DansketidaA time of growth or 400 years of

night?

Background 1Pre-historic times

• Stone Age• Bronze Age• Iron Age

Background 2The Viking Age

• Norvegr• The rise of the king• The rise of the church• The rise of trade• The rise and the fall (?) of the peasant• In the hall of the Norwegian king

Background 3The Golden Age

• 1202-1349• Norway proper, IoM, The Hebrides. The

Orkneys, The Shetland Is, The Faroes, Iceland, Greenland, Vineland

• Peace• Growing population• A great cathedral

Background 4The Plague

• 1349• Bergen og Oslo• 50-75% died• SPECulate!• King• Nobility• Church• Common man

What was the Danish era all about

Hisytorians in the 19th century:• strong Norwegian resistance: greatly influenced by 1814• "Denmark's political crime against Norway"

(Nikolai Wergeland 1816)• The first historians in Norway took the Danish

paragraph about submission literally• And - Norway was dominated stronger than other

parts of Europe

Modern

• quiet growth undisturbed by the Danish state (harmony vision)

• N ready to stand on its own feet in 1814 • Historians today: Norway were treated

differently than the other regions• The Danish King inheritance rights of

Norway was important. • Fight between King and nobility of the

period/National Council• A peace need because of Swedish rivalry

• Counterfact history: But how would the development have been without Denmark?

• Norway is a raw material supplier• Mercantile policies - An active state• At the edge of a rapid development in

Western Europe: The major discovries• A Europe of tension:E + P <> GB/NL + GB<>F + NL<>GB + S<>DK + S<>RUS + (D)

Daily life

• Farmers got a better life after 1349• But constant pest waves• More emphasis on livestock and fish• The population at the level of 1349: c 1650• High population only at the coast - west and

north• Hanseatic trade: fishing - the good times• Local Parliaments again important

Kingdoms of change• 1319 Swedish Norwegian king under• Magnus Eriksson +• 1363 marries Margaretha, daughter of Valdemar

Atterdag of Denmark• >>> changing kingdom between three Nordic

countries from that time of• 1380-87 Olav Håkonsson king of the DK / N union• Died "supposedly" of pneumonia 16 years old• 1388-1412 Queen Margareta controls three

countries• Kalmar Union 1397-1523

• 1468-70 Orkney Shetland gone forever (?)

The National Council

• One in DK, one in N• 20-40: nobility and top clergy• Only a maximum of 10 nobles • The Arch Bishop becomes the leader rather than a chancellor, who is

unimportant in Norway• DK afraid of new positions of power in Norway and did not app oint

national officials to the National Council• A counterweight to the king:• The appointment of region rulers, financial matters, privileges, laws, trade,

foreign ...• Nobleman Amund Sigurdsson Bolt 1436-7: Towards Erik of Pomerania• >>> foreign power weakened, strengthened national N.C.• Telemark Bonde Halvar Gråtopp 1438-39 rebels. No Results

• King Christoffer (of Bavaria) died childless• Sweden and Denmark wanted union a

with Norway• Christian 1: king 1450. DK in the union

from 1458• treaty of eternal union between two

equal kingdoms (DK & N)• a choice of king made by the National

Council

Economy

The Hanseatic trade union• Bergen, Oslo and Tønsberg factoria for• Lübeck / Rostock• The credit gave them entry• A state within the state • Very dominant and exploited fishermen• Customs abolished for the Hansa in 1343• But the Hansa and other immigrants: expertise and capital• Trade was important - increased use of money• Oddevall city because this 1498

Trade routes

Governing • DK / S - more and better soil • The nobility there and clerical landowners were richer and

more powerful• Private Castles (fortified) (Norway Olav only E)• Castles were militarily important +• Knights and professional foot soldiers• Norway divided into Counties• Sheriffs exercised royal duty• From Båhus to Vardøhus• Two main regions (amt): Bergenhus and Akershus

Eilif Peterssen: Christian II signs the death sentence of Torben Oxe (1875-76) .

Troubles: Sweden• attempts to acquire all the power in

Sweden:• Rebellion under Sten Sture• C2 wins and gives amnesty to the Sture

party and crowned in Stockholm• But: The Blood Bath of Stockholm

Market Square: 94 massacred 7.-10. november 1520

• 1521-23: Uprising under Gustaf Vasa - C2 to Netherlands

• Gustaf Vasa starts the Swedish rising kingdom: DK / S-rivalry

Troubles: Denmark• The Norwegian State Council declares Norway

without a king.• Fredrik 1 crowned king rapidly - in Denmark• Danish National Council members to Norway• Fredrik >>> 1 king, but his Carta strengthened

the national council• C2 a threat from abroad - back in 1531 N with

great strength - but all waned away in Båhuslän• F1 die as 1533 in a very unclear political position

Problembarnet Norge

• Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson comes from Rome in 1523

• F1 up for Lutheran clergy• >>> strong conflict with Olav

Engelbrektsson:• Steinvikholm + fortress built warships

and soldiers to Nidaros• Archbishop approached C2

(Catholic), but he was imprisoned in DK

Troubles: Norway• Lübeck merchants chose the king's son Duke Christian as its

candidate• national council, with Archbishop Olav in lead, a cautious

approach• Vincens Lunge sent to find a Catholic king• But Lunge was Lutheran and put his efforts for Duke Christian• (- Archbishop should be + Lunge)• Archbishop Olav Engelbrektson got Lunge murdered• refused to honor King Christian 3: made in January 1536 an

coup• Had to flee Escape - the Norwegian State Council terminated

• 1536 nobleman Peder Hanssøn Litle into the Oslo Fjord• Cracks the rebellious Norway• Magnus Bishop of Hamar leads a riot• All resistance ends at Steinvikholm Fortress - 18th of

May 1537:• Archbishop OE to Netherlands• The Danish National Council continued• Norway becomes a region in the Kingdom of Denmark

(called the paragraph by historians)

The Reformation

• Martin Luther in 1517• The new faith quickly became popular:• princes could take control of church property and

religious practices• religion: created many churches, good preachers

using local language not latin• Summer 1537 - C3 ordered all church property under

the crown• Luther himself approved the Danish church ordinance

• adopted by a lord’s meeting in Odense 1537 (all Danish)

• Nevertheless, it should apply to Norway • C3 had a strong personal faith in the Reformation• But also had major financial problems• tremendous growth of the crown estate + tithe

and the treasures of the church• the monarchical looting went further in Norway

than in Denmark despite greater resistance

• a quiet introduction of Lutheran church practice in the churches: Catholic priests could continue if they changed their belief

• quickly established a confessional state with Christian 3 as state head of the church

• quickly in DK, slowly in N: more imbalance/resistance

• Reformation implied a stronger influence of the Danish language: A majority of the priests Danish and all educated in Denmark

• psalms in Danish

A growing population

• lowest level in the mid 1400s• In the tax lists from 1520: 150 000• The first census in 1769: 880,000• Until 1665 equal growth• then higher level of growth in the eastern parts• Particularly strong growth in the 1800s

Grey: all NorwayLight orange: Eastern NorwayDark orange: Coastal Norway

• Water- saw mills / mining opened new markets• the greatest economic expansion that country

until then had experienced• tenants in the late Middle Ages unusually free• Fisherman-farmers were common along the

coast• Additional industries: timber, home industry,

driving to mines

Christian 4 - 1588/1596-1648 • Norway friend and a lady friend• Often in Norway, concerned with the

North, founded towns and mines• Christiania, Christiansand and

Konningsberg (+ in DK / S / D)• Founded Icelandic-, the Greenland-

and the Danish East India Companies• Sent "Norwegian" lord and son Jens

Munk to the Northwest Passage in 1619

• Economically active: mercantilism• Politics - Norway should pay off• Not always a blessing - had to buy expensive

Danish grain (-Baltic) and sell cheap goods to Denmark

• Great Power Ambitions: the fleet upgraded (Norwegian seamen!)

• but the army was not good enough –mercenaries used to a great extent

• expensive German mercenaries in the Kalmar War 1611-1613

• A kind of victory - more or less the last time• 1625 in Denmark• the German "religious war": Thirty Years'

War 1618-1648• 20,000 men in Germany: Crushed by

Johann Tserclaes Tilly and Albrecht von Wallenstein - occupation and plunder of Jutland

• Ditto in 1643 - Swedish troops• The peace of Bromsebro - Jämtland,

Härjedalen, Gotland, Osel, Halland

The supreme king: 1660-1814 (1848)

• The background:• 1) Changes in local government• 2) and central government (professional, not birth)• 3) Governor Hannibal Sehested outmaneuvered: the Norwegian danger• 4) New wars - Carl Gustav Wars 1657-60: DK / RUS / Preuss - S• Karl X Gustav in Jutland and later across the ice to Copenhagen - NL to

the rescue• Two peace treaties:• Peace of Roskilde in 1658: - Scania, Halland (for good), Blekinge,

Bornholm, Bohuslän, Trøndelag and Nordmøre, all lost• Treaty of Copenhagen 1660: Bornholm, Trøndelag and Nordmøre back• >>> Financial crisis (causative)• 5) The emergence of a bourgeoisie• 6) >>>> bourgeoisie supported the king• 7) The nobility less important. County arrangement military (prof /• fleet important), inc. Crisis (debt) etc >>> weakened• 8) Split nobility (petty nobility) / clergy.

• In autumn 1660 the Danish common assembly gathers: only used for taxes and gathered only in rare cases

• Government debt: 5 million thalers

• Disagreements over the distribution of tax –

• The nobility had originally a military function – feudalism: No tax

• No agreement: endless discussions >>> zero

• Citizens and clergy (50%) suggests the transfer of the inheritance of the F3 to his family to weaken the nobility

• The nobility refuses, but is under pressure

• F3 declares state of emergency and closes Cph to force the nobilty to accept

• The national council ceases to exist

Northern Norway• Crisis in Northern Norway in 1300-s• The good times, 1450-1600:• Administrative structure changed• Major changes: 1500-1600:• The outermost island?• Fisherman population pay loads of tax – they earn more than the average farmer• Hard taxation of the Sami • A culture clash?

North• Reformation, etc.• 1) Fish prices go down.• 2) Trading network fails.• 3) Colder and wetter climate• >> Norwegians seeking additional industries• The Norwegian coastal settlement decreasing:• 1567 - 2750 Norwegians• 1690 - 2450 -"-• 1769 - 1800 -"-• 1801 - 1700 -"-

• In 1660, only boundary changes in north - positive• The Great Northern War 1700-1721• S (Carl XII) takes on the rest• Battle of Narva in 1700• 8000 S faces perhaps 80,000 RUS• 600 S dead, 15,000 RUS dead• Battle of Poltava in 1709• 21,000 to 45,000• 10,000 dead and wounded S, 1300 RUS• No changes for N, but S was out as a great power• Losing everything outside S: SF, Baltics• Carl XII killed in a siege in Halden, Norway (by his

own or a “lucky” bullet?)

The towns

• 6-8% from 1500 to 10% in 1800• Citizens: trade, crafts and Shipping• Workers• Citizens decided who would become citizens• Merchants were the elite, craftsmen not• Fellowships• Foreign elements - 50% in 1600 Bergen

Tension

• Farmers-crofters• Citizens-workers• Farmers-citizens

Food

• As in 1349 - livestock and grain. Grain in mountain villages and north. Oats or barley or mixed grain (o & b)

• Small animals – starved during the winter• Hunting, fishing and gathering.• 400,000 barrels of grain imported• an overview of calorie production in Norway including

imports and supplementary production - enough calories.

• Porridge was the most common eating

The fisheries

• cod and herring - fishing season• Ups and downs• Lofoten great fishing before 1620, 1740, 1800• Herring disappeared c 1785-1815• >>> Conservation and trade• Open wooden boats with sail and oars• Handlines, longlines and nets. Local production• Traders in the conservation and sale

Skogbruket

• Saw mills from 1500• Increasing production of boards• House- and ship building in Europe created a demand• From Oslo Fjord to Bergen - along streams and rivers• The nature under pressure>>> 1688 Sawmills privileges(only export from particular mills)• Stopping exploitation and increase prices. Prevent

foreigners from buying whole forests and rivers

Mining

• Also from 1500, but particularly from 1650

• Three types:• Ca.20 ironworks from Arendal to Eidsvoll• Ca.10 copper plants N-eastern and Tr.Lag• Biggest of all: Silver in Kongsberg. 4000

miners in 1770 (max)• Large consumers of wood +

transportation to and from: farmers

New 1700s

• 5 new iron works from 1739 to 1776:• Salt Work at Vallø (Tønsberg) and four glassworks• (Nøstetangen, Ås, Hurdal, Hadeland)• blue color (cobalt) mine

• Foreigners• Citizens (and king) main owner• Often partisipantselskap (part ownership)

Shipping

• Transport, fishing and trade - as "always"• Ships were often foreign: 1651 – The Navigation

Act - opportunities in England, though• F / NL / GB rivalry - opportunities for neutral

countries of little importance• 1670-96 - quadrupled fleet in tonnage• 1750 - 500 ships. 1807: 1600. 12,000 employees• All in all, >>>> growth and variation

Daily life

• Local focus• Danish into the church and school:• Gap between dialect and Danish• The elite bought art - little locally created• The only university in Cph• Gerhard Schønning: First Norwegian history

1770 published

The regions of Norway

1760