Middle Ages & Danish Union (1066–1814)

After the Viking Age, Norway experienced a flourishing period in the High Middle Ages: The stave churches (built around 1000–1300) are among the most unique structures in Europe — of over 1,000 once built, only 28 remain today. Bergen became the largest city in Scandinavia and the center of the Hanseatic League's kontor.

The Black Death (1349) hit Norway harder than almost any other European country — an estimated two-thirds of the population died. Entire valleys were depopulated, the economy collapsed, and Norway was so weakened that it was drawn into a union with Denmark.

Danish-Norwegian Union (1380–1814)

For over 400 years, Norway was effectively a Danish province — governed from Copenhagen, with Danish as the official language. This long foreign rule explains why Norwegian identity revolves so strongly around language, nature, and independence. Norway's natural resources (wood, fish, minerals) flowed to Denmark, while the country itself remained poor and sparsely populated.

Positive from this time: The Hanseatic League made Bergen an international trading city, and the Norwegian merchant fleet became one of the largest in the world.