Stavanger kommune

A Short History of the City
It is not without reason that the slogan for
Stavanger 2008 was Open Port. The harbour
and the sea have always been important.
Vågen (the inner harbour), protected
from the open ocean, was a natural starting Fishing-net sinker
point for a port town. People have lived in
what is now Stavanger as far back as the Stone Age. The first
visible signs of habitation are rock carvings from the Bronze
Age. However, it took a long time from about 1000 B.C.,
when the first carvings were chiselled into the rock at Rudlå,
until Stavanger became an important city.
It is difficult to establish when Stavanger became a town or a
city. Little is known of the period before approximately 1125
when building of the cathedral (Domkirken) started on the
hill between Vågen and Breiavatnet. Stavanger was given to
the church in 1164 and was an important clerical centre in the
Middle Ages. Even though town privileges were awarded in
1425, the population at the beginning of the 16th century was
no more than about 100, the majority of whom were connected
to the church.
Iron age farm, Ullandhaug
Bronze Age rock carvings, Rudlå
In the mid 16th century, there was a large international demand
for timber and export of timber from Ryfylke to continental
Europe laid the foundation for expansion. The first
commercial firms and ship owners were established. Stavanger
became the administrative centre for Stavanger County
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE CITY
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