Levanger can probably be traced back to the
Iron Age, and with certainty back to the
Viking Age. Alvshaugen (from the
Old Norse word
haugr meaning mound) is a large burial mound located in the middle of the cemetery at
Alstadhaug Church. The burial mound has been dated to 300–600 CE. It is about in diameter, and about tall. The name "Levanger" is listed in
Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu. The historic town site was located in a place somewhat different from the current town center, probably in relation to the
Halsstein bygdeborg (
hill fort). In the
Middle Ages, the area now part of the municipality of Levanger was part of the county of
Skeyna in the
traditional district of
Innherred. The county was ruled by
earls who resided at the manor of
Geite, situated on a hill nearby the present town. The county was divided into six parishes:
Ekne,
Alstadhaug, Levanger,
Frol,
Ytterøy, and
Leksvik. The county church was
Alstadhaug Church, which also contained the
fylking, while Levanger was the main port and
market town. Not much is known about the earls of Skeyna, as few documents still exist that document their existence. The
Reformation and the
Danish occupation of Norway in 1537 caused the
Norwegian nobility to disintegrate, and the last earl was most likely executed during the Reformation. The Danish rulers united Skeyna with four other counties in Innherred, creating the county of
Steinvikholm. Later, the Levanger area was part of
Trondhjems amt which was later divided in
Nordre Trondhjems amt. That was later renamed
Nord-Trøndelag fylke. On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from the old
Nord-Trøndelag county to the new
Trøndelag county.
Town The
town of Levanger was founded by King
Charles XIV John of Sweden on 18 May 1836 as a
kjøpstad, on the site where the village of Levanger already existed. The village had expanded from the traditional winter
fair, known as the
marsimartnan (lit.
the St. Marcus Market of Levanger), dating back to the 13th century. In October 1836, as the town's borders set,
Commissioner Mons Lie proposed that "the town shall bear the name of
Carlslevanger, so the name of this ancient soil can be united with that of the new town's glorious founder". Despite the suggestion's being refused, the town protocols spoke of
Carlslevanger Stad instead of
Kjøpstaden Levanger until 1838. In 1838, the
formannskapsdistrikt law classified this town as a
ladested or port town. The inhabitants of Levanger were not prepared for becoming a town, and so it took a long time before the town was constituted. In these early days the town was ruled by the
Foged (Royal rural administrator). At that time there were already established a trade organization, "Levangerpatrisiatet", from 1695, based on the market. But only citizens of
Trondheim could be members, until Levanger became a town in its own right. In 1839, the first
guild of the town was established, and in the following years several new trades and craftsmen settled in the town. In 1841, the first official elections were held, and
Hans Nicolai Grønn was elected the first mayor of the town. Two years later, the town got its first water-pipe system, its first two primitive street lamps and a town hall. The fire-security report of 1844 clearly confirmed the great risk of disastrous fire in the town's narrow lanes; all houses were wooden houses. Therefore, the mayor hired Major Johannes Mathias Sejersted (1797–1886) to make a general report and draw up a new regulation plan, showing Levanger as a more "continental" town. And already in 1846, two years later the town was nearly totally ruined by a great fire. Sejersted's regulation plan was used when the town was rebuilt. Levanger was damaged by two great fires after that time, in 1877 and 1897, but each time the town has been rebuilt as a wooden town, and still today most houses are wooden houses. Throughout the 19th century, the famous market's economical importance faded out, and the ancient arrangement was reduced to a tradition without much content. That was the end of Levanger as an important port of foreign trade between Sweden and Norway. However, in the early 20th century, the town of Levanger was pleased by new establishments such as county hospital and college of education. The German occupation in 1940 was the beginning of a 40-year-long "
interregnum" of the traditional "Marsimartnan". In 1961, the town of Levanger decided to merge with its neighbors. On 1 January 1962,
Frol Municipality,
Skogn Municipality, and
Åsen Municipality were merged with Levanger, and at the same time, it lost its "town status". The neighboring
Ytterøy Municipality was merged with Levanger two years later. Over thirty years later, in 1997, as a result of the resurrection of the "Marsimartnan" in 1989, the town of Levanger was re-established, though the town still is part of Levanger municipality. But the center of administration is to be found in the town of Levanger, which is also, in historical terms, the administrative basis for the municipality. And Levanger's town traditions and culture go way back. The town is laid out according to an urban and regulated plot with proper streets such as
Kirkegata. It's more than just a town hall and a city square. In fact, Levanger's always been a town, though not always officially, and every inhabitant in the town area carries this piece of knowledge with pride. Thus there does exist a sense of distinction between town people and the people from the countryside. In 2002, Levanger joined the
Cittaslow movement, although there have been some violations of the Cittaslow charter, of which can be mentioned the construction of the unharmonic new mini mall in Sjøgata, down by the seaside. This mini mall includes two grocery stores and several electrical appliances stores . ==Government==