- Bryggen
Infobox World Heritage Site
WHS = Bryggen
State Party =Norway
Type = Cultural
Criteria = iii
ID = 59
Region = Europe and North America
Year = 1979
Session = 3rd
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/59Bryggen (Norwegian for "the
Wharf "), also known as Tyskebryggen ("the German Wharf") is a series of Hanseatic commercial buildings lining the eastern side of thefjord coming into Bergen,Norway . Bryggen is on theUNESCO list forWorld Cultural Heritage sites. The name has the same origin as the Flemish city ofBrugge .The city of Bergen was founded in 1070. In 1360 a "
Kontor " of theHanseatic League was established there, and as the town developed into an important trading centre, the wharfs were improved. The administrative buildings of Bryggen housed clerks from many areas, especiallyGermany . The warehouses were filled with goods, particularlyfish from northern Norway, andcereal fromEurope .Throughout history, Bergen has experienced many fires, since, traditionally, most houses were made from wood. This was also the case for Bryggen, and as of today, around a quarter dates back to the time after 1702, when the older wharfside warehouses and administrative buildings burned down. The rest predominantly consists of younger structures, although there are some stone cellars that date back to the 15th century.
Parts of Bryggen were destroyed in a fire in 1955. This area was used for the construction of
Bryggen museum containing archeological remains, plus some old-style wooden houses, these being the six leftmost houses on the panoramic picture below. Controversially, a brick hotel was also raised on the premises, which is seen behind these six houses.Today, Bryggen houses tourist, souvenir, and gift shops, in addition to restaurants, pubs and museums.
References
Media
* [http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=5bd11280b7881b3be6cf7f6605d1db5d Google Earth 3D Model]
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