Youth History in the North
1970-1980 Youth Riots in Tromsø
At the start of the 1970s and 80s, Tromsø was known as “The Mob Town” in Norway, due to many young people feeling alienated by the local authorities and police, and demanded better youth politics and for a place to belong in. They expressed their frustration through riots and house occupations, and the police needed to call in reinforcements from other parts of the country to put down the rebellion.
1984-1994 Brygga Youth House
After the riots at the beginning of the 1970s and 80s, young people occupied multiple buildings in downtown Tromsø in hopes of establishing self-governed youth houses in line with the anti-authoritarian ideals that grew forth in the youth environment around Europe. The youth were thrown out of all the buildings, but in 1984 the municipality opened up Brygga Youth House, which to a big degree was driven by the youth themselves. From there a line of progressive youth expressions like film, radio and the beginning of the electro music movement grew in Tromsø. In 1994 the youth house was nevertheless shut down due to problems with drugs and crime.
“A house occupation is also a form of love, because it stands for community.”
1998 The first local Youth Council in Tromsø
Four years after the Brygga Youth House was shut down the municipality established one of Norway’s first local youth council. The inspiration came both from Tromsø’s tradition for self-governed youth structures and from similar models in Denmark and the rest of Europe. Since then, the youth council has been elected yearly at a two-day youth conference where every young person between 13 and 19 in Tromsø is invited. Here they decide the 10 most important cases for the upcoming period and elect 13 teens to the council. Visit the website of the youth council here!
2000 Tvibit Youth Center
Both the youth council and other different activist groups fought for a new youth center in downtown Tromsø. The summer of 2000 Tvibit youth center was opened, which contained a cultural center for youth, UngInfo and a health center for youth. Tvibit developed new methods for youth collaboration in Norway, especially active participation methods that strengthened the youth’s influence in their local society. These methods have since affected youth work in Norway, in our twin cities Nuuk (Greenland) and Gaza (Palestine), as well as our European collaboration partners.
Check out their website here!
2002- today young people change the city
After the opening of Tvibit, more creative youth initiatives, by youth for the youth, grew forth and more festivals that still exist today were established: Nordic Youth Film Festival (2002), Insomnia Elektronisk Musikkfestival (2002), Bukta Open Air Festival (2004) and many more. These arrangements contributed to professionalizing young employees and volunteers, creating exciting content for the youth, making Tromsø a more attractive destination for youth from all over the world and creating workplaces for young freelancers, artists and project leaders.
From a negative rumor like “The Mob Town” in the 80s, Tromsø developed in the early 2000s to a positive, young and living town. Today, Tromsø is the Norwegian town with the largest amount of youth under 35.
2011 Terror at Utøya
The terrorist attack at Utøya on the 22 of July 2011, performed by a single perpetrator, took the lives of 69 people, most of them youth that took part in the AUF summer camp. Many others got lasting physical and psychic damage. Tromsø and Northern Norway also lost many young activists and future political leaders, including members of the local and regional youth council. This brutal incident is a strong reminder about extremisms devastating consequences and the importance of working against radicalization and unity against hate.
2022 The process to become Europe’s Youth Capital
Early in 2022, the local and regional youth council took the initiative for Tromsø to apply for the title of Europe’s youth capital. They quickly received positive support from the mayor, all the political committee leaders, the municipal director, and all the municipal department directors. The youth council organized input workshops, meetings with youth and other players, and input rounds at schools – everything led and carried out by the youth themselves.
The application process in 2022 challenged, inspired, and changed the municipal work with the youth policy in a basic way. As a result, the focus area “We will put youth first” is now one of the five main goals in the municipal superior action plan for 2023-2026.
And we are incredibly proud of Tromsø winning the title of Europe’s Youth Capital 2026!
2026 We are Europe’s Youth Capital
It is now that we will lay the groundwork for the young people’s future in Northern Norway. Through work that is laid down this year we will ensure that young people’s opinions come forth, is heard, and implemented. This is not a year for glitz and glam, but a year for strategies, training of youth workers and to create tools for good participation. This is a project for, by and with young people.