- Edvard Munch’s mother, Laura Cathrine Bjølstad, was born in Fredrikstad in 1837. She married Edvard’s father, Christian Munch, in 1861. He was twice her age. They had five children together, including Edvard, before Laura died of tuberculosis in 1868. She was only 31 years old. Edvard was five. His mother’s premature death, which was followed by that of his favourite sister a few years later, was to have a profound impact on his life and career.
- The city was named after the Danish king Frederik II in 1569. Fredrikstad is also known locally as ‘Plankebyen’, because the town was once one of Norway’s main exporters of timber.
- Fredrikstad, with its 73,600 inhabitants, is the main town in Østfold, as well as Norway’s 6th largest.
- Fredrikstad Football Club, FFK, were Norwegian football champions nine times, although their last victory dates back to 1961. They play at the award-winning Nye Fredrikstad Stadion, which was built on the site of the old shipyard, Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted (FMV).
- In 2005, Fredrikstad was the final host port for the Tall Ships Race, attracting thousands of visitors to the town. The municipality has made another bid, currently under consideration, to host the races again in 2014.
- Roald Amundsen (1872-1928), one of Norway’s most famous polar explorers, was born just outside Fredrikstad in Borge. Amundsen famously beat Captain Scott in the race to the South Pole, reaching his target on 14 December 1911 – or 33 days before his English rival. Today you can visit his childhood home in Borge, where you can learn more about his life and achievements.
- Fredrikstad’s cinema, which opened in 2002, has been voted best cinema in Norway six times in a row.