▁long ▁commercial ▁and ▁administrative ▁struggle ▁with ▁Tr ond heim ▁and ▁Ber gen , ▁it ▁was ▁finally ▁incorpor ated ▁through ▁a ▁royal ▁char ter ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 2 . ▁ ▁Mol de ▁since ▁ 1 7 4 2 ▁Mol de ▁continued ▁to ▁grow ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁ 1 9 th ▁Cent uries , ▁becoming ▁a ▁center ▁for ▁Norwegian ▁text ile ▁and ▁gar ment ▁industry , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁administrative ▁center ▁for ▁the ▁region . ▁At ▁this ▁point , ▁tour ism ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁major ▁industry . ▁This ▁rapid ▁development ▁was ▁interrupted ▁when ▁one ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁city , ▁mostly ▁its ▁famous ▁wooden ▁buildings ▁and ▁rose ▁gard ens , ▁was ▁destroyed ▁in ▁a ▁fire ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 1 6 . ▁However , ▁Mol de ▁recovered ▁quickly , ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁grow ▁in ▁the ▁econom ically ▁difficult ▁inter bell um ▁period . ▁ ▁A ▁second ▁fire , ▁or ▁series ▁of ▁fires , ▁struck ▁from ▁the ▁German ▁air - ra ids ▁in ▁April ▁and ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁and ▁destroyed ▁about ▁two ▁third s ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁German ▁v angu ards ▁were ▁trying ▁to ▁cut ▁off ▁and ▁capture ▁the ▁king , ▁cabinet , ▁parliament , ▁and ▁national ▁gold ▁res erves , ▁ev acu ated ▁from ▁Os lo ▁following ▁the ▁attack ▁on ▁Norway ▁on ▁ 9 ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁Ar riv ing ▁safely ▁in ▁Mol de , ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁de ▁fact o ▁capital ▁of ▁Norway ▁from ▁