Little known to most are two boys, both from small farms on Røyneberg Heights. Both come from a well-known family in Sola with roots in farming, local engagement, and strong family traditions. Christoffer represents the 18th-century rural community, while Tørres, a little over a hundred years later, lived in a more modern era with greater societal changes.
Christoffer and Tørres are two prominent figures from Røyneberg and the Rønneberg family in Sola, but with completely different life paths: Christoffer from the 1700s was an adventurer who became the richest man in Sunnmøre. Tørres, from the 1800s, was an innovator who left technological marks in Rogaland with cars, buses, and industry.
Both shared the same origin on a small farm atop Røyneberg Heights, overlooking what was then Stokkavann, now Forus. They both worked their way up from humble beginnings but remain little known in Sola.
Christoffer left home on Røyneberg at just 16 and embarked on a journey that eventually led him to Sunnmøre. There he established himself as a merchant and landowner, gradually building a significant fortune. At his death, he was regarded as Sunnmøre’s richest man and the ancestor of the well-known Rønneberg family in Ålesund and the surrounding area.
Joachim Rønneberg is a direct descendant of Christoffer, best known as a war hero and leader of the Vemork operation in 1943.
Tørres grew up on Røyneberg but moved to Stavanger at a young age and became a prominent business figure in Rogaland in the 19th century. He was a true pioneer in Norway, owning the country’s first private car. He also established the first bus route in Rogaland.
In addition, he was one of the key figures behind important canning factories in Stavanger, an industry that later made the city internationally known as “The Canning City.”
By Ottar Kjørmo
Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Organiser: Sola Historical Society, in collaboration with Sola Cultural Centre