Bergen History Facts and Timeline

(Bergen, Hordaland, Norway)

Based around Norway's Seven Mountains, the seaside city of Bergen has been an important coastal centre of trade, commerce and politics for over a millennium.

Among the hallmarks of its history, Bergen stood as Norway's capital for a while in the 13th century. Such is the importance of its harbour that UNESCO has protected its Bryggen quays and the city remains to this day a major international hub for shipping, subsea technology and aquaculture.

Norwegian Capital

Though modern archaeologists have determined that the area where Bergen lies today was already being used as a maritime trading post in the early part of the 11th century, the town itself was first established in 1070 by Norwegians under the rule of post-Viking king Olaf III. Dried cod caught off Norway's rich coasts provided the main source of trade in Bergen, and in the year of 1217 it displaced Trondheim to become the kingdom's new capital.

A Hanseatic City

As capital of Norway from 1217 until the very end of the 13th century, this period of Bergen's history took the city to a new level of importance. Even though the Norwegian capital moved to Oslo in 1299, Bergen remained even more popular due to its ideal location for sea trade. During the 13th century, the Hanseatic League was established and it took a particular fancy to the city's harbour.

At its peak, more than 150 cities were members of this massive trading collective led by German merchant city-states. The League was the most powerful economic force in northern Europe and in 1360 its first office was set up in Bergen, which was known as Bryggen at that time. Bryggen emerged as one of the League's four foreign headquarters, thrusting it into the limelight and luring thousands of German merchants to its natural harbour.

A German Community

For the next four centuries, the history of Bergen was dominated by its role in the Hanseatic League and the 2,000 or so Germans who lived in their own separate neighbourhoods. The Germans formed an exclusive community, forbidding intermarriage with local Norwegians or even casual socialising with them. Today, what remains of Byrggen's original quays is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tragedy and the Decline of the Hanseatic League

Fires played a frequent role in the dark side of Bergen's history. So many fires happened between the 13th and 19th centuries that it is incredible anything remains of the city and its harbour. Adding to these repeated threats was the arrival of the Black Plague in 1349, which killed off around 70 percent of the city's population. As the Hanseatic League waned in power during the 15th century, the Dutch and English projected a greater presence in and around the city itself.

Trade Must Go On

Despite these dramatic changes in geopolitics, Bergen was still Scandinavia's main trade centre throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. German traders opted to become Norwegian citizens and continued to do brisk business up until the Hanseatic League finally closed its Bergen headquarters at the end of the 19th century. This was Norway's largest city until the second quarter of the 19th century, when the capital Oslo finally overtook it in size.

The Modern Period

Like much of northern Europe, the city was occupied by Germany during WWII. After easily dispatching the Norwegian navy in the spring of 1940, the Nazis began their long stay in Bergen. The city saw little fighting, however, and its worst incident was the devastating 1944 explosion of a Dutch ship that was laden with military supplies. It damaged sections of the historic waterfront around the Bergenhus Fortress and around 160 people died, while many thousands of civilians were injured by the blast and the subsequent giant wave.

Today, Bergen is still an international hub of sea trade and industry, but it also boasts lively tourism and university sectors. Bergen Port remains Norway's busiest and now boasts four modern bridges connecting the city centre to its suburban districts.