Sarpsborg

{{unreferenced section|date=June 2012}}

In Norse times the city was just called Borg (from borg which means "castle"). The background for this was the fortification built by Olav Haraldsson (see History section). Later, the genitive case of the name of the waterfall Sarpr (Sarp Falls) was added. It's unclear how Sarpsborg received this part of its name, though two interpretations are the most prevalent. The first comes from the Icelandic word Sarpr which means birdcage in English. The other interpretation is that Sarpr means "the one who swallows", probably referring to the local waterfall.{{Cite web|title=Sarpsborg kommune - Om Sarpsborg|url=https://www.sarpsborg.com/byen-og-kommunen/om-sarpsborg/|access-date=2021-12-10|website=www.sarpsborg.com|language=no|archive-date=31 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031132459/https://www.sarpsborg.com/byen-og-kommunen/om-sarpsborg/|url-status=live}}

In Norse times Østfold county was called Borgarsýsla which means "the county (sýsla) of Borg" and the law district of southeast Norway was called Borgarþing meaning "the thing/court of Borg".

The old name has been revived in the diocese of Borg (1968) and Borgarting Court of Appeal (1995).

The coat-of-arms is from modern times and was granted on 13 November 1991. It is based on a coat of arms dating from 1556 and shows a bear above a castle. The bear was introduced as early as some time in the 13th century, by the earl of Sarpsborg (Comes de Saresburgh), Alv Erlingsson. He used the bear to symbolise his strength.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} The castle symbolises the fortress (borg) that gave the city its original name.{{cite web|url=http://www.sarpsborg.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,3140&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&articleId=11573&artSectionId=1246|title=Vedtak om bruk av byvåpenet i den nye kommunen|publisher=Sarpsborg|access-date=2008-12-15|language=no|archive-date=2011-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716005409/http://www.sarpsborg.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,3140&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&articleId=11573&artSectionId=1246|url-status=dead}}

File:Sarpsborg.jpg

The city was founded as Borg by the Viking King Olav Haraldsson (Saint Olaf) in 1016. It was burned to the ground by Swedish invaders in 1567 during the Northern Seven Years' War. Half the population was evacuated down the river to what is today known as Fredrikstad, about {{convert|15|km|mi|0}} downstream.

Much of the rebuilt town disappeared into the river Glomma during a 1702 mudslide. Again Borg was rebuilt, and it was recreated as a city in 1839, and separated from Tune as a municipality of its own.

The rural municipalities of Tune, Skjeberg, and Varteig were merged with the city on 1 January 1992. The population is steadily growing, and during the summer of 2005 it reached 50,000 inhabitants.

In 2016 the town celebrated its 1,000th anniversary, and the entire year was commemorated by a special programme that encouraged historic preservation within the town.{{cite web|url=http://www.sarpsborg2016.no/|title=Sarpsborg 1016-2016|access-date=21 July 2017|archive-date=1 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701130054/http://www.sarpsborg2016.no/|url-status=live}}

Historically, the sawmill and timber shipping industry has been Sarpsborg's most important sources of income, however since the industrialisation in Norway, more specifically Sarpsborg and the establishment of local manufacturing businesses during the late 1800s, the biggest being Borregaard, Sarpsborg has changed from its traditional timber-based economy and pre-industrial society to a more manufacturing and refining-based economy and industrial society. In modern times Sarpsborg has moved away from being a city based on the local manufacturing and refining industry, with only around ten percent employed within the local manufacturing industry, coinciding with Norway's general shift towards a post-industrial society. Despite this, the city is still widely regarded by Norwegians both unofficially and officially, to be an industrial city.{{Citation|last=Thorsnæs|first=Geir|title=Sarpsborg|date=2021-11-16|url=http://snl.no/Sarpsborg|work=Store norske leksikon|language=nb|access-date=2021-12-10|archive-date=18 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118174514/https://snl.no/Sarpsborg|url-status=live}}

Borregaard Industries is, and always has been, the most important industry in the city. The city is also the home of Borg Bryggerier, part of the Hansa Borg Bryggerier, which is Norway's second largest brewery-group.

{{columns-list|colwidth=12em|

• Alvim
• Borgenhaugen
• Brevik
• Fritznerbakken
• Gleng
• Greåker
• Grålum
• Hafslund
• Hafslundsøy
• Hannestad
• Hasle
• Høysand
• Ise
• Klavestadhaugen
• Kurland
• Lande
• Opsund
• Sandbakken
• Sannesund
• Sarpsborg
• Skjeberg
• Valaskjold
• Varteig
• Yven

}}

During the 1950s and 1960s, Sarpsborg was famous for its football (soccer) team, Sarpsborg FK, but is now more known for its ice hockey team, Sparta Warriors. In football, Sarpsborg 08 FF has taken over the local throne, currently playing at the highest national level. On 6 November 2009, they sent arch-rival FFK down from the top division in a play-off game in Fredrikstad stadion. Sarpsborg 08 has a women's football team that was promoted to the women's Division 1 at the end of 2011, at the same time as the club's under-19 girls reached the Junior Cup Final. Sarpsborg BK plays in the highest bandy division.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}

Sarpsborg is famous for its two elite leagues teams in floorball, Sarpsborg IBK and Greåker IBK.

Sarpsborg has a humid continental climate (Dfb) or temperate oceanic climate (Cfb), depending on winter threshold used ({{convert|0|°C}} or {{convert|-3|°C}}). The all-time high {{convert|33.5|°C}} was recorded in July 2018. The all-time low {{convert|-26|°C}} was set in December 2002. Since the weather station was incepted in 1991, the records may not be representative of a longer time frame. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below {{convert|0|°C|1|abbr=on}}) in spring is 20 April{{cite web | url=https://www.yr.no/artikkel/siste-frostnatt-om-varen-1.8119060 | title=Siste frostnatt om våren | date=4 May 2012 | access-date=25 December 2022 | archive-date=6 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306095039/https://www.yr.no/artikkel/siste-frostnatt-om-varen-1.8119060 | url-status=live }} and average date for first freeze in autumn is 22 October{{Cite web|url=https://www.yr.no/artikkel/forste-frostnatt-1.11261900|title=Første frostnatt|date=25 September 2013|access-date=25 December 2022|archive-date=7 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807222743/https://www.yr.no/artikkel/forste-frostnatt-1.11261900|url-status=live}} giving a frost-free season of 184 days (1981-2010 average).

{{Weather box

|location = Sarpsborg (2002–2021 averages, extremes since 1991)

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high C = 10.5

|Feb record high C = 11.4

|Mar record high C = 21.4

|Apr record high C = 27.0

|May record high C = 30.0

|Jun record high C = 31.5

|Jul record high C = 33.5

|Aug record high C = 30.4

|Sep record high C = 27.5

|Oct record high C = 18.8

|Nov record high C = 16.0

|Dec record high C = 12.5

|year record high C =

|Jan avg record high C = 6.8

|Feb avg record high C = 7.1

|Mar avg record high C = 12.2

|Apr avg record high C = 17.3

|May avg record high C = 24.4

|Jun avg record high C = 26.5

|Jul avg record high C = 28.5

|Aug avg record high C = 26.8

|Sep avg record high C = 21.9

|Oct avg record high C = 15.9

|Nov avg record high C = 11.6

|Dec avg record high C = 8.2

|year avg record high C = 29.5

|Jan high C = 1.0

|Feb high C = 1.4

|Mar high C = 5.6

|Apr high C = 11.4

|May high C = 16.3

|Jun high C = 20.3

|Jul high C = 22.4

|Aug high C = 21.1

|Sep high C = 16.7

|Oct high C = 10.5

|Nov high C = 6.0

|Dec high C = 2.4

|year high C =

|Jan mean C = -1.4

|Feb mean C = -1.1

|Mar mean C = 2.0

|Apr mean C = 7.0

|May mean C = 11.8

|Jun mean C = 16.0

|Jul mean C = 18.3

|Aug mean C = 17.3

|Sep mean C = 13.3

|Oct mean C = 7.8

|Nov mean C = 3.7

|Dec mean C = 0.1

|year mean C =

|Jan low C = -3.8

|Feb low C = -3.5

|Mar low C = -1.6

|Apr low C = 2.5

|May low C = 7.3

|Jun low C = 11.6

|Jul low C = 14.2

|Aug low C = 13.4

|Sep low C = 9.8

|Oct low C = 5.0

|Nov low C = 1.4

|Dec low C = -2.3

|year low C =

|Jan avg record low C = -13.2

|Feb avg record low C = -12.4

|Mar avg record low C = -9.3

|Apr avg record low C = -2.7

|May avg record low C = 1.1

|Jun avg record low C = 6.7

|Jul avg record low C = 10.2

|Aug avg record low C = 8.2

|Sep avg record low C = 3.1

|Oct avg record low C = -2.4

|Nov avg record low C = -6.3

|Dec avg record low C = -11.1

|year avg record low C = -16.3

|Jan record low C = -23.3

|Feb record low C = -23.0

|Mar record low C = -21.1

|Apr record low C = -6.0

|May record low C = -2.6

|Jun record low C = 2.0

|Jul record low C = 7.0

|Aug record low C = 5.2

|Sep record low C = -1.0

|Oct record low C = -8.5

|Nov record low C = -12.5

|Dec record low C = -26.0

|year record low C =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 78.2

|Feb precipitation mm = 53.9

|Mar precipitation mm = 45.7

|Apr precipitation mm = 45.8

|May precipitation mm = 64.1

|Jun precipitation mm = 69.4

|Jul precipitation mm = 73.9

|Aug precipitation mm = 99.1

|Sep precipitation mm = 86.7

|Oct precipitation mm = 112.9

|Nov precipitation mm = 101.4

|Dec precipitation mm = 84.2

|year precipitation mm =

|unit precipitation days = 1 mm

|Jan precipitation days =

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|Jan snow depth cm =

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|source 1 = Norsk Klimaservicesenter{{cite web

| url = https://seklima.met.no/observations/

| title = Seklima

| language = no

| publisher = Meteorologisk institutt

| accessdate = 25 February 2022

| archive-date = 13 June 2021

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210613111152/https://seklima.met.no/observations/

| url-status = live

}}

|date = February 2022}}

{{Weather box

|collapsed = yes

|metric first= yes

|single line = yes

|location = Sarpsborg 1991-2020 (57 m, extremes 1991-2020)

|Jan record high C = 10.5 | Jan record low C = -21.5

|Feb record high C = 11.4 | Feb record low C = -23

|Mar record high C = 21.4 | Mar record low C = -21.1

|Apr record high C = 27 | Apr record low C = -6

|May record high C = 30 | May record low C = -2.6

|Jun record high C = 31.5 | Jun record low C = 2

|Jul record high C = 33.5 | Jul record low C = 7

|Aug record high C = 30.4 | Aug record low C = 5.2

|Sep record high C = 25 | Sep record low C = -1

|Oct record high C = 18.8 | Oct record low C = -8.5

|Nov record high C = 16.0 | Nov record low C = -12.5

|Dec record high C = 12.5 | Dec record low C = -26

|Jan mean C=-1.4

|Feb mean C=-1.5

|Mar mean C=0.9

|Apr mean C=5.8

|May mean C=11.1

|Jun mean C=14.9

|Jul mean C=17.4

|Aug mean C=16.5

|Sep mean C=12.2

|Oct mean C=7

|Nov mean C=3.1

|Dec mean C=-0.1

|year mean C=

|precipitation colour=green

|Jan precipitation mm=76.7

|Feb precipitation mm=51.9

|Mar precipitation mm=49.4

|Apr precipitation mm=49.2

|May precipitation mm=54.4

|Jun precipitation mm=71.9

|Jul precipitation mm=67.2

|Aug precipitation mm=89.3

|Sep precipitation mm=84.9

|Oct precipitation mm=105.4

|Nov precipitation mm=101.3

|Dec precipitation mm=85.3

|year precipitation mm=

|source 1= yr.no/Norwegian Meteorological Institute{{cite web|title=yr.no/met.no|url=https://www.yr.no/en/statistics/table/5-3190/Norway/Viken/Sarpsborg/Sarpsborg|access-date=23 April 2021|archive-date=23 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423205743/https://www.yr.no/en/statistics/table/5-3190/Norway/Viken/Sarpsborg/Sarpsborg|url-status=live}}

|source 2= eklima/met.no{{cite web|title=eklima portal|url=http://sharki.oslo.dnmi.no/portal/page?_pageid=73,39035,73_39080&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL|access-date=23 April 2021|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128080558/http://sharki.oslo.dnmi.no/portal/page?_pageid=73,39035,73_39080&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL|url-status=live}}

|date=23 April 2021

}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|

• Apoptygma Berzerk
• Artch
• Jan Groth
• Patrik Svendsen
• Ragnarok
• Robert Normann
• Tonic Breed

}}

File:Zacharias Mellebye 2.jpg

File:26771 Oscar Torp.jpg

• Zacharias Mellebye (1781 in Skjeberg – 1854) farmer, military officer and rep. at the Norwegian Constituent Assembly
• Harald Dahl (1863–1920), father of the British writer Roald Dahl came from Sarpsborg
• Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) explorer, first person to reach the South Pole, came from Borge
• Oscar Torp (1893 in Skjeberg – 1958) former Prime Minister of Norway, 1951-1955
• Carl Fredrik Wisløff (1908–2004) theologian and Christian preacher, grew up in Sarpsborg
• Øistein Strømnæs (1914 in Sarpsborg – 1980) head of XU, the WWII intelligence organization
• Torbjørn Sikkeland (1923 in Varteig – 2014) chemist, nuclear physicist and radiation biophysicist
• Thorvald Gressum (1932–2008) a politician and Mayor of Sarpsborg 1984 to 1995
• Kai Eide (born 1949 in Sarpsborg) a diplomat and writer; roles with the United Nations
• Erik Varden (born 1974), a Roman Catholic spiritual writer and Bishop-Prelate of Trondheim

File:Nils Ole Oftebro som konge i spelet 1992.jpg

• Julius Fritzner (1828 in Skjeberg – 1882) a restaurateur and hotelier in Christiania
• Bjarne Bø (1907 in Skjeberg – 1998) a Norwegian actor[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0127188/ IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911031322/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0127188/ |date=11 September 2020 }} retrieved 12 March 2021
• Arne Arnardo, (1912 in Sarpsborg – 1995) circus performer and owner, "Circus King of Norway"
• Walther Aas, (Norwegian Wiki) (1928–1990), neo-romantic artist; lived in Sarpsborg from 1954
• Kjell Karlsen (1931 in Sarpsborg – 2020) band leader, composer, jazz pianist and organist
• Nils Ole Oftebro (born 1944 in Sarpsborg) a Norwegian actor and illustrator[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0644461/ IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006132718/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0644461/ |date=6 October 2022 }} retrieved 12 March 2021
• Jan Groth (born 1946 in Greåker) vocalist, songwriter, artist with Aunt Mary and other bands
• Ketil Gudim (born 1956 in Sarpsborg) a Norwegian dancer and actor[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0345650/ IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512081006/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0345650/ |date=12 May 2022 }} retrieved 12 March 2021
• Einstein Kristiansen (born 1965 in Greåker) a cartoonist, designer and TV-host
• Kåre Christoffer Vestrheim (born 1969 in Sarpsborg) record producer, musician and composer
• Stephan Groth (born 1971) musician with Apoptygma Berzerk; lived in Sarpsborg since 1986
• Ulrikke Brandstorp (born 1995 in Sarpsborg) singer, songwriter and musical actress[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8069551/ IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316150732/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8069551/ |date=16 March 2021 }} retrieved 12 March 2021

File:Thomas Myhre 04.jpg

File:2009 Women's British Open - Marianne Skarpnord (2).jpg

• Therese Bertheau (1861 in Skjeberg – 1936) a pioneering female Norwegian mountaineer
• John Anderson (1873 in Sarpsborg – 1949) US Major League Baseball player for 15 seasons
• Bjørn Spydevold (1918 in Sarpsborg – 2002) a footballer with 37 caps for Norway
• Bent Skammelsrud (born 1966 in Sarpsborg) footballer, with 366 club caps, mainly for Rosenborg BK and 38 for Norway
• Thomas Myhre (born 1973 in Sarpsborg) goalkeeper with 346 club caps and 56 for Norway
• Raymond Kvisvik (born 1974 in Sarpsborg) footballer, with 425 club caps and 11 for Norway
• Jens Arne Svartedal (born 1976 in Sarpsborg), cross-country skier, team silver medallist at the 2006 Winter Olympics
• Per-Åge Skrøder (born 1978 in Sarpsborg), ice hockey player with men's national team
• Marianne Skarpnord (born 1986 in Sarpsborg) pro. golfer, plays on Ladies European Tour
• Jonas Holøs (born 1987 in Sarpsborg), ice hockey player with men's national team
• Marie Solberg (born 1988 in Sarpsborg) a sailor, bronze medallist at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
• Sander Skogli (born 1993 in Sarpsborg), ice hockey player
• Mohamed Elyounoussi (born in 1994), football player

Sarpsborg has several sister cities:{{cite web|publisher=Sarpsborg kommune|url=http://www.sarpsborg.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,3140&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&articleId=4271&artSectionId=1334|title=Vennskapsbyer|access-date=2008-12-15|language=no|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214225910/http://www.sarpsborg.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,3140&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&articleId=4271&artSectionId=1334|archive-date=2012-02-14}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{commons category-inline|Sarpsborg}}
• {{Wikivoyage inline}}

{{Østfold}}

{{25 largest municipalities of Norway}}

{{Most populous urban areas of Norway|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities and towns in Norway

Category:Municipalities of Østfold

Category:Populated places on the Glomma River