Askim

Sister cities

• Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality
• Vantaa

History

Askim has always been a strategic point in wars due to its relative easy crossing of the river. The last battle between Norway and Sweden was fought at the crossing over Glomma on 9 August 1814. There is a yearly historical reenactment, as well as a stone monument at Langnes to commemorate this event. During the Norwegian campaign of World War II, a battle occurred at Fossum Bridge when the Norwegian Army defended the crossing against invading Germans in April 1940. The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Askim farm (Old Norse: Askheimr), since the first church was built here. The first element is askr which means "ash tree" and the last element is heimr which means "home", "homestead", or "farm". The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 1 November 1963. The arms symbolize the three large waterfalls in the municipality, the Solbergfoss, Kykkelsrudfoss, and Vammafoss. The rivers and waterfalls are also partially harnessed for hydroelectric power.

Most-observed species

• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,088
• Northern Lapwing

  Vanellus vanellus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,934
• Yellowhammer

  Emberiza citrinella Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,618
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,590
• Whooper Swan

  Cygnus cygnus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,243
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,157
• Graylag Goose

  Anser anser (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,100
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,056

Most recent

• M 3.9 — 2026-04-26
  1 km SSE of Sørumsand, Norway
• M 2.9 — 2008-05-25
  4 km WSW of Åneby, Norway
• M 2.6 — 2005-01-29
  7 km NNE of Hvittingfoss, Norway
• M 2.6 — 2004-12-29
  10 km WNW of Flateby, Norway