Old Norberg & Engelbrekt
This is the birthplace of the freedom fighter Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, who in the 15th century rebelled against the Danish Union King Erik of Pomerania.
However, mining activities in Norberg date back much earlier—yes, as far back as the 6th century. It was said that there were so many mines here that they couldn’t even be counted.
ENGELBREKT ENGELBREKTSSON
No one knows exactly what the miner and nobleman Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson looked like, but he is sometimes described as powerful yet small and bent. He was born in the 1390s and spent much of his youth at Engelsberg Ironworks.
In the 1430s, anger boiled over among the Swedish populace as Erik of Pomerania, the Danish Union King, had a bailiff named Jösse Eriksson, notorious for extorting taxes and oppressing farmers. Engelbrekt was chosen as the spokesperson for the miners of Bergslagen in an effort to remove the bailiff. Despite demands from Engelbrekt and the Swedish Council of the Realm, the Union King hesitated to dismiss Jösse Eriksson. Eventually, Engelbrekt rallied the miners and marched to Västerås. By this point, the crowd was so furious that they demanded not only the dismissal of Jösse Eriksson but also that he be brought to justice. Soon, even the nobility and the church joined the rebellion.
After leading his rebels to Stockholm twice, taking the city, and marching southward into Denmark while burning fortress after fortress along the way, Engelbrekt was heading north again in 1436. On his journey, he was ambushed and killed by one of his enemies.
It took three more years before Erik of Pomerania was deposed. He fled to Visby, where he survived as a pirate.
Norberg Divided
Norberg is divided into two areas: the church village in the south and Kärrgruvan in the north. The church village is believed to have existed as early as the 13th century. There are still farms here that date back to medieval times.
By the church and the brook, you’ll find a charming area with wooden buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, where you can experience the elegant miner’s houses.
In Kärrgruvan, there are mining pits at both Svinryggen and Mossgruveparken, where ore was extracted from medieval times up until 1981! Many miners, ironmasters, and kings became wealthy from the iron produced here.
If you walk the magically beautiful path at Svinryggen, where the mining pits lie like a string of pearls on both sides, you’ll notice how shallow the mines were, as the ore in Norberg was located so close to the surface. This made it easier to extract—horses with sleds could transport the ore away, unlike in many other mines where workers had to carry it in heavy barrels on their backs or using special ore stretchers.
When miners had exhausted one site, they moved to the next. Here, there are 18 mining pits from the early Middle Ages.
Facts
Norberg resembles a medieval town, complete with a marketplace. In the past, the entire Bergslagen mining district administration was located here. The church dates from the 14th century. The village’s skyline includes a 70-meter-high headframe, Mimerlaven, which was once used to hoist ore from the mines.
Along a section of the river running through Old Norberg, there is a marked walking path. Grand miner’s estates once stood here, with names that still echo in history.
Explore the surroundings on your own—it is well signposted. The tourist information center is located in the square.
Foto: Toppbild: Fredrik Findahl, bild 2 höger: Malin Slotte
