Rjukan 697901 224958830 2008-07-11T05:04:29Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other [[Image:Mosvatn.PNG|thumb|256px|Map showing the position of Rjukan between lakes Møsvatn (West, upstream) and Tinnsjø (East)]] '''Rjukan''' is a [[List of cities in Norway|city]] and the administrative center of [[Tinn]] municipality in [[Telemark]]. It is situated in Vestfjorddalen, between [[Møsvatn]] and [[Tinnsjå]], and got its name after [[Rjukanfossen]] ("The Smoking Waterfall") west of the town. The [[Tinn]] municipality council granted township status for Rjukan in 1996. The town has 3 386 inhabitants (Jan. 2007). ==History== Rjukan was formerly a significant industrial centre in [[Telemark]], and the town was established between 1905 and 1916 when [[Norsk Hydro]] started [[saltpetre]] production there. Rjukan was chosen because Rjukanfossen, a 104-metre waterfall, provided easy means of generating large quantities of electricity. The man with the idea to use the Rjukan falls was Sam Eyde, the founder of Hydro. It is estimated that he together with A/S Rjukanfoss (later [[Norsk Hydro]]) used about 2 times the national budget of Norway to build Rjukan and that there were at the most approx. 12,000 workers (Rallare) from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland as well as Norway building the factories and the town. In 1934 [[Norsk Hydro]] built what was at the time the world's largest power plant at [[Vemork]] in Rjukan, and with it a [[hydrogen]] plant. A by-product of hydrogen production via water [[electrolysis]] was [[heavy water]]. It was the later winner of the [[Nobel prize]] [[Odd Hassel]] who told [[Norsk Hydro]] that they were in fact producing [[heavy water]]. The was run by the Germans during [[World War II]], and later sabotaged multiple times by the [[Norwegian resistance movement]] and the [[Allies of World War II|allied forces]]. Today, the power plant at [[Vemork]] has been made into the [[Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum]] where the history of Rjukan and the history of the Industrial labour is shown, in addition to the war and the history of the sabotage connected to it. After 1960, most of the [[saltpetre]] production in Rjukan was transferred to [[Norsk Hydro]] factories at [[Herøya]] in [[Porsgrunn]]. Some industry is still present in Rjukan, among them [[Scan Alloys]]. Rjukan has a long history of tourism. Tourists have come to the narrow valley for over a century. The Rjukanfossen waterfall is a famous landmark in Norway, and has been portrayed by several famous artists. The area has good terrain for skiing, and the town is a good starting point for [[hiking]] on the [[Hardangervidda]] plateau. In the 1860s, Krokan by the Rjukan waterfall was [[Norwegian Mountain Touring Association]]'s (DNT) first hut. The waterfall was later harnessed for hydro power production and the hut was sold. Today it is re-opened, situated by the main road from Rjukan ([[Tinn]]) to [[Vinje]]. In later years Rjukan has become famous for its possibilities for [[ice climbing]]. The season is long, from November to April and the waterfalls are many and varied. == See also == * [[Norwegian heavy water sabotage]] during World War II * [[Norsk Hydro Rjukan]] == External links == * [http://www.rjukanlag.no/Aktuell%20info/Engelsk_tysk%20side/engelsk/index_engelskside.htm Rjukan lag of Norwegian search and rescue dogs] * [http://www.mountain-environment.com/rjukanguide.html Ice climbing in Rjukan] {{coor title dms|59|52|52|N|8|34|59|E|region:NO_type:city(3473)_source:dewiki}} [[Category:Towns in Norway]] [[Category:Cities in Norway]] [[Category:Settlements in Telemark]] [[Category:Settlements established in the 1900s]] [[Category:Settlements established in the 1910s]] [[Category:Tinn]] [[bg:Рюкан]] [[cs:Rjukan]] [[da:Rjukan]] [[de:Rjukan]] [[eo:Rjukan]] [[nl:Rjukan]] [[no:Rjukan]] [[nn:Rjukan]] [[pl:Rjukan]] [[sv:Rjukan]] [[zh:尤坎]]