A Medieval Town. A spatial study of the Trading Centre and Episcopal Seat of Bergen, c. 1050-1250

Abstract

The present study discusses the royal and ecclesiastical involvement in the emergence and development of the trading centre and Episcopal seat of Bergen in the period AD 1050-1250. The focus of this thesis is to establish what role the King and the Church played in the medieval town through a study of the monumental buildings and the distribution of the ecclesiastical institutions. Two comparative studies view Bergen in light of Sigtuna in Sweden and Oslo in Norway to put things into perspective, and establish whether the initiators had the same idea of organizing the towns. Discussions and interpretations of the town- and church organization in the three towns will be presented.