Trondheim

Fishing port, and county town of Sor-Trondelag, Norway, at the mouth of the Nid on Trondheim Fjord, 135 km/84 mi northeast of Kristiansund; population (1996) 135,900. It has canning, textile, margarine and soap industries. Originally called Nidaros, it was the medieval capital of Norway. Norwegian kings are crowned in the cathedral (1066-93), which is one of the most celebrated in Scandinavia. Trondheim was occupied by the Germans 1940-45 and used as a U-boat base, and the town was frequently bombed by the Allies.

From 1152 Trondheim was the seat of the Archbishopric of Norway, but the importance of the city began to decline after the Reformation. Today the city consists of broad streets passing between rows of wooden houses, and is the seat of Norway's University College of Technology.