Porsgrunn: A Historical and Educational Overview

Porsgrunn is mentioned for the first time in literature in Peder Claussøn Friis' book "Norrigis Beschrifuelse" which was published in 1613, in a passage that is most likely written in 1576 when Friis visited Skien: "2½ Mile from Haffuit you come to Skiene-Elff, and it is called Porsgrund." Already at the time, the name most likely referred to a larger area around the outlet of the river.

Porsgrunn grew rapidly as a harbor for three-masted ships in the 1600s due to the influx of sagflis into the river upstream of Skien. When the tollbooth was moved from Skien to Porsgrunn in 1653, this led to further development of the town. By the end of the 1700s, Porsgrunn had developed into a thriving commercial and industrial center with a growing shipbuilding and shipping industry. The shipping industry was facing competition from overseas in the early 1800s. However, by the end of the 1800s, the shipping industry had all but disappeared.

In 1929, Norsk Hydro built its factory on Herøya to produce fertilizer.

Porsgrunn has since developed as a educational center over the last few years. Technical education started with Skiensfjordens Tekniske Fagskole in 1884. Today, Universitet i Sørøst-Norge is established in Porsgrunn, also with a department of engineering and doctoral studies in health sciences. Additionally, a school of nursing and a department of health services are also located at Høgskolens avdeling in Porsgrunn.