church Bragernes Church (''Bragernes kirke'') was erected in 1871 in neo-Gothic style in th ...

, one of the central parts of Drammen. The

motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

for Bragernes (in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

) was ''In Fide Et Justitia Fortitudo'' (), and the items in the seal are referring to this: key = faith, sword = justice, column on rocks = strength.

Governance

On January 1, 2020, the municipalities of Svelvik, Nedre Eiker and Drammen merged to form «The New Drammen Municipality». The new municipality, which is now called Drammen, is Norway's seventh largest with over 100,000 residents. The main seat of the Greater Municipality is located in the city of Drammen. Drammen city had a population of 82.875 inhabitants in 2021, but serves as a regional centre for an area that had a population of 110.236 inhabitants in 2021. The city is the country's record champion in environment and urban development, 21 prices since 2003 with 16 national and 5 international.

Districts

After the merger of the municipalities Drammen, Nedre Eiker and Svelvik in 2020, the municipality was then divided into ten municipal regions: Drammens kommunedeler 2023

History

Rock carving A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions o ...

s at Åskollen and Austad are 6000 to 7000 years old, and are the first signs of human activity in the area. The largest rock carving at Åskollen depicts a

moose The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...

. Drammen originally consisted of three small seaports:

(on the northern side of the

river) and

Strømsø Strømsø is a borough of Drammen, Buskerud, Norway. Strømsø is located at the southern side of the river Drammenselva. Until about 1600, Strømsø was an island surrounded by the Drammenselva, but was later made landfast. In 1728 Strømsø ...

and

Tangen Tangen is a village in Stange Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located near the shores of the large lake Mjøsa, about south of the village of Stangebyen. The small village of Espa lies about to the south of Tangen. The ...

(both on the southern side of the river). For trade purposes, small seaports were placed under market towns. Despite their geographical proximity, Bragernes was placed under Christiania and Strømsø under

Tønsberg Tønsberg (), historically Tunsberg, is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tønsberg Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located about south-southwest of the capital city of Oslo on the western coast of the Oslofjord near ...

. For this reason, cooperation between the adjacent seaport towns was almost impossible. In 1662, a merger was proposed to unite Strømsø and Bragernes to form a market town with the name Frederiksstrøm. The proposal was rejected by King Frederick III. Bragernes received limited market town rights in 1715, and merged with Strømsø to gain status as a single

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

on 19 June 1811. Its geographical location made the city favorable for seafaring,

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

log driving Log driving is a means of moving logs (sawn tree trunks) from a forest to sawmills and pulp mills downstream using the current of a river. It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America. History ...

, timber trade. During the 19th century, paper and pulp industries were developed. Large parts of the city were ruined in the great fire of 12–13 July 1866, which led to the reconstruction of the city centre, including the characteristic town square and Bragernes church. The

Drammen Line The Drammen Line () is a railway line between Oslo and Drammen, Norway, which was opened on 7 October 1872. It serves all trains west of Oslo Central Station and is owned by Bane NOR. The line opened as a narrow gauge railway, and rebuilt to s ...

(''Drammenbanen'' ) opened in 1872 providing rail service between Drammen and Oslo. In 1909, Drammen got the first

trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

system in

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

, the Drammen trolleybus. The lines ran until 1967. For many years the centre of Drammen suffered from heavy traffic. In 1970, Drammen Bridge with two lanes on European route E18 was built (expanded to four lanes in 2006) and in 1999 the opening of the Bragernes tunnel (''Bragernestunnelen'') diverted additional traffic away from the centre of the city. In recent years, the city centre has seen the introduction of new housing, shopping facilities, restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as a public pathway along the

river. In 2011, Drammen observed its 200th anniversary with many citywide jubilee celebrations. Drammen's district heating system was upgraded to use water-sourced heat pumps, drawing on local fjord water, to support population growth in the city.

Geography

Drammen is one of the larger cities in Norway, and lies about from the

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

of Norway,

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) 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 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

. The city centre lies at the end of a

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

, on both sides of the Drammenselva river, and where the river meets the

. The Holmen island in Drammen is also the main

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

for car and fruit import in Norway. The Drammen region is part of the metropolitan region around

and the country's fifth largest urban area, it extends far beyond the municipal boundaries; into the municipalities of Lier,

Asker Asker (), also called Asker proper (''Askerbygda'' or ''gamle Asker'' in Norwegian), is a district and former Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Akershus, Norway, located approximately 20km southwest of Oslo. From 2020 it is part of the ...

Øvre Eiker Øvre Eiker is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Eiker. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hokksund. The old municipality of Eiker was divided into ''Øvre Eiker'' ...

and

Holmestrand is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town in Holmestrand Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The town is the administrative centre of the municipality. It is located along the shore of the Ytre Oslofjord, about northwest of the Horten ...

. The total population of the settlement is 110,236 inhabitants as of 1 January 2021. In 2008 Drammen won the prestigious prize for the best city development in Europe.

Climate

Drammen 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 cold ...

(Dfb). Located at a sheltered location at the head of a narrow fjord branch of innermost Oslofjord, Drammen is one of the warmest cities in Scandinavia in summer. The warmest month on record was July 2018 with mean , average daily high and 11 days with highs at or above . The all-time high was recorded August 3, 1982, and is a tie with the national high for the month. The September record high is the national record. The all-time low was recorded in January 1987, which is the coldest month on record with mean and average daily low . In more recent years, December 2010 was almost as cold. The average date for first overnight freeze (low below ) in autumn is 13 October (1981–2010 average). The Drammen-Berskog weather station has been operating since 2004. An earlier weather station named Drammen-Marienlyst (3 m) operated from 1966 to 2003.

Demographics

As of 2022, Immigrants and Norwegian-born with immigrant parents in Drammen is 29 per cent, of which 25 per cent are Norwegian-born with immigrant parents. As of 2022, immigrants of non-Western origin and their children enumerated 20,507 and made up an estimated 22% of Drammen's population. Immigrants of Western origin and their children enumerated 9,333 and made up an estimated 9% of Drammen's population.

Attractions

Aass Brewery

Aass Brewery is the oldest surviving

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 b ...

in Norway, and has won acclaim for both its

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

and its well-conserved building. Founded in 1834, the brewery's primary products are soft drinks, beer and aquavit.

Bridges

*Øvre Sund Bridge (''Øvre Sund bru'') – crosses Drammenselva in the center of Drammen *Drammen City Bridge (''Drammensbrua bybro'') – was a concrete bridge connecting the two centers of the city, built in 1936 and demolished in 2022. A new city bridge will open in the autumn of 2025 on the same site. A temporary pedestrian bridge crosses the river adjacent to the site of the new bridge under construction. * Drammen Bridge (''Drammensbrua'') – motorway box girder bridge on E18 that crosses Drammenselva, built 1971 * Ypsilon Bridge (''Ypsilon bru'') – cable-stayed pedestrian bridge over Drammenselva, built 2007 *Holmen bridges (''Holmenbruene'') – two railway bridges on the

*Nedre Eiker Bridge – (Nedre Eiker bru) crosses Drammenselva up the river connecting the towns

Krokstadelva Krokstadelva is a town in Drammen municipality, part of the Buskerud county in Norway. It is situated north of the Drammenselva river and opposite Mjøndalen. Industry and commerce Historically Krokstadelva was known for its industry; including pa ...

. *Mjøndalsbrua – The old bridge between Mjøndalen and Krokstadelva, built for crossing of horse-drawn carriages in 1910.

Drammen Museum

The Drammen Museum of Art and Cultural History includes Marienlyst, a manor house from ca. 1770, museum building from 1930 with the museum's administration, permanent exhibitions and collections, and Lyche pavilion from 1990 with the gallery, temporary exhibitions and museum café, Halling yard, with 5 old buildings, the oldest from 1760s. The museum also includes the two largest preserved like farms in Drammen,

Gulskogen Manor Gulskogen Manor () is a manor house and landscape park which forms part of Drammen Museum in Drammen in Buskerud county, Norway. The manor house is filled with historic furnishings and reproduction works of art. Background Drammen's riches ...

and Austad farm.

Drammen Spiral

The ''

Drammen Spiral The ''Drammen Spiral'' (Norwegian language, Norwegian : ''Spiralen Drammen'') is a tunnel near Drammen, Norway. Tunnel characteristics The tunnel is long and in the shape of a helix, with six rising circles, in the same style as a multi-storey ...

'' is a road tunnel that allows access to the

Skansen Ridge Skansen (; "the Sconce (fortification), Sconce") is the oldest open-air museum and zoo in Sweden located on the island Djurgården in Stockholm, Sweden. It was opened on 11 October 1891 by Artur Hazelius (1833–1901) to show the way of life in ...

, above the town. It opened in 1961 on the site of a former quarry.

Drammen Theater

Drammen Theater in Bragernes was built in 1869 and was designed by architect

Emil Victor Langlet Emil Victor Langlet (26 February 1824 – 10 March 1898) was a Swedish architect. He is most commonly associated with his design for the Norwegian Parliament Building in Oslo, Norway. Background Langlet was born in Borås, Sweden. He was educa ...

. The theater was the first modern theater in the country. It was designed in a complex Renaissance style with symmetrical facades and round arched windows. After Drammen Theater suffered total destruction by fire in December 1993, a new theater was rebuilt on the model of the original house. It was finished during February 1997.

Drammensbadet

Drammensbadet is a public swimming and training facility located in Marienlyst, Drammen. It was one of the largest in Norway when it opened 1 September 2008. They have five indoor and four outdoor pools.

Bragernes Torg (town square)

Bragernes Torg is the largest town square in Norway and one of the longest in the Nordics.

Sport clubs

Strømsgodset IF Strømsgodset IF is a Norwegian multi-sports club from Gulskogen in Drammen. It has sections for association football, handball and bandy, but is best known for the top-level football section known as Strømsgodset Toppfotball, which plays in Elit ...

and their elite football section

Strømsgodset Toppfotball Strømsgodset Toppfotball is a Norwegian professional association football, football club based in Gulskogen, Drammen, competing in the Eliteserien (football), Eliteserien. It is part of the multi-sports club Strømsgodset IF, founded on Fe ...

. Founded 10 February 1907. Five

Norwegian Cup The Norwegian Football Cup () is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament ...

s in

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

(1969, 1970, 1973, 1991, 2010). Winner of the Norwegian football league in 1970 and 2013. Won six Norwegian championships in

bandy Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two team sport, teams wearing Ice skates#Bandy skates, 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 playin ...

. * Drammen golfklubb. Founded in 1988.

Golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

club with 18-hole course situated in the southern part of Drammen, on the border to Sande in

Vestfold Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...

. *

Drammen HK Drammen Håndballklubb is a Norwegian handball team located in Drammen, Norway. They compete in REMA 1000-ligaen, which is the highest league for men's handball clubs in Norway. History The club was founded on March 3, 1992. The foundation ...

Handball club competing in Men's European Champions League (07/08) * IF Hellas *

IF Sturla Idrettsforeningen Sturla is a Norwegian sports club from Drammen, founded in 1923. It has sections for athletics, orienteering and skiing. The athletics uses Marienlyst stadion as their home field. Among its most prominent members are long-di ...

Konnerud IL Konnerud Idrettslag (Konnerud Sports Club) is a Norwegian sports club from Drammen, Buskerud. It has sections for association football, team handball, volleyball, bandy, Nordic skiing, cycling, and orienteering. It was founded in 1927 as a skii ...

Sport club most famous for its

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

facilities. *

SBK Drafn Ski- og Ballklubben Drafn is a Norwegian multi-sports club from Drammen, founded in 1910. The club, which takes its name from the Norse name of Drammen, was founded as a merger of the clubs Ulf (founded 1905) and Njord (founded 1906). In 1916 it ...

Founded 15 September 1910, 21 Norwegian Championships in bandy, 1 lost cup final in football (1927). One World Champion ski jumper, Hans Bjørnstad 1950. Ole Olympic Gold medallist, Thorleif Haug 1924 (three gold, one bronze). *

SBK Skiold Ski- og Ballklubben Skiold ("Shield") is a Norwegian sports club based in Strømsø, Drammen. The club is at present mostly active in association football, but has earlier had success in bandy and has also had a department for ice hockey. The cl ...

Drammen Bandy Drammen Bandy is a bandy club from Drammen, Norway, formed on 16 June 1997 as a cooperation between several teams in the city. History The clubs which handed over their bandy activities to Drammen Bandy when it was founded, were * SK Drafn, * ...

plays in the highest division. *

Drammen FK Drammen Fotballklubb was a Norway, Norwegian association football club from Drammen, founded in 2008. It last played in the 2016 3. divisjon. The club dissolved after the 2016 season. History The club was established on 23 August 2008 as a merge ...

. Founded 23 August 2008.

Notable residents

Public service & business

Niels Treschow Niels Nicolas Treschow (5 September 1751 – 22 September 1833) was a Norwegian philosopher, educator and politician. Biography Treschow was born in Strømsø, now part of Drammen in Buskerud. He was the son of Peter Treschow (1718-1773) w ...

(1751 in Strømsø – 1833) a philosopher, educator and politician *

Jørgen Herman Vogt Jørgen Herman Vogt (21 July 1784 – 12 January 1862) was a Norwegian politician who served as First Minister of Norway from 1856 to 1858, during the personal union between Sweden and Norway. The first minister was subordinated to the gover ...

(1784 in Bragernes – 1862) First Minister of Norway, 1856 to 1858 * Christen Smith (1785 in Skoger – 1816 at Congo River) physician, economist and botanist *

Erik Børresen Erik Børresen (17 September 1785 – 14 January 1860) was a Norwegian ship owner, merchant and philanthropist. Biography Erik Andreas Børresen as born in the Bragernes neighborhood of Drammen in Buskerud, Norway. He was the son of Lars Børr ...

(1785 in Bragernes – 1860) owned the first Norwegian ships to sail to China * Bent Salvesen (1787–1820) a ship's captain and

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

; sailed from Drammen *

Bernhard Pauss Bernhard Cathrinus Pauss (6 April 1839 – 9 November 1907) was a Norwegian theologian, educator, author, and missionary leader, known for his foundational role in advancing women's education in Norway. He was headmaster and owner of Hartvig Nis ...

(born 1839 at Tangen – 1907) theologian, educator, author and humanitarian *

Henriette Wulfsberg Henriette Wulfsberg (6 June 1843 – 9 October 1906) was a Norwegian school owner, writer and translator. Early and personal life Henriette Wulfsberg was born on 6 June 1843 in Drammen to Mantzine Margrethe Seeberg (1812–1883) and printer an ...

(born 1843 in Drammen – 1906), school owner and writer * Gustav Jensen (1845 in Drammen – 1922) priest, hymnwriter, seminary instructor and liturgist *

Anthon B. Nilsen Anthon Bernhard Elias Nilsen (30 June 1855 – 6 December 1936) was a Norwegian businessman and politician for the Conservative Party of Norway, Conservative Party. He also wrote novels, under the pseudonym Elias Kræmmer. He was born in Svel ...

(1855 in Svelvik – 1936) businessman, politician and author *

Urban Jacob Rasmus Børresen Urban Jacob Rasmus Børresen (June 2, 1857 – January 18, 1943) was a Norwegians, Norwegian Counter admiral, rear admiral and industry leader. Early life and family Børresen was born in DrammenSteenstrup, Hjalmar ed. 1930. ''Hvem er Hvem?'' Os ...

(1857 in Drammen – 1943) a rear admiral and industrialist * Betzy Kjelsberg (1866 in Svelvik – 1950) politician, women's rights activist and suffragist *

Johan Aschehoug Kiær Johan Aschehoug Kiær (October 11, 1869 – October 31, 1931) was a Norwegian paleontologist and geologist. Biography Johan Kiær was born in Drammen, Norway. He was the son of parish priest Hagbarth Kiær (1829–1903) and grandson of shipown ...

(1869 in Drammen – 1931) a paleontologist and geologist * Johan Berger Mathiesen (born 1872 in Drammen – 1923) surgeon, worked in

Eau Claire, WI Eau Claire ( ; lit. "clear water") is a city in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the seat of Eau Claire County. It is the seventh-most populous city in Wisconsin, with a population of 69,421 at the 2020 ...

* Arnold Maria Hansson (born 1889 in Drammen – 1981) New Zealand forestry administrator and consultant * Konrad Knudsen (1890 in Drammen – 1959) painter and journalist, host to

Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky,; ; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky'' was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet politician, and political theorist. He was a key figure ...

1935/6 *

Henning Bødtker Henning Bremer Bødtker (14 August 1891 – 19 November 1975) was a Norwegian jurist and civil servant. He was the Attorney General of Norway from 1945 to 1962. Personal life He was born in Svelvik as a son of ship captain Jacob Bødtker (1847� ...

(1891 in Svelvik – 1975) lawyer,

Attorney General of Norway Established in 1816, the Office of the Attorney General of Norway () is the legal advisor to the government. The attorney general assists the executive branch of government with judicial questions and to conduct civil legal trials. The office is a b ...

, 1945 to 1962 *

Odd Dahl Odd Dahl (3 November 1898 – 2 June 1994) was a Norwegian engineer and explorer. He is particularly remembered for his contributions to research in nuclear physics. Biography He was born at Drammen in Buskerud, Norway, the son of businessma ...

(1898 in Drammen – 1994) engineer, nuclear physics researcher and explorer * Arnfinn Vik (1901 in Drammen – 1990) politician. Mayor of Oslo, 1945 to 1947 *

Henry Wilhelm Kristiansen Henry Wilhelm Kristiansen (12 February 1902 – 16 January 1942) was a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician for the Communist Party. He served as party chairman from 1931 to 1934, and then as editor-in-chief of the party organ '' Arbeideren' ...

(1902 in Drammen – 1942) politician, chairman of the

Communist Party of Norway The Communist Party of Norway (, NKP) is a communist party in Norway. The NKP was formed in 1923, following a split in the Norwegian Labour Party. It was Stalinist from its establishment and, as such, supported the Soviet government while oppo ...

1931–1934 *

Asbjørn Bryhn Asbjørn Johan Bryhn (24 August 1906 – 21 January 1990) was a Norwegian police officer, known for his resistance work during World War II, and later head of the Norwegian Police Surveillance Agency. Personal life Bryhn was born in Drammen as ...

(1906 in Drammen – 1990) head of the

Norwegian Police Security Service The Norwegian Police Security Service (, ) is the police security agency of Norway. The agency was previously known as ''POT'' (' or Police Surveillance Agency), the name change was decided by the Parliament of Norway on 2 June 2001. History an ...

Thorstein Treholt Thorstein Treholt (13 April 1911 – 17 March 1993) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was the father of convicted Norwegian spy Arne Treholt. He was born in Skoger. An agronomist by education, Treholt was state secreta ...

(1911 in Skoger – 1993) politician and father of convicted spy

Arne Treholt Arne Treholt (13 December 1942 – 12 February 2023) was a Norwegian-born, Russia-based convicted felon and KGB agent who was convicted of treason and espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union against Norway during the Cold War and sentenced to 20 ...

Lars Korvald (29 April 1916 – 4 July 2006) was a Norwegian politician and educator who served as the prime minister of Norway from 1972 to 1973. He became associated with the Christian Democratic Party and was elected to the Norwegian Parliament. As pri ...

(1916 in Mjøndalen – 2006) politician, Prime Minister of Norway 1972 to 1973 *

Astrid Bjellebø Bayegan Astrid Sonja Bjellebø Bayegan (born 22 February 1943) became the first female dean in Norway when she was appointed to head the provostship of Drammen on 28 May 1989. She was ordained in 1975 by Bishop Georg Hille in Hamar Cathedral. She served ...

(born 1943) first female

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...

in Norway, at Drammen since 1989 * Svein Rennemo (born 1947 in Drammen) a businessperson and chair of

Statoil Equinor ASA (formerly Statoil and StatoilHydro) is a Norwegian multinational energy company headquartered in Stavanger, Norway. It is primarily a petroleum company operating in 36 countries with additional investments in renewable energy. In th ...

Thorbjørn Jagland Thorbjørn Jagland ( né Johansen; , 5 November 1950) is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. He served as the secretary general of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019. He served as the prime minister of Norway from 1996 to 1997, a ...

(born 1950 in Drammen)

Prime Minister of Norway The prime minister of Norway (, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet of Norway, Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government departme ...

, 1996 to 1997 * Per-Erik Burud (1962 in Drammen – 2011) Norwegian billionaire, head of grocery chain

Kiwi Kiwi most commonly refers to: * Kiwi (bird), a flightless bird native to New Zealand * Kiwi (nickname), an informal name for New Zealanders * Kiwifruit, an edible hairy fruit with many seeds * Kiwi dollar or New Zealand dollar, a unit of curren ...

The Arts

Hanna Winsnes Hanna Olava Winsnes (née Strøm; 29 August 1789 – 19 October 1872) was a Norwegian poet, novelist and cookbook writer. She was born in the Bragernes neighborhood of Drammen in Buskerud, Norway. She was the daughter of Jens Henrich Strø ...

(1789 in Bragernes – 1872) a poet, novelist and cookbook writer *

Martinus Rørbye Martinus Christian Wesseltoft Rørbye (; 17 May 1803 – 29 August 1848) was a Danish painter, known both for genre works and landscapes. He was a central figure of the Golden Age of Danish painting during the first half of the 19th century. T ...

(1803 in Drammen – 1848) a

Danish Golden Age The Danish Golden Age () covers a period of exceptional creative production in Denmark, especially during the first half of the 19th century.Kulturnet DanmarkGuide to the Danish Golden Age Although Copenhagen had suffered from fires, Battle of Co ...

painter, worked in

Skagen Skagen () is the northernmost town in Denmark, on the east coast of the Skagen Odde peninsula in the far north of Jutland, part of Frederikshavn Municipality in North Denmark Region, Nordjylland, north of Frederikshavn and northeast of Aalbo ...

Peter Nicolai Arbo Peter Nicolai Arbo (18 June 1831 – 14 October 1892) was a Norwegian historical painter, who specialized in portraits and allegorical scenes from Norwegian history and the Norse mythology. He is most noted for ''The Wild Hunt of Odin'', a d ...

(1831 in Drammen – 1892) painter of history motifs and Norse mythology * Christian Cappelen (1845 in Drammen – 1916) a Norwegian organist and composer *

Hans Heyerdahl Hans Olaf Halvor Heyerdahl (8 July 1857 – 10 October 1913) was a Norwegian Realist painter. His work was characterized by naturalism and focused largely on portraits and landscape paintings. Biography Heyerdahl was born in Smedjebacken, Swed ...

(1857–1913) realist painter, portraits and landscapes; grew up in Drammen *

Johan Halvorsen Johan Halvorsen (15 March 1864 – 4 December 1935) was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist. Life Born in Drammen, he was an accomplished violinist from a very early age and became a prominent figure in Norwegian musical life. He r ...

(1864 in Drammen – 1935) a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist * Barbra Ring (1870 in Drammen – 1955) novelist, short story writer and theatre critic *

Herman Wildenvey Herman Wildenvey (20 July 1885 – 27 September 1959), born Herman Theodor Portaas, was one of the most prominent Norwegian poets of the twentieth century. During his lifetime he published 44 books of his own poetry, in addition to transla ...

(1885 at Mjøndalen – 1959) a distinguished Norwegian poet *

Lalla Carlsen Lalla Carlsen (née Haralda Petrea Christensen) (17 August 1889 – 23 March 1967) was a Norwegian singer and actress. She was a very popular singer in Norway. Personal life Lalla Carlsen was born in Svelvik as the daughter of shipmaster Carl A ...

(1889 in Svelvik – 1967) a Norwegian singer and actress *

Kai Fjell Kai Breder Fjell (; March 2, 1907 – January 10, 1989) was a Norwegian painter, printmaker and scenographer. Personal life Fjell was born on a farm in the village Skoger near Drammen. His father was a farmer and a painter, Conrad Bendiks ...

(1907 in Skoger – 1989) painter, printmaker and scenographer *

Jens Gunderssen Jens Gunderssen (19 May 1912 – 11 December 1969) was a Norwegian singer, songwriter, actor, stage producer and theatre director. Early and personal life Gunderssen was born in Drammen, as son of Karl Gunderssen and Ågot Uhl. His father wa ...

(1912 in Drammen – 1969) singer, songwriter, actor and theatre director *

Eivind Lund Eivind Lund (May 15, 1914 in Drammen - May 27th 1984) was a Norwegian painter. He started his education in 1935 at Kunst und Dekorationsfachschule in Hamburg and Schule Reimann and Erno Wacklawek in Berlin. In 1951 he went to Paris and became a s ...

(1914 in Drammen – 1984) a Norwegian painter *

Solveig Christov Solveig Beda Christov (née Fredriksen; 29 October 1918 – 16 May 1984) was a Norwegian novelist, writer of short stories, and playwright. Early and personal life Solveig Fredriksen was born in Drammen as a daughter of electrician Fredrik ...

(1918 in Drammen – 1984) writer of short stories, novels and plays *

Sverre Holm Sverre Holm Gundersen (24 July 1931 – 17 March 2005) was a Norwegian stage and film actor. Gundersen was best known for playing Benny in the Olsenbanden-movies (1969–1999), and as station master O. Tidemann in the Norwegian children's progr ...

(1931 in Drammen – 2005) a Norwegian stage and film actor * Triztán Vindtorn (1942 in Drammen – 2009) a poet and

performance art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...

ist *

Lars Klevstrand Lars Klevstrand (born 30 September 1949) is a Norwegian singer, guitarist, composer and actor. He was born in Drammen, Buskerud, the son of Olav Klevstrand and Grethe Sofie Larsen, and was brought up in Bærum. Career His debut album was ''V ...

(born 1949 in Drammen) a singer, guitarist, composer and actor *

Herodes Falsk Kim Bård Hansen (born 9 July 1954), better known by his stage name Herodes Falsk, is a Norwegian comedian, actor, author, and songwriter. Falsk is probably best known for his work with the musical comedy trio Prima Vera alongside Jahn Teigen and ...

(born 1954 in Drammen) comedian, actor, author, and songwriter *

Katharina Nuttall Katharina Nuttall (born 14 July 1972) is an artist, film composer and music producer who was born in Drammen, Norway. Nuttall lives in Stockholm, Sweden but is a Norwegian citizen with a Norwegian mother and a father from the UK. Her debut album ...

(born 1972 in Drammen) an artist, film composer and music producer *

Todd Terje Terje Olsen (born 1981), known professionally as Todd Terje, is a Norwegian DJ, songwriter, and record producer. His stage name is a homage to house music producer Todd Terry. Called "King of the summer jams" by ''Mixmag'', "one third of the ...

(born 1981 in Mjøndalen) a Norwegian DJ, songwriter, and record producer

Sport

Thorleif Haug Thorleif Haug (28 September 1894 – 12 December 1934) was a Norwegian skier who competed in nordic combined and cross-country. At the 1924 Olympics he won all three Nordic skiing events (18 km, 50 km and combined). He was also awarde ...

(1894 in Lier – 1934) three Nordic skiing gold medals at

1924 Winter Olympics The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Chamonix 1924 (), were a winter multi-sport event which was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France. Originally held in association with the 1924 Summer ...

* Charles Mathiesen (1911 in Drammen – 1994) speed skater gold medal

1936 Winter Olympics The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936, were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 16 February 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Nazi Ger ...

Johan Haanes Johan Clausen Haanes (30 April 1912 – 21 March 2000) was a Norwegian tennis player, ski jumper, bandy player and track and field athlete. He was among Norway's best tennis players of all time. Early and personal life Haanes was born in Dra ...

(1912 in Drammen – 2000) tennis player, ski jumper and track and field athlete * Finn Helgesen (1919 in Drammen – 2011) speed skater, gold medalist

1948 Winter Olympics The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games (; ; ; ) and commonly known as St. Moritz 1948 (; ), were a winter multi-sport event held from 30 January to 8 February 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the ...

* Arne Bergodd (born 1948 in Drammen) rower, team silver medallist at

1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal ...

Arne Dokken Arne Dokken (born 27 August 1955) is a Norwegian former football player and coach. He played as forward for several Norwegian clubs and two Greek clubs and 24 matches for Norway national football team scoring two goals. In eight seasons in the N ...

(born 1955 in Drammen) footballer with 190 club caps and 24 for

Svend Karlsen Svend Viking Karlsen (born 6 October 1967) is a Norwegian former strongman, powerlifter, bodybuilder and 2001 World's Strongest Man. Being a winner of the World's Strongest Man, the Europe's Strongest Man, the World Muscle Power Class ...

(born 1967 in Drammen) former strongman, powerlifter and bodybuilder *

Johann Olav Koss Johann Olav Koss (born 29 October 1968) is a former speed skater from Norway. He won four Olympic gold medals, including three at the 1994 Winter Olympics in his home country. Biography Johann Olav Koss was born in Drammen, Buskerud County, No ...

(born 1968 in Drammen) speed skater with four Olympic gold medals * Glenn Solberg (born 1972 in Drammen) handball coach, former player, 122 caps for

* Heidi Tjugum (born 1973 in Drammen) team handballer, twice Olympic team medallist *

Ole Einar Bjørndalen Ole Einar Bjørndalen (; born 27 January 1974) is a retired Norwegian professional biathlete and coach, often referred to by the nickname, the "King of Biathlon". With 13 Winter Olympic Games medals, he is second on the list of multiple medali ...

(born 1974 in Drammen) retired biathlete, 13 Winter Olympics medals *

Adnan Haidar Adnan Mahmoud Haidar (, ; born 3 August 1989) is a professional football player and coach. A midfielder, he is a player-assistant coach for Norwegian club . Born and raised in Norway, Haidar represented them at youth level internationally befo ...

(born 1989 in Drammen) footballer with over 150 club caps and 36 for

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

Martin Ødegaard Martin Ødegaard (born 17 December 1998) is a Norwegian professional association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for and Captain (association football), captains both Premier League club Arsenal F.C., Arsenal and the Norway nati ...

(born 1998) footballer with 300+ club appearances, captain of

and the captain of

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

Kristian Krogh Johannessen Kristian Krogh Johannessen (born 3 March 1995) is a Norwegian professional golfer who has played on the European Tour and the Challenge Tour. He played in the 2020 Summer Olympics and won the 2022 Italian Challenge Open. Amateur career Johannes ...

(born 1995) Professional golfer, qualified to represent Norway at the

2021 Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

. *

Andrè Faye Solvang Andrè Faye Solvang is a Norwegian powerboat racer and was born in Drammen in 2003. Early racing career He started racing in GT15 in 2017 and won his first championship in that class a year later. In 2019 he won the UIM GT30 World Championshi ...

(2003 in Drammen – Present) Powerboat racer 2019 UIM GT30 World Champion, 2024 UIM F4 World Champion.

Twin towns – sister cities

Drammen is twinned with: *

Kolding Kolding () is a Denmark, Danish seaport city located at the head of Kolding Fjord in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the seat of Kolding Municipality. It is a transportation, commercial, and manufacturing centre and has numerous industria ...

, Denmark *

Lappeenranta Lappeenranta (; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of South Karelia. It is located in the southeastern interior of the country and in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Lappeenranta is approximately , while the Lappeenranta sub-r ...

, Finland *

Örebro Örebro ( ; ) is the seventh-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Örebro Municipality, and capital of Örebro County. It is situated by the Närke Plain, near the lake Hjälmaren, a few kilometers inland along the small river Svartån, and ...

, Sweden *

Stykkishólmur Stykkishólmur () is a town and municipality situated in the western part of Iceland, in the northern part of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. It is a center of services and commerce for the area. Most of the people make their living from fishing and ...

, Iceland

Gallery

File:Skoger kirke 2018 (2).jpg, Skoger Church File:Bragernes church & Town Hall.jpg, Bragernes Church File:Drammen bibliotek by night.JPG, Nightscape of University and public library File:Drammen busstasjon.jpg, Drammen Bus Station File:Grønland Drammen november 2016.jpg, Buildings at Grønland, Drammen File:Elveparken1.jpg, Part of the River Park in Drammen File:Torget Drammen 17. mai 2019.jpg, The main square in Drammen on Constitution Day, 2019 File:Winter In Drammen Norway (240873317).jpeg, Winter In Drammen

References

Bibliography

* :* Attribution to Tingle given in

External links

*
Tourist Information

Elvebyen Drammen

River City of Drammen

Visit Drammen

Drammen kommune
{{Authority control Municipalities of Buskerud Cities and towns in Norway Populated coastal places in Norway