Hamar
Hamar | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Hamar | |
 Coat of arms | |
| Coordinates: 60°47′40″N 11°04′05″E / 60.79451°N 11.06795°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| Region | Eastern Norway |
| County | Innlandet |
| District | Hedmarken |
| Municipality | Hamar Municipality |
| Established as | |
| Kjøpstad | c.1050–1587 |
| Kjøpstad | 21 March 1849 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 14.21 km2 (5.49 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 127 m (417 ft) |
| Population (2024)[2] | |
| • Total | 33,441 |
| • Density | 2,113/km2 (5,470/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Hamarenser/Hamarensar Hamarsing[4] |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Post Code | 2300 to 2319 |
| Climate | Dfb |
Hamar[5] is a town[1] in Hamar Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is the administrative centre of Hamar Municipality. The town is in the traditional region of Hedmarken. Hamar lies on the shore of Mjøsa, the largest lake in Norway. In the past, it was the main city of the former Hedmark county, which is now part of Innlandet county.[6][7]
The town of Hamar is in the southwest part of Hamar Municipality. The town covers 14.21-square-kilometre (5.49 sq mi) and had a population of 30,030 in 2024, with a population density of 2,113 inhabitants per square kilometre (5,470/sq mi). The built-up area of the town continues into Ringsaker Municipality and Stange Municipality. About 1.7 square kilometres (420 acres) and 2,438 people live in the part of the town that is in Ringsaker, while 0.3 square kilometres (74 acres) and 332 people live in the part that is in Stange Municipality.[2]
General information
[change | change source]Name
[change | change source]The municipality, which first was just the town, is named after the old Hamar farm (Old Norse: Hamarr). In the Middle Ages, a market was built on this farm. The market later became a kjøpstad and then a municipality. The name comes from the word hamarr, which means “rocky hill”.[7]
Coat of arms
[change | change source]The coat of arms was officially granted on 2 June 1896. It shows a Black Grouse sitting at the top of a pine tree on a white background. An older version of the arms had been used for a long time before this. The old design was first described in the Hamar Chronicle from 1553.[7][8]
History
[change | change source]
Between 500 and 1000 AD, the Åker farm was one of the most important power centers in Norway. It was located a few kilometers from today’s Hamar. Coins found in Ringerike in 1895 date back to the time of Harald Hardråde and mention the name Olafr a Hamri.
Middle Ages
[change | change source]Sometime after 1030, but before 1152, the main center was moved from Åker to a peninsula near Rosenlundvika, now called Domkirkeodden. This area is part of modern Hamar. It is likely that Harald Hardråde supported this move because he owned land there.
Most knowledge about medieval Hamar comes from the Hamar Chronicle from around 1550. The town reached its height in the early 1300s. At that time, it had the Hamar Cathedral, the bishop’s manor, a fortress, and nearby settlement. Hamar was known for apple orchards, as well as merchants, craftsmen, and fishermen.
After Norway was Christianized in 1030, Hamar became an important place for trade and religion. In 1152, Nikolaus Breakspear created the Diocese of Hamar as one of five dioceses in Norway. The first bishop, Arnold, began building the cathedral. Hamar stayed an important religious center until the Reformation in 1536–1537, when it lost its status. The last Catholic bishop, Mogens Lauritssøn, was captured and sent to Denmark, where he later died.[9]
Hamar was badly affected by the Black Plague in 1349. After the Reformation, the town declined and eventually disappeared.
Reformation and decline
[change | change source]By 1587, trade had been moved to Christiania, and Hamar lost its market town status. Over time, it stopped functioning as a town and became farmland. The ruins of the cathedral and fortress remained visible for centuries.
The founding of modern Hamar
[change | change source]
In the 1700s and early 1800s, there were many discussions about creating a new trading town on Mjøsa. After many studies and debates, the king approved a new town near Storhamar.
On 26 April 1848, Hamar was officially established as a kjøpstad. The town formally came into existence on 21 March 1849, when its borders were set. It was separated from Vang Municipality and became Hamar Municipality.[10][11]
Building a city
[change | change source].jpg?lang=simple)
The town was carefully planned with wide streets, parks, and space for public buildings. Construction began in 1849, and the town grew steadily. Roads, flooding, and harbor access were early challenges, but the town developed quickly.
The Diocese of Hamar was re-established in 1864, and the new Hamar Cathedral was completed in 1866.
Modern era
[change | change source]
During the 1900s, Hamar expanded by merging with nearby areas. Major mergers happened in 1946, 1947, 1965, and especially in 1992, when Vang Municipality and parts of Ringsaker Municipality became part of Hamar.[12][11]
Cityscape
[change | change source]
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Hamar has several important landmarks. The Hedmark museum at Domkirkeodden shows medieval ruins and historic farm buildings. The Vikingskipet is a large indoor arena shaped like a Viking ship. It was built for the 1994 Winter Olympics and is still used for sports and large events.
Transport
[change | change source]
Hamar is an important railway hub between Oslo and Trondheim. The Norwegian Railway Museum is also located in the town. Oslo Airport is about 89.5 kilometers (55.6 mi) away and can be reached by road or train.
Climate
[change | change source]Hamar has a humid continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. Weather records show very cold winters and occasional hot summers. The highest recorded temperature was 33.0 °C (91.4 °F) in July 2018, and the lowest was −29.8 °C (−21.6 °F) in December 2010.
| Climate data for Hamar 1991-2020 (141 m, extremes 2008-2022, precipitation days 1961-90) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.7 (51.3) |
10.0 (50.0) |
19.1 (66.4) |
23.8 (74.8) |
30.0 (86.0) |
32.0 (89.6) |
33.0 (91.4) |
29.2 (84.6) |
25.0 (77.0) |
19.2 (66.6) |
16.3 (61.3) |
10.9 (51.6) |
33.0 (91.4) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −2.9 (26.8) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
4.3 (39.7) |
10.5 (50.9) |
16.0 (60.8) |
20.2 (68.4) |
22.5 (72.5) |
20.5 (68.9) |
16.1 (61.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
3.0 (37.4) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
9.7 (49.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −5.7 (21.7) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
4.4 (39.9) |
10.3 (50.5) |
14.6 (58.3) |
17.0 (62.6) |
15.5 (59.9) |
10.9 (51.6) |
5.0 (41.0) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
5.1 (41.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −8.4 (16.9) |
−8.2 (17.2) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
5.6 (42.1) |
10.2 (50.4) |
12.2 (54.0) |
10.7 (51.3) |
6.7 (44.1) |
2.1 (35.8) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
1.4 (34.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −29.0 (−20.2) |
−29.5 (−21.1) |
−26.0 (−14.8) |
−15.4 (4.3) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
0.0 (32.0) |
4.4 (39.9) |
3.0 (37.4) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
−20.7 (−5.3) |
−29.8 (−21.6) |
−29.8 (−21.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 21.6 (0.85) |
15.0 (0.59) |
15.5 (0.61) |
27.6 (1.09) |
55.6 (2.19) |
55.0 (2.17) |
67.8 (2.67) |
71.7 (2.82) |
55.5 (2.19) |
48.6 (1.91) |
40.7 (1.60) |
25.5 (1.00) |
500.1 (19.69) |
| Average precipitation days | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 101 |
| Source 1: eklima.no (mean, precipitaiton, extremes) [13] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Infoclimat (avg high/low temperatures) [14] | |||||||||||||
Related pages
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- 1 2 In the Norwegian language, the word by can be translated as "town" or "city".
- 1 2 3 Statistisk sentralbyrå (2024-10-01). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality".
- ↑ "Hamar, Hamar (Innlandet)". yr.no. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
- ↑ "Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ↑ "Informasjon om stadnamn". Norgeskart (in Norwegian). Kartverket. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ↑ Mæhlum, Lars, ed. (2023-12-20). "Hamar (tettsted)". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- 1 2 3 Svendsen, Trond Olav; Mæhlum, Lars, eds. (2025-06-13). "Hamar". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ↑ "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
- ↑
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. - ↑ Ramseth, Christian (1991). Hamar bys historie: til 50 års jubilæet 21 mars 1899 (in Norwegian). Hamar Historical Society.
- 1 2 "Vang kommunes grenser". Vang Historielag (in Norwegian). 2019-11-25. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
- ↑ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
- ↑ "eKlima Web Portal". Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
- ↑ "Normales et records pour la période 1991-2020 à Hamar" (in French).
Other websites
[change | change source]- Hamar Pictorial click-through Archived 29 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine
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