Trondheim - Overview
Trondheim, Norway’s oldest city was founded in AD 997 by Viking King Olav Tryggyason. It is located in central Norway, in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, and it was originally known as Kaupangen before becoming known as Nidaros. The first capital of Norway, it relinquished this title in 1217 although it has remained the city in which the Royals are crowned, holding coronations from 872 to as recently as 1991. Originally a Catholic country, the Archdiocese of Nidaros was based in Trondheim before the Reformation in the 16th century forced the last Archbishop to flee. Despite the change in religion Trondheim remains an important religious centre and many still come to see the famous Nidaros Cathedral to undertake pilgrimages of the sort carried out in the middle ages.
Predominantly a city built of wood, Trondheim has suffered a number of major fires over its one thousand year history. Following each fire the city was rebuilt, but it was the devastating fire of 1681 that forced Trondheim to design a new city plan. In the rebuilding the city’s streets were widened to prevent fire spreading and the town was transformed. Some of the original narrow streets do still exist however, and these can be seen in Trondheim’s old district.
The county of Trøndelag and thus the city of Trondheim briefly came under Swedish rule in the 1600’s during the second Northern War between Sweden and Norway-Denmark, however it was returned to Norwegian rule after only 10 months, where it remains. Trondheim was involved in further conflict during World War II when it was occupied by Nazi Germany. The occupation lasted for five years with martial law being imposed for a time.
Modern day Trondheim was established as a municipality in 1838, further increasing its size in 1964 when it was merged with the rural municipalities of Byneset, Leinstrand, Strinda and Tiller. The city is governed by a mayor but is split into four boroughs, each having control of its own social services. The Trondheim municipality covers an area of 324 km2 and is Norway’s third largest with approximately 170,000 inhabitants. The population swells somewhat each year with the 20,000 students attending the Norwegian University of Science and Technology based in Trondheim.
Considered Norway’s Capital of Technology, the NUST dominates the town and is the main contributor to the city’s economy. The business community commands a healthy majority of the regional trade, as well as high percentages of imports and exports in the area.
Thanks to a thriving student population the nightlife in Trondheim is buzzing. There are bars and clubs catering for all tastes and for those not interested in partying through the night, and a vibrant café culture throughout the day. A range of restaurants serve daily menus from traditional Norwegian to international and vegetarian cuisine.
The main language spoken in Trondheim is Norwegian, although the Sami language is spoken in parts of the country. Norway is not in the European Union and as such has its own currency, the Norwegian Kronor (NOK).