Akjøpstad (historicallykjøbstad,kjöbstad, orkaupstad, fromOld Norse:kaupstaðr) is an oldScandinavian term for a "market town" inDenmark–Norway for several hundred years. Kjøpstads were places oftrade and exporting materials (e.g. timber, flour, iron and other common goods). Towns were given the "dignity" or rank of being referred to as akjøpstad when they reached a certain population. They had an established means of industry and other notable items, such as dockyards, steam mills, forges, churches, and grammar schools. Thecitizens of akjøpstad could buy and sell goods and conduct othereconomic activities.[1][2][3]
Norway also had a subordinate category to themarket town, the "small seaport" (Norwegian:ladested orlossested). These were ports or harbours with a monopoly to import and export goods and materials in both the port and a surrounding outlying district. These places were usually subordinate to the nearest kjøpstad. Typically, these were locations for exporting timber and importing grain and goods. Local farm goods and timber sales were all required to pass through merchants at either a small seaport (ladested) or a market town (kjøpstad) before export, which encouraged local merchants to ensure trading went through them, which was so effective in limiting unsupervised sales (smuggling) that customs revenues increased from less than 30% of the total tax revenues in 1600 to more than 50% of the total taxes by 1700.[4]
Norway developed market towns at a much later period than other parts of Europe. The reasons for this late development are complex but include the sparse population, lack of urbanisation, no real manufacturing industries, and no cash economy.[5]
The firstkjøpstads date back to the 11th and 12th centuries when the King of Norway sought to centralisecommerce in specific places that offered strategic significance, providing a local economic base for constructingfortifications and a population for the area's defence. It also restricted theHanseatic League merchants from trading in places other than those designated.[1][2] King Olaf established a market town inBergen in the 11th century, and it soon became the residence of many wealthy families.[6][7]
Import andexport were to be conducted only through market towns to allow oversight of commerce and to simplify the imposition ofexcise taxes andcustoms duties. This practice encouraged growth in areas with strategic significance, providing a local economic base for constructingfortifications and a sufficient population to defend the area. It also restrictedHanseatic League merchants from trading in areas other than those designated.
Under the 1838formannskapsdistrikt law,kjøpstads andladesteds were granted the ability to set up a town council just like the other cities and rural municipalities in the country. Mostkjøpstads andladesteds did this immediately, although some did not.
Norwegian "market towns" died out and were replaced by free markets during the 19th century. During the 1950s, there were 44kjøpstads and 20ladesteds that had their town councils in Norway. In 1952, the legal distinctions for both theladested andkjøpstad were removed from theConstitution of Norway, and they were legally the same as any othertown (by) in Norway. In 1992, all municipalities received equal status under the law, finally removing all legal differences between town and rural municipalities. Since then, a town designation has been a title or historical name with no legal status.[3][4]
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