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2004
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Finnmark
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Hammerfest
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Kristine Jørstad Bock ( Ap )
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2006
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129
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849
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819
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026
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2005
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113
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9261
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020
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11
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-40
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Neutral
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70 lat_min=39 lat_sec=50 lon_deg=23 lon_min=41 lon_sec=24
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34W utm_northing=7842125utm_easting=599378 geo_cat=adm2nd
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<br> Coat Of Arms Of Hammerfest
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wwwhammerfestkommuneno
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is a city and municipality in the county of
Finnmark ,
Norway . The municipality encompasses parts of three islands;
Kvaløya ,
Sørøya and
Seiland .
Hammerfest was established as a municipality January 1, 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 January 1, 1852 - but it was again merged with the city January 1, 1992. (But without the area of
Kvalsund , which was separated from Sørøysund as a municipality of its own 1869.)
The town is named after an old anchorage. The first element is ''hammer'', referring to a number of large rocks, good for mooring boats, called ''Hamran''. (These were covered up in land reclaiming during the early post-war years). The last element is ''fest'' for 'fastening' (for boats).
The coat-of-arms is from 1938. It shows a
Polar Bear .
Located at , Hammerfest claims to be the which is located at a latitude of 61° North.
Hammerfest is situated on Kvaløya (island), with road connection to the mainland using the
Kvalsund Bridge .
The construction of the large
LNG site on Melkøya (island) just off Hammerfest, which will process natural gas from
Snøhvit , is the most expensive construction project in the history of North Norway. This project has resulted in an economic boom and new optimism in Hammerfest in recent years, a stark contrast to the economic downhill most other municipalities in Finnmark are experiencing.
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 spectacular
North Cape (''Nordkapp''), northernmost point on the continent of
Europe . One chain of the
Struve Geodetic Arc , now on the
World Heritage List , is located at Fuglenes in Hammerfest.
Hammerfest is also a center of
Sami culture.
Hammerfest is connected to the main road network by route 94 which branches off from
European Route E6 . The town is a port of call for the
Hurtigruten ship route. Hammerfest also has Finnmark's third largest airport,
Hammerfest Airport .
, inspired by the
Aurora Borealis in Hammerfest]]
Many gravesites 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 city status by
Royal Decree of
Christian VII of
Denmark-Norway in
1789 .
During the
Napoleonic Wars Denmark-Norway was attacked by the
UK and forced into the conflict on the side of
Napoleon and
France . As one of the main centers of commerce and communications in western
Finnmark Hammerfest became a natural target of the
Royal Navy 's blockading
Warships . Thus, on the request of local
Merchant s, the town received four six-pound
Cannon from the central
Armoury in
Trondheim . Subsequently, a 50-men strong coastal defence militia was formed to defend Hammerfest. A number of merchants formed the officer corps of the militia, while Sea Samis and
Kven s were mobilized as gun crews and soldiers.
On
22 July 1809 the expected British attack came when the
Brig 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 make good their 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.
After the raid Hammerfest became a
Garrison 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.
It was struck by a fire in
1890 which started in the
Bakery 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.
In
1891 Hammerfest was the first urban settlement in
Northern Europe 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 World War II 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 casemated 13 cm pieces on the Rypklubben peninsula near
Rypefjord . The main
Uboat base in Finnmark was in Hammerfest and sea planes were based in Rypefjord. The garrison in Hammerfest was also protected by around 4,000
Mines and numerous anti-aircraft guns. During their long retreat after 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.Gamst 1984: 137-141
Hammerfest was forcibly evacuated by
Occupying German Troops in the fall of 1944 and then looted and burned to the ground by them when they retreated, the last of the town being burnt in mid-January 1945. The
Museum Of Reconstruction in Hammerfest tells the story of these events and the recovery of the town. Hammerfest is also home to the
Royal And Ancient Polar Bear Society (''Isbjørnklubben''), and a museum displaying the history of Arctic hunting.
suburb in Hammerfest]]
The region is known for its many areas of pristine nature. Here you can find solitude, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. For people wishing to explore and experience nature, Hammerfest makes a great starting point. Look for
Reindeer or some of the many species of birds that can be found. For more information check;
Bird Watching In Norway - Hammerfest .
- In '''' (1999), Hammerfest housed an important GDI base that was defended by one of their potent Firestorm Generators.
