Our sister city Kongsberg
Gouda has had a twin town relationship with the Norwegian city of Kongsberg since 1956. Kongsberg is located 80 kilometers west of Oslo.
The coins are depicted on the railing of the bridge over the Lagen River, which runs through the town.
The mines closed in 1957 and are now a tourist attraction. This town has held city rights since 1624 and originated from the name “King’s Mountain.” It has approximately 20,000 inhabitants and is best known for its silver mines. Kongsberg presents our city with its beautiful Christmas tree every year.
The town was founded by King Christian IV in 1624 when a silver mine was discovered here. From that time on, the royal mint was also located there, and coins for the kingdom were minted here.
Today in Kongsberg
The city has just over 20,000 inhabitants, and its main source of income is industry: weapons, aircraft parts, and offshore companies.
A significant portion of Kongsberg’s territory is covered by beautiful forests with enough Christmas trees to last for the next five hundred years. Wooden construction is still common.
Kongsberg boasts abundant natural beauty, and Norwegians spend a lot of time outdoors, both summer and winter.
Traditions are cherished, such as traditional costumes and folk dancing.
Gouda presents Kongsberg with a glass Christmas tree in 2005.
2005 was not only the 50th edition of Gouda by Candlelight but it marked also the 50th anniversary of the sister bond with Kongsberg. Mayor Wim Cornelis walked through the city with his colleague Vidar Lande, the decisive mayor of Kongsberg, and pointed out the glass Christmas tree. “Do you like it? Would you like to have it?” And so, a year later, the glass tree was built on a rock in the Logen River in Kongsberg, where it still stands today. Every year at the beginning of Advent, the lights in the glass tree are switched on.
The tree was created at the initiative of the “Stichting boven de 7e Verdieping” (Foundation Above the 7th Floor) by glass-on-glass artist Vincent van Leeuwen in collaboration with Metallurgia Sousa and Van Dijken Glas The tree consists of a steel structure with rings. More than 2,000 glass icicles hang from the rings, illuminated from below in varying colors.