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History of Troms
Sami culture has deep roots in Troms. Some of the most fierce of Vikings resided in Troms. For centuries, Troms has been a major provider of fish to the world market. During World War II, Troms was in the line of fire. Look for traces of all this when travelling around Troms.
Milestones in the history of Troms
- 10 000BC: Hunters follow the reindeer into Troms
- 1000BC: Agriculture
- 1180: Christendom reches Lenvik when a church is built
- 1252: Church built in Tromsø
- 13-1500: Troms booms because of high fish prices
- 16-1700: Low fish prices, recession
- 1720: The first Russian ship reaches Troms, opening a new trade route
- 1789: The trade monopoly of Bergen is liftet
- 1794: Tromsø receives its city charter
- 1820: The first arctic hunting vessel sails north from Tromsø
- 1826: First teacher training college in Troms
- 1904: Harstad receives its city charter
- 1928: Arctic explorer Roald Amundsen leaves Tromsø on his final expedition
- 1940: Fierce fighting in Southern Troms, part of the battle of Narvik
- 1945: Large parts of Northern Troms are razed in the last phase of the war
- 1972: The university of Tromsø opens
Historiske opplevelser i Troms
Early settlement in Troms
Man followed the reindeer into Troms some 10-12,000 years ago. Agricultural history in Troms dates back about 3000 years, and some 2000 years ago the locals learned to extract iron.
Sites to look out for:
Multi-Ethnic Troms
The Sami people are the county’s oldest present ethnic group, and have been here at least 2000 years. Norse settled around 4-500 AD, and Finnish settled after 1700.
Sites to look out for:
Vikings and Cod Fishers
In the Viking era, Troms was the seat of some of the most powerful chieftains in Norway, dealing in fur. In the Middle Ages, Troms exported dried cod to all of Northern Europe.
Sites to look out for:
• The 13th century church of Trondenes
19th century Industry and Culture
In the 19th century, Troms experienced economic growth, based on fish exports, mining and trapping around Svalbard. Tromsø traded from North-West Russia to Western Europe.
Sites to look out for:
World War II
Tromsø was Norway’s capital during the campaign of Norway in 1940. The battleship “Tirpitz” was sunk in 1944. In spring of 1945, North Troms was razed and burned.
Sites to look out for:
Modernity
After World War II, Troms has experienced a rapid urbanisation, centred around Tromsø, Harstad and Finnsnes. As opposed to going by boat, communications in Troms are now mostly land-based. Research in Troms is leading in the world in fields like medicines based on marine organisms and telemedicine.
Modern Troms history can be found here: