Bærum

Bærum (Norwegian: [ˈbæ̂ːrʉm] ⓘ) is a municipality in the Greater Oslo Region in Norway that forms an affluent suburb of Oslo on the west coast of the city. Bærum is Norway's fifth largest municipality with a population of 128,760 (2021). It is part of the electoral district and historical county of Akershus and of the newer Viken County. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838.

Bærum kommune
Municipality
Flag of Bærum kommune
Flag
Coat of arms of Bærum kommune
Coat of arms
Official logo of Bærum kommune
Viken within
Norway
Bærum within Viken
Bærum within Viken
Coordinates: 59°56′18″N 10°30′24″E
CountryNorway
CountyViken
Administrative centreSandvika
Government
 • Mayor (2011)Lisbeth Hammer Krog (H)
Area
 • Total192 km2 (74 sq mi)
 • Land189 km2 (73 sq mi)
 • Rank#334 in Norway
Population
 (31 December 2022)
 • Total129,874 Increase
 • Rank#5th in Norway
 • Density547/km2 (1,420/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Increase +9.8%
DemonymBæring[1]
Official language
[2]
 • Norwegian formBokmål
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-3024
WebsiteOfficial website
Data from Statistics Norway
Historical population
YearPop.±%
195135,838—    
196157,573+60.6%
197176,580+33.0%
198180,385+5.0%
199190,579+12.7%
2001101,340+11.9%
2011112,789+11.3%
2012114,489+1.5%
2020127,731+11.6%
2021128,760+0.8%
Source: Statistics Norway.[3]

Bærum has the highest income per capita in Norway[4] and the highest proportion of university-educated individuals.[5] Bærum, particularly its eastern neighbourhoods bordering West End Oslo, is one of Norway's priciest and most fashionable residential areas, leading Bærum residents to be frequently stereotyped as snobs in Norwegian popular culture. The municipality has been voted the best Norwegian place to live in considering governance and public services to citizens.[6]

Name

The name (Old Norse: Bergheimr) is composed of berg, which means "mountain", and heimr, which means "homestead" or "farm". It probably originally belonged to a farm located at the base of the prominent mountain of Kolsås. In Old Norse times, the municipality was often called Bergheimsherað, meaning "the herað (parish/district) of Bergheimr".[7]

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms was granted on 9 January 1976. They show an old silver-colored lime kiln on a green background. That was an important aspect of the local economy from the Middle Ages until around 1800. There are still some original ovens visible in the municipality.[8]

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 12th century at Haslum and Tanum.[9]

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.[9]

In the 17th century, iron ore was discovered in Bærum and the ironworks at Bærums Verk were founded. Industries such as paper mills, nail factories, sawmills, glassworks, and brickworks were established along the rivers Lysakerelven and Sandvikselva in the following centuries. There were orchards and other agricultural concerns throughout the area, remnants of which still exist today.[9]

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 Frits Thaulow, Christian Skredsvig, Harriet Backer, Kitty Lange Kielland, Otto Sinding, Eilif Pettersen, Gerhardt Munthe, and Erik Werenskiold.[9]

Starting in the mid-20th century, Bærum's agricultural base gradually gave way to residential construction. Still, only a third of the area, 64 square kilometres (24.7 sq mi), is built up for residential use; over half is productive forestry; and nearly 17 square kilometres (6.6 sq mi) is still agricultural.[10]

In 2010, that year's Eurovision Song Contest was hosted in Bærum.

On 10 August 2019, a gunman opened fire on congregants at the Al-Noor Islamic Centre.

Geography
Lysakerlokket

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, Sandvikselva, Lomma, and Øverlandselva, and there are numerous lakes, both in residential and forested areas. The official municipality flower is Anemone ranunculoides.[7]

The geology of Bærum is part of the Oslo Graben and includes Rhomb porphyry at Kolsås.[11]

Since nearly two-thirds of Bærum's area consists of forests, there are rich opportunities for outdoor activities, such as skiing, hiking, and fishing. The forests are considered part of Marka, the forested areas in and around Greater Oslo. Areas within the municipality of Bærum include Bærumsmarka, Vestmarka, and Krokskogen.[12][13][14]

The highest point in Bærum is Vidvangshøgda at 60.0242329°N 10.4838324°E / 60.0242329; 10.4838324 with an altitude of 552 metres (1,811 ft). The largest lake is Stovivatnet with an area of 0.420 square kilometres (0.162 sq mi) at 59.9078776°N 10.4508305°E / 59.9078776; 10.4508305[9]

The head office of SAS Norway and an office of Widerøe in Fornebu
Diamanten, the head office of Norwegian Air Shuttle, in Fornebu

Economy

Bærum's industrial base has since the 1950s 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.[7]

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.[7] Scandinavian Airlines System Norway has its offices in Fornebu, Bærum.[15] The airline Widerøe has some administrative offices in Lysaker, Bærum.[16] Norwegian Air Shuttle has its head office in Fornebu.[17]

Partnair, a charter airline, was headquartered at Fornebu Airport.[18] When the airline Busy Bee of Norway existed, its head office was on the grounds of Fornebu Airport.[19] Braathens and SAS Braathens had their head office facilities in a building on the grounds of Fornebu Airport. In 2010, Norwegian Air Shuttle bought the former Braathens head office.[20]

Demographics
Source: Asker og Bærum-leksikon, Bærum kommune

Bærum (2009) is the fifth most densely populated municipality 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.[21]

Bærum is also the most affluent of Norwegian municipalities, with average per capita income (2002 figures) of NOK 370,800; compared with the national average of NOK 262,800. It also has the highest level of education nationwide.

Administratively, Bærum is divided into 22 sections. The population for each section on 1 January 2005 was:

Bærums Verk7,565
East Bærumsmarka1,936
Dønski-Rud3,186
Grav5,624
Haslum5,286
Hosle north2,973
Hosle south4,677
Høvik4,172
Jar5,793
Jong2,762
Kirkerud-Sollihøgda3,449
Kolsås5,185
Løkeberg-Blommenholm6,863
Lommedalen3,064
Lysaker:3,439
Østerås-Eiksmarka3,927
Rykkinn8,971
Sandvika-Valler4,742
Slependen-Tanum7,005
Snarøya2,807
Stabekk:6,261
Voll4,896
N/A107
Number of minorities (1st and 2nd generation) in Bærum by country of origin in 2020[22]
Ancestry Number
 Poland4,346
 Sweden1,743
 Iran1,343
 Philippines1,189
 Russia1,000
 Pakistan982
 India897
 Somalia859
 Denmark841
 Iraq832
 United Kingdom806
 Afghanistan746
 Germany738
 China716
 Eritrea653
 Lithuania607
 United States475
 Romania458
 Syria445
 Bosnia-Herzegovina424

Community

According to a local survey conducted by Dagbladet, Bærum is the best place to live in Norway in terms of governance and services to residents. In addition is it also one of the best places for young people to grow up. Bærum score high on national surveys when it comes to local economical governance, education and possibilities for young people, health coverage, school rankings, and work rights and possibilities[23]

Churches in Bærum
  • Bryn kirke
  • Grinilund kirke
  • Haslum kirke
  • Haslumseter kapell
  • Helgerud kirke
  • Høvik kirke
  • Jar kirke
  • Kilentunet kapell
  • Lommedalen Kirke
  • Østerås kirke
  • Snarøya kirke
  • Tanum kirke
  • Verk Kapell

Schools in Bærum

There are a number of schools in Bærum, both public and private. There are a total of 43 public elementary schools ( primary and / or secondary ) and some private, including Bærum Montessori School. According to national surveys, Jar public elementary school ranks the highest when it comes to math, while Lommedalen public elementary school ranks the highest in reading, both are located in Bærum.[24]

There are eight public high schools in Bærum; Dønski, Eikeli, Nadderud, Rosenvilde, Rud, Sandvika, Stabekk and Valler. In addition, the Norwegian College of Elite Sport and Steiner School. The Folk University also has a branch in Sandvika. Valler High School has been ranked within the top 5 high schools in Norway for several years, while Nadderud High School ranks within the top 20.[25] In the later years both schools have met competition from the newly established Sandvika High School. Sandvika High School has had the highest number of applications in the county for the past six years,[26] and is now ranked within top 10 in the country.[27] In 2013 the school also won for Best Entrepreneurship School in Norway.[28]

Sports

Stabæk IF plays in Eliteserien, the highest division for men's football in Norway. Bærum SK plays in the 2. divisjon, the third highest division of the Norwegian football league system.

Stabæk IF's women's football team, Stabæk Fotball Kvinner, plays in Toppserien, the Norwegian top division.

Høvik IF and Stabæk IF plays in the highest bandy division and Hauger BK in the second highest.

Notable residents

Public Service & Business
Christian Fredrik Michelet, ca.1885
Gro Harlem Brundtland, 2011
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, 2013
Henny Mürer, ca.1945
Solveig Heilo, 2011

The Arts

Sport
Godtfred Holmvang, 1946
Sondre Oddvoll Bøe, 2018

International relations
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Norway

Twin towns – Sister cities

The following cities are twinned with Bærum:[38]

  • View of most of Bærum from Holmenkollen in Oslo
    View of most of Bærum from Holmenkollen in Oslo
  • Local flower
    Local flower
  • Community garden
    Community garden
  • The tower of Bærum Town Hall
    The tower of Bærum Town Hall

Notes and references
  1. "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  3. "Projected population – Statistics Norway". Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  4. "Skattelister 2008". Oslo: NRK. 2009. Archived from the original on 25 December 2009.
  5. "Næringsliv". Sandvika: Bærum kommune. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011.
  6. "Norges beste sted" [Norway's best place]. Dagbladet. 9 September 2011. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  7. Thorsnæs, Geir; Svein Askheim. "Bærum". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 18 November 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  8. Norske Kommunevåpen (1990). "Nye kommunevåbener i Norden". Archived from the original on 15 July 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
  9. Bakken, Tor Chr., ed. (2008). Asker og Bærum-leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. ISBN 978-82-573-1534-4.
  10. "Bærum i tall" (in Norwegian). Bærum kommune. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  11. Olav Harlen (20 February 2007). "På vulkansk jord". Asker og Bærums Budstikke (in Norwegian). Sandvika.
  12. "Bærumsmarka" (in Norwegian). Skiforeningen. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  13. "Vestmarka/Asker Syd" (in Norwegian). Skiforeningen. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  14. "Krokskogen" (in Norwegian). Skiforeningen. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  15. "SAS head office in Norway Archived 24 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine." Scandinavian Airlines System. Retrieved on 8 June 2009.
  16. "Headquarters." Widerøe. Retrieved on 15 November 2009.
  17. "Contact us Archived 11 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine." Norwegian Air Shuttle. Retrieved on 24 February 2010.
  18. "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 26 March 1988. 102 Archived 7 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  19. "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 27 March-2 April 1991. 78 Archived 7 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  20. Henriksen, Øyvind. "Kjos kjøper Braathensbygget Archived 27 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine." E24. 24 February 2010. Retrieved on 24 February 2010. "Norwegian-sjef Bjørn Kjos kjøper det tidligere hovedkvarteret til Braathens og SAS Norge. Nå skal Norwegian flytte inn i bygningen" and "Oksenøyveien 3 på Fornebu utenfor Oslo er kjøpt av Bjørn Kjos og Bjørn Kise."
  21. "Rangeringsliste for innbyggere per areal" (in Norwegian). Norges Kommunekalender. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2010., the four municipalities with greater density being: Stavanger, Oslo, Oppegård, and Skedsmo. All but Stavanger form the conurbation with Oslo
  22. "Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, by immigration category, country background and percentages of the population". ssb.no. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  23. Dagbladet. "Bærum kommune børsen". Dagbladet. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  24. nettavisen. "Bærum kommune børsen". nettavisen. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  25. Aftenposten. "Top 100 schools". Akershus. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  26. budstikka (16 July 2011). "Sandvika application". budstikka. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  27. Budstikka (11 December 2009). "Sandvika i Top". budstikka. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  28. Akershus. "Sandvika in the top". Akershus. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  29. IMDb Database Archived 19 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 28 February 2021
  30. IMDb Database Archived 16 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 28 February 2021
  31. IMDb Database Archived 18 September 2019 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 05 March 2021
  32. IMDb Database Archived 16 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 28 February 2021
  33. IMDb Database Archived 16 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 06 March 2021
  34. IMDb Database Archived 19 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 05 March 2021
  35. IMDb Database Archived 17 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 28 February 2021
  36. IMDb Database Archived 15 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 28 February 2021
  37. IMDb Database Archived 8 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 06 March 2021
  38. "Vennskapskommuner" (in Norwegian). Bærum kommune. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
  39. "Frederiksberg Municipality – Twin Towns" (in Danish). Frederiksberg Municipality. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
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