Has New Year been a bit too rainy? Didn’t you get the right Christmas presents? We’re gonna take you where rain turns into snow, and all Christmas wishes come true
We’re starting the new year with a magical ride North. And further North. And further North. Until we get to the miraculous town of Hammerfest.
Welcome to Norway!
Thanks to Moyka and her mesmerizing “Rear View” that won FSC #178, the last FSC-edition in 2023, we’ve gone far North of the Polar circle to Troms og Finnmark.
So let’s hear the song again:
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We’ve arrived in a snow-covered Hammerfest!
Hammerfest is a Norwegian town in Troms og Finnmark county in Norway. The town is located at 70.7 degrees north and was for over 200 years until 1996 considered the world's most northerly.
The municipality borders Måsøy in the north-east, Porsanger in the east, Alta in the south and Hasvik in the west.
It is located on the island of Kvaløya with a bridge connection to the mainland. In the municipal reform in Norway 2020, the former independent municipality, Kvalsund, was merged with Hammerfest.
The town has approximately 11,310 inhabitants which makes it the second largest town in Finnmark.
The main industry is fishing or trades connected to the fishing industry. Historically Pomor trading has been an important part of Hammerfest’s economy as well.
Within a few years the town will become the main terminal for natural gas from the Snøhvit Field in the Barents Sea. On Melkøya, outside Hammerfest, there already is a facility that processes and cools the gas.
The economic prospects are due to the fact that, despite its location north of the Arctic Circle, the town has an ice-free harbour. Another important part of Hammerfest’s infrastructure is the airport that opened in 1974.
In 2005, Hammerfest became a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the Meridian Støtta at Fuglenes, which marks the northernmost measurement point in Struve's meridian arc.
Though there are traces of human settlements back to the Stone Age in what is now the Hammerfest area, the town fully developed as a modernized Western town when the first church was built, and the first priest settled among the villagers in 1684. At that time there were around 60 people living in the village.
The village quickly developed a blossoming fishing and trading economy. In the mid-18th century King Federik V of Denmark-Norway stopped the trading rights of the town, and that let to the so-called Pomor trading where goods were traded between the Pomors in Russia and the Norwegians, and though King Christian VII of Denmark-Norway gave back the trading rights to Hammerfest in 1789, the Pomor trade went on until the Russian Revolution in 1917.
At the Napoleon Wars, the British feared that the neutral country Denmark-Norway would team up with France and hence contribute to the French forces with a very strong navy. To avoid such a scenario the British attacked the Danish-Norwegian navy as well as the capital Copenhagen in 1807, forcing Denmark-Norway to support the French during the wars, even with a much weakened navy.
That obviously affected Hammerfest that was one of the most important centers for trade in that part of the kingdom. In the beginning it was mostly local traders with insufficient armoury that were to defend the town against the British navy, but that went horribly wrong in 1809 when the British attacked. Even though the Norwegians managed to defend themselfes for 90 minutes until they ran out of gunpowder, the British did eventually win the battle and got to raid the area.
After the battle Denmark-Norway realized that much stronger defence was needed in order to protect such an important trading center, and proper fortification was built as well as professional military forces guarding the area.
Hammerfest had a very important role to play during WW II as well. Norway was invaded in 1940 by the German forces in order to transport necessary resources down the Norwegian coastline. Especially after the war broke out between Germany and the Soviet Union, Hammerfest got to play a key role in the war. The most important submarine base in Finnmark was installed in Hammerfest and the Germans made a temporary air field in the area too. All to stop the supply convoys between the allied forces and USSR.
In 1944 at the German retreat from the Murmansk lines, Hammerfest became an important place for evacuating German soldiers as the more Eastern routes were being hit heavily by the Soviets. Around the same time, in Autumn 1944, the local population got evacuated too, and before surrendering the city to USSR, the Germans burned it to the ground. What wasn't destroyed by the Germans were destroyed by the Soviet forces when they arrived in February 1945. In September 1945, the Soviet Union left Hammerfest.
After World War II the growth of the town was very rapid. Houses and other buidings were quickly rebuilt by all of the people either returning to Hammerfest or moving to the town, leaving what remained of their small villages after the war. In 1951, just six years after the end of the war, Hammerfest had a population of 4,112. 20 years later that figure was nearly doubled.
Enjoyed the history of Hammerfest? Well, there's much more to enjoy here!
Put on your coat (it's freezing out there) and walk with me into the Norwegian Winter...
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What can we see or do?
Norway is known for it's stunning nature where rough mountains rise up from deep fjords. Amazing hiking opportunities are to be found everywhere in Norway, both alongside the coast or in amongst the trees and lakes in the many Norwegian forests. In Winter there are excellent skiing opportunities all over the country.
It's especially for these reasons that Norway is such a popular holiday destination. 7% of the population work in tourism and it contributes to 4,2% of the Norwegian GDP.
It's particularly popular among Germans and fellow Scandinavians from Sweden and Denmark, but Norway as a tourist destination is getting increasingly popular everywhere around the world.
Like most other places in Norway, the unique nature is the main reason why tourists go to Hammerfest. And obviously one of the most unique experiences is to see the beautiful aurora borealis, also called the Northern lights, floating on the night sky and mixing with the stars.
The beautiful phenomenon is created when energized particles from the sun hit Earth's atmosphere. The magnetic field protects us from the particles and redirects them towards the poles. These particles can be seen coloring the sky in a million different colors near either of the poles. And being so high up in the Arctic circle, Hammerfest is just the perfect place to see it.
If you want a cozy sleigh ride in the snow, there's a lot of opportunities for that in the area around Hammerfest. Or perhaps race a bit on an ATV in the vast snow-covered plains? You may end up seeing the aurora borealis if you do!
Alright so perhaps it'll be nice to get back inside. So let's just see "Museum of Reconstruction for Finnmark and Northern Troms" and "The Polar Bear Society" as our last stops before heading to our venue and show.
The museum tells the story of Hammerfest and the reconstruction of the town after WW II, as well as how the daily life and standards have progressed since then. We can perhaps have a short peek into the part of the museum that tells the history of telecommunication in Norway?
We're definitely gonna visit the ex hibition at "The Polar Bear Society" where we can learn a bit about hunting and fishing in Arctic conditions. How did they historically manage to survive? If we like it, we can buy a membership to "The Polar Bear Society" which supports the ex hibition and perhaps a cute teddy bear in the gift show.
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Our host venue tonight: Arktisk Kultursenter
We've arrived at Arktisk Kultursenter (Arctic Culture Centre) where we'll enjoy tonight's show.
Though the venue wasn't officially opened until 17th January 2009, it was already in use in Autumn 2008.
It has got two concert halls used for all sort of artistic purposes such as concerts, plays, stand-up, other performances and e
bitions.It's not just a place for hosting events like ours, but the local cultural school is located on the third floor of the cultural centre. The local cultural administation has its offices in the building too.
Our show will take place in the biggest of the halls called "Ole Olsen" which can accommodate 287 spectators + 50 more in the galleries.
There is an outdoor stage too, but now in January it's gonna be waaay too cold!
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Our hosts tonight: Celina Midelfart and Frida Aasen
Celina Midelfart (born 12th February 1973) is a Norwegian businesswoman. A member of the Midelfart family, she is a daughter of the businessman Finn-Erik Midelfart (1943–95) and Hermine Kristin née Muhle (born 1944). She is a patrilineal descendant of Hans Christian Ulrik Midelfart, a signatory of the Norwegian constitution.
Frida Aasen (born 5th December 1994) is a Norwegian model. She is best known for walking in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2017 and 2018. In 2013, she was referred to as a face to watch by Vogue, alongside Martha Hunt and Kelly Gale. She walked the runways of Prada, Louis Vuitton and Fendi among others. She has been featured on the cover of fashion magazines, including Vogue and Elle.
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The show is just about to start, but before we listen to the this month's FSC-songs, let's start with some Winter magic from "Anastasia" and "Frozen"
Svala Björgvinsdóttir - Á Ferðalagi Aftur Heim
Idina Menzel - Let It Go
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Ready? It's time to listen to this month's songs 
You nailed it!
