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Statuen er av vikinghøvdingen Gange-Rolv. Den er en bronsekopi av originalstatuen i Rouen, og ble gitt til Ålesund by som en gave fra Rouen i Normandie. Gange-Rolv var sønn av Ragnvald Mørejarl. En kjent vestlandsk jarl som hersket over det fylket vi i dag kjenner som Møre og Romsdal. Rolv fikk tilnavnet Gange-Rolv fordi han var så stor at ingen hest kunne bære ham. På grunn av dette gikk han til fots overalt. Gange-Rolv ble lyst fredløs etter et vikingtokt i Haraldsrike på Østlandet. Da han flyktet vestover endte han til slutt opp i Frankrike. Rett før år 900, ved munningen av elven Seine, slo Gange-Rolv og hans menn seg ned for godt. Etter gjentatte plyndringer innover i landet så den franske kongen seg nødt til å slutte fred med Rolv og hans menn. I et kapell i landsbyen St. Claire-Sur-Epte inngikk de en avtale. Gange-Rolv, eller Rollo som franskmennene kalte ham svor troskap til kongen, og fikk sitt eget landområde i retur. Rollo ble fra år 911 hertug av området Normandie, noe som satte en stopper for vikingtoktene i Frankrike. Hans etterkommere satt som hertuger i Normandie fram til året 1202.
The sculpture ”Avisgutten” was a gift from the local newspaper Sunnmørsposten to the city of Ålesund in 1998. The newspaper boys, who earned a few kroner each day through selling newspapers, were a regular feature in the cityscape up until the 1960s, and the newspapers they sold were Sunnmørsposten and the Sunnmøre Arbeideravis. The sculpture is made by Arne Martin Hansen, and symbolises how newspapers were sold by the newspaper boys, as well as the value this gave Ålesund.
The city park in Ålesund was landscaped in 1885, and to pay the cost of building the park, Aalesunds Brennevinsamlag, the Aalesund Liquor Association donated 8,000 NOK, and gardener Leyberg was given the assignment to plan the park. Today the park is the starting point for the 418 steps leading up to the top of city mountain Aksla, where the famous Fjellstua is situated.
Kongensgate in Ålesund stretches from St. Olavs Plass in the South, until Sorenskriver Bulls Gate in the North. Here you can find buildings from the period after the 1904 city fire, in the Art Nouveau style. Big parts of Ålesund that were rebuilt after the city fire has characteristics from the Art Nouveau style. Most of the facades in Kongensgate have been well preserved and the street is especially elegant looking, and a showcase for the Art Nouveau style. Kongensgate was turned into a pedestrian street in 1989.
On the top of the city mountain Aksla, Fjellstua towers over the city of Ålesund, with a view of all the surrounding islands, the Sunnmørsalpene and the city centre, the mountain lodge offers a unique experience. There are many lodges on the mountain, but only one ”Fjellstua” in the heart of the citizens of Ålesund. Master cobbler Knut Gregorius Lied started the work on Fjellstua, and he imagined running a restaurant in the summer, while he would work there as a cobbler the rest of the year. Fjellstua was completed in the autumn of 1903, and everything was set up for the next summer. But then arrives the city fire in January 1904 and the city house of the Lied family burns to the ground. Knut Lied, with his wife and 7 children escape up the 418 steps to Fjellstua. And Fjellstua became the home of the Lied family until 1916, when the God’s Templar Youth Association, Symra bought the restaurant. In 1934, the original red-painted Fjellstua burned to the ground. It was rebuilt in brick, and started to look like the present building. After the war, several changes were made, until it got its present look. Fjellstua is today an outdoor restaurant, a cafeteria and a viewing platform.
The boat ”Uræd” was made by Ole Martin Brude from Ålesund, born February 12th, 1880. His family lived in the USA for a while when Ole was a child. He became a sailor at the age of 16, and this is where he got the idea of a covered lifeboat. In 1902, he attended the Haugesund School of Seamanship, before he joined the navy. He prepared drawings and a model of a capsule-shaped lifeboat. He signed a contract with Aalesunds Mecanical Garage to build a boat. Ole Brude named the lifeboat he created ”Uræd”, but due to the shape and the name of the constructor, the boat was normally called ”Brudeegget” (the Brude egg). Ole Brude wanted to sail the lifeboat from Ålesund to New York. He expected to arrive in time to exhibit it on the World Fair in St. Louis. Delayed launch and leakage led to the trip being postponed. Together with three others, he started from Ålesund on August 7, 1904. They arrived at Petty Harbour in New Foundland November 15th. They wanted to finish the trip in Boston, but on the journey there, ”Uræd” was thrown ashore at Gloucester in a storm. The lifeboat functioned as Brude had planned. They survived the accident, but he did not make the World Fair in time. Ole Brude returned to Ålesund, where he was met with honour and glory. When he died in 1949, his urn was buried in Ålesund. Brude did not live to see his lifeboat construction become a success. Only in 1977, did covered lifeboats become mandatory.
The cultural building Arbeideren was completed in 1906, as the main building for cultural events in Ålesund, a position it has kept for more than 100 years. Arbeideren is known as the most monumental Art Nouveau building in Ålesund, and arises as an important element in the cityscape. The distinctive facades mix temple gables, neo-classic columns and balusters with the details, ornaments and keyhole shaped doors and windows of the Art Nouveau style. The interior is beautifully decorated in Art Nouveau style, with a simple and elegant decor. As a whole, the exterior and interior appear as an ambitious complete work of art from the architects. Arbeideren is today one of the most beautiful festivity buildings in Norway. The preservation also underlines that the building historically has been of great importance to the cultural and social life in Ålesund.
The bronze statue of city historian Harald Grytten shows Grytten the way most of the local population remembers him, standing on his just as famous wooden stool in the heart of Ålesund. Harald Grytten was extremely important for the city development in Ålesund, where his commitment to the original building environment has been decisive. Through books, lectures and city walks, Harald Grytten has richly illustrated Ålesund through the ages. As a thank you, a mission to raise money from the local population was started in 2010, in order to erect this statue of Harald Grytten.
The rebuilding after the great city fire went quickly, also here where you can see what is today referred to as "The city's narrowest house". "Is it a house, or perhaps a backdrop?" like to ask the tourists on their way when they discover the house, which is only 2 meters and 97 cm wide in the facade that faces what is today the city's pedestrian street. "It's another house with a whole three floors. Shop space on the first, then two floors and in addition a small attic." The special thing is that the house expands backwards and becomes somewhat wider at the rear. The architect who designed the building is considered one of Norway's leading architects around the turn of the century. In addition to several assignments in Ålesund, including "Rønnebergbua", he also designed a number of significant buildings in Trondheim. Originally there was an opening where you could drive a horse and cart into the backyard of the plumber's workshop that was located there. Today, that opening has been sealed off and replaced with a shop and art gallery.
The ”Hundevakta” (The Dogwatch) is a statue erected in honour of the war sailors of WW II. The word ”dog watch” arises from the division of the watches at sea during that time, and the dog watch was considered the most strenuous and toughest watch. It lasted from midnight until 4 in the morning, when people are considered to be the least vigilant and in a vulnerable position. The sculpture depicts a young man keeping a lookout for the dangers surrounding him, and has become a representative for thousands of other sailors in the same situation.
The statue of the resistance fighter Joachim Rønneberg is to honour the hero and those he cooperated with during the liberation of Norway in WW II. Joachim Rønneberg left Norway onboard MK ”Sigurd” on March 13th, 1941, to participate in the battle for freedom, to be based in Great Britain. Here he became second lieutenant in what is now known as Company Linge, formerly called Norwegian Independent Company No. 1. With training in sabotage and explosives, he lead the group performing the operation ”Gunnerside”. A military sabotage operation with the goal of stopping the production and export of heavy water from the factory of Norsk Hydro at Vemork. On the night of February 27th, 1943, nine of the soldiers ventured over the ice covered river Måna, along the railway tracks, an area that was not mined. While the coverage team stayed on guard, the explosives team forced their way into the heavy water factory, and set the explosives on the heavy water containers in the basement. The bomb went off and 900 kg of heavy water was destroyed. Not a single shot was fired during the entire operation, and the operation is considered by many to be the most important and most successful sabotage operation during the entire WW II. 12 months after ”Gunnerside”, in March 1944, Joachim Rønneberg, Birger Strømsheim and Olav Aarsæther is parachuted into Veltdalen. They spend the next year in the Tafjord Mountains, preparing the next attack, Operation Fieldfare. The purpose of the operation was to reconnoitre and prepare attacks on German supply lines at the Raumabanen. In January 1945, they blow up the Stuguflåtbrua and close down the German supply lines for three weeks. Joachim has received numerous decorations throughout the years as a thank you for his military contribution, but Joachim himself does not want people to focus on him being a war hero. Peace and freedom is not a given, Joachim is supposed to have stated. It is therefore important to relate this story to future generations.
The 5.5 metre tall sculpture in steel named “Nyskaperen”, is a gift from the business community to the city of Ålesund, and is a large edition of the statue given to especially creative and innovative companies on the Nordvestlandet every year.
The bronze statue “Sildekona” was erected in the honour of all the “sildekoner” (herring women) once working in Ålesund. In 1898, drift net fishing was started on a trial basis, to catch large herring. This started a period of almost 70 years, where the annual harvest of “the silver of the ocean” gave Ålesund the name “Storsildbyen” (the city of the big herring). The fishing fleet was motorized and mechanized in the years leading up to WW I, and the fishing areas kept being expanded. The city’s economy was, at this point, very dependent on export of herring, and even though “sildekonene” were paid modestly, their work on placing the herring in barrels for salting and export was extremely important, and ensured that high quality could be transported out into the world.
“Fiskergutten” (the Fishing boy), or “Skårungen”, as the artist called it, is the biggest sculpture on Apotekertorget. The boy is a symbol of young people’s fire and expectation of the future. Ålesund has also given this sculpture, in a smaller edition, to its twin town Akureyri on Iceland.
Hellebroa is the only driveable land connection between Nørvøya in the East and Aspøya in the West. It might not be a staggering structure, but for the normal person from Ålesund, it is the most important hub in the centre. The first edition of the bridge was finished in 1836, and during the building process, the strait below the bridge was deepened, to allow smaller boats to pass from the South to the North. This became the Hellebroa until 1907. The original bridge burned down during the city fire in 1904, and from 1904 until 1907, a simple, provisory bridge made of tree, was used. During the construction of the second bridge, it was decided that it should be a swivelling construction of iron, to allow larger boats to pass into the Brosundet. In the following years, it became necessary to build a bigger bridge, as the traffic in the centre grew with the population. Today’s bridge was finished in December 1936, and although some still think the strait is in need of a bigger bridge, this is the Hellebroa.
“Kanona” (the Canon) pointing towards the Skansekaia, is a small legend in Ålesund, and has quite a history. The canon is an 18 pound bullet canon, and was forged in 1826. Originally, it was situated on Lihaugen, with the muzzle towards the harbour. When it was to be fired for the first time, all the windows in buildings by the Sandborgbrygga broke. The muzzle was then turned towards the mountain, but the result did not improve, as at this point most windows on Lihaugen broke due to the air pressure from the firing. It was then moved to the park, but no matter which hill it was fired from, it did a lot of damage with the powerful bangs. It was fired for the last time on the fateful night of January 23d, 1904, during the big city fire. In the beginning of the 20s, the cannon was transported half way up the stairs to Fjellstua, and it has never been fired from here. It is now an attraction for everyone using the stairs between the city park and Fjellstua.
The City Hall is the political centre and the administration building in Ålesund municipality. The building work started in January 1978, after Fuglefjellet and Rønneberghaugen were removed. The project is one of the most denigrated in the history of Ålesund, and the building has several times received an award as the ugliest building in Ålesund. That the company Vestplan AS decided to not build in the Art Nouveau style of the rest of the city, is something the people of Ålesund cannot forgive. Where the City Hall is situated today, a large, grand hill used to be; the Rønneberghaugen, as a green oasis in the middle of town, and on the north-east side of the hill, was the manorial Rønnebergvillaen. When it, in the early 1970s, was decided that the hill should be removed, a movement of the people was started, and a large group of people from Ålesund occupied the Rønnebergvillaen for several days. The battle was finally lost, the villa torn down, and the hill removed. The Rønneberghaugen was also known, to most people, as Fuglefjellet. This name was given in the middle of the 1950s, when hundreds of seagulls started nesting there. It was not unusual to see people from Ålesund walk around with an umbrella on the nicest summer days, when they had to walk past Fuglefjellet. As the ground below was painted white from seagull droppings, it is not hard to think why. After the Rønneberghaugen was removed, the seagulls continued to nest on the little knoll left behind, until 1983, when also this knoll fell by the wayside, in order to extend the city centre.
The long, white, wooden building at the tip of the Skansekaia, is the home of the city’s Port Authority, and where the “Hurtigruta” docks twice a day. The Skansekaia is named after an old sconce or after fortifications constructed in the 1600s, where the largest pier in the area is today. This is approximately where the “Hurtigruta” arrives on the west side of the pier.
The Korsa tunnel stretches from Keiser Wilhelmsgate to St. Olavsplass. Built as an emergency shelter in 1950, and expanded to a tunnel through “Korsahaugen”, also known as “Grimmerhaugen”, in 1952. he tunnel was renovated in 1992. The walls in the tunnel are filled with historical images of Ålesund. You will find images from the city fire, as well as of how life was in Ålesund in the 1900s. The tunnel is often used as a marketplace, where you can find locally produced merchandise, or as a concert hall.
Ålesund Prison was built in 1864, and has a capacity of 27 prisoners. The prison is classified as a high-security prison. The building burned down in 1904, before it was rebuilt in 1907. Although the prison has been modernized and modified several times, it has, to a large extent, kept its original architecture.
The Museum of Aalesund on the top of Museumshaugen gives you a genuine insight into the history of Ålesund. Through different exhibitions, the museum exhibits the growth of the city around the narrow straight, as well as events such as the city fire and the German occupation. The exhibitions are spread over four floors in the museum, with both permanent and temporary exhibitions. The museum owns a variety of special collections from prehistoric treasures to a large collection of illegal newspapers form WW II. The Museum of Aalesund was established in 1903. After only one year of existence, in January 1904, all of the collections in the museum burned, together with most of the city. During one night, both the museum collection and most of the other material cultural heritage in Ålesund was gone. However, the museum was quickly re-established, and items would now be collected from all of Sunnmøre. One thing, however, was missing: a suitable building for the museum. After having temporary solutions and moving several times, the museum finally got its own building when Rønnebergs villa and land on Østre Korsahaug was bought in 1930. The next year, the doors of the Museum of Aalesund were opened to the public.
The sculpture “Towards the sea”, shows the beautiful woman staring out to sea looking for her loved ones, and was erected in the memory of 33 fishermen who died during a storm in 1885. 29 widows and 113 was left behind, most of them form the area Buholmen and Røysa. Even though fishing has changed a lot since 1885, the memories of hard and tough everyday life still lives on the people from Sunnmøre. The lady in bronze staring out to see, has now become a representative for the dependents of deceased sailors.
From the Skateflukaia, fast boats travel to the islands of the coast of Ålesund. The monument ”Englandsfarten” (The journey to England) on the pier is erected in the memory of the journeys of those having to flee the Nazis during WW II, and depicts a man, the prow of a boat and a wave, where the young man vigilantly stares at the horizon. Ålesund was central in the escape westward to the British Isles, and the dangerous journey most often took place in small motorized boats. This traffic has in retrospect become known as the ”Englandsfarten”. Ålesund was known as ”Little London” due to all of the illegal resistance activity in the city, and because so many managed to escape by sea from Ålesund to England. The sculpture was unveiled on May 8th, 1995, by H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon.