VALLØ SALTWORKS
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In the 18th century little Vallø became home to a large and extensive salt industry. Norway was under Danish rule, and from the Danish capital came the order that a salt works should be built at Vallø. The reason for this was simple, people needed salt, and Vallø was in possession of a favourable port. Moreover, from a military and defence point of view it was well suited for military installations. In 1739 the Danish-Norwegian authorities decided to allow the saltworks to be built. The Danish-Norwegian King, Kristian VI signed a contract with the German nobleman and Salt director, Joachim Fridrich von Beust, who was to run the Vallø saltworks. The official name of the salt works was ‘The Royal Norwegian Saltworks’, but throughout history, it has simply been referred to as Vallø saltworks. To build such a large saltworks, it was necessary to call in a foreign workforce, most of whom came from Germany. During the second half of the 18th century, the Vallø saltworks became one of the country’s largest businesses. People from far and wide, applied to the saltworks, hoping to get a job. The saltworks created many jobs, and the ripple effect in the district was great.