Vaterland is a district of Fredrikstad which lies south of Gamlebyen, and is known for its well-preserved picturesque wooden houses. The name comes from the Dutch and refers to a flat, low-lying swamp area. Today there are 39 buildings there, and some 90 residents, but at its most populous in 1879, Vaterland counted as many as 480 inhabitants.

The first mention of the name Vaterland appears in official documents for the first time in 1666, but there may have been a settlement on that spot earlier. After successive fires in the town, some of the poorest inhabitants moved here, and many more joined them after construction of the fortress started in the 1660s.

None of the buildings are older than 1712 – Vaterland was burnt down that year to make sure it didn’t fall into enemy hands (i.e. the Swedes’) during the Great Northern War (Den store nordiske krig). Some of the houses, however, date back to the first half of the 18th century.

The sea was an important source of employment for Vaterland residents right up to industrial times. In 1767 for example the majority of them worked as sailors, fishermen and day labourers, although there were also a few artisans. A smokery was also once located there.

More recently Vaterland has been a pilot project for the preservation of old built-up areas. Vaterland is not exclusively made up of workers’ homes, although old censuses show that a high percentage of the population has traditionally been working class.