Konnerud is a village located south of the city of Drammen in Viken, Norway. Konnerud has a population of 10 314 (2019) History Etymology One of the local farms gave its name to the entire area. Many of the farms located on Konnerud have names that ends with rud (mean clearing). It is generally believed that the farms located near Konnerud date from 1100 - 1400. Mining Many valuable and high quality metals and minerals including silver, copper and lead are located around Konnerudkollen, a small mountain near Konnerud. In the middle 1730s, action was taken to mine these minerals. Due to the lack of prior experience, development had been delayed until Count Wedel-Jarslberg brought in mining experts from Germany. The minerals had to be transported to Svelvik, resulting in expenses which soon exceeded revenues from mining. Many of the fishing lakes of Konnerud, such as Svensedammen and Sagdammen, exist today purely because of this problem, as the mines needed a place nearby to clean the minerals. The mining provided jobs for newcomers to Konnerud, and investors earned considerable profit until the mining was given up on completely in 1790. Konnerudkollen Hotel Konnerudkollen Hotel (Norwegian: Konnerudkollen Touristhotel) opened in 1898 and was used as a place where visitors could relax and get away from the stress of city life. The King of Norway, Haakon VII stayed there. It burned down to the ground in the early 1960s. Today, only two buildings remain of the hotel. Remains of the foundation can still be seen clearly. The lot where the hotel once was placed is now used as a place to keep horses. Konnerud Old Church In 1737, Konnerud received a church of their own due to the increased population resulting from the mining operation. The oldest church in Konnerud, (Norwegian: Konnerud Gamle Kirke), was originally built in 1760, but quickly deteriorated because of the lack of care. It was rebuilt again in the middle of 1850 and consecrated during 1858. Konnerud Old Church was designed by the architect, Georg Fredrik Wilhelm Hanstein (1820-1862). The altarpiece was painted by Nils Alstrup Dahl (1876-1940). Konnerud School In 1746, Count Wedel-Jarslberg decided that he would build a school in Konnerud (Norwegian: Konnerud skole). The main reason was to attract miners with families to the mines. The school burnt down completely in 1933, but was quickly rebuilt again in 1934, which was doubled in size.