The town fire

In the streets above us, one of the most dramatic events in Norwegian urban history unfolded. On the night of January 23rd, 1904, the people of Ålesund woke to disaster. In strong winds and bitter cold, the flames spread rapidly from building to building, and within just a few hours, almost the entire town was on fire. Wooden houses cracked and roared, sparks flew through the air, and the glow of the flames could be seen far out on the fjord. After 18 hours, it was over. The wind had calmed, but the town lay in ruins. More than 10,000 people lost their homes, yet remarkably only one life was lost. Within a few short years, the town was rebuilt with help from, among others, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and a great national rebuilding effort. This time, it rose in stone, brick, and Jugend style. The fire changed everything. It destroyed the old town, but it also laid the foundation for the Ålesund we know today.