Røros

The parish of Røros was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1875, an unpopulated area of the neighbouring municipality of Ålen was transferred to Røros. On 1 January 1926, Røros was split into four municipalities: Røros landsogn (population: 701), Brekken (population: 1,098), Glåmos (population: 983), and the town of Røros (population: 2,284). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the four municipalities of Glåmos (population: 700), Brekken (population: 964), Røros landsogn (population: 482), and the town of Røros (population: 3,063) were all reunited under the name Røros. On 21 April 1989, an unpopulated part of Røros was transferred to the neighbouring Holtålen municipality.^[8] On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from the old Sør-Trøndelag county to the new Trøndelag county.

The municipality (originally the parish and town) is named after the old Røros farm (Old Norse: Røyðaróss) since this was the site of the mining town of Røros. The first element comes from the local river name Røa (Røyðr) which has an unknown meaning. The last element comes from óss which means "mouth of a river" (the small river Røa runs into the great river Glåma here).^[9]

On 9 September 2022, the national government approved a resolution to add a co-equal, official Sami language name for the municipality: Rosse.^[10] The spelling of the Sami language name changes depending on how it is used. It is called Rosse when it is spelled alone, but it is Rossen tjïelte when using the Sami language equivalent to "Røros municipality".^[4]

The coat of arms was granted on 29 October 1992. The blazon is "Gules, a venus symbol over a crossed hammer and chisel Or" (Norwegian: I rødt, en gull kobber (venus-symbol) over korslagt bergjarn og feisel). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a venus symbol over a crossed hammer and chisel. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The design symbolizes the copper mining industry in Røros. The venus symbol is the old symbol for copper, which was heavily mined in Røros for centuries. The arms were designed by Sverre Ødegaard. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.^[11][12][13]

The Church of Norway has four parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Røros. It is part of the Gauldal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nidaros.

Røros municipality has historically been used by the Southern Sami people for reindeer herding. Known for its copper mines, Røros 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 Gustaf Armfeldt. De la Barre took the city and all their mined copper at gunpoint.

When King Carl XII was killed near Fredriksten on 30 November 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 was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1980.^[14]

In 1644, the general manager of the mine at Kongsberg gave permission to exploit one lode of copper in the mountains near Rauhaammaaren. Storvola and Gamle Storwartz became some of the company's most important mines. Nordgruve, another important mining area, was situated to the north east of Røros.

In 1685, Røros discovered a considerable amount of associated silver mines. The mining activity lasted for about 40 years, and a total of 1,350 tons of sterling silver was mined. This provided considerable revenue for the Danish-Norwegian treasury to support Frederick IV in building the palace of Solbjerg.

1740 onwards saw a period of greatness for the Røros Copper Works with several mines yielding well. Due to the funding of the Oldenburg royal family, the scale of the Leros silver mine and copper mine expanded. As the mine is close to Trondheim and at a lower latitude, the ore output is much higher than Scandinavia Falun. The rich income of the mining area also prompted the royal family to repeatedly ask for an expansion of the mining. Dynamite was utilised from 1870 and later drilling machines. The electrical generating station built high-tension power lines to supply the mines, starting in 1897. The Bessemer process was introduced at the end of the 1800s. The Rørosbanen railway line was completed in 1877. High prices for both copper and zinc gave good results, but then the prices dropped and there were several years with large losses. After 333 years, mining activity in Røros ceased in 1977.^[15]

Rørosmartnan is an annual market and cultural event in Røros that takes place from the next to last Tuesday in February and lasts until the following Saturday. Rørosmartnan, a unique annual market and cultural event in Røros, is a must-visit for history and culture enthusiasts. With a typical attendance of 70,000 to 80,000 visitors, the market is a significant event for Røros and the surrounding area. The opening day is a spectacle, as around 80 horse-drawn sleds arrive with visitors from Sweden and the surrounding mountain villages, adding a touch of tradition and charm to the event.^[16]

Røros Copper Works originally monopolized all trade in the mining town.^[17] In the 1700s, they stopped enforcing this monopoly as it was impossible to prevent the free exchange of goods. In 1801, a few merchants in Røros were granted permission to engage in trade for a fee. However, illegal trade in Røros only increased. In 1842, the merchants' trading privileges ended, which was largely meaningless when even the factory owners traded independently. After many years of pressure from Røros municipality to the Ministry of the Interior, the first Rørosmartnan was held in 1854. The market has a historical basis from a royal resolution from 1853: "From 1854 onwards, a market shall be held in Røros, starting on the next-to-last Tuesday in February and lasting until the following Friday."^[18] In 1855, the market was visited by a couple of thousand people, mainly from the nearby districts, in addition to Gudbrandsdalen, Hedmark, and Sweden. Examples of goods traded included skins, grain and flour, fish, linen, and horses. Because so many people attended, the authorities needed the military to be present as security.

There existed a natural basis for the Rørosmartnan in the region, as people came to buy and sell their products, which contributed significantly to the economy. For this reason, Rørosmartnan developed independently during the initial years without planning or regulations. From the outset, there was a market fee that the vendors had to pay. It was the police's task to collect the fee, which can be described as an organizing function. Additional security was necessary to maintain peace and order during the market, and the guards were financed through the fees. However, trade at Rørosmartnan declined around 1874, and after an application, a royal resolution was issued on February 29, 1877, stating that the market would be discontinued from 1878.^[19] Many also believed that the opening of the Røros Railway would make the Rørosmartnan unnecessary, but the railroad instead sparked a revival for the market by bringing in more people and goods from new areas, and a new resolution was passed stating that the previous resolution for closure would not take effect. Eventually, it was seen that the organizing conditions changed as the local business community became more interested in Rørosmartnan. Not until after World War II did a form of market committee emerge to plan the event. This included some members of the Røros Merchants' Association who cooperated. Interest in Rørosmartnan again declined throughout the 1960s, after which the Røros Tourist and Travel Association (now Opplev Røros AS) took over the entire event with several representatives from the business community and the municipality, gradually rekindling interest in the event.

Since the royal resolution, Rørosmartnan has continued to grow. Saturday has also become market day, and the variety of goods traded has expanded. Each year, more sales booths are set up, and the event is filled with the hustle and bustle of trade. In cafes and venues, old dance music sets the mood from early in the day until late at night, adding to the festive atmosphere of the market. In 2015, an unofficial estimate of the number of visitors was made, and the organizers assumed that as many as 80,000 people had visited Rørosmartnan from February 17 to 21 that year.^[20]

Rørosmartnan often has prominent guests to deliver the opening speech.

The town of Røros was the filming location for Henrik Ibsen's play "A Doll's House", directed by Joseph Losey.^[21]

The newspapers Arbeidets Rett and Fjell-Ljom are published in Røros.

Røros Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.^[22] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Trøndelag District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Røros is made up of 27 representatives who are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

The mayors (Norwegian: ordfører) of Røros:

Røros is located on a gently sloping plateau about 630 metres (2,070 ft) above sea level that is forested with mostly birch and some pine, but the tree line is never far away. The largest lake within the municipality is Aursund and the river Glåma has its origin here. The most northerly part of Femund, the third largest lake in Norway, is located in Røros, just west of Femundsmarka National Park. These lakes and others in Røros, such as Bolagen and Flensjøen, are well suited for kayaking and fishing. Other lakes include Feragen, Håsjøen, Rambergsjøen, Korssjøen, Nedre Roasten, Rogen, and Rien.

Røros has a subarctic climate. Mostly sheltered from oceanic influences, and located at ca 650 m amsl, Røros has recorded the coldest temperatures in the southern half of Norway with −50.3 °C (−58.5 °F) in early January 1914. In the European cold snap of January 2010 Røros recorded low of −42 °C (−44 °F). The coldest months recorded are January 1941 and January 1942, both with mean −20.6 °C (−5.1 °F), and average daily low −26.9 °C (−16.4 °F) in January 1941. Winters at Røros are reliably cold. The warmest January (1973) had mean −2.8 °C (27.0 °F), the warmest winter month on record was December 2006 with mean −0.5 °C (31.1 °F), and the warmest March (2012) had mean −0.3 °C (31.5 °F). The heat record 30.7 °C (87.3 °F) was recorded in July 2008. The warmest month on record is July 2014 with mean 16 °C (61 °F), while July 2018 had the warmest average daily high with 23.3 °C (73.9 °F).

Skiing conditions in winter are usually excellent, with the period from February to April being the optimum, as the sun is higher and the days longer than earlier in winter. The deepest snow depth recorded in Røros is 200 centimetres (79 in) in March 1956. In more recent years, 87 centimetres (34 in) snow on the ground was recorded in March 2009. Snow on the ground is virtually guaranteed in Røros from December to early April. Early May 1997 saw 76 cm snow on the ground (source: eklima/met.no).

Haugan, an unincorporated settlement situated 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Røros Airport, is the location of a weather station operated by the Norwegian Meteorologist institute. (Norwegian: Meteorologisk institutt).^[36]

All the record lows are old, the most recent (December) from 1978, while more than half of the monthly record highs are from year 2000 or later.

The municipality is served by the Rørosbanen railway line at Røros Station. Røros Airport has a scheduled service to Oslo. Norwegian County Road 30 (Fylkesvei 30) connects Røros to the south to Tynset and northwest down the Gaula valley towards Trondheim. There is also the Norwegian County Road 705 going north to Selbu and Stjørdal, and the Norwegian County Road 31 (Fylkesvei 31) going east to Sweden.

 

• Ole Andreas Bachke (1830 in Røros – 1890), Norwegian jurist and government minister
• Per Bergersen (1960–1990 in Røros), musician
• Even Erlien (born 1955), politician, mayor of Røros municipality until 1999
• Johan Falkberget (1879 in Røros – 1967), author, nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature
• Magnus Falkberget (1900 in Røros – 1957), Norwegian actor and theatre manager ^[37]
• Per Edgar Kokkvold (born 1946 in Røros), journalist, chair of the Norwegian Broadcasting Council
• Synnøve Korssjøen (born 1949 in Røros), Norwegian goldsmith
• Lorentz Lossius (1589–1654), German-born, Norwegian mining engineer, founder of the Røros Copper Works (Røros Kobberverk)
• Sven Nyhus (born 1932 in Røros), folk musician, fiddler, composer and musicologist
• Dag Rune Olsen (born 1962 in Røros), cancer researcher and professor of biomedical physics
• Michael Rosing (1756 in Røros – 1818), Norwegian-Danish actor
• Johannes Smemo (1898 in Rugldalen – 1973), theologian and Bishop of Oslo 1951 to 1968

• Stein Erik Gullikstad (born 1952 in Røros) a Nordic combined skier, competed at the 1976 Winter Olympics
• Monicha Nergaard (born 1968), Norwegian archer, Norwegian championship gold medalist
• Kjell Jakob Sollie (born 1953 in Røros) a cross-country skier, competed at the 1980 Winter Olympics

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  Overview Røros
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  Røros in summer
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  Finneveta, one of the narrow old streets in Røros
• Røros filmed by WMNO Drone mai 2018
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  Fra Røros (Lillegaten), oil painting by Harald Sohlberg from 1902 (titled from Røros (side street))
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  Storgaten Røros, painting by Harald Sohlberg from 1903 (titled Røros main street)
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  Efter snestorm, Lillegaten Røros, oil painting by Harald Sohlbeg from 1904 (titled After the snowstorm, Røros sidestreet)
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  Natt painting by Harald Sohlberg from 1904 (titled Night)
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  Malmplassen and Stangvekta
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  Town of Røros and river Hitterelva
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  Town of Røros and Raubrua bridge
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  Røros and Sleggveien
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  Røros and Bergstadens Ziir
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  Røros - Hyttklokka and Bergstadens Ziir
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  Røros in the autumn

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Røros.

 

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Røros.

• Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway (in Norwegian)
• History of Røros at Bergstaden.Org (in Norwegian)
• World heritage site Røros
• Røros info (in Norwegian)
• UNESCO Røros entry
• Visitnorway.com Røros
• Map hiking and DNT cabins
• VR images of Røros
• Haugan, Røros, Norway