Editing Sandefjord (section)

== History ==
=== Viking history ===
{{See also|Gokstad ship}}
[[File:Gokstad viking ship -excavation.jpg|thumb|The 9th century [[Gokstad Ship]] was discovered in Sandefjord.]]
Sandefjord has been inhabited for thousands of years.<ref name="TS" />{{rp|6}} Excavations indicate that people have inhabited Sandefjord for around 3,000 years. Rock carvings at Haugen farm by [[Istrehågan]] in Jåberg are dated to 1,500–500 BCE.<ref name="gonorway.no">{{Cite web |title=Sandefjord |url=http://www.gonorway.no/norway/counties/vestfold/sandefjord/7635e3a768b71b0/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619042655/http://gonorway.no/norway/counties/vestfold/sandefjord/7635e3a768b71b0/index.html |archive-date=2018-06-19 |access-date=2017-12-28 |website=Gonorway.no}}</ref> Haugen farm is home to Vestfold county's largest [[petroglyph]] site.<ref name="SB04">{{Cite book |last=Børresen |first=Svein E. |title=Vestfoldboka: en reise i kultur og natur |publisher=Skagerrak forlag |year=2004 |isbn=9788292284070 |language=no}}</ref>{{rp|38}} In 1961–1962, 78 rock carvings were discovered at the site. They consist of ships, spiral figures, circular hollows, and much more.<ref name="HKB2000">{{Cite book |last=Bertelsen |first=Hans Kristian |url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2016022448041 |title=Sandefjord i bilder |publisher=Grafisk studio forlag |year=2000 |isbn=8290636024 |trans-title=Sandefjord in pictures}}</ref>{{rp|88}}

The Vikings lived in Sandefjord and surrounding areas about 1,000 years ago, and numerous Viking artifacts and monuments can be found in Sandefjord.<ref name="visitnorway.com">{{Cite web |title=Sandefjord – In the footsteps of the Vikings |url=https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/eastern-norway/sandefjord/ |access-date=2017-12-28 |website=Visitnorway.com}}</ref> One of the most important remains from the [[Viking Age]] was found at the grave site ''[[Gokstadhaugen]]'' (Gokstad Mound) in Sandefjord. The [[Gokstad ship]] was excavated by [[Nicolay Nicolaysen]] and is now in the [[Viking Ship Museum in Oslo]]. The ''[[Viking (replica Viking longship)|Viking]]'', an exact replica of the Gokstad ship, crossed the Atlantic Ocean from [[Bergen]] to be exhibited at the [[World's Columbian Exposition]] in Chicago in 1893. A [[replica]] of the Gokstad ship, called ''[[Gaia ship|Gaia]]'', currently has Sandefjord as home port.<ref name="SG">{{Cite book |last=Gjerseth |first=Simen |url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2020092207664 |title=Nye Sandefjord |publisher=Liv forlag |year=2016 |isbn=9788283301137 |language=no}}</ref>{{rp|277}}<ref name="gonorway.no" /> Other known replicas include the ''Munin'', (a half scale replica) located in Vancouver, Canada.

The Gokstad Ship, Norway's largest preserved Viking ship, was discovered during an excavation at [[Gokstad Mound]] in 1880. The Vikings first settled here due to its speedy route from Sandefjord and along the coast.<ref name="www.sandefjord.no">{{Cite web |title=Local history and heritage |url=http://www.sandefjord.no/en/new-residents/facts-and-history-about-sandefjord/local-history-and-heritage/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209100007/http://www.sandefjord.no/en/new-residents/facts-and-history-about-sandefjord/local-history-and-heritage/ |archive-date=2017-12-09 |access-date=2017-12-28 |website=Sandefjord.no}}</ref> Viking settlements and grave sites have been discovered in Sandefjord.<ref name="FS04">{{Cite book |last=McKay |first=D. |title=Fodor's Scandinavia |publisher=Fodor Travel Publications |year=2004 |isbn=9781400013401 |edition=10}}</ref>{{rp|397}}

Sandefjord functioned as a seaport defined by the twin industries of shipping and shipbuilding throughout the 1600s and 1700s. It was formally recognized as a market town ([[kjøpstad]]) by [[Oscar I of Sweden|King Oscar]] in 1845. Its population at the time was 749 residents.<ref name="www.sandefjord.no" />

=== Health resort ===
[[File:Sandefjord dom zdrojowy 2.jpg|thumb|[[Sandefjord Spa|Kurbadet]] is housed in one of the largest wooden buildings in the [[Nordic countries|Nordics]].<ref name="visitnorway.no">{{Cite web |title=Kurbadet 1837–1939 |url=https://www.visitnorway.no/listings/kurbadet-1837-1939/24176/ |website=visitnorway.no}}</ref>]]
The [[Sandefjord (town)|city of Sandefjord]] became known as a world-renowned health resort destination between 1837 and 1939. Royalty and Prime Ministers from throughout Europe visited the town for its spas in the late 1800s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=George |first=Francis Stevens |title=Camp NoE |publisher=Lulu Publications, Inc. |year=2017 |isbn=9781387047680 |page=50}}</ref> It gained its reputation as a health and pleasure community when [[Sandefjord Spa|Sandefjord sulfur spa and resort]] ({{lang|no|Sandefjord Kurbad}}) was established in 1837. It was the first spa in town and functioned as a medical institution focusing on the treatment of symptoms for rheumatic diseases. The original bathhouse has been restored and is now a culture house by the city center.<ref name="www.sandefjord.no" /> It was one of Europe's most visited baths until its closure in 1939.<ref name="MJ96">{{Cite book |last=Jøranlid |first=Marianne |url=https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2008061204054 |title=40 trivelige turer i Sandefjord og omegn |publisher=Vett Viten |year=1996 |isbn=9788241202841}}.</ref>{{rp|36}}

Around 50,000 people, mostly Norwegians, visited the bath from 1837 to 1939. A majority of spa visitors were from Norway, but international guests from Germany, [[Great Britain|Britain]], and the United States also visited the spas of Sandefjord.<ref name="gonorway.no" /> Today the bath's building, ''[[Kurbadet]]'', has been restored and hosts cultural events and various annual activities.<ref name="DKeye">{{Cite book |last=Evensberget |first=Snorre |title=DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Norway |publisher=Penguin |year=2016 |isbn=9781465458902 |page=129}}</ref>

=== Town fires ===
Sandefjord has experienced numerous town fires, including a town fire in 1800 which led to most of the town burning down and subsequently having to be rebuilt.<ref name="DKeye" /> An additional fire in 1900 destroyed 56 houses and caused major damage.<ref name="gonorway.no" /> Sandefjord's  ships and the shipping industry remained untouched from the major fire of March 1900.<ref name="FO95">{{Cite book |last=Olstad |first=Finn |url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2015082608073 |title=Sandefjords historie Bind 1: Strandsitter og verdensborger |publisher=Sandefjord kommune |year=1995 |isbn=9788299059572 |language=no}}</ref>{{rp|200}} The fire, which started on the night before 16 March 1900, led to the entire city center burning down, including important business offices. Both newspapers in town, ''[[Sandefjords Blad]]'' and ''Vestfold'', saw their offices burnt down. Six jewelry stores, three watchmakers, eight grocery stores, and a variety of other shops were destroyed. The fire started in the factory ''Nordmannen''. The fire caused the loss of 51 buildings for a total value of {{NOK|1.5 million|link=yes}} in addition to {{NOK|1 million|link=yes}} in loss of store items.<ref name="AH76">{{Cite book |last=Hoffstad |first=Arne |url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2011061608049 |title=Sandefjord - byen vår: trekk fra Sandefjordsdistriktets historie under hvalfangsteventyret 1905-1968 |year=1976 |isbn=8299038413 |language=no}}</ref>{{rp|7–9}} [[Sandefjord Church]] (built in 1872) also burnt down during the town fire of 1900.<ref name="RD" />{{rp|330}}

A new town fire on 27–28 March 1915 led to the death of two people and destroyed seven farms. Large parts of the street Storgata were also destroyed.<ref name="AH76" />{{rp|74}}<ref name="FO95" />{{rp|299}}

=== Whaling and ships ===
[[File:Sandefjord Hvalfangstmonumentet.jpg|thumb|[[Whaler's Monument]] is made in style of a compass, and it rotates slowly.<ref name="SG" />{{rp|349}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Whaling Monument |url=https://www.visitvestfold.com/en/sandefjord/see-and-do/attractions/?TLp=200332&The-Whaling-Monument |access-date=28 December 2017 |website=Visitvestfold.com}}</ref>]]
Sandefjord is perhaps best known as a whaling community.<ref>{{Cite web |title=County Vestfold |url=http://www.gonorway.no/norway/counties/vestfold/ |website=gonorway.no}}</ref> The centre of the world's modern whaling industry was located in town, and local residents not only made up practically all the crew on the Norwegian whaling fleet, but substantial numbers of them also worked within the whaling industry in nearby countries. For over fifty years in the late 1800s, Sandefjord functioned as the world center for the whaling industry, including the manufacture and equipment of whaling vessels, floating factories, and whale-catchers.<ref name="JT" />{{rp|25}} Sandefjord has also been named the "whaling capital of the world."<ref name="Engel" /><ref name="SR" /><ref name="EA" /><ref name="HKB" /> There were 25 whaling companies that were established in Sandefjord between 1905 and 1914.<ref name="Schandy">{{Cite book |last1=Schandy |first1=Tom |url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2018103007016 |title=Naturperler i Vestfold |last2=Helgesen |first2=Tom |publisher=Forlaget Tom & Tom v/Schandy |year=2012 |isbn=9788292916148 |language=no}}</ref>{{rp|170}} During the 1911–1912 season, Sandefjord had 27 whaling companies with a total of 115 vessels. This made up over 30 percent of the world's whaling firms.<ref name="FO95" />{{rp|218}}

[[File:Sandefjord Southern Actor.jpg|thumb|''[[Southern Actor]]'', [[museum ship]] at Museum's Wharf]]
[[File:Tall ship Christian Radich under sail.jpg|thumb|''[[Christian Radich]]'', full-rigged ship built in Sandefjord]]
Starting in 1850, a number of ships from Sandefjord were [[whaling]] and [[seal hunting|sealing]] in the [[Arctic Ocean]] and along the coast of [[Finnmark]]. The first whaling expedition from Sandefjord to the [[Southern Ocean|Antarctic Ocean]] was sent in 1905. Towards the end of the 1920s, Sandefjord had a fleet of 15 [[factory ship]]s and more than 90 whalers. In 1954, more than 2,800 men from the district were hired as crew on the whalers, but from the mid-1950s whaling was gradually reduced. The number of southbound expeditions rapidly decreased during the 1960s, and the 1967–1968 season became the last for Sandefjord.<ref name="Schandy" />{{rp|170}} In 1971, Sandefjord's last whale processing vessel was sold to [[Japan]].<ref name="HKB2000" />{{rp|28}} The shipping industry was gradually readjusted from whaling to other ship types during this period. The local [[Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted]] and [[Jotun (company)|Jotun Group Private Ltd.]] had major roles in this business.

Today, the memories of this important period of Sandefjord's history are kept alive at the [[Sandefjord Museum|Whaling Museum]] ({{lang|no|Hvalfangstmuseet}}). This museum is the only museum in Europe specializing in whales and the history of whaling.<ref name="visitnorway.com" /><ref name="atlasobscura.com">{{Cite web |title=Norway Is Home to a Whaling History Museum |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sandefjord-museum |access-date=2017-12-28 |website=Atlas Obscura}}</ref> The history of the whalers can also be explored at the Museum's Wharf with a visit aboard the [[whale-catcher]] ''[[Southern Actor]]''. [[Whaling]] is considered to be the industry which made Sandefjord the richest city in Norway.<ref name="Porter" />

Sandefjord also has shipping traditions of tall sailing ships and steam ships. The full-rigged sailing ship ''[[Christian Radich (ship)|Christian Radich]]'', three-masted [[barquentine]] ''[[Endurance (1912 ship)|Endurance]]'', [[whaler|whale catcher]] ''[[Jason (ship)|Jason]]'' and [[Viking ship]] replica ''[[Viking (replica Viking longship)|Viking]]'' were some of the many ships built by [[Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted]].

[[Hans Albert Grøn]] of Sandefjord established the first whaling station in the [[Faroe Islands]] in 1894, which was located at [[Langasandur|Gjánoyri]] on the island of [[Streymoy]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Joensen |first=Jóan Pauli |title=Pilot Whaling in the Faroe Islands: History, Ethnography, Symbol |publisher=Faroe University Press |year=2009 |isbn=9789991865256 |page=225}}</ref><ref name="JT">{{Cite book |last1=Tønnessen |first1=Johan Nicolay |title=The History of Modern Whaling |last2=Johnsen |first2=Arne Odd |publisher=University of California Press |year=1982 |isbn=9780520039735}}</ref>{{rp|84}} As of 1903, half of all whaling companies in the Faroe Islands were operated out of Sandefjord.<ref name="FO95" />{{rp|205}} Furthermore, Sandefjord was the headquarters of the [[South African Whaling Company]] (SAWC), which was established in 1908 and managed by shipowner [[Johan Bryde]] of Sandefjord.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bertelsen |first1=Bjørn Enge |title=Navigating Colonial Orders: Norwegian Entrepreneurship in Africa and Oceania |last2=Kjerland |first2=Kirsten Alsaker |publisher=Berghahn Books |year=2014 |isbn=9781782385400 |page=128}}</ref> Sandefjordian whaling firms were also established on the coast of Africa, in [[Portugal]], [[Mexico]], [[Western Australia]], among other places.<ref name="FO95" />{{rp|327}}

=== Antarctic expeditions ===
[[File:Peter I Island 1929A.jpg|thumb|The [[Norwegian flag]] was raised at Framnæsodden in [[Sandefjord Cove]] on Antarctica's [[Peter I Island]] in 1929.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Index of /ekspedisjoner/Norvegia II |url=http://www.polarhistorie.no/ekspedisjoner/Norvegia%20II |access-date=27 April 2023}}</ref>]]
[[File:Bouvet island.jpg|thumb|Norway achieved sovereignty of [[Bouvet Island]] during [[Nils Larsen]]'s Antarctic expeditions.]]
Towards the beginning of [[World War I]], Norwegian whaling spread throughout the world, most and foremost from Sandefjord. Expeditions from Sandefjord went as far as [[Point Cloates|Norwegian Bay]] in Australia, [[Stewart Island]] in New Zealand, [[Walvis Bay]] in Namibia, [[Corral, Chile]], and also isolated places such as [[Kerguelen Islands]], [[South Georgia Island]], [[Bouvet Island]], and the [[Southern Ocean]].<ref name="FL17">{{Cite book |last=Lund |first=Fredrik Larsen |url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2020042248016 |title=Norske utposter : nordmenn utenfor allfarvei |publisher=Vega forlag |year=2017 |isbn=9788282115377 |language=no}}</ref>{{rp|618–619}}

In the 1910s, affluent resident [[August F. Christensen]] was given a grant to practice whaling outside [[Peru]] and [[Ecuador]]. He was also appointed Ecuador's consul to Norway. He achieved an agreement with Ecuadorian government officials which allowed Norwegians to inhabit the [[Galápagos Islands]], and also receive {{convert|200|ha}} of land, pay no taxes for ten years, and be allowed to keep their Norwegian citizenship.<ref name="FL17" />{{rp|665–666}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hoff |first=Stein |url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2007080704011 |title=Drømmen om Galapagos: En ukjent norsk utvandrerhistorie |publisher=Grøndahl & Søn |year=1985 |isbn=8250407687 |pages=16–18 |language=no}}</ref> Christensen created huge local interest of Galápagos, and the local company ''[[La Colonia de Floreana A/S]]'' was established on 21 March 1925. Its main goal was to exploit the Norwegian fishing rights at the Galápagos Islands. A ship named ''Floreana'' departed from Sandefjord on 15 May 1925, equipped with enough men and goods to establish a colony.<ref name="FL17" />{{rp|666–667}}

[[File:Modell av Grytviken kirke (HS.03422).jpg|thumb|Model of [[Norwegian Anglican Church, Grytviken|Whalers Church]] in Grytviken, exhibit at [[Sandefjord Museum]].]]
On 16 November 1904, [[Carl Anton Larsen]] of Sandefjord established the whaling community of [[Grytviken]], the largest settlement in [[South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Headland |first=Robert |title=The Island of South Georgia |publisher=CUP Archive |year=1992 |isbn=9780521424745 |page=130}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Beginnings – Hvalfangstmuseet |url=http://www.hvalfangstmuseet.no/en/the-beginnings/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142228/http://www.hvalfangstmuseet.no/en/the-beginnings/ |archive-date=12 June 2018 |access-date=10 June 2018}}</ref> [[South Georgia Island]] lies a few thousand kilometers east of [[Cape Horn]].<ref name="FL17" />{{rp|619}}

[[Nils Larsen]] (1900–1976) was a sea captain from Sandefjord, famous for his expeditions of [[Antarctica]] in the early 20th century. It was under his expeditions that Norway achieved annexation of [[Bouvet Island]] in 1927 and [[Peter I Island]] two years after. A cove on Antarctica's Peter I Island is named [[Sandefjord Cove]] in honor of Larsen's hometown.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lars Christensen |url=http://www.polarhistorie.no/personer/Christensen%2C%20Lars |access-date=1 June 2017 |publisher=Norsk Polarhistorie}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Norvegia ekspedisjon |url=http://www.polarhistorie.no/hendelser/1209014058.72 |access-date=2017-06-01 |publisher=Norsk Polarhistorie}}</ref> [[Sandefjord Ice Bay]] in continental Antarctica is also named after Sandefjord.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gazetteer - AADC |url=https://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/display_name.cfm?gaz_id=98 |publisher=[[Australian Antarctic Data Centre]]}}</ref> [[Mount Nils Larsen]] in [[Queen Maud Land]], [[Mount Nils]] in [[Enderby Land]] and [[Nils Larsen Glacier]] are examples of many geographical names given in honor of Nils Larsen.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barr |first=Susan |date=2014-09-28 |title=Nils Larsen – 2 |url=http://nbl.snl.no/Nils_Larsen_-_2 |access-date=2017-12-28 |website=Nbl.snl.no}}</ref>

=== World War II ===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-113-0003-15, Nordeuropa, Küstenbatterie, Bunker.jpg|thumb|upright|German [[fortresses]] were constructed on both [[Vesterøya|West]]- and [[Østerøya|East Island]].]]
A week after [[Operation Weserübung]], German forces entered Sandefjord on 16 April 1940. About 30-40 men arrived in semi-trucks from [[Horten]] under the leadership of Erik von Drydalski. After handing their directives to Sandefjord police chief Kjartan Bruun Hansen, the men left for Hotel Atlantic, where they established their headquarters in Sandefjord. German troops in Sandefjord soon rose to 200.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Christophersen |first=Egil |title=Vestfold i krig |publisher=Bokkomitéen |year=1989 |isbn=9788299199506 |pages=16–17 |language=no}}</ref> At the beginning of the [[German occupation of Norway]], a German ''Hafenkapitän'' ([[harbormaster]]) was placed at Tollboden, and a representative for [[Admiral Norwegen]] was placed in an office building at [[Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted|Framnes verft]]. German soldiers could be seen marching throughout the city. At the beginning of the occupation, over 2,000 German officers visited ''Socitetsbygningen'' (today's [[Park Hotel (Sandefjord)|Park Hotel]]), which belonged to [[Sandefjord Spa]]. The [[Nazi flag]] was waving over the building during the visit. Norwegian students were told to learn the German language, and handed out a book, ''[[Deutsche Fibel]]''. They were also given a copy of Adolf Hitler's book ''[[Mein Kampf]]'' translated into the Norwegian language.<ref name="LH17">{{Cite book |last=Holskjær |first=Lars |url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2020062948131 |title=Kamper uten tall : fra Sandefjords historie |publisher=Forlagshuset i Vestfold |year=2017 |isbn=9788293407294 |language=no}}</ref>{{rp|116–117}}

[[File:Albert-kristoffer-johan-skålsvik.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Albert Skålsvik of Krokemoa is honored at ''[[Minnehallen]]''.]]
German forces constructed two coastal forts in Sandefjord, located at the southern tips of two local peninsulas: [[Vesterøya]] and [[Østerøya]]. The largest German construction in Sandefjord took place at [[Vesterøya|Folehavna]], where a fortress was erected in the spring of 1941. Four cannons with a target range of {{convert|14|km}} were installed at the site, along with a {{convert|120|m|adj=on}} tunnel. The four {{convert|15|cm|adj=on}} cannons were installed in concrete gun pits on the sloping rocks. German construction also took place by the lake [[Goksjø]], and also at Jernbaneallén, where a former garage structure was turned into a prison camp.<ref name="LH17" />{{rp|121–122}}<ref name="FO97">{{Cite book |last=Olstad |first=Finn |url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2015102906004 |title=Sandefjords historie B.2: En vanlig småby? |publisher=Sandefjord kommune |year=1997 |isbn=8299379725 |language=no}}</ref>{{rp|114}}

Many local residents were killed during World War II, including a number of seamen. Håkon Andersen of Framnes was killed onboard ''Arcturus'' when the ship was attacked by British [[Beaufighter]]s. Albert K. J. Skålsvik (1921–1944) of Krokemoa, a member of the Norwegian Homefleet ("Hjemmeflåten"), was 18 years when the war broke out. Skålsvik was killed, along with the captain, when the ship ''DS Kong Bjørn'' was attacked by allied warplanes by [[Ryvingen Lighthouse]] in 1944. He is now commemorated at the [[Minnehallen|Hall of Remembrance]] in the town of [[Stavern]] in neighborin [[Larvik Municipality]]. Skålsvik's younger brother, Bernard, was also a part of the Homefleet and was killed at age 17 in 1945.<ref name="LH17" />{{rp|192}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tønnessen |first=Johan Nicolay |url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2008052600012 |title=Kristiansands historie : 1914-1945 : i krigens århundre |publisher=Christianssands sparebank |year=1974 |page=544 |language=no}}</ref>

Radios were illegal, and people of Sandefjord such as Henry Melby of [[Gokstad]] was arrested for having a radio in 1942. He was incarcerated at the tanker ''Inger Johanne'', which was attacked by allied warplanes in 1944, killing 15 people, including Henry Melby.<ref name="LH17" />{{rp|192}}

In the fall of 1941, German occupation forces replaced Sandefjord's city manager Finn Sandberg with [[Nasjonal Samling|NS]]-member [[Frithjof Holtedahl]] who was soon appointed mayor. The neighboring [[Sandar, Norway|Sandar Municipality]] received its NS mayor in November 1941, Ole Kristian Holtan.<ref name="FO97" />{{rp|119}} Olaf Bøe from [[Nasjonal Samling]] was appointed editor for [[Sandefjords Blad|Sandefjords Presse]] by [[Anders Beggerud]] in 1944.<ref name="FO97" />{{rp|119}}

Following World War II, Norway became one of the founding members of [[NATO]] and several air bases were constructed in Norway using NATO funds. One of these was [[Sandefjord Airport Torp]], which was to be used by the [[United States Air Force]] in case of war. Construction began in 1953 and was completed in July 1956.

=== SAS merge ===
[[File:Dalaåsen.jpg|thumb|Rural municipalities of Andebu and Stokke merged into Sandefjord in 2017.]]
The municipalities of Sandefjord (S), [[Andebu]] (A) and [[Stokke]] (S) merged on 1 January 2017. The merge was the first of numerous nationwide merges following a municipal reform by the [[Solberg Cabinet]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 December 2017 |title=Sandefjord – Kommunesammenslåing |url=https://www.sandefjord.kommune.no/Politikk-og-innsyn/kommunesammenslaing-o/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209044720/https://www.sandefjord.kommune.no/Politikk-og-innsyn/kommunesammenslaing-o/ |archive-date=9 December 2017}}</ref><ref name="EL3">{{Cite book |last=Larsen |first=Erlend |url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2020080407076 |title=Tre kommuner blir til én: Suksesskriteriene bak nye Sandefjord |publisher=E-forlag |year=2016 |isbn=9788293057277 |language=no}}</ref>{{rp|8}} The "new" municipality became the most populous in Vestfold county.<ref name="EL3" />{{rp|13, 171}} Proposed names for the "new" municipality were [[Gokstad]], [[Sandar, Norway|Sandar]], and [[Torp Airport|Torp]], however, the name ''Sandefjord'' was ultimately kept.<ref name="EL3" />{{rp|116}}

A poll conducted by the ''[[Sandefjords Blad]]'' newspaper in January 2015 called 600 residents in Andebu, 750 in Stokke, and 1,000 in Sandefjord. All were given the question "Do you think Stokke, Andebu, and Sandefjord should establish one single municipality?". About 69% of Sandefjord residents answered "yes", while 64% (Andebu) and 61% (Stokke) answered "yes" in Stokke and Andebu.<ref name="EL3" />{{rp|136}}

Few Stokke residents read ''[[Sandefjords Blad]]'', the main newspaper of Sandefjord, and relatively few residents commute to the [[Sandefjord (town)|city of Sandefjord]] for work. Despite this, Stokke residents voted to merge with Sandefjord due to two key features: its wealth and the nearby international airport.<ref name="EL3" />{{rp|72}} About 78 percent of Stokke residents ultimately voted to merge into Sandefjord during the September 2015 elections.<ref name="EL3" />{{rp|165}}

=== Population growth ===
The municipality experienced a 98.6 percent population growth from 1875 to 1900. Even not including the boundary adjustments between the municipalities of Sandar and Sandefjord in 1888, this population increase was substantially higher than most Norwegian cities. Sandar experienced the largest population growth of any Norwegian town, and over twice the growth of other towns in Vestfold County.<ref name="FO95" />{{rp|111}}

From 1875 to 1900, the disposable income of people from Sandefjord increased by over 200 percent.<ref name="FO95" />{{rp|80}} Total assets in local banks also increased, and in 1895–1900, total assets went from [[Norwegian krone|NOK]] 0.6 to 1.9 million in Aktiekreditbanken and from NOK 1.1 million to 1.3 million in Sandefjords Sparebank.<ref name="FO95" />{{rp|85}} Even after whaling lost its importance, Sandefjord remained Norway's richest city, and from 1913 to 1917, the median income increased by over 350 percent.<ref name="FO95" />{{rp|295}}

<gallery mode="packed" >
Norge Sandefjord (7998937239).jpg|Postcard of Sandefjord − about 1970
Ommestadkollen, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway - panoramio.jpg|Ommestadkollen
Sandefjord_(14547787946).jpg|Sandefjord in 1947
</gallery>