HAMAR or STOREHAMMER (GREAT HAMAR), a town of Norway in Hedemarken amt (county), 78 m. by rail N. of Oslo. Pop. , It is pleasantly situated between two bays of Lake Mjosen, and is the junction of the railways to Trondhjem and to Otta in Gudbrandsdal. The existing town was laid out in 1849, and made a bishop's see in 1864. Near the same site there stood an older town, which, together with a bishop's see, was founded in 1152 by the Englishman Nicholas Breakspeare (after- wards Pope Adrian IV.) ; but both town and cathedral were de stroyed by the Swedes in 1567, though ruins of the latter still exist. The town is a centre for the richest agricultural district in Norway, and has condensed milk factories. It has also steel and iron industries, including the manufacture of railway engines.