Visiting Bergen: The Gateway to the Fjords
As early as 1236 there were permanent German trading establishments in Bergen, but the town’s rise to prosperity began with the establishment of a counting house of the Hanseatic League, a trading alliance consisting of several northern European ports, first recorded in 1343. By virtue of the privilege granted by the Danish kings, the German merchants quickly gained control of the entire Norwegian trade. The people of the northern territories were required by royal decree to bring the produce of their fisheries to Bergen. The Hanseatic employees lived in a special quarter of town called Tyskebryggen or “German wharf.”
In 1599 the monopoly power of the Hanseatic League was broken by the feudal lord Kristofer Walckendorf, though the counting house remained in existence for another 200 years. By 1630, the power of the Hanseatic League was completely gone and in 1764, the last stue was sold to a Norwegian business.
The Middle Ages saw the Black Death sweep over Europe. Norway did not escape the plague, seeing half of the population succumb to the pestilence. From about 1420, and for about 400 years, the rule of Norway moved back and forth between Denmark and Sweden. Bergen, during this time, remained a major trading center. The town maintained international contact and the old, socially elite families of Bergen built up large trading empires. Life in Bergen was centered around fishing and shipping up until the present time when, during the 1980’s, oil was discovered off the North Sea. Thus, with this discovery, Bergen entered an age of new prosperity and industry. Bergen nowadays is still a center for oil exploration, shipping and fishing but it has also grown as a center for environmental and oceanographic research in Norway.
Hansa Bryggen
The Bryggen is the area of the town where there old Hanseatic League merchants set up shop, near the harbor. The picturesque medieval style wooden buildings, now mainly shops, have been beautifully preserved. Just wandering through this part of Bergen, with its narrow alleys with overhanging balconies, is an experience, especially of one stops in one of the pubs or restaurants for a little lunch. There are also some galleries and museums that should not be missed.
Bryggens Museum
This museum houses many recent archeological finds that were made during excavations conducted between 1955 and 1972. These include unearthed ceramics, runic inscriptions, and other artifacts illustrating commerce, shipping, cultural activities, handicrafts and daily life in the Middle Ages. There are also numerous temporary exhibits of artifacts from Norwegian history.
Haakons Hall
The medieval Castle HÃ?Â¥kon’s Hall was built during the reign of King Haakon Haakonsson between 1247 and 1261. It was the largest and most imposing building of the royal residency in 13th century Bergen, then the political center of Norway. It was in use as “The Stone Hall” at the wedding and coronation of King Magnus LagabÃ?¸te or the Lawmender, HÃ?Â¥kon’s son and co-ruler. The hall was the largest and most imposing building in the royal residence at “Holmen” (the holm), the political center of the 13th-century Norwegian kingdom. It was obviously built for the great occasions in the history of the monarchy and the realm, but also for practical daily use. With its base of 37 x 16.4 meters and its three floors, the Hall is the largest secular medieval building still standing in Norway. It was built of local stone, and the corners, window and door casings were of worked soapstone.
Hanseatic Museum
One of the oldest and best preserved wooden buildings in Bergen, furnished in 18th century style to provide an intimate picture of the life of a Hanseatic merchant.
The building which houses the Hanseatic Museum was built after a large fire in 1702 which destroyed almost the entire town. The building is the only one in the area in which the old interiors have been preserved. The Hanseatic merchants had both their living rooms and their storage rooms in the same house. The storage rooms now have exhibitions on various subjects related to the history and architecture of Bryggen.
The “outer room” on the first floor was the dining room for the journeyman and the apprentices during the summer months. Next to the “outer room” is the office of the merchant, where he would receive his visitors. In his office there is the chancellery where the merchant kept the main ledger of the house. In one of the cabinets there is also a secret staircase leading to his summer bedroom upstairs. All the cabinets in the office have landscape paintings and floral artwork from the beginning of the 18th century, and this is one of the few rooms in Bergen in which the original 18th century decoration is still intact.
Next to the office there is the winter bed of the merchant as well as his private dining room. The bed has doors which can be closed to keep warm. The sample room is a small storage room where goods which were imported in smaller quantities were stored, like cloth, spices, tobacco, wine and liquors. This room is a reconstruction from 1917.
On the second floor are the bedrooms of the house. The room of the journeyman was both his office and his bedroom. Between the room of the journeyman and the summer bedroom of the merchant is the apprentices�´ room. They all slept in the same room, and they slept two boys in each bed. On the second floor is also a reconstruction of some rooms of a smaller trade house.
St Mary’s Church
The oldest building still existing in Bergen, from the first half of the 12th century and one of the most outstanding Romanesque churches in the country. The pulpit is considered the finest example of Baroque decorative art in Norway.
Rosenkrantz Tower
Rosenkrantz Tower dates back to medieval times. The tower was erected by the governor of Bergen Castle, Erik Rosenkrantz, and served as a combined residence and fortified tower for Bergen. Earlier structures existed, such as King Magnus Lagabote’s keep from about 1270 and Jorgen Hansson’s defences from about 1520. Both these were incorporated by Erik Rosenkrantz.
