Hammerfest
Encyclopedia
is a city and municipality
in Finnmark
county
, Norway
. The municipality encompasses parts of three islands: Kvaløya
, Sørøya
, and Seiland
. Hammerfest was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
). The law required that all cities should be separated from their rural districts, but because of low population, and very few voters, this was impossible to carry out for Hammerfest in 1838. (See also Vadsø
and Vardø
.) The rural district of Hammerfest (Sørøysund
) was separated from the city on 1 January 1852, but it was merged back into the city on 1 January 1992 (but without the area of Kvalsund
, which was separated from Sørøysund as a municipality of its own in 1869).
age. The first element is hammer, referring to a number of large rocks, good for mooring boats, called Hamran (Old Norse
: Hamarr - steep mountainside). The Hamran were covered up in land reclaiming
during the early post-war years. The last element is fest, from Old Norse festr which means 'fastening' (for boats).
is from relatively modern times. They were granted on 16 December 1938. The arms of Hammerfest, a silver polar bear
on a red background, were prepared for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the town's foundation in 1939. The polar bear was chosen as a symbol for the fishing
in the polar seas north of Norway. The polar bear itself is not native to mainland Norway.
Many grave sites dating back to the Stone Age
can be found here. This location was an important fishing and Arctic hunting settlement for a long time before it was given market town
rights by royal decree of Christian VII
of Denmark–Norway
in 1789.
, Denmark–Norway was attacked by Great Britain
and forced into the conflict on the side of Napoleon and France
. As one of the main centres of commerce and transportation in western Finnmark
, Hammerfest became a natural target of the Royal Navy
's blockading warship
s. Thus, on the request of local merchant
s, the town received four six-pound cannon
from the central armoury
in Trondheim
. Subsequently, a 50-man strong coastal defence militia was formed to defend Hammerfest. A number of merchants formed the officer corps of the militia, while Sea Samis
and Kvens were mobilized as gun crews and soldiers.
s Snake and Fancy approached the town. Before reaching Hammerfest, the British vessels had looted the village of Hasvik
, laying waste to the small fishing community. The following battle between Hammerfest's two two-cannon batteries and the British warships with a total of 32 cannon was surprisingly intense and did not end before the Norwegian cannons had run out of gun powder after about 90 minutes of combat. Both attacking warships had suffered a number of cannonball
hits and had at least one fatal casualty; a sailor who was buried at the local cemetery. During the battle, the local populace had been able to escape with most of the town's goods, but the raiding warships still stayed in the good port
of Hammerfest for eight days. During their stay the Royal Navy sailors looted all they could get their hands on, including the church donation box and some of the church's silver.
town with some regular troops and much improved and expanded fortifications. A small flotilla
of cannon-armed rowing boats also operated out of Hammerfest for the remainder of the Napoleonic Wars.
and wiped out almost half the town's houses. After the fire Hammerfest received donations and humanitarian assistance from across the world; the biggest single donor being Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany
. The Kaiser had personally visited the town several times on his yacht
and had great affection for the small northern settlement.
to get electrical street light
s. The invention was brought to Hammerfest by two of the town's merchants who had seen it demonstrated at a fair in Paris
.
After their victory in the Norwegian Campaign
of the Second World War
, the Germans soon fortified Hammerfest and used it as a major base. The importance of Hammerfest to the Germans increased dramatically after their invasion of the Soviet Union
in 1941. The occupiers installed three coastal batteries in and around Hammerfest, one with four 10.5 cm guns on Melkøya island near the town, one with three 10.5 cm guns on a hill right outside the town and a final battery with casemate
d 13 cm pieces on the Rypklubben peninsula near Rypefjord
.
The main German U-boat base
in Finnmark was in Hammerfest, serving as a central supply base for the vessels attacking the allied supply convoys to Russia
. Luftwaffe seaplane
s were based at an improvised naval air station in nearby Rypefjord. The garrison in Hammerfest was also protected by around 4,000 mines
and numerous anti-aircraft guns
.
During their long retreat following the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation
, the Germans no longer managed to transport troops by sea further east due to massive Red Air Force raids. Thus Hammerfest became their main shipping port in Finnmark in the autumn of 1944.
Hammerfest was bombed twice by the Soviet Air Forces; on 14 February 1944 with little damage and again on 29 August 1944 with more significant damage to buildings and infrastructure and with ships sunk in the harbour. The ships lost were the local transports Tanahorn and Brynilen.
The population of Hammerfest was forcibly evacuated by the occupying German troops
in the autumn of 1944. The town was looted and burned to the ground by the Germans when they retreated in 1945, the last of the town having been destroyed by the time the Germans finally left on 10 February 1945. Only the town's small funeral chapel, built in 1937, was left standing. The Museum of Reconstruction
in Hammerfest tells the story of these events and the recovery of the town.
Mines and munitions left over from the Second World War are still being found and disposed of in the Hammerfest area.
in the world, although the title is disputed by Honningsvåg
, Norway. The validity of the claim depends upon one's definition of a city; although Hammerfest is further south than Honningsvåg it has a population over 5,000, which is required by Norwegian law to achieve town status. Barrow, Alaska
, population c. 4,000, is further north than both the Norwegian towns, but does not lay claim to the title of northernmost town. Some foreigners may find it strange that either Hammerfest or Honningsvåg
claims to be cities, given the small size of both places and it may help to know that the Norwegian language does not distinguish between city
and town
. The closest translation for either term is the word by, meaning the translation from Norwegian to English is ambiguous. If both Hammerfest and Honningsvåg
were to be defined according to old British tradition, neither of them would be considered cities, as neither has a cathedral. Both of them may, however, be considered town
s, given the status of both settlements as economic hubs of the surrounding areas and the status as municipal centres.
Hammerfest is, together with Vardø
, the oldest town in Northern Norway. The town of Hammerfest is situated on the island of Kvaløya, with road connection to the mainland using the Kvalsund Bridge
.
, as the mean annual temperature is approximately 2 °C (36 °F), about the same as Anchorage, Alaska
which is located at a latitude of 61° North. Monthly 24-hr averages range from -5 C in January to 11 °C (52 °F) in July. Mean annual precipitation is 820 millimetres (32.3 in). The driest months are May, June, and July; with on average of 50 millimetres (2 in) of rainfall each month. The wettest period is October through December.
Hammerfest often experiences heavy snow
fall in winter, and on some occasions, avalanche
s or risk of avalanches have forced some inhabitants to be evacuated from their exposed homes until the danger was over.
The construction of the large liquefied natural gas
site on Melkøya (island) just off Hammerfest, which will process natural gas
from Snøhvit
, is the most expensive construction project in the history of Northern Norway. This project has resulted in an economic boom and new optimism in Hammerfest in recent years, a stark contrast to the economic downhill and negative population growth most other municipalities in Finnmark are experiencing. After the opening of natural gas production on Melkøya there have been some problems with significant smoke and soot pollution in the initial production phases. Snøhvit is Europe's first export facility for liquefied natural gas.
Hammerfest offers sport and commercial fishing
, both sea
and freshwater
, as well as scuba diving
. The northernmost glacier
on the Norwegian mainland is a popular hiking
destination. The town is a popular starting point for northern tours. There is a daily boat to the North Cape
. One chain of the Struve Geodetic Arc
, now on the World Heritage List, is located at Fuglenes in Hammerfest.
Hammerfest is also a centre of Sami
culture.
Hammerfest is home to the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society
; a museum displaying the history of Arctic hunting.
American author Bill Bryson
begins his European travels, documented in his popular book Neither Here Nor There
with a visit to Hammerfest in order to see the Northern Lights, stating that he found the town "engrossing" and that it "had grew to feel like home".
94 which branches off from European route E6
at Skaidi in the neighbouring municipality of Kvalsund. The town is a port of call for the Hurtigruten
ship route. Hammerfest also has Finnmark's third largest airport, Hammerfest Airport
, opened 30 July 1974. Before the opening of the airport, the only air link to Hammerfest was by seaplane
, the first route established in 1936.
During the summer, massive reindeer
herds migrate from their winter pastures in the inner parts of Finnmark to the coast. Among the islands inhabited by reindeer during the summer months is Kvaløya, the island on which Hammerfest town is located. For years many of the 2,500 to 3,000 reindeer in the area have been coming into the town itself, wandering in the streets and among the houses. Although very popular with tourists, this has been less favourably received by the town's population, with people complaining of traffic disturbances and the dung
and urine left by the animals. For hygienic reasons large sums of money have to be spent every year to clean up after the animals. In response to the complaints the town authorities built a 12 miles (19.31 km) long 4 feet (1.22 m) high fence encircling the town to keep the animals out. However, as of the 2008 reindeer season, the fence had proven ineffective, with reindeer managing to pass through on road crossings, despite the presence of electrified grates embedded in the ground. The problem continues - the mayor, Alf E. Jakobsen
, joked during the local election in 2011 that he was contemplating a career as a reindeer herder if he lost the vote.
.jpg)
Hammerfest is town twinned
with the following foreign settlements: – Haparanda
– Ikast
, Denmark
– Kola
, Russia
– Mokpo
, South Korea
– Petersburg
, Alaska
, United States
– Tornio
, Finland
– Trelleborg
, Sweden
– Ushuaia
, Argentina
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The municipality encompasses parts of three islands: Kvaløya
Kvaløya, Finnmark
Kvaløya is an island in Finnmark county, North Norway. Its area is . It is situated in the municipalities of Hammerfest and Kvalsund. The city of Hammerfest is located in the western part of the island....
, Sørøya
Sørøya
Sørøya is a large island in western Finnmark, Norway. It is Norway's fourth largest island in terms of area, and is divided between the municipalities of Hasvik and Hammerfest...
, and Seiland
Seiland
Seiland is an island in the southwest of Hammerfest in Finnmark county. The island is divided between the municipalities of Hammerfest, Alta and Kvalsund and has an area of...
. Hammerfest was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). The law required that all cities should be separated from their rural districts, but because of low population, and very few voters, this was impossible to carry out for Hammerfest in 1838. (See also Vadsø
Vadsø
is a city and municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality and the county of Finnmark....
and Vardø
Vardø
is a town and a municipality in Finnmark county in the extreme northeast part of Norway.Vardø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . The law required that all cities should be separated from their rural districts, but because of a low population and very few voters, this was...
.) The rural district of Hammerfest (Sørøysund
Sørøysund
Sørøysund is a former municipality in Finnmark county in Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Hammerfest. The former municipality encompassed the eastern part of the island of Sørøya, the northern part of the island of Seiland, and the northern part of Kvaløya .-Name:The name...
) was separated from the city on 1 January 1852, but it was merged back into the city on 1 January 1992 (but without the area of Kvalsund
Kvalsund
Kvalsund is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kvalsund. Kvalsund was separated from the municipality of Sørøysund on 1 July 1869....
, which was separated from Sørøysund as a municipality of its own in 1869).
Name
The town is named after an old anchorAnchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
age. The first element is hammer, referring to a number of large rocks, good for mooring boats, called Hamran (Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Hamarr - steep mountainside). The Hamran were covered up in land reclaiming
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
during the early post-war years. The last element is fest, from Old Norse festr which means 'fastening' (for boats).
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from relatively modern times. They were granted on 16 December 1938. The arms of Hammerfest, a silver polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
on a red background, were prepared for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the town's foundation in 1939. The polar bear was chosen as a symbol for the fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
in the polar seas north of Norway. The polar bear itself is not native to mainland Norway.
History
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
can be found here. This location was an important fishing and Arctic hunting settlement for a long time before it was given market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
rights by royal decree of Christian VII
Christian VII of Denmark
Christian VII was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1766 until his death. He was the son of Danish King Frederick V and his first consort Louisa, daughter of King George II of Great Britain....
of Denmark–Norway
Denmark–Norway
Denmark–Norway is the historiographical name for a former political entity consisting of the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway, including the originally Norwegian dependencies of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands...
in 1789.
Napoleonic Wars
During the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, Denmark–Norway was attacked by Great Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and forced into the conflict on the side of Napoleon and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. As one of the main centres of commerce and transportation in western Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
, Hammerfest became a natural target of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's blockading warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s. Thus, on the request of local merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
s, the town received four six-pound cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
from the central armoury
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. Subsequently, a 50-man strong coastal defence militia was formed to defend Hammerfest. A number of merchants formed the officer corps of the militia, while Sea Samis
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
and Kvens were mobilized as gun crews and soldiers.
British attack
On 22 July 1809, the expected British attack came when the brigBrig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
s Snake and Fancy approached the town. Before reaching Hammerfest, the British vessels had looted the village of Hasvik
Hasvik
Hasvik is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Breivikbotn. Hasvik was separated from the municipality of Loppa on 1 January 1858....
, laying waste to the small fishing community. The following battle between Hammerfest's two two-cannon batteries and the British warships with a total of 32 cannon was surprisingly intense and did not end before the Norwegian cannons had run out of gun powder after about 90 minutes of combat. Both attacking warships had suffered a number of cannonball
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
hits and had at least one fatal casualty; a sailor who was buried at the local cemetery. During the battle, the local populace had been able to escape with most of the town's goods, but the raiding warships still stayed in the good port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
of Hammerfest for eight days. During their stay the Royal Navy sailors looted all they could get their hands on, including the church donation box and some of the church's silver.
Improved fortifications
After the raid, Hammerfest became a garrisonGarrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
town with some regular troops and much improved and expanded fortifications. A small flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
of cannon-armed rowing boats also operated out of Hammerfest for the remainder of the Napoleonic Wars.
Fire of 1890
Hammerfest was struck by a fire in 1890 which started in the bakeryBakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
and wiped out almost half the town's houses. After the fire Hammerfest received donations and humanitarian assistance from across the world; the biggest single donor being Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. The Kaiser had personally visited the town several times on his yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
and had great affection for the small northern settlement.
Electric street lighting
In 1891, Hammerfest became the first urban settlement in Northern EuropeNorthern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
to get electrical street light
Street light
A street light, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or walkway, which is turned on or lit at a certain time every night. Modern lamps may also have light-sensitive photocells to turn them on at dusk, off at dawn, or activate...
s. The invention was brought to Hammerfest by two of the town's merchants who had seen it demonstrated at a fair in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Destruction in the Second World War
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Germans soon fortified Hammerfest and used it as a major base. The importance of Hammerfest to the Germans increased dramatically after their invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
in 1941. The occupiers installed three coastal batteries in and around Hammerfest, one with four 10.5 cm guns on Melkøya island near the town, one with three 10.5 cm guns on a hill right outside the town and a final battery with casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
d 13 cm pieces on the Rypklubben peninsula near Rypefjord
Rypefjord
Rypefjord is a village in the municipality of Hammerfest, Norway. Its population is 1,741. Fjordtun primary school is located in Rypefjord. Rypefjord was the main population centre of the former municipality of Sørøysund.-See also:...
.
The main German U-boat base
German U-boat bases in occupied Norway
German U-boat bases in occupied Norway existed between 1940 and 1945, when the German Navy, the Kriegsmarine, converted several naval bases in Norway into Submarine bases. Norwegian coastal cities became available to the German Navy after the invasion of Denmark and Norway in April 1940...
in Finnmark was in Hammerfest, serving as a central supply base for the vessels attacking the allied supply convoys to Russia
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
. Luftwaffe seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s were based at an improvised naval air station in nearby Rypefjord. The garrison in Hammerfest was also protected by around 4,000 mines
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
and numerous anti-aircraft guns
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
.
During their long retreat following the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation
Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation
The Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive was a major military offensive during World War II, mounted by the Red Army against the Wehrmacht in 1944 in northern Finland and Norway. The offensive defeated the Wehrmachts forces in the Arctic, driving them back into Norway, and was called the "Tenth Shock" by...
, the Germans no longer managed to transport troops by sea further east due to massive Red Air Force raids. Thus Hammerfest became their main shipping port in Finnmark in the autumn of 1944.
Hammerfest was bombed twice by the Soviet Air Forces; on 14 February 1944 with little damage and again on 29 August 1944 with more significant damage to buildings and infrastructure and with ships sunk in the harbour. The ships lost were the local transports Tanahorn and Brynilen.
The population of Hammerfest was forcibly evacuated by the occupying German troops
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
in the autumn of 1944. The town was looted and burned to the ground by the Germans when they retreated in 1945, the last of the town having been destroyed by the time the Germans finally left on 10 February 1945. Only the town's small funeral chapel, built in 1937, was left standing. The Museum of Reconstruction
Museum of Reconstruction
The Museum of Reconstruction for Finnmark and North Troms is a museum in the town of Hammerfest, Norway.As was much of Northern Norway, the entire town of Hammerfest was razed to the ground by the retreating Nazi German military forces at the end of World War II...
in Hammerfest tells the story of these events and the recovery of the town.
Mines and munitions left over from the Second World War are still being found and disposed of in the Hammerfest area.
Geography
Hammerfest claims to be the northernmost cityNorthernmost cities and towns
This is a list of the northernmost cities and towns in the world.-Larger cities:Northernmost cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants.Northernmost cities with more than 250,000 inhabitants.-See also:*Southernmost cities and towns...
in the world, although the title is disputed by Honningsvåg
Honningsvåg
at 70° 58' N, in Nordkapp municipality, claims to be the northernmost city in Norway and even in the world, although the title is disputed by Hammerfest, Norway; Barrow, Alaska; and Longyearbyen, Svalbard...
, Norway. The validity of the claim depends upon one's definition of a city; although Hammerfest is further south than Honningsvåg it has a population over 5,000, which is required by Norwegian law to achieve town status. Barrow, Alaska
Barrow, Alaska
Barrow is the largest city of the North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is one of the northernmost cities in the world and is the northernmost city in the United States of America, with nearby Point Barrow being the nation's northernmost point. Barrow's population was 4,212 at the...
, population c. 4,000, is further north than both the Norwegian towns, but does not lay claim to the title of northernmost town. Some foreigners may find it strange that either Hammerfest or Honningsvåg
Honningsvåg
at 70° 58' N, in Nordkapp municipality, claims to be the northernmost city in Norway and even in the world, although the title is disputed by Hammerfest, Norway; Barrow, Alaska; and Longyearbyen, Svalbard...
claims to be cities, given the small size of both places and it may help to know that the Norwegian language does not distinguish between city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
and town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
. The closest translation for either term is the word by, meaning the translation from Norwegian to English is ambiguous. If both Hammerfest and Honningsvåg
Honningsvåg
at 70° 58' N, in Nordkapp municipality, claims to be the northernmost city in Norway and even in the world, although the title is disputed by Hammerfest, Norway; Barrow, Alaska; and Longyearbyen, Svalbard...
were to be defined according to old British tradition, neither of them would be considered cities, as neither has a cathedral. Both of them may, however, be considered town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
s, given the status of both settlements as economic hubs of the surrounding areas and the status as municipal centres.
Hammerfest is, together with Vardø
Vardø
is a town and a municipality in Finnmark county in the extreme northeast part of Norway.Vardø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . The law required that all cities should be separated from their rural districts, but because of a low population and very few voters, this was...
, the oldest town in Northern Norway. The town of Hammerfest is situated on the island of Kvaløya, with road connection to the mainland using the Kvalsund Bridge
Kvalsund Bridge
Kvalsund Bridge is a suspension bridge in Kvalsund municipality that crosses Kvalsundet from the mainland to Kvaløya in Finnmark county in Norway. Opened for traffic in 1977, the bridge is long, the main span is , and the maximum clearance to the sea is...
.
Climate
In spite of the extreme northern location, there is no permafrostPermafrost
In geology, permafrost, cryotic soil or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water for two or more years. Ice is not always present, as may be in the case of nonporous bedrock, but it frequently occurs and it may be in amounts exceeding the potential hydraulic saturation of...
, as the mean annual temperature is approximately 2 °C (36 °F), about the same as Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
which is located at a latitude of 61° North. Monthly 24-hr averages range from -5 C in January to 11 °C (52 °F) in July. Mean annual precipitation is 820 millimetres (32.3 in). The driest months are May, June, and July; with on average of 50 millimetres (2 in) of rainfall each month. The wettest period is October through December.
Hammerfest often experiences heavy snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
fall in winter, and on some occasions, avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s or risk of avalanches have forced some inhabitants to be evacuated from their exposed homes until the danger was over.
Economy and tourism
Liquefied natural gas
Liquefied natural gas or LNG is natural gas that has been converted temporarily to liquid form for ease of storage or transport....
site on Melkøya (island) just off Hammerfest, which will process natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
from Snøhvit
Snøhvit
Snøhvit is the name of a natural gas field in the Norwegian Sea, situated northwest of Hammerfest, Norway. The northern part of the Norwegian Sea is often described as the Barents Sea by offshore petroleum companies...
, is the most expensive construction project in the history of Northern Norway. This project has resulted in an economic boom and new optimism in Hammerfest in recent years, a stark contrast to the economic downhill and negative population growth most other municipalities in Finnmark are experiencing. After the opening of natural gas production on Melkøya there have been some problems with significant smoke and soot pollution in the initial production phases. Snøhvit is Europe's first export facility for liquefied natural gas.
Hammerfest offers sport and commercial fishing
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
, both sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
and freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
, as well as scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
. The northernmost glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
on the Norwegian mainland is a popular hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
destination. The town is a popular starting point for northern tours. There is a daily boat to the North Cape
North Cape, Norway
North Cape is a cape on the island of Magerøya in Northern Norway, in the municipality of Nordkapp. Its 307 m high, steep cliff is often referred to as the northernmost point of Europe, located at , 2102.3 km from the North Pole. However, the neighbouring point Knivskjellodden is actually...
. One chain of the Struve Geodetic Arc
Struve Geodetic Arc
The Struve Geodetic Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through ten countries and over 2,820 km, which yielded the first accurate measurement of a meridian....
, now on the World Heritage List, is located at Fuglenes in Hammerfest.
Hammerfest is also a centre of Sami
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
culture.
Hammerfest is home to the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society
Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society
The Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society is a small museum in the town of Hammerfest, Norway The significance of the polar bear is that this animal is the town's mascot and heraldic crest....
; a museum displaying the history of Arctic hunting.
American author Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson
William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on science. Born an American, he was a resident of Britain for most of his adult life before moving back to the US in 1995...
begins his European travels, documented in his popular book Neither Here Nor There
Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe
Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe is a 1991 humorous travelogue by American writer Bill Bryson. It documents the author's tour of Europe in 1990, with many flash-backs to two summer tours he made in 1972 and 1973 in his college days...
with a visit to Hammerfest in order to see the Northern Lights, stating that he found the town "engrossing" and that it "had grew to feel like home".
Transportation
Hammerfest is connected to the main road network by Norwegian national roadNorwegian national road
Norwegian national road , are roads thus categorized by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration which also maintains them...
94 which branches off from European route E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
at Skaidi in the neighbouring municipality of Kvalsund. The town is a port of call for the Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten or Hurtigruta is a Norwegian passenger and freight line with daily sailings along Norway's western and northern coast. Sometimes referred to in English as Norwegian Coastal Express, Hurtigruten ships sail almost the entire length of the country, completing the roundtrip journey in 11...
ship route. Hammerfest also has Finnmark's third largest airport, Hammerfest Airport
Hammerfest Airport
Hammerfest Airport is an airport serving the town of Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. The airport is located north of the town centre. The airport was opened on 30 July 1974 as part of a series of regional airports in northern Norway. It is operated by Avinor. In 2007, the airport served 148,541...
, opened 30 July 1974. Before the opening of the airport, the only air link to Hammerfest was by seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
, the first route established in 1936.
Reindeer issues
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
herds migrate from their winter pastures in the inner parts of Finnmark to the coast. Among the islands inhabited by reindeer during the summer months is Kvaløya, the island on which Hammerfest town is located. For years many of the 2,500 to 3,000 reindeer in the area have been coming into the town itself, wandering in the streets and among the houses. Although very popular with tourists, this has been less favourably received by the town's population, with people complaining of traffic disturbances and the dung
Feces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
and urine left by the animals. For hygienic reasons large sums of money have to be spent every year to clean up after the animals. In response to the complaints the town authorities built a 12 miles (19.31 km) long 4 feet (1.22 m) high fence encircling the town to keep the animals out. However, as of the 2008 reindeer season, the fence had proven ineffective, with reindeer managing to pass through on road crossings, despite the presence of electrified grates embedded in the ground. The problem continues - the mayor, Alf E. Jakobsen
Alf E. Jakobsen
Alf E. Jakobsen is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He served in the position of deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Finnmark during the terms 1989–1993, 2001–2005 and 2005–2009...
, joked during the local election in 2011 that he was contemplating a career as a reindeer herder if he lost the vote.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with the following foreign settlements: – Haparanda
Haparanda
Haparanda is a locality and the seat of Haparanda Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 4,778 inhabitants in 2005. It is adjacent to Tornio, Finland...
– Ikast
Ikast
Ikast is a Danish town in the Region Midtjylland. It has been part of the municipality of Ikast-Brande since 2007. It was the seat of the former Ikast Municipality.-External links:*...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
– Kola
Kola (town)
Kola is a town and the administrative center of Kolsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kola and Tuloma Rivers, south of Murmansk and southwest of Severomorsk. It is the oldest town of the Kola Peninsula. Population: 11,060 ; -History:The district of Kolo...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
– Mokpo
Mokpo
Mokpo is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Mokpo has frequent train service to Seoul and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
– Petersburg
Petersburg, Alaska
Petersburg is a city in Petersburg Census Area, Alaska, in the United States. According to 2009 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 2,824 full time residents.- History :...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
– Tornio
Tornio
Tornio is a town and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. The population density is , with a total population of . It borders to the Swedish municipality of Haparanda...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
– Trelleborg
Trelleborg Municipality
Trelleborg Municipality is the southernmost municipality of Sweden, in Skåne County. Its seat is located in the city Trelleborg....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
– Ushuaia
Ushuaia
Ushuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Foreign consulates
Denmark, Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands have honorary consulates in Hammerfest.External links
- Webcam Hammerfest
- Information from Statoil about the Snøhvit LNG construction
- Tromsø University Museum: Maritime hunter - fishers through 10,000 years at Melkøya
- Hammerfest official tourist information
- Finnmark University College
- Arctic booms as climate change melts polar ice cap
- Power station using tidal current as energy in Kvalsund
- New oil field discovered only 45 km off the coast
- Goliat oil field larger than previously thought
- Information about the planned natural gas power plant with CO2 reduction