Sarpsborg

The Norwegian City of Sarpsborg signed the ICORN Membership Agreement and joined the network in June 2022. You can find the article on Sarpsborg becoming an ICORN member here.

Sarpsborg is located in the heart of Østfold, between Oslo to the west and the Swedish border to the east. It was founded by Saint Olaf II of Norway when he sailed up the Glomma River in 1016.

The City of Sarpsborg is home to the Sarpefossen waterfall, characterised as ‘The Norwegian Niagara Falls’, with one of the highest flow rates in all of Europe. The power of the waterfall has always been appreciated in art and culture and since the 19th century, the urban development of the city has been centered around it.

The Sarpsborg Public Library is responsible for hosting the ICORN resident, in collaboration with other administrative units in the city. A new library is currently under construction and will open in November 2023, providing a meeting place for the citizens of Sarpsborg and offering them a wide variety of activities, events, and modern facilities.

The local library provides the ICORN resident with a place to work in a collegial environment, as well as easy access to facilities and events in the building. The library is also in cooperation with other cultural institutions and initiatives such as Sarpsborg Scene, Olavsdagene, Ung Motkraft, and Frivillighetssentralen, amongst others. These partnerships give Sarpsborg’s ICORN residents the opportunity to build professional and social networks in the city and beyond.

Sarpsborg is also home to Norway’s oldest literature festival, Litteraturuka, which takes place during the first week of November each year. The festival started as a book fair in 1949 with the aim to present recently published books and expanded to become both a literature and cultural festival in 1994. Today, Sarpsborg Library plans and hosts Litteraturuka, which has become an integral part of local literary and cultural life.