The Sailor's Monument

The large monument that rises in front of you now has been set up in memory of all Norwegians' efforts on the capricious sea and the erratic sea outside Norway. The Sailors's Monument is a national monument to Norwegian sailors' efforts at sea, where four centuries of Norwegian maritime history are reviewed on the monument's many sides. Each side is represented by four rough sailor sculptures and two reliefs that tell each century's story. The tenth century is presented as "Vinlandsferd" and describes both the discovery of America and the Vikings on their way to Europe. The eighteenth century is symbolized through "Greenland journey", which shows sailors' life at the time as well as the rediscovery of Greenland from Bergen. "The grain Journey" characterizes the nineteenth century and shows the emergence of the growing commercial importance for Norwegian shipping, symbolized by a shipowner, a first voyage boy and a pilot. The twentieth century shows the team "Oil Shipping", and symbolizes the modern and forward-looking maritime nation. At the same time, the reliefs show a ship in front of a rising sun and a resurrection scene. With reference to the drowned being raised to eternal life by an angel. With that as a backdrop, it is good to remind each other of all the tens of thousands of sailors who have lost their lives at sea, whether it is bad weather, accidents or war.