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| Historical perspective |
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Nidaros Cathedral was built over the grave of King Olav Haraldsson, Norway's patron saint (reign 1015 - 1030). St Olav's shrine was once a major destination for pilgrimages in the Nordic countries. During the last decade we have been witness to a pilgrim renaissance, with a growing number of pilgrims making their way to Nidaros (ancient name for Trondheim).
The buildings of medieval Trondheim were mostly small, low timber houses, and fires all to often ravaged the town. A disastrous fire in 1681 destroyed most of the buildings, and Major Jean Caspar de Cicignon from Luxembourg was sent to create a new Baroque city layout. Several narrow alleyways have, however, survived to our time and form a marked contrast to Cicignon's boulevards from the 17th century.
Left: Traditions and skills are handed down from one generation of stonemasons to the next. |
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Science, research and trade
Financial development in the 1700s was led by rich merchants, many of whom were immigrants from Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany. Often trading in exports and imports using their own ships, they generally lived along Kjøpmanngaten, with their wharves facing the river. These distinctive buildings are still a characteristic feature of the city today. The great wooden mansions of the city were also built during this time of prosperity.
Industrialisation in the 1800s led to new growth. A number of factories and workshops were founded, and Trondheim was connected by railway to the south. At the end of the 1800s Trondheim also developed into an education centre.
Modern Trondheim boasts a thriving combination of science, research and business communities, giving us a city that has the intimacy of the small town, and also the many choices of the metropolis. |
The wharves by the Nidelva river remind us of Trondheim's merchant traditions.
Photo by Arne Aasheim |
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