Kongsberg
Kongsberg (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈkɔ̂ŋːsbær(ɡ)] ⓘ) is a historical mining town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway.In the first years nearly half of the city's population were German immigrants, and the majority of the engineers and executives were German immigrants and their descendants well into the 19th century, becoming a distinct social class called mining families that formed the educated social elite of Kongsberg in contrast to the Norwegian farming population; the first Nobel laureate in economics Ragnar Frisch belonged to such a Kongsberg mining family.Kongsberg gradually lost importance to other cities in the 19th century, particularly to the rapidly growing capital of Christiania (Oslo).The Kongsberg Silver Mines closed in 1958 after operating for 334 years and is today a museum and the city's main tourist attraction.The Germans brought with them the Knappschaft, a guild-like association of miners that provided including free medical assistance, a pension plan, worker sick leave and a Saturday break.Precious metals also became more and more important in the currency, and to get closer to its source of raw materials, the Royal Mint moved in 1686 from Akershus to Kongsberg.[8][9] During peaceful times, the defence industry gradually evolved into many other kinds of high tech activities as well, now dominating the town's employment.[citation needed] As a result, the company was split into several smaller units and partly sold to private investors.[citation needed] Today, the separate firms thrive as one of Norway's main high-tech industrial clusters, centering on the defence and maritime company Kongsberg Gruppen which is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.The neighbouring municipalities of Kongsberg are Flesberg to the north; Øvre Eiker and Hof to the east; Lardal, Siljan, and Skien to the south; and Sauherad and Notodden to the west.The main highways are the E134, crossing Kongsberg east to west (and connected to the E18 to Oslo), and Norwegian national road 40 (Riksvei 40), going north to south.With the population increase during the town's silver mining heyday of the mid-eighteenth century came the need for a new church, which was built over a 21-year period and inaugurated in 1761.It has an austere red brick exterior, but a richly decorated baroque interior including unique chandeliers made at Nøstetangen Glass Works in neighbouring Hokksund.King, Diana Krall, Ornette Coleman, Joshua Redman and John Scofield have played at the festival in recent years.Birger Ruud and his two brothers, as well as many other townsmen, such as Petter Hugsted, won numerous medals in Winter Olympics and other international championships in the 1930s and 1940s.Recent winter sports athletes of the Kongsberg region include Olympic snowboarders Stine Brun Kjeldaas, Silje Norendal and Halvor Lunn; cross-country ski sprinter Børre Næss of the village Efteløt; and ski jumper Sigurd Pettersen of nearby municipality Rollag (60 km/37 mi north of Kongsberg).The first monogram on the hillside property belonged to Christian IV who in 1624 founded Kongsberg at the site of the newly discovered silver deposits.[18] The park also manages properties in Stjørdal, Horten, Sandefjord, Skedsmo, Asker, Bærum, Oslo, Rygge, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Ulsteinvik and Brattvåg.
Kongsberg Silver MinesKongsberg GruppenSilver Mountain, CaliforniaKönigsbergMunicipalityCoat of armsNorwayCountyBuskerudDistrictDemonym(s)Official languageBokmålTime zoneISO 3166 codemining townNumedalslågenNumedalsilverChristian IV of Denmark and NorwaySaxonyRagnar FrischBergenBergstadnew national lawYtre SandsværØvre SandsværChristianiaRoyal Norwegian MintNorwegianNorwegian coinsdefence contractorKongsberg ColtKrag–JørgensenUniversity of South-Eastern NorwayTinius Olsen's schoolPolandLithuaniaSwedenDenmarkAfghanistanEritreaPhilippinesGermanyJohannes FlintoeDanish-NorwegianChristian IVminingDenmark–Norwaygross national productSandsværHokksundKristiansandLarvikDanishAkershusGreat Northern WarKarl XIIcoppercobaltfluoritecensusEastern Norwayroyal chartertownshipdefense industryMint of FinlandSamlerhusetKongsberg School of Mineshigh techSoviet blocOslo Stock Exchangea man stabbed multiple people with a bladed weaponMuslim convertcoat-of-armsHallvard TrættebergRoman godemperorjusticeLågendalenFlesbergØvre EikerLardalSiljanSauheradNotoddenVestfoldTelemarkwaterfallsBuarenhumid continental climateprecipitationNorwegian national roadSørland Linebaroquechandeliersseating capacitypipe organGottfried Heinrich GlogerJürgen AhrendScandinaviaKongsberg JazzfestivalB. B. KingDiana KrallOrnette ColemanJoshua RedmanJohn Scofieldski jumpersBirger RuudPetter HugstedKonsbergerJacob Tullin ThamsSigmund RuudKongsberg Skiing MuseumNorwegian Mining Museumski bindingNorwegian-AmericanHjalmar HvamStine Brun KjeldaasSilje NorendalHalvor Lunncross-country skiBørre NæssSigurd PettersenRollagalpine skiing