Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
After 1702, the city rebuilt using more stone and brick, and suffered
fewer fires. But this one small wooden quarter was built after the fire, in
the early 1700s. To prevent future blazes, the Germans forbade all fires
and candles for light or warmth except in isolated and carefully guarded
communal houses behind each tenement. It was in these communal houses
that apprentices studied, people dried outtheir soggyclothes, hotfoodwas
cooked, and the men drank and partied. One of these medieval Hanseat-
ic Assembly Rooms is preserved and open to the public (the Schøtstu-
ene—separate entrance behind St. Mary's Church, included in Bryggen
Walking Tour, difficult to appreciate without a guide).
Flash forward to the 20th century. One of the biggest explosions of
World War II occurred in Bergen's harbor on April 20, 1944. An ammuni-
tion ship loaded with 120 tons of dynamite blew up just in front of the
fortress. The blast leveled entire neighborhoods on either side of the har-
bor (notice the ugly 1950s construction opposite the fortress) and did ser-
ious damage to Håkon's Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower. How big was the
blast?There'sahutcalled“theanchorcabin”acoupleofmilesawayinthe
mountains. That's where the ship's anchor landed. The blast is considered
to be accidental, despite the fact that April 20 happened to be Hitler's
birthday and the ship blew up about 100 yards away from the Nazi com-
mander's headquarters (in the fortress).
After World War II, Bryggen was again slated for destruction. Most of
the locals wanted it gone—it reminded them of the Germans who had oc-
cupied Norway for the miserable war years. Then excavators discovered
rune stones indicating that the area predated the Germans. This boosted
Bryggen's approval rating, and the quarter was saved. Today this pictur-
esque and historic zone is the undisputed tourist highlight of Bergen.
Proceed one more block along the harbor until you reach the open, park-
like space on your left. Standing at the top of this area is...
Search WWH ::




Custom Search