Norway's silver mines of Kongsberg

[Hjaldrgud]

Illustration of the King's mine (Kongens gruve) by Georg Thiele, 1705


What:

Norway does not have perhaps its most profitable province it owned in the game: The silver mines of Kongsberg.

In the summer of 1623 two young siblings who herded cows for their father discovered that one of their bulls butted its head against something shiny on the ground. They picked the sparkling rock up and showed it to their father. He understood it was silver and immediately went to sell it. However, he set the price too low and got arrested because they thought he was a thief selling stolen silver. A choice between hard labour or telling where he found it was an easy choice... The result was that the Danish king came the year later and founded the city of Kongsberg.

Why:

-The silver mines of Kongsberg, in Buskerud county in Norway, constitute the largest mining field in Norway, with over 80 different mines.
-It was the largest pre-industrial working place in Norway, with over 4,000 workers at its peak in the 1770s
-It supplied over 10% of the gross national product of Denmark-Norway during its 335-year-long history.
-Over 450,000 man-years were expended in the production.
-Financed the expensive wars against the Swedes
-Was one of the targets of the Swedish campaign of 1716
-City of Kongsberg was the second largest city in Norway (after Bergen) in 1769.
-From 1623 to 1958 it was mined out 1350 tons of silver




How:

Divide Akershus up in two provinces. Either call it Western Akershus or call it Buskerud. Here is a suggestion for ingame implementation of the borders. Site of Kongsberg is the green dot. The fort (blue) should of course move to Akershus. The orange lines is where Buskerud is connected to the sea. If that is implemented, then Vestfold also has to become a province.

The new province is Buskerud. Its town is called Sandsvær. It is dirt poor with low development It should produce Naval Supplies.

An event should pop up in 1624
Suggestion of descriptive text:
"My king, a poor farmer in Buskerud has tried to sell silver for ridiculously low prices. After some 'persuasion', he agreed to tell us where he found it. There is reason to believe that there are great quantities of silver in the mountains of Sandsvær. I suggest your excellence should take a trip and oversee the founding of the mines"

Suggestion for answer:
"Dig deep and greedily! I shall come at once!" (Dig deep and greedily is of course a wink to Vicky 2.)

Suggestion for cost: -100 in administrative power
Suggestion for effect:
-City of Sandsvær inside Buskerud is renamed to Kongsberg (or Konningsberg as it was originally).
-Goods produced in Buskerud changes from Naval Equipment to Gold.
-Buskerud gets goods produced modifier +10% for ten years

"Kronene i håvet" The monograms of all the kings who has visited Kongsberg in their lives.

"Her hvor vildsom ørk har været - Here where wilderness has been
og sig grumme Dyr har næret - And its grim animals has fed
Nu et Guds Skatkammer findes - Now a God's treasury is found
Hvor Den ædle Sølvertz vindes - Where the precious silver is won
Norge derved staar i Blomster - Norway therefore stands in blossom
Kongen ogsaa har Indkomster - The King has also income
Sex af Konger har erfaret -Six Kings has experienced
Hvilken Skat her er bevaret" - What treasure here is conserved


Bonus event: Everytime a new king takes the throne, the player would get an event after three to five years asking the player if he wants to visit silver mines.

Suggestion for popup text
"My king, it would perhaps be wise to pay a visit to Kongsberg and to your loyal miners that toil away inside the dark tunnels of the King's mine. It would certainly inspire the men."

Suggestion to answers:
"Very well. Get a wagon ready" (Norwegian/Swedish king) "Very well. Get a ship ready" (Danish king)
-Goods produced modifer +10%(25 adminastrive power cost) for ten years

"Stop bothering me!"
-Gain 5 unrest in Buskerud or Goods produced modifier -10% (or both) for ten years


Sources:
English
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongsberg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongsberg_Silver_Mines
Norwegian
https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongsberg
https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongsberg_Sølvverk
https://snl.no/Kongsberg_Sølvverk

Inspiration for custom event drawing

Kongsberg 1808

Kongsbiærg unknown year

Inside one of the mines, 1660

This is inside Kongsberg church built in 1761. Perhaps nothing vs a catholic church in mainland Europe, but keep in mind this is in protestant Norway... It should give some pointer to how prosperous Kongsberg was.


TL;DR: The mines that gave Denmark-Norway 10% of its total income is not represented in the game! Swedish bias!


EDIT: After talking to some of my room mate it has come to my attention that the mines indeed are in the game, but is rather just a province modifier inside of Akershus. It is also really expensive money wise. It can also only happen to Norway.


Thoughts and input? I for one feel Norway needs at least one province that's not dirt poor. I do not know what the Kongsberg province modifier gives to Akershus, but I suspect it is only a fraction of the real riches the mines gave Norway and Denmark... So much so that it deserves its own province.. Sweden has Dalaskogen. Give us Kongsberg!

 

[Darth.]

TL;DR: The mines that gave Denmark-Norway 10% of its total income is not represented in the game! Swedish bias!

Norway is not underpowered!!

 

[Hjaldrgud]

Nor have I said it is. Norway is certainly not overpowered. It is not rich in any way and none of the provinces are well developed.

Anyway, that is not the point. The point was that Norway misses a province in the game that was extremely important for the Dano Norwegian union historically, and it would enrich the game if the mines were implemented in the game as a gold producing province IMO.

I do not scream and shout about how terrible Norway is and that it should get a 35 developed province. All in all I find your comment strange and not really relevant to my OP.

EDIT: The joke went straight over my head

 

[gronak]

This would be a great bit of flavour, and bring some much needed income for Norway!

On the topic of flavour for Norway-Denmark, would be nice for Denmark to gain a colonist after integrating Norway as they managed to get a colony in Africa. Could have events trying to entice the player to get rid of the colonist too, as Denmark appeared to have gave up trying (not too clued up on this, maybe I am wrong).

 

[Dakka]

On the topic of flavour for Norway-Denmark, would be nice for Denmark to gain a colonist after integrating Norway

Honestly, I’d support a dedicated Denmark-Norway tag that combines their ideas. It was a significant union for most of the game and presented a massive naval power that even caused France and Great Britain a bit of discomfort. This just isn’t something really achieveable with them being separated or with Norway annexed.

 

[Zohtun]

From a recent Norway game I played where I was unable to invade the rest of Scandinavia (MP game), I got to experience a bit of "historical" or "AI" Norway and this would be a much-needed income for the nation. Poor thing is dirt-poor even when you drop half your mana into the lands....

 

[gronak]

Honestly, I’d support a dedicated Denmark-Norway tag that combines their ideas. It was a significant union for most of the game and presented a massive naval power that even caused France and Great Britain a bit of discomfort. This just isn’t something really achieveable with them being separated or with Norway annexed.

I could really get behind this. But sadly, I doubt they'd make a tag like this since there's already Scandinavia. Regardless of if they do add a tag for this or not, they should then make Scandinavia's ideas a mixture of the 3, they don't even have their own still.

 

[Dakka]

I could really get behind this. But sadly, I doubt they'd make a tag like this since there's already Scandinavia. Regardless of if they do add a tag for this or not, they should then make Scandinavia's ideas a mixture of the 3, they don't even have their own still.

I’d support it replacing Scandinavia. Scandinavia is lame.

 

[gronak]

I’d support it replacing Scandinavia. Scandinavia is lame.

It is, and to be honest this would work great. Sweden ruled Scandinavia as Sweden. Would make sense for them not to be forming Denmark-Norway.

 

[Hjaldrgud]

From a recent Norway game I played where I was unable to invade the rest of Scandinavia (MP game), I got to experience a bit of "historical" or "AI" Norway and this would be a much-needed income for the nation. Poor thing is dirt-poor even when you drop half your mana into the lands....

That is true. Playing a historical Norway is hard economy wise. It is really straining without colonising.

Regarding Scandinavia, It would be nice if the colour was nation specific. I have played as Denmark earlier, but refrained from forming Scandinavia because of the (Swedish) blue colour. A red Scandinavia in that regard would be more tempting. Blue for Sweden and teal for Norway. The name is perhaps meh. What about "Reformed Kalmar Union", "Centralised Kalmar Union" or just "Kalmar Union". Other ideas could be "Kalmar Empire", "Northern Union", "Northern Empire", "Three Kingdoms", "Union of three Kingdoms". "Scandinavia" is quite bland, and I doubt they would have named themselves that..

The name Scandinavia describing the whole of, well, Scandinavia is a quite recent invention. Lazily copied from wikipedia:

The use of "Scandinavia" as a convenient general term for Denmark, Norway and Sweden is fairly recent. According to some historians, it was adopted and introduced in the eighteenth century, at a time when the ideas about a common heritage started to appear and develop into early literary and linguistic Scandinavism. Before this time, the term "Scandinavia" was familiar mainly to classical scholars through Pliny the Elder's writings and was used vaguely for Scania and the southern region of the peninsula

 

[TheDungen]

Sweden doesnt have a precious metals province for the sala silver mine either.

 

[AirikrStrife]

Other ideas could be "Kalmar Empire", "Northern Union", "Northern Empire", "Three Kingdoms", "Union of three Kingdoms". "Scandinavia" is quite bland, and I doubt they would have named themselves that.

Well, it's the term we started using ourself in the 18th century, and is what we would have called ourself most likely if we had achieved an integrated state. Calling it anything refering to the Kalmar union would be terrible... Kalmar is a medium sized city in southern sweden. The common appeal in old literature is to refer to the nordic countries as nordic and the people as nordic people (see Olaus Magnus as an example). In scandinavian languages we often say "Norden" literally translating to "The North" making fantasy names like Nordic empire or three kingdoms also looks really wrong.

Scandinavia is also a neologism from roman sources, just like Britannia/Great Britain

As a Scandinav I aprov of 'Scandinavia' and believe that it
s a reasonable name for an integrated nordic state

 

[TheDungen]

I would suggest the renaming of Scandinavia to The Nordic Union.

And we are norden we've called ourselves that forever (the term goes back to the Viking age) while Scandinavia however is a term not used until until more than a century after the end of the game.
Nordic union makes sense because there's nothing to the north of us. We are the union the north.

Oh and as for Kalmar it has been a place where the Nordic kings have come to meet on relatively neutral ground since before recorded history.

And no we would never have started calling ourselves Scandinavia. Doe anyone ever use the word Skandinavien? Nope they use Norden. And no one else used Scandinavia either back then the term if somewhat similair to a Roman one, but the modern term scandinavia is 19th century in Swedish and in every language, and even time the Scandinavianism had succeeded. No one on their right mind would have called the countey scandinavia. The Swedish national anthem which was the anthem of the union state sweden norway already spoke of norden. That is what a united Sweden Norway denmark would have been called.

 

[neondt]

An interesting read

 

[AirikrStrife]

And we are norden we've called ourselves that forever (the term goes back to the Viking age) while Scandinavia however is a term not used until until more than a century after the end of the game.

But what if it isn't a union?

And no we would never have started calling ourselves Scandinavia. Doe anyone ever use the word Skandinavien?

I think if we had succeded in forming a state it would be called skandinavien, a term which is used quite a lot, I use it way more than I say "Norden" or "Nordiska länderna"

With the lack of a historical precedent to justify a name like nordic union or any anglified form of "Norden" Scandinavia is the term that makes the most sense

 

[TheDungen]

But what if it isn't a union?



I think if we had succeded in forming a state it would be called skandinavien, a term which is used quite a lot, I use it way more than I say "Norden" or "Nordiska länderna"

With the lack of a historical precedent to justify a name like nordic union or any anglified form of "Norden" Scandinavia is the term that makes the most sense

No it wouldn't have. The word norden was specifically placed in that song so it could be used in one for a united Nordic region too. And at that point the word scandinavia existed. In the eu4 period:
The.Word.Did.Not.Exist.
And it always is a union, that's why you get the Nordic cultures accepted, because it's a union state where these are equal. If it's not then you just stay as whatever country you conquered them as.

And when is it ever convenient to use Scandinavia today? It's much longer and also Finland and Sweden have way more in common than Denmark and Sweden. Using a longer word that excludes them seems really inconvenient.
Unless you are deliberately trying to exclude Finland for some reason.

 

[AirikrStrife]

And it always is a union, that's why you get the Nordic cultures accepted, because it's a union state where these are equal.

This is gameplay; in many so called "unions" there were no equality between the supposed accepted cultures.

The.Word.Did.Not.Exist.

Except it did, it appeared in the 18th century (dvs sjuttonhundratalet) Also many union states in the game is based on 19th century countries, Germany and Italy.

And when is it ever convenient to use Scandinavia today? It's much longer and also Finland and Sweden have way more in common than Denmark and Sweden. Using a longer word that excludes them seems really inconvenient.

Then speaking english?

Unless you are deliberately trying to exclude Finland for some reason.

Nope, finnish heritage here

It's not uncommon to use scandinavia loosely as to include the rest of the nordic countries.


Once again, given the lack of valid english forms of "Norden" that doesn'tinclude a never used label such as Empire or Union or other fantasy names, Scandinavia is the best english language option

 

[TheDungen]

This is gameplay; in many so called "unions" there were no equality between the supposed accepted cultures.



Except it did, it appeared in the 18th century (dvs sjuttonhundratalet) Also many union states in the game is based on 19th century countries, Germany and Italy.



Then speaking english?



Nope, finnish heritage here

It's not uncommon to use scandinavia loosely as to include the rest of the nordic countries.


Once again, given the lack of valid english forms of "Norden" that doesn'tinclude a never used label such as Empire or Union or other fantasy names, Scandinavia is the best english language option

Seeing as nationalism isn't a thing yet they kind of do. And also if Sweden in this era had conquered the others it wouldn't have changed any name at all it would still have been Sweden. The only reason such a name change would have happened is like in the case of the plc or great britain to be inclusive.
Late 18th century perhaps but I'd like to see a source on that. And 18th century is the last century of the game. The concept.of norden exists through the entire era.
And there is no lack of s translation for nordisk or norden. It's Nordic and the Nordic countries.
And yes nordic union my not be perfect that it's government neutral and it's not an anachronism.

 

[Kubuini]

There's already a flavor event regarding the mine. Check out in the game files

 

[Canute VII]

"Great Swedmark" is clearly the name to go for