Ålesund

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Ålesund kommune
Part of town seen from Aksla viewpoint
Part of town seen from Aksla viewpoint
Official logo of Ålesund kommune
Møre og Romsdal within
Norway
Ålesund within Møre og Romsdal
Ålesund within Møre og Romsdal
Coordinates: 62°28′40″N 06°11′25″E / 62.47778°N 6.19028°E / 62.47778; 6.19028Coordinates: 62°28′40″N 06°11′25″E / 62.47778°N 6.19028°E / 62.47778; 6.19028
CountryNorway
CountyMøre og Romsdal
DistrictSunnmøre
Established1 Jan 1838
Administrative centreÅlesund
Government
 • Mayor (2015)Eva Vinje Aurdal (Ap)
Area
 • Total632.42 km2 (244.18 sq mi)
 • Land607.32 km2 (234.49 sq mi)
 • Water25.10 km2 (9.69 sq mi)  4%
Area rank184 in Norway
Population
 (2020)
 • Total66,258
 • Rank13 in Norway
 • Density109.1/km2 (283/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
12.1%
Demonym(s)Ålesundar
Ålesunder[1]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1507
Official language formNynorsk[2][3]
Websitealesund.kommune.no

Ålesund (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈôːɫəsʉn] (About this soundlisten)) is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre and the centre of the Ålesund Region. The town of Ålesund is the administrative centre of Ålesund Municipality, as well as the principal shipping town of the Sunnmøre district. The town is a sea port and is noted for its concentration of Art Nouveau architecture. Although sometimes internationally spelled by its older name Aalesund, this spelling is obsolete in Norwegian. However, the local football club Aalesunds FK still carries that spelling, having been founded before the official change.

The 99-square-kilometre (38 sq mi) municipality is the 184th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Ålesund is the 13th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 66,258. The municipality's population density is 109.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (283/sq mi) and its population has increased by 12.1% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]

General information[]

Population development, 1951-2008
Befolkningsutvikling kommune 1504.svg
Source: Statistics Norway

In 1793, the port of Aalesund was granted limited ladested rights. Later, in 1824, it was granted full ladested rights. In 1835, Ålesund had 482 inhabitants.[6] On 1 January 1838, the new formannskapsdistrikt law went into effect, granting limited local self-government to all parishes in Norway. Therefore, on that date, the small ladested of Aalesund became a small municipality with its own council. It was surrounded by the large rural municipality of Borgund. In 1848, it was upgraded to the status of a kjøpstad, a more important market town.

On 1 January 1875, part of Borgund Municipality (population: 902) was transferred to the town of Ålesund. In 1922, another part of Borgund Municipality (population: 1,148) was transferred to the town of Ålesund. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1968, most of the neighbouring municipality of Borgund (population: 20,132) was merged with the town of Ålesund. This merger vastly increased the land area of the municipality and more than doubled the population of Ålesund, for a new total population of 38,589. On 1 January 1977, the island of Sula and some small surrounding islets (population: 6,302) were separated from Ålesund to form the new Sula Municipality.[7]

On 1 January 2020, the municipality of Ålesund was greatly enlarged when Haram Municipality, Skodje Municipality, Sandøy Municipality, and Ørskog Municipality were merged with Ålesund to form one large municipality of Ålesund.[8]

Toponomy[]

A part of the town was originally known as Kaupangen Borgund. The Old Norse word kaupang means "marketplace" or "town", thus the market town for Borgund. The Old Norse form of the current name was Álasund. The first element of that (probably) is the plural genitive case of áll which means "eel" and the last element is sund which means "strait" or "sound".[9] Before 1921, the name was written Aalesund.

Coat of arms[]

The coat of arms was granted on 1 April 1898. The red and silver arms show a fishing boat on the water with three fish swimming. The arms symbolize the importance of fishing for Ålesund. The type of ship was typical for the fishing vessels in the 18th and 19th century and is taken from a drawing made in 1762. The waves and three fish were added to the drawing in the arms.[10]

The arms are shown in the Kaffe Hag album with the boat sailing right instead of sailing left.

Churches[]

The Church of Norway has twelve parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Ålesund. It is part of the Nordre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre. The seat of the deanery is at Ålesund Church.

Ålesund Church
Churches in Ålesund
Parish (sokn) Church name Location of the church Year built
Borgund Borgund Church Borgund 1130
Brattvåg Brattvåg Church Brattvåg 1977
Hildre Church 1905
Ellingsøy Ellingsøy Church Ellingsøya 1998
Hamnsund Hamnsund Church near Søvik 1875
Haram og Fjørtoft Fjørtoft Church Fjørtofta 1878
Haram Church Austnes 1838
Lepsøy Chapel Lepsøya 1896
Sandøy Sandøy Church Sandøya 1812
Harøy Church Harøya 1934
Skodje Skodje Church Skodje 1860
Spjelkavik Spjelkavik Church Spjelkavik 1987
Vatne Vatne Church Vatne 1868
Volsdalen Volsdalen Church Nørvøya (in Ålesund city) 1974
Ålesund Ålesund Church Aspøya (in Ålesund city) 1909
Skarbøvik Church Heissa 1995
Ørskog Ørskog Church Sjøholt 1873

History[]

Ålesund, Norway, ca. 1895, before the fire

Legend has it that Gangerolf (outside of Norway better known as Rollo), the 10th-century founder of the dynasty of the dukes of Normandy, hailed from the community of Giske, north-west of Ålesund. At least three statues of Rolle exist: in the town park in Ålesund, in the city of Rouen, France, and in Fargo, North Dakota, United States.

In 1835, Ålesund had 482 inhabitants.[6] By 1900, the population had increased to 11,777.[11]

In the night of 23 January 1904, the town was the scene of the Ålesund Fire, one of the most terrible of the many conflagrations to which Norwegian towns, once built largely of wood, have been subjected. Practically the entire town was destroyed during the night, a gale aiding the flames, and the population had to leave the town in the middle of the night with only a few minutes' notice. Only one person died in the fire, the 76-year-old Ane Heen, but more than 10,000 people were left without shelter.[12]

Jugendstilsenteret - The Art Nouveau Centre of Norway

Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany had often been on vacation to Sunnmøre. After the fire, he sent four warships with materials to build temporary shelters and barracks. After a period of planning, the town was rebuilt in stone, brick, and mortar in Jugendstil (Art Nouveau), the architectural style of the time. The structures were designed by approximately 20 master builders and 30 Norwegian architects, most of them educated in Trondheim and Charlottenburg, Berlin, drawing inspiration from all over Europe. To honor Wilhelm, one of the most frequented streets of the town is named after him.

The town has an unusually consistent architecture, most of the buildings having been built between 1904 and 1907. Jugendstilsenteret is a national interpretation centre, visitors can learn more about the town fire, the rebuilding of the town and the Art Nouveau style. Ålesund is a partner in the Art nouveau network, a European network of co-operation created in 1999 for the study, safeguards and development of the Art nouveau.

The term "Little London" was often applied to the community during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany due to the Norwegian resistance work that took place here. Among other things, the city was central to the flights to Scotland and England.

Geography[]

The municipality of Ålesund occupies seven of the outer islands in the county of Møre og Romsdal: Hessa, Aspøya, Nørvøya, Oksenøya, Ellingsøya, Humla, and Tørla. The town centre is located on the islands Aspøya and Nørvøya, while Heissa and Oksnøya contain residential areas.

The second largest island, Ellingsøya, used to be accessible only by boat or by road via Skodje Municipality, but the undersea Ellingsøy Tunnel was built in 1987 to make traveling between the island and the town centre more convenient. The tunnel is 3,481 metres (11,421 ft) long, and was upgraded in 2009.

Situated 236 kilometres (147 mi) north northeast of the city of Bergen, Ålesund is adjacent to the Hjørund and Geiranger fjords, the latter being on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.[13]

The municipality covers an area of 93 square kilometres (36 sq mi). The population (2017) is 47,199, making the population density of 506.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,312/sq mi). The population of the agglomeration, which includes parts of the neighbouring Sula Municipality, is 48,460.[14] The municipality also contains three smaller separate urban areas on the island of Ellingsøya: Hoffland, Årset, and Myklebost with a total population of 1,279.[14] Other villages include Løvika and Spjelkavik, both on Uksenøya.

Climate[]

Ålesund has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The mean annual temperature of 8.1 °C (46.6 °F) is extremely warm for the latitude of 62°N. This is in a large part due to the mild autumns and winters, which can sometimes experience strong winds. The record low is from January 2010, and the record high is from July 2018. The warmest temperature ever recorded in the municipality is 34.4 °C (93.9 °F) at a weather station a little east (inland) of city. Atlantic lows can sometimes cause warm winter highs in Ålesund due to foehn effect from winds being forced over the mountains in Sunnmørsalpene.

hideClimate data for Ålesund 1991-2020 (15 m, Ålesund IV, extremes 2009-2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 15.7
(60.3)
16.5
(61.7)
14.1
(57.4)
22.4
(72.3)
26.2
(79.2)
25.7
(78.3)
31.5
(88.7)
28
(82)
24.8
(76.6)
22.7
(72.9)
20.3
(68.5)
16.5
(61.7)
31.5
(88.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.3
(37.9)
2.7
(36.9)
3.8
(38.8)
6.4
(43.5)
9.3
(48.7)
12.2
(54.0)
14.5
(58.1)
14.8
(58.6)
12.3
(54.1)
8.4
(47.1)
5.7
(42.3)
3.6
(38.5)
8.1
(46.5)
Record low °C (°F) −10
(14)
−9.8
(14.4)
−7.6
(18.3)
−3.5
(25.7)
−1
(30)
2.3
(36.1)
5.6
(42.1)
6.3
(43.3)
1.3
(34.3)
−2.1
(28.2)
−7.2
(19.0)
−8.7
(16.3)
−10
(14)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 146
(5.7)
128
(5.0)
127
(5.0)
77
(3.0)
73
(2.9)
83
(3.3)
81
(3.2)
126
(5.0)
153
(6.0)
169
(6.7)
150
(5.9)
176
(6.9)
1,489
(58.6)
Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute[15]


Government[]

All municipalities in Norway, including Ålesund, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor.[16] The municipality falls under the Sunnmøre District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council[]

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Ålesund is made up of 77 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Ålesund Kommunestyre 2020–2023 [17]   hide
Party Name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet)16
 Progress Party (Framstegspartiet)13
 Green Party (Miljøpartiet Dei Grøne)4
 Conservative Party (Høgre)15
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti)5
 The Christians Party (Partiet Dei Kristne)1
 Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet)2
 Red Party (Raudt)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)10
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)2
 Liberal Party (Venstre)2
 Ålesund List (Ålesundlista)6
Total number of members:77
Ålesund Kommunestyre 2016–2019 [18]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)18
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)8
 Green Party (Miljøpartiet De Grønne)1
 Conservative Party (Høyre)9
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)5
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)1
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)1
 Liberal Party (Venstre)3
 Ålesund List (Ålesundlista)3
Ålesund Kommunestyre 2012–2015 [19]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)12
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)11
 Conservative Party (Høyre)14
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)5
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)1
 Liberal Party (Venstre)4
 Ålesund List (Ålesundlista)2
Ålesund Kommunestyre 2008–2011 [18]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)10
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)13
 Conservative Party (Høyre)8
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)6
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)1
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)3
 Liberal Party (Venstre)3
 Cross-party list for Ålesund (Tverrpolitisk liste for Ålesund)5
Ålesund Kommunestyre 2004–2007 [18]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)10
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)18
 Conservative Party (Høyre)8
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)7
 Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)2
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)6
 Liberal Party (Venstre)1
 Cross-party list for Ålesund (Tverrpolitisk liste for Ålesund)7
 Common list for traffic, environment, and schools in Ålesund (Fellesliste for trafikk, miljø og skole i Ålesund)1
Ålesund Kommunestyre 2000–2003 [18]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)10
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)10
 Conservative Party (Høyre)11
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)10
 Red Electoral Alliance (Rød Valgallianse)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)1
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)4
 Liberal Party (Venstre)1
 Cross-party list (Tverrpolitisk liste)13
Ålesund Kommunestyre 1996–1999 [20]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)12
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)9
 Conservative Party (Høyre)10
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)7
 Red Electoral Alliance (Rød Valgallianse)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)3
 Liberal Party (Venstre)2
 Cross-party list for Ålesund (Tverrpolitisk liste for Ålesund)14
Ålesund Kommunestyre 1992–1995 [21]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)14
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)7
 Conservative Party (Høyre)17
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)8
 Red Electoral Alliance (Rød Valgallianse)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)4
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)7
 Liberal Party (Venstre)3
Ålesund Kommunestyre 1988–1991 [22]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)17
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)11
 Conservative Party (Høyre)16
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)8
 Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet)4
 Red Electoral Alliance (Rød Valgallianse)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)1
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)3
 Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and
Liberal People's Party (Liberale Folkepartiet)
4
Ålesund Kommunestyre 1984–1987 [23]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)19
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)5
 Conservative Party (Høyre)18
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)9
 Red Electoral Alliance (Rød Valgallianse)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)2
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)3
 Liberal Party (Venstre)4
Ålesund Kommunestyre 1980–1983 [24]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)17
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)1
 Conservative Party (Høyre)21
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)10
 Liberal People's Party (Liberale Folkepartiet)1
 Red Electoral Alliance (Rød Valgallianse)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)2
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)2
 Liberal Party (Venstre)6
Ålesund Kommunestyre 1976–1979 [25]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)17
 Conservative Party (Høyre)14
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)13
 New People's Party (Nye Folkepartiet)3
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)2
 Liberal Party (Venstre)6
 Non-party election list for Sula (Upolitisk Valliste for Sula)8
 Non-party election list for Borgund (Upolitisk Valliste for Borgund)3
Ålesund Kommunestyre 1972–1975 [26]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)20
 Conservative Party (Høyre)10
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)10
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)5
 Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti)3
 Liberal Party (Venstre)12
 Local List(s) (Lokale lister)9
Ålesund Kommunestyre 1968–1971 [27]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)23
 Conservative Party (Høyre)12
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)8
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)2
 Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti)3
 Liberal Party (Venstre)14
 Local List(s) (Lokale lister)7
Ålesund Bystyre 1964–1967 [28]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)27
 Conservative Party (Høyre)12
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)6
 Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti)1
 Liberal Party (Venstre)15
Ålesund Bystyre 1960–1963 [29]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)25
 Conservative Party (Høyre)11
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)1
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)6
 Liberal Party (Venstre)18
Ålesund Bystyre 1956–1959 [30]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)27
 Conservative Party (Høyre)11
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)1
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)7
 Liberal Party (Venstre)15
Ålesund Bystyre 1952–1955 [31]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)26
 Conservative Party (Høyre)10
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)1
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)7
 Liberal Party (Venstre)16
Ålesund Bystyre 1948–1951 [32]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)21
 Conservative Party (Høyre)11
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)4
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)7
 Liberal Party (Venstre)17
Ålesund Bystyre 1945–1947 [33]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)24
 Conservative Party (Høyre)9
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)6
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)8
 Liberal Party (Venstre)13
Ålesund Bystyre 1938–1941* [34]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)25
 Conservative Party (Høyre)11
 Liberal Party (Venstre)22
 Local List(s) (Lokale lister)2
Ålesund Bystyre 1935–1937 [35]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)21
 Conservative Party (Høyre)13
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)1
 Liberal Party (Venstre)20
Ålesund Bystyre 1932–1934 [36]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)23
 Temperance Party (Avholdspartiet)6
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)1
 Liberal Party (Venstre)17
 Joint list of the Conservative Party (Høyre)
and the Free-minded People's Party (Frisinnede Folkeparti)
13
Ålesund Bystyre 1929–1931 [37]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)20
 Temperance Party (Avholdspartiet)7
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)5
 Liberal Party (Venstre)15
 Joint list of the Conservative Party (Høyre)
and the Free-minded Liberal Party (Frisinnede Venstre)
8
 Local List(s) (Lokale lister)5
Ålesund Bystyre 1926–1928 [38]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)4
 Temperance Party (Avholdspartiet)9
 Social Democratic Labour Party
(Socialdemokratiske Arbeiderparti)
14
 Liberal Party (Venstre)16
 Joint list of the Conservative Party (Høyre)
and the Free-minded Liberal Party (Frisinnede Venstre)
13
 Workers' Common List (Arbeidernes fellesliste)4
Ålesund Bystyre 1923–1925 [39]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)11
 Temperance Party (Avholdspartiet)8
 Social Democratic Labour Party
(Socialdemokratiske Arbeiderparti)
20
 Liberal Party (Venstre)7
 Joint list of the Conservative Party (Høyre)
and the Free-minded Liberal Party (Frisinnede Venstre)
14
Aalesund Bystyre 1920–1922 [40]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)22
 Temperance Party (Avholdspartiet)9
 Liberal Party (Venstre)9
 Joint list of the Conservative Party (Høyre)
and the Free-minded Liberal Party (Frisinnede Venstre)
12

Mayor[]

The mayors of Ålesund (incomplete list):

  • 2015-present: Eva Vinje Aurdal (Ap)
  • 2007-2015: Bjørn Tømmerdal (H)
  • 1999-2007: Arve Tonning (H)
  • 1995-1999: Asbjørn Rutgerson (LL)
  • 1994-1995: Asbjørn Måløy (Ap)
  • 1990-1993: Kjell-Arne Slinning (KrF)
  • 1988-1989: Leidulf Dahle (Ap)
  • 1980-1987: Svein Tømmerdal (H)
  • 1978-1979: Olav Helge Balsnes (H)
  • 1976-1977: Johannes Giske (KrF)
  • 1968-1975: Gustav M. Flisnes (DNF)

Economy[]

Aalesund (Norway) by night.

The town of Ålesund has the most important fishing harbour in Norway. The town's fishing fleet is one of the most modern in Europe. Ålesund and its surroundings also has a large furniture industry. Some well-known household items are manufactured here. In the 1950s and 1960s, Ålesund was one of the chief stations of the herring fishery business.

In relation to the relatively large fishing fleet belonging to Ålesund and nearby harbours a large shipbuilding and ship equipment industry has evolved. There are not any yards building ships in Ålesund any more, the last shipyard - Liaaen Shipyard evolved into ship repairs and since late 1990s has mainly been serving the offshore industry through the company Liaaen Technology[41] that merged and rebranded to Strata Møre in 2007. In the close by communities however shipyards continue to operate successfully: Vard, Ulstein Verft,[42] Kleven Maritime,[43] Havyard Group.[44]

When oil was found in the North Sea in the 1970s the local fishing fleet ship owners seized the opportunity and rebuilt fishing vessels to serve the infant oil exploration and production industry. Soon they were able to build purpose designed offshore vessels at local shipyards to serve the North Sea oil adventure even better. Today this has become a cornerstone industry in and around Ålesund through leading offshore supply ship owning companies Farstad,[45] Bourbon,[46] Olympic,[47] Havila,[48] and Rem.[49] Serving the ship building industry a large number of equipment manufacturers has evolved: Rolls Royce,[50] Odim,[51] Sperre,[52] Optimar,[53] Ship Equip,[54] Jets[55] and many more.

To the east of Ålesund lies the Sykkylven Municipality where the Ekornes factory, producing furniture such as the chair, is located. Håhjem, another village near Ålesund, contains the headquarters of the company. Ålesund is also one of the harbours at which the Hurtigruten arrives two times per day. As the cultural center of the region and with close proximity to the fjords, Ålesund is a tourist attraction.[56] The Atlanterhavsparken aquarium is another tourist attraction.[57]

Transportation[]

MS Polarlys in Ålesund (December 2005)

From Øye at the head of Hjørundfjorden, a road strikes south to the Nordfjorden, and from Maråk on Geirangerfjorden another strikes inland to Otta. The Rauma Line starts at Åndalsnes, 120 kilometres (75 mi) east of Ålesund, going to Dombås, then southwards on the Dovre Line to Lillehammer and Oslo. Ålesund is a port of call for passenger and freight vessels travelling between Bergen, Kingston upon Hull, Newcastle, Hamburg, and Trondheim, including the Hurtigruta (Norwegian Coastal Express) cruise ships, which arrive in Ålesund twice a day.

The town's airport, Ålesund Airport, Vigra, has several daily flights to/from Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Copenhagen. It used to have several weekly flights to/from Riga (Riga International Airport) (AirBaltic) and London (London Gatwick Airport) but these routes have since ceased. In November 2012 KLM announced it would fly to Ålesund 5 days a week from Amsterdam starting in April 2013.[58]

Lately, there have been suggestions[clarification needed] of a high-speed rail link to Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim, as well as metro-style local services to meet the needs of the expanding population of the town[citation needed].

Culture[]

The inner harbour in winter

The Norwegian Centre of Art Nouveau Architecture, Jugendstilsenteret, is situated in Ålesund. It is a museum and interpretive center, with exhibitions telling the story of the town fire and Art Nouveu/Jugendstil in Norway and Europe.

Sunnmøre museum,[59] founded in 1931, is an outdoor folk museum devoted to the Norwegian coastal culture and way of life. Located on an area of 120 hectares (50 acres), it has more than 55 old and distinct houses from the past 300 years moved to the site, replicas of old Viking ships, and the Medieval Age Museum with artifacts from excavations of the old trading centre.

The local newspaper is Sunnmørsposten, founded in 1882 and published six days a week. The newspaper Arbeidernes blad was briefly published in Ålesund in 1898.[60][61] Ålesund is the site of the annual .

Education[]

Ålesund is home to a sub-division of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), with approximately 1,800 students and 150 employees. The Ålesund School of Art (Norwegian: Ålesund Kunstskole) is a school for visual arts located in Ålesund. The Norwegian School of Management had a campus in Ålesund, but it closed on 1 August 2008.[62]

, also known as Latinskolen, formerly Aalesund Lærd- og Realskole, is the oldest secondary school in Ålesund, having been established in 1863.[63] Of the six upper secondary schools in Ålesund, including Latinskolen, is the largest with room for approximately 1,000 students.

Ålesund also features an International school for children aged 5–15.[64]

Gallery[]

Sport[]

The local football team, Aalesunds FK (Aalesunds Fotballklubb) was founded in 1914. The team played in the Norwegian top flight for the first time in the 2003 season. The club won its first Norwegian Cup in 2009 and won again in 2011. They played their home matches at Kråmyra Stadium until the 2005 season, when they relocated to the new Color Line Stadium, located approximately 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) outside the town centre. AaFK's supporter club is called "Stormen" and has about 2,000 members.

Notable residents[]

Edvard Moser, 2015
Erik Tørrissen, 2011

Public Service & business[]

  • Anton Ludvig Alvestad (1883–1956) Mayor of Ålesund, 1920/21 and Govt. minister
  • Reinert Torgeirson (1884–1969) a politician, poet, playwright and novelist
  • Erik Rolfsen (1905–1992) an architect; urban manager of Oslo, 1947-73
  • Monrad Norderval (1902–1976) Bishop of Nord-Hålogaland, 1961–1972
  • Dagfinn Flem (1906–1976) politician, Mayor of Ålesund, 1958 to 1965
  • Birger Strømsheim (1911–2012) a WWII resistance member and heavy water saboteur
  • Margit Johnsen (1913–1987) a Norwegian merchant navy sailor; the only female recipient of the military award St. Olav's Medal with Oak Branch
  • Joachim Rønneberg DSO (1919–2018) an Army officer, broadcaster and WWII Commando
  • Rolf B. Wegner (born 1940) lawyer and well known and popular former chief of police
  • Helen Bjørnøy (born 1954) a Lutheran minister, politician and County Governor of Buskerud
  • Odd Arne Westad FBA, (born 1960) historian specializing in the Cold War
  • Edvard Moser (born 1962) psychologist and neuroscientist, winner 2014 Nobel Prize
  • Harald T. Nesvik (born 1966) a politician and member of the Storting since 1997
  • Paal Kibsgaard (born 1967) a petroleum engineer; chairman and CEO of Schlumberger
  • Peder Are Nøstvold Jensen (born 1975) controversial counterjihad blogger known as Fjordman
  • Torry Larsen (born 1971) a Norwegian adventurer and Arctic explorer
  • Cecilie Skog (born 1974) a professional adventurer, guide and lecturer.
  • Sylvi Listhaug (born 1977) a Norwegian politician and Govt. minister
  • Erik Tørrissen (born 1988) a Norwegian politician and yachtsman

The Arts[]

Hedvig Mollestad, 2019
Bjørn Johan Muri, 2010
  • Jacob Fjelde (1859–1896) an American sculptor of public monuments
  • Ambrosia Tønnesen (1859–1948) the first professional female sculptor in Norway
  • Pauline Fjelde (1861–1923) an American painter, embroiderer and textile artist
  • Sigvart Høgh-Nilsen (1880–1919) a Norwegian pianist and composer
  • Axel Revold (1887–1962) a Norwegian painter, illustrator and academic
  • Ole Barman (1897–1983) a novelist, short story writer, playwright and theatre director
  • Hartvig Kiran (1911–1978) an author, journalist, song writer and composer
  • Mattis Mathiesen (1924–2010) a Norwegian photographer and film director [65]
  • Arnold Eidslott (1926–2018) poet laureate, 1986 to 2018 and telegraphic engineer
  • Arild Rypdal (1934–2015) author of spying stories, a pilot and engineer
  • Oddbjørn Blindheim (born 1944) a jazz pianist and dentist
  • Svein Olav Blindheim (born 1954) a jazz double bassist, composer and writer
  • Geir Rönning (born 1962) a professional singer-songwriter
  • Ernst Simon Glaser (born 1975) a classical musician (cello) and music teacher
  • Stian Omenås (born 1980) a jazz musician (trumpet), music conductor and composer
  • Hilde Marie Kjersem (born 1981) a jazz and pop singer, musician and songwriter
  • Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen (born 1982) a guitarist, vocalist and composer
  • Ingrid Helene Håvik (born 1987) songwriter and vocalist, lead singer of Highasakite
  • Bjørn Johan Muri (born 1990) a Norwegian pop singer
  • Sigrid Solbakk Raabe (born 1996) known as Sigrid, a singer and songwriter
John Arne Riise, 2009
Nina Haver-Loeseth, 2018

Sport[]

In popular culture[]

Mark Kozelek wrote and performed an eponymous song about Ålesund under the Sun Kil Moon moniker, on the record Admiral Fell Promises.
Ålesund was shown briefly at about the 20:17 mark in the 1969 film, "It's Tough to Be a Bird," by Disney. The town is shown being stepped on by an enormous bird foot.

Twin towns – sister cities[]

Ålesund is twinned with:[66]

  • Iceland Akureyri, Iceland (1949)
  • Italy Borgo a Mozzano, Italy (1979)
  • Finland Lahti, Finland (1947)
  • Scotland Peterhead, Scotland, United Kingdom (1967)
  • Denmark Randers, Denmark (1947)
  • United States Tacoma, United States (1986)
  • Sweden Västerås, Sweden (1947)

See also[]

References[]

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External links[]

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