Røros
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Røros kommune | |||
| — Municipality — | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | Norway | ||
| County | Sør-Trøndelag | ||
| Municipality ID | NO-1640 | ||
| Administrative centre | Røros | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor (2007) | Hans Vintervold (Ap) | ||
| Area (Nr. 32 in Norway) | |||
| - Total | 1,956 km² (755.2 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 1,758 km² (678.8 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2004) | |||
| - Total | 5,632 | ||
| - Density | 3/km² (7.8/sq mi) | ||
| - Change (10 years) | 4.6 % | ||
| - Rank in Norway | 174 | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Official language form | Neutral | ||
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| Website: www.roros.kommune.no | |||
Røros is a town and municipality in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway.
Røros was established as a municipality on January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was split in four municipalities on January 1, 1926 (Røros town, Røros landsogn, Brekken and Glåmos), but these four were merged together again on January 1, 1964.
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[edit] The name
The town is named after the old farm Røros ("Røraas" around 1530), since the town was built on its ground. The first element is the rivername Røa, the last element is os meaning 'mouth of a river' (the small river Røa runs into the great river Glåma here). The meaning of the rivername Røa is unknown.
[edit] History
Known for its copper mines, it is one of Norway's two nationally significant mining towns with activity starting in the 17th century (the other one being the "silver-town" Kongsberg, see Kongsberg Silver Mines).
Røros was burned to the ground in 1678 and 1679 by the Swedish Army during the Scanian War.
In 1718, during the Great Northern War, the town was once again taken by the Swedish Army, led by General De la Barre, who made up the southern arm of the main Swedish Army under Carl Gustav Armfeldt. De la Barre took the city and the produced copper at gunpoint. When King Carl XII was killed near Fredriksten November 30, 1718, De la Barre retreated north to join the bulk of the army. However, this ended in tragedy, when over 3,000 rather unprepared soldiers perished in the harsh weather conditions in the mountains northwest of Røros.
Røros and its people were made famous to Norwegians at the turn of the 20th century by semi-fictional author Johan Falkberget, who told the story of the mining community from the perspective of the hard-tested miners at the bottom of the social ladder.
With its authentic wooden buildings, Røros is on the UNESCO World heritage list.
[edit] Geography and climate
Røros is located on a gently sloping plateau about 630 m above sea level; forested with mostly birch and some pine, but the tree line is never far away. The largest lake within the municipality is Aursund; the river Glomma has its origin here.
The most northerly part of Femund, the third largest lake in Norway, is located in Røros. These lakes and other in Røros, such as Bolagen, are well suited for kayaking and fishing. Røros has a somewhat continental climate. Mean annual precipitation in Røros is only 500 mm, with February–May as the driest period. January average is −11.2 °C, however Røros has recorded the coldest temperatures south of Finnmark with −50.4 °C in early January 1914. As winters are cold and stable, the skiing conditions are usually excellent, with the period from February to April as the optimum, as the sun is higher and the days longer than earlier in winter. July 24hr average is 11.4 °C; summer days are often pleasantly warm, but the nights can get chilly.
[edit] Culture
During winter, a traditional market called "Rørosmartnan" is organized, that draws many tourists, an average of 60,000–70,000 visitors each year. The market begins on the last Tuesday in February and lasts five days ([1]). There is also an outdoor musical theatre performance played in Røros to commemorate the tragedy when the Swedish soldiers froze to death. This show has been played since 1994 ([2]).
[edit] Communications
The town is served by the railway line Rørosbanen, and Røros Airport has a scheduled service to Oslo. The Rv 30 road connects south to Tynset and northwest down the Gaula valley towards Trondheim. There is also the RV 705 road going north to Selbu and Stjørdal, and the road Rv 31 going east to Sweden.
[edit] External links
| Røros Mining Town* | |
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| State Party |  Norway |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii, iv, v |
| Reference | 55 |
| Region† | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1980 (4th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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 Fra Røros (Lillegaten), oil painting by Harald Sohlberg from 1902 (titled from Røros (side street)). |
 Storgaten Røros, painting by Harald Sohlberg from 1903 (titled Røros main street). |
 Efter snestorm, Lillegaten Røros, oil painting by Harald Sohlbeg from 1904 (titled After the snowstorm, Røros sidestreet). |
 Natt painting by Harald Sohlberg from 1904 (titled Night). |
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