Pop. 10,620; Area
289 sq. km. (111 sq. mi.)
Kragerø lies in the extreme southwestern corner of Telemark and includes the
formerly independent towns of Sannidal,
Skåtøy and Kragerø. The area
was settled about 1666, and was at that time ordered to supply a galley with
5 guns to the king. This is memorialized in the
kommune's coat of arms.
The town of Kragerø is its administrative center.
In the districts of Andølingen and Øya old
houses cling to the hillsides. It is a center of industry, commerce,
farming, shipping, fishing, and in the summer a popular vacation area.
Several famous artists have worked here. Edvard Munch painted his reknowned
decorations for the Auditorium of the University of Oslo in Kragerø. Theodor
Kittilsen, Norway's foremost painter of trolls and elves, was born here and
has painted both the surrounding countryside and its fairy-tale
"inhabitants." Vacation areas include Portørland and Stabbestad.
A ferry
from Kragerø will take you to the island of Jomfruland, a
long narrow island about 10 miles long. According to legend the island got
its name because nuns from the medieval convent in Skien spent their summers
here. The smaller of its two
lighthouses is older and now serves as a museum.
Sights to See
Storkollen (hill) is 145
meters above sea level and affords an excellent view of the coastal inlets
and the mainland.
Berg Kragerø Museum lies
about 4 km from the town in a lovely park overlooking the Helle Fjord. The
former manor house built in 1800 houses collections from the 17th and 18th
centuries. A new building emphasizes the maritime history of Kragerø.
Gunnarsholm is an old fort
dominating the main approach to the inner harbor of Kragerø. It dates from
before the Napoleonic War (1808-1814). Sannidal District Museum consists of
6 buildings furnished and equipped with period furniture, household items,
and farm equipment.
Sannidal Church is a
cruciform building built in 1771. The christening font is from the 13th
century. There is a memorial to the sailors who lost their lives in World
War II. |
Telelaget Genealogy
Telelaget's Volunteer Genealogists for Kragerø
Emigrant
Ancestor Database: Kragerø
Submit your
emigrant ancestor information
Bygdebøker for Kragerø
What's a Bygdebøk?
-
Byen og de bugnende seil. Årsskrift 1978- . Red. Øyvind
Evensen m. fl. Utg. Krager¢ og Skåt¢y historielag.
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Finstad, Håkon. Kragerø før og etter brannen. Årsskrift
1978- . Utg. Kragerø og Skåt¢y historielag.
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Steffens, Haagen Krog. Kragerø bygdes historie
1666-1916.
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Jubilæumsskrift. Kragerø: Grøndahl & umsskrift. Kragerø: Grøndahl
& Sons Boktrykkeri, 1916.
Links
Norwegian Language
Official Kragerø kommune Website
 |
If you would like to add a
link,
submit photos of an historic site, or we've missed an important landmark
you'd like to have listed in "Sights to
See," please
email!
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