Kongsberg Local Customs

The "Drekkedagsnatta" is the night between 22th and 23th of december. People in Kongsberg
celebrate the evening that the old miners came down from the mines before christmas.

It all starts up in the forest not far from the mines and the ski center.People are gathered around fireplaces in the snow dressed up like people were 150years ago, drinking and singing all evening before they walk down to town carrying a torch.
It all ends up at Kongsbergs restaurants where the party goes on all night.

This is also the night that people that has moved out comes home to meet old friends.

In 1624 the Dano-Norwegian King Christian IV ordered that a national highway be built from Konings-Bierg (Kongsberg) to Bragernes (Drammen). Life was to change dramatically for farmers in Sandsvær and Eiker over
the next couple of centuries. German mining engineers arraived in the district. Danish nobles amassed
huge fortunes from the silver which was transported along Sølvveien.

The silver mines in Kongsberg were in operation from 1623 until 1958. At most it was employed more than 4000 people to the minig industry in Kongsberg (1770). German mining engineers were used from the start and for more than two centuries, and are the cause for all the German names on mines and streets in Kongsberg. Totaly more than 1,3 million kg silver were taken out of the mountain west and northwest of the town Kongsberg.