Risør

Risør is a city and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. It belongs to the geographical region of Sørlandet. It is a popular tourist place. The surrounding area includes many small lakes and hills. It is known for its beautiful coastline as well. Risør has in the last decade got a growing reputation as the regional capital of arts and crafts, which culminates in the "Villvin-festival" during the summer holiday.

1 The name
2 Geography
3 History
4 Economic basis
5 Population
6 Community life
7 Key attractions
8 Famous residents
9 References
10 External links

[edit] The name

The Norse form of the name must have been *Rísøyjar. The first element is rís n 'thicket', the last element is the plural form of øy f 'island'.

[edit] Geography

Risør is the easternmost coastal municipality in Aust-Agder, located on the point where the Søndeledfjord and Sandnesfjord meet, providing ready access to the Skagerrak. (No connection with Sandnes in Rogaland.) It is bordered in the southwest by Tvedestrand, on the northwest by Vegårshei and Gjerstad in Aust-Agder and in the northeast by Kragerø in Telemark.

[edit] History

Risør was a small fishing village when Dutch vessels began to call there to purchase timber in about 1570. By 1607 two inns had been opened to serve Dutch sailors.

In 1630 Risør became a privileged port (ladestad).

The place is known for a church building from the Middle Ages, as well as a timber church Den Hellige Ånds (Holy Ghost) which was built in the Baroque style in 1647.

In 1723 Risør became a privileged town. By the end of the 18th century 96 sailing vessels were owned by Risør merchants. It was the 6th largest shipping town and one of four shipbuilding centers in Norway.

In Letters on Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, Mary Wollstonecraft wrote extensively while visiting Risør in 1783, including the following remarks:

On entering Risør - “We were a considerable time entering amongst the islands, before we saw about two hundred houses crowded together under a very high rock--still higher appearing above.”
While at Risør - “… seaports are not favorable to improvement. The captains acquire a little superficial knowledge by traveling, which their indefatigable attention to the making of money prevents their digesting; and the fortune that they thus laboriously acquire is spent, as it usually is in towns of this description, in show and good living.”
While departing Risør - “The view of the town was now extremely fine. A huge rocky mountain stood up behind it, and a vast cliff stretched on each side, forming a semicircle. In a recess of the rocks was a clump of pines, amongst which a steeple rose picturesquely beautiful.”

Risør played a role in the Napoleonic Wars in 1807-14, when Denmark-Norway took France's side, and therefore became the enemy of Norway's most important trading-partner: Great Britain. (It is from this period that Henrik Ibsen took his subject, when he created his famous poem Terje Vigen.) It was south of Risør, in Lyngør (in neighboring Tvedestrand municipality) that several British men-of-war of the English navy pursued and sunk the last major vessel and the pride of Norway: the line-of-battle ship HDMS Najaden.

Risør was almost wiped off the map in 1861. A great fire swept across the small town leaving just 85 houses and the 1647 church. The city was rebuilt - and today it presents a positive impression of a well kept town with white wooden houses.

By the second half of the 19th century over 100 sailing vessels were home ported in Risør and more than 1000 sailors called Risør home. But the transition to steamships and the economic damage of World War I destroyed Risør’s shipping industry.

Risør was a city built as a result of shipping and industrial interests. Today both the industry and the sailing vessels are gone - leaving behind a picturesque town with a lot of summer tourist attractions.

[edit] Economic basis

The historic timber and fishing opportunities have mostly vanished. Paper production served as an economic basis for a period, until the pulp factory was closed in 1970. Currently tourism, a burgeoning art colony and summer vacationers account for a major part of the economy.

[edit] Population

The normal population is ~7,000 people, but the population swells dramatically during the summer months.

[edit] Community life

A popular artists’ market (Villvinmarked or "Villvin-festival") is held in July
A wooden boat festival (Trebåtfestival) is held in August

[edit] Key attractions

Den Hellige Ånds church, built in 1647
The citadel at Tangen, a fortification from the Napoleonic Wars (with modificaitons from the German occupation period)
Lyngør is a cluster of offshore islands described as the Skagerak Venice and proclaimed by the European Commission to be, “Europe’s best preserved village.”
Heiveien Tennis Arena, a two court arena, with clay surface. It has brought up a couple of good players, including the defending champion, Jakob Larsen and the Mexican Gringo B.G. Guti which until today still is unbeaten in "sørlandsmesterskapet". Another player worth mention in this context is the versatile player from Gåseveien, often called "Grenos" among friends, who had an astonishing backhand. "Guti" and "Grenos" had some historical matches between them which not seldom led to tie-break in the end of the 90's, however their battles was normally restricted to the more popular local variant 'lommetennis'.
Risør Akvarium, Salt water aquarium with over 100 different spiecies. The only salt water aquarium in the south region of Norway.

[edit] Famous residents

Erik Mykland: Football player.
Jan Gunnar Halvorsen: Local-politician, multi-millionaire and investor.

[edit] References

Norway by Graeme Cornwallis, Andrew Bender, & Deana Swaney; Lonely Planet Publications, 2002. ISBN 1-74059-200-X
Norway by Gerhard Lemmer, Elke frey, & Helge Reye; Nelles Verlag GmbH., 2001. ISBN 3-88618-897-3
South Norway by Frank Noel Stagg, George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., 1958.
Norway, edited by Doreen Taylor-Wilkie; Houghton Mifflin, 1996. ISBN 0-395-81912-1
Adventure Roads in Norway by Erling Welle-Strand; Nortrabooks, 1996. ISBN 82-90103-71-9
Letters on Sweden, Norway, and Denmark by Mary Wollstonecraft, Cassell & Company, 1889 Project Gutenberg Etext version

[edit] External links

Municipalities of Aust-Agder
Arendal \| Birkenes \| Bygland \| Bykle \| Evje og Hornnes \| Froland \| Gjerstad \| Grimstad \| Iveland \| Lillesand \| Risør \| Tvedestrand \| Valle \| Vegårshei \| Åmli