Bergen

Bergen, a seaport and city on the west coast of Norway and capital of the province of S. Bergen. It is fortified by the castle of Bergenhus (until the end of the 14th century the residence of the Norwegian kings) and by the citadels of Fredericksberg and Sverresberg. It is the second town in the kingdom, and manufactures gloves, leather, porcelain, etc. Its export trade is considerable, comprising timber, fish, fish-roes, cod-liver oil, hides, tar, etc. It is the seat of a bishopric, and besides a cathedral has the interesting church of St. Mary dating from the 12th century. In its museum is an important collection of Norse antiquities. It was founded in the 11th century, and in 1445 the Hanseatic League, driving out British merchants, established a factory and practically controlled the trade of the city until 1558. In 1855 it suffered from an extensive conflagration.