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Bærum is a municipality in the county of Akershus, Norway. Bærum is located on the coast, west of Oslo. Sandvika is the administrative centre of Bærum.

History

The area known today as Bærum was a fertile agricultural area as far back as the Bronze Age, and several archeological finds stem from the Iron Age. The first mention of the name is from the saga of Sverre of Norway, from about 1200. There are ruins of stone churches from the 1100s at Haslum and Tanum.

The pilgrim road to Trondheim that was established after 1030 went through Bærum, and there is evidence that lime kilns were in use in the area in 850. There were shipping ports for the quicklime at Slependen and Sandvika. The lime kiln is the main motif for the municipality's coat of arms.

In the 1600s, iron ore was discovered in Bærum and the iron works at Bærums Verk were founded. Industries such as paper mills, nail factories, sawmills, glassworks, and brick works were established along the rivers Lysakerelven and Sandvikselven in the following centuries. There were orchards and other agricultural concerns throughout the area, remnants of which still exist today.

A number of artists established themselves in Bærum, particularly around the art school run by Johan Fredrik Eckersberg. Among the artists who did much of their work in Bærum are Fritz Thaulow, Christian Skredsvig, Harriet Backer, Kitty Kielland, Otto Sinding, Eilif Pettersen, Gerhardt Munthe, and Erik Werenskiold.

Starting in the mid-20th century, Bærum's agricultural base gradually gave way to residential construction. Still, only a third of the area (64 km2) is built up for residential use; over half is productive forestry, and nearly 17 km2 is still agricultural.

Geography

The physical geography of Bærum is dominated by a craggy coastline along the Oslofjord and inland, hilly areas rising to the north and east, where there are large forested areas. The mountain of Kolsås forms a natural center, but the municipality also includes the secluded valley of Lommedalen. Four major rivers flow through the municipality: Lysakerelven, Sandvikselven, Lomma (River), and Øverlandselven, and there are numerous lakes, both in residential and forested areas.

The geology of Bærum also offers some of the best examples of the distinct diversity of the Oslo region's rocks, formations, and fossil finds.

Politically, Bærum is divided into 22 sections. The population in each section per January 1, 2005:

 

Economy

Bærum's industrial base has in the last 50 years given way to service industries, including retailing, engineering, public services, etc. It derives much of its tax base by being a bedroom community to Oslo. It is one of the most affluent areas in Norway.

Two of Norway's busiest highways (E18 and E16 and one railroad traverse the municipality. There has been considerable development of office parks along E18, especially around Lysaker in the last 20-30 years, reducing some of the pressure on downtown areas of Oslo.

Demographics

Bærum is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Norway. Along the E18 highway, the residential area is continuous with Oslo and continues with some interruption through to the neighboring municipality of Asker.

Bærum is also the most affluent of Norwegian municipalities, with average per capita income of NOK 370,800, compared to the national average of NOK 262,800, and also with the highest level of education nation-wide. Residents - so-called "bæringer" - are often stereotyped as snobs, though the population is actually quite diverse.

Famous residents

External links

Bærum | Municipalities of Akershus

Bærum | Bærum | Bærum | Bærum | Bærum | Bærum | Bærum | Bærum | Bærum | Bærum kommun

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Bærum".

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