text:
Drangedal

Drangedal is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Prestestranda. Other villages in Drangedal include Bø i Tørdal, Bostrak, Gautefall, Henseid, and Neslandsvatn.

The 1063 km2 municipality is the 106th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Drangedal is the 200th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,091. The municipality's population density is 4.1 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 1.2% over the previous 10-year period.

The administrative centre, Prestestranda, is situated by Lake Toke. The municipal government is located there along with primary and secondary schools, shopping facilities, and a bank. Drangedal railway station is also located in Prestestranda and is served by the Oslo to Kristiansand Sørlandsbannen railway line. It was formerly connected to the Kragerø railway line, but that was closed in 1989.

The district of Tørdal encompassed the northwestern part of the municipality. Alpine and cross-country skiing is possible in Tørdal. Telemark's largest ski resort is located in Gautefall. The newspaper Drangedalsposten is published in Drangedal.

General information
The parish of Drangedal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The borders have not changed since that time.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Drangedal valley (Drangadalr). The first element is the plural genitive case of the word drangr which means "pointed or jutting cliff or stone" or "mountain peak". The last element is which means "valley" or "dale".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 21 April 1989. The official blazon is "Vert, two pine cones Or in pale" (I grønt to gull furukongler, 1-1). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a set of two pine cones lined up vertically. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The green color in the field and the pine cone design symbolizes the vast forests in the municipality. The arms were designed by Daniel Rike. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Drangedal. It is part of the Bamble prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Government
Drangedal Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Telemark District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Drangedal (incomplete list):

 * 2003-2011: Nils Tore Føreland (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Karianne Sydtveit Reiten (Ap)
 * 2015–2023: Tor Peder Lohne (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Stina Sætre (Sp)

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Drangedal is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Notable people

 * Hallvard Graatop (early 15th century), a rebel leader opposing the Crown and the bailiffs who may have lived at the Vraalstad farm in Drangedal
 * Andrew Gulickson (1856 in Drangedal – 1941), a Norwegian American politician, member of Wisconsin State Assembly
 * Knud Wefald (1869 in Yttre Vefald – 1936), a Norwegian American politician in the United States House of Representatives
 * Abraham Aakre (1874 in Drangedal – 1948), a Norwegian teacher and politician who was Mayor of Halden
 * Finn Støren (1893–1962), a Norwegian civil servant for Nasjonal Samling, lived in Drangedal from 1933
 * Knut T. Storbukås (born 1943 in Bostrak), a musician and truck driver, stage name Sputnik
 * Nils Tore Føreland (born 1957), a Norwegian politician who was Mayor of Drangedal from 2003-2011
 * Vidar Sundstøl (born 1963), a Norwegian crime fiction writer

title: Drangedal


text:
Sauherad

Sauherad is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It was part of the traditional region of Midt-Telemark. The 321 km2 municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020. The area is now part of Midt-Telemark Municipality and Notodden Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Akkerhaugen. Other villages in the municipality included Gvarv, Holtsås, Hjukse, Hjuksebø, Nordagutu, and Sauherad. Sauherad bordered the municipalities of Kongsberg, Skien, Nome, Bø, and Notodden.

Prior to its dissolution in 2020, the 321 km2 municipality was the 265th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Sauherad was the 224th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,293. The municipality's population density was 13 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 0.4% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Søfde (later spelled Saude, then Sauherad) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1903, an unpopulated area of Saude was transferred to the neighboring Gjerpen Municipality. On 1 July 1914 a small area of Sauherad (population: 27) was transferred to the neighboring Bø Municipality.

On 1 January 2020, Sauherad Municipality (population: 4,293) was merged with the neighboring Bø Municipality (population: 6,630) to form the new Midt-Telemark Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Sauar farm (Sauðar) since the first Sauherad Church was built there. The name comes from the plural form of sauðr which means "to boil" or "to seeth", likely referring to the current in the local river. The last element, herad (added in the 20th century) comes from the word which means "district" or "countryside". Thus it is "the district (herað) of Sauðar". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Søfde. In 1862, the spelling was changed to Saude. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Sauherad.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 27 April 1989 and it was in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality became part of the new Midt-Telemark Municipality. The official blazon is "Azure, an apple tree Or" (I blått et gull epletre). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is an apple tree with leaves and apples. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The design was chosen since apple cultivation is a major industry in the municipality. The arms were designed by Halvor Holtskog. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Sauherad. It was part of the Øvre Telemark prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Sauherad Church dates from the medieval era. The church was built between 1150 and 1250. The edifice is of stone and has 260 seats. The church is built in Romanesque style. On the ridge, in the middle of the gable roof, sits a turret. The church bells are from 1441. The altarpiece from 1663 is of Renaissance style. In 1781 the building was extended westward. In 1830 the church received a new interior. The frescoes in the nave were uncovered and restore during the 1940s and 1950s.

Railway
Both the Sørland Line and the Bratsberg Line ran through Sauherad. The Bratsberg Line runs as part of the Sørland Line between Hjuksebø and Nordagutu. The Hjukse Bridge at Hjuksebø on the Bratsberg Line is Norway's tallest railway bridge at 65 m. In 2019, Nordagutu Station was the only operating station left in Sauherad.

Roads
The Norwegian national roads 36 and 360 both went through Sauherad. Norwegian county roads 44, 151, 551, 553, and 555 also travelled through Sauherad. In 2008, all roads and streets got names, as one of the last municipalities in Norway to do this.

Government
While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Telemark District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sauherad was made up of 29 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Sauherad (incomplete list):
 * 1999-2015: Hans Sundsvalen (Ap)
 * 2015-2019: Mette Haugholt (Ap)

Events

 * Sauheraddagane (since 1993)
 * Kartfestivalen (Kart Festival, since 2005)
 * Norsk Eplefest (Norwegian apple festival, since 2006)

Buildings

 * Blæksås fortress (3-5th century)
 * Bratningsborg fortress (3-5th century)
 * Steinborg fortress (3-5th century)
 * Evju Bygdetun (Museum)
 * Nes stone church (12th century)
 * Sauherad stone church (12th century)

Notable people

 * Enevold Steenblock Høyum (1775–1830), a military officer who was a representative at the Norwegian Constitutional Assembly
 * Targjei Augundsson (1801 – 1872) known as Myllarguten (meaning the Millerboy), a fiddle player
 * Hans Aimar Mow Grønvold (1846–1926), a Norwegian civil servant and music writer
 * Lars Fykerud (1860–1902), a Norwegian Hardanger fiddler and composer
 * Sverre Granlund DCM (1918–1943), a Norwegian commando during WWII
 * Arne Haukvik (1926–2002), a politician and founder of the Bislett Games
 * Liv Holtskog (1934 in Gvarv - 2014), a Norwegian fruit farmer and poet
 * Johannes Akkerhaugen (born 1939), an archer who competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics

Sister cities
The following cities are twinned with Sauherad:
 * 🇸🇪 Karlsborg, Västra Götaland County, Sweden

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Sauherad


text:
Bø, Telemark

Bø is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It was part of the traditional region of Midt-Telemark, but was historically regarded as part of Grenland. The 263 km2 municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020. The area is now part of Midt-Telemark Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Bø i Telemark. Other villages in the municipality included Folkestad and Nordbøåsane.

Prior to its dissolution in 2020, the 263 km2 municipality was the 291st largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Bø was the 161st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 6,630. The municipality's population density was 25 PD/km2 and its population had increased by 20.2% over the previous 10-year period.

Bø's economy was mainly based on agriculture, forestry, tourism, education, and public administration. Bø had the character of a university town and it was home to one of the principal campuses of the University of Southeast Norway; it was also the seat of one of the university's three predecessor institutions, Telemark University College. Bø was well known for its cultural traditions within traditional music and artisanship, and its central position within Norwegian national romanticism (for example, its Bunad traditions). Several times in modern literature Bø had been called "the most beautiful place on earth", such as in Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's story En glad Gut (A Happy Boy).

General information
The historic parish of Bø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1866, an unpopulated area of Bø was transferred to the neighboring Hollen Municipality. On 1 January 1867, the southern district of Bø (population: 2,257) was separated from Bø to become the new Lunde Municipality. On 1 January 1883, the borders of Bø were moved. An area from neighboring Seljord Municipality (population: 235) and an area from neighboring Hitterdal Municipality (population: 42) were both transferred into Bø. On 1 July 1914, an area of neighboring Sauherad Municipality (population: 27) was transferred to Bø.

On 1 January 2020, Bø Municipality (population: 6,630) was merged with the neighboring Sauherad Municipality (population: 4,293) to form the new Midt-Telemark Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Bø farm (Bœr) since the Old Bø Church was built there. The name is identical with the word which means "homestead" or "farm".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 19 February 1988 and it was in use until 1 January 2020 when Bø became part of Midt-Telemark Municipality. The official blazon is "Gules, three fiddles Or" (På raud grunn tre gull feler, 2-1). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a set of three fiddles (two over one). The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. Bø is historically known for its musical tradition, as well as the production of fiddles (similar to the hardingfele). The fiddle was thus chosen as an appropriate symbol for the municipality. The arms were designed by Halvor Holtskog, Jr. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Bø. It was part of the Øvre Telemark prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Education
In 1923 the county of Telemark decided to start a secondary school in Bø, the equivalent of today's middle school or "ungdomsskole", called "Telemark Realskole". At this time secondary schools mostly existed in the larger towns and cities, and most youngsters ended their schooling after 7 years around the time they became teenagers. It was the county's intention to expand this school to a high school as soon as practically possible. This happened in 1947, and the school's name was "Telemark Offentlige Landsgymnas". The existence of this school made it possible to establish Telemark College (Distriktshøgskulen i Telemark), which evolved into Telemark University College.

Government
While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Telemark District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Bø was made up of 25 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordførar) of Bø:

 * 1838–1841: Gjermund Halvorsen Eikjarud
 * 1842–1852: Mattis Rye
 * 1853–1853: Gjermund Halvorsen Eikjarud
 * 1854–1855: Gunnulf Halvorsen Borgen
 * 1856–1868: Søren Rollefsen
 * 1868–1873: Halvor Clausen Eika
 * 1874–1887: Halvor Nilsen Tvedten
 * 1888–1891: Halvor K. Eika
 * 1892–1895: Halvor H. Valen
 * 1896–1898: Halvor T. Eika
 * 1899–1915: Gjermund Nilsen Grivi (V)
 * 1915–1919: Olav O. Stadskleiv (V)
 * 1920–1922: Halvor E. Skogen (V)2
 * 1923–1925: Neri Valen (V)
 * 1926–1934: Anund K. Lovald (V)
 * 1935–1940: Hans J. Verpe (V)
 * 1946–1947: Olav K. Hagen (LL)
 * 1948–1951: Anund K. Lovald (V)
 * 1952–1955: Halvor H. Brenne (LL)
 * 1956–1959: Svein Sperrud (LL)
 * 1960–1963: Hans J. Sønstebø (Sp)
 * 1964–1967: Hans Jubskås (LL)
 * 1968–1971: Hallvard Eika (V)
 * 1972–1975: Søren Høibø (V)
 * 1976–1977: Olav Ødegård (V)
 * 1978–1983: Asbjørn Josefsen (Ap)
 * 1984–1991: Gunleik Hynne (Ap)
 * 1991–1995: Asbjørn Josefsen (Ap)
 * 1995–2011: Arne Storhaug (Ap)
 * 2011–2019: Olav Kasland (V)

Attractions
Bø is famous for its waterpark Sommarland (the largest of its kind in Norway). Another tourist site in Bø is the Gygrestol rock formation. There is also Kroa i bø, one of the oldest music venues in Norway. The club won the award for "Concert promoter of the Year 2005" and is based on voluntary work from students of the Telemark University College.

Old Bø Church
The Old Bø Church dates from ca. 1100. The church is in stone and has 200 seats. It was built in the Romanesque style, with long church plan and choir to the east. The sanctuary, choir loft and the apse are from the Middle Ages, whereas the narthex was built to the 1600s.

Bø Church
The new Bø Church dates from 1875. The church is wooden and has 450 seats. The church was built in Neo-Gothic style. There are wood carvings on the altarpiece, pulpit, lectern and west gallery.

Sister cities
The following cities are twinned with Bø:
 * 🇸🇪 Bengtsfors, Västra Götaland County, Sweden
 * 🇫🇮 Puumala, Eastern Finland, Finland

Notable people

 * Johan Henrik Rye (1787–1868), a military officer, jurist, and President of the Storting
 * Jon Eriksson Helland (1790 in Bø – 1862), a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker
 * Olaf Rye (1791 in Bø – 1849), a Norwegian-Danish military officer
 * Nils Nilsen Ronning (1870 in Bø – 1962), an American author, journalist, and editor
 * Olav Gunnarsson Helland (1875 in Bø – 1946), a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker
 * Neri Valen (1893 in Bø – 1954), a politician who was Mayor of Bø in 1922
 * Halvor Vreim (1894 in Bø – 1966), an architect, saved old wooden buildings
 * Olav Kielland (1901–1985 in Bø), a composer and conductor who lived in Bø from 1955
 * Hallvard Eika (1920–1989), a politician who was Mayor of Bø from 1967–1970
 * Halvor Kleppen (born 1947 in Bø), a media personality, theme park owner, and writer
 * Geir Barvik (born 1958 in Bø), a civil servant who was the managing director of the Norwegian State Housing Bank until 2010
 * Margunn Bjørnholt (born 1958 in Bø), a Norwegian sociologist, economist, and academic
 * John-Arne Røttingen (born 1969 in Bø), a medical scientist who was CEO of the Research Council of Norway
 * Varg Vikernes (born 1973), a musician, writer, and convicted murderer who lived in Bø after his release from prison
 * Øyvind Storesund (born 1975 in Bø), a rock and jazz musician who plays the upright bass
 * Håkon Anton Fagerås, (grew up in Bø), a sculptor
 * Webjørn S. Espeland, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1979 in Bø), a radio personality

Sport

 * Anders Haugen (1888 in Bø – 1984), an American ski jumper bronze medallist at the 1924 Winter Olympics
 * Hans Kleppen (1907 in Bø – 2009), a ski jumper who participated in the 1928 Winter Olympics
 * Runar Steinstad (born 1967 in Bø), a paralympian athlete and bronze medallist at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
 * Elbasan Rashani (born 1993), a Kosovan professional footballer with over 200 club caps who grew up in Bø

title: Bø, Telemark


text:
Nome

Nome may refer to:

Country subdivision

 * Nome (Egypt), an administrative division within ancient Egypt
 * Nome (Greece), the administrative division immediately below the peripheries of Greece (νομός, pl. νομοί)

United States

 * Nome, Alaska
 * Cape Nome, Alaska
 * Nome, North Dakota
 * Nome, Texas

Other

 * Nome, Norway
 * Nome, Queensland, Australia

Other uses

 * Nome (mathematics)
 * Gnome, spelled Nome in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum
 * Nome King
 * Characters in The Nome Trilogy by Terry Pratchett
 * Characters in the video game Little Nightmares
 * Nome (spiritual teacher) (born 1955)
 * NOME, a Guangzhou-based multinational variety store chain founded in 2017

title: Nome


text:
Kragerø

Kragerø is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional districts of Grenland and the smaller Vestmar. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kragerø. Villages in Kragerø include Helle, Vadfoss, Kil, and Portør.

The 305 km2 municipality is the 262nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Kragerø is the 111th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 10,413. The municipality's population density is 36.1 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 2.7% over the previous 10-year period.

In the days of the sailing ships, Kragerø was one of Norway's largest port cities. The London-based newspaper The Independent, published an article on Kragerø stating that "When Norwegians want to get away from it all they head for Kragero. Forests, fjords and islands await them at the place where Edvard Munch found peace and relaxation." The population of Kragerø quadruples during its summer months due to high tourism. Edvard Munch fell in love with Kragerø in his time, and called it "The Pearl of the Coastal Towns" (Perlen blandt kystbyene.) In 2002, The Independent published an article on the region's coastline saying that "It may not have many sandy beaches, but the coast of Norway offers sophistication and stunning scenery."

General information
The town of Kragerø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). Since it had been a town since 1666, the small town was granted self-governing rights under this new law. It was fully surrounded by the Sannikedal Municipality. On 1 January 1861, an area of Sannikedal (population: 857) that was adjacent to the growing town of Kragerø was annexed and transferred from Sannikedal to Kragerø. On 1 January 1891, an area of Skåtøy (population: 809) that was adjacent to the growing town of Kragerø was annexed and transferred from Skåtøy to Kragerø. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1960, the town of Kragerø (population: 4,638) was merged with the neighboring Skåtøy Municipality (population: 3,208) and Sannidal Municipality (population: 2,604).

Name
The municipality (originally the town of Kragerø) is named after the island of Kragerø (Krákarey) since the town was built on the island and mainland near it. The first element is which means "crow". The last element is which means "island". The Norwegian spelling would have a k instead of the g, but Kragerø uses the Danish form of the name, established in the 17th century.

Coat of arms
Kragerø received town privileges as a kjøpstad in 1666. Upon being granted this status, the town was given an obligation to provide a galley with five canons to the King for use in the Navy. From 1666 until 1842, Kragerø was dependent on the nearby town of Skien and had to pay taxes to Skien. Because of this, Kragerø used a seal which was identical to that of Skien depicting two skis, a cross, and flower decorations. After 1842, Kragerø began using a galley as its seal.

The coat of arms was granted on 28 January 1938 for the town of Kragerø and they were re-granted on 13 May 1960 after a municipal merger creating the present Kragerø Municipality. The official blazon is "Sable, a galley argent" (På svart bunn en sølv galei). This means the arms have a black field (background) and the charge is a galley. The galley has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The arms were designed by Einar Foss after a sketch made by Olaf Lia. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has five parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Kragerø. It is part of the Bamble prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Geography
Kragerø is the southernmost municipality in Telemark. To the southwest, it borders the municipality of Risør (in Agder county); to the west is Gjerstad (also in Agder county); to the northwest is Drangedal; and to the northeast is Bamble. Kragerø is popular among Norwegians (as well as foreigners) as a vacation destination during the summer, when the population swells considerably.

The municipality includes 495 islands, islets, and skerries along with 4,000 leisure houses. There are also 190 freshwater lakes in the municipality. The main offshore islands include Tåtøy, Kragerø, Skåtøy, Langøy, Bærøy, Gumøy, Stråholmen, and Jomfruland. The Fossingfjord and Kilsfjord both are found in Kragerø. The large lake Toke is partially located in the northern part of Kragerø.

Government
Kragerø Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Telemark District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Kragerø is made up of 35 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Kragerø:

 * 1838–1842: Daniel Bremer Juell
 * 1843–1843: Hans Kamstrup
 * 1844–1844: Albert Biørn
 * 1845–1846: Tellef Dahll Schweigaard
 * 1847–1847: Folkman Freck
 * 1848–1848: Hans Biørn Wenneberg
 * 1849–1849: Hans Schaanning
 * 1850–1850: L. Larsen
 * 1851–1851: Hans Schaanning
 * 1852–1852: L. Larsen
 * 1853–1853: Thomas Doran
 * 1854–1854: Lars Bastian Ridder Stabell
 * 1855–1855: Thomes Thomesen
 * 1856–1856: Hans Biørn Wenneberg
 * 1857–1858: Christian Rømer
 * 1859–1859: Peter Bredsdorff
 * 1860–1860: Hans Doran
 * 1861–1862: Halvor Andreas Bentsen
 * 1863–1863: Christian Homann
 * 1864–1864: Thomes Thomesen
 * 1865–1866: Lauritz Bentzon Thrap
 * 1867–1867: Halvor Andreas Bentsen
 * 1868–1868: Thomas Møller Wiborg
 * 1869–1869: Christian Homann
 * 1870–1870: Halvor Andreas Bentsen
 * 1871–1871: Christian Homann
 * 1872–1872: Peter Bredsdorff
 * 1873–1874: Johan Dahll
 * 1875–1875: Christian Rømer
 * 1876–1876: Halvor Andreas Bentsen
 * 1877–1878: Anton Larsen-Naur (H)
 * 1879–1880: Fredrik J. Mürer
 * 1881–1884: Anders Daae
 * 1885–1885: Anton Larsen-Naur (H)
 * 1886–1886: Nils August Synnestvedt
 * 1887–1887: Christian Gierløff (H)
 * 1888–1888: Jacob Aalborg
 * 1889–1890: Anton Larsen-Naur (H)
 * 1891–1891: Nils Christian Stockfleth Aall
 * 1892–1894: Søren Anton Wenneberg
 * 1895–1900: Carl Bundi (V)
 * 1901–1905: Ambortius Lindvig (V)
 * 1906–1907: Nicolay Wiborg (SmP)
 * 1908–1910: Godske Nielsen (H)
 * 1911–1913: Hartvig Johnsen (AvH)
 * 1914–1915: Knud Emanuel Olsen
 * 1916–1916: Nicolay Wiborg (FV)
 * 1917–1919: Rolf Svendsen (AvH)
 * 1920–1920: Hartvig Johnsen (AvH)
 * 1921–1921: Christen Eriksen Berg (V)
 * 1922–1922: Einar Juell (H)
 * 1923–1925: Anders Jørgensen (AvH)
 * 1926–1932: Anders Eide (H)
 * 1933–1934: Thorvald Naper (H)
 * 1935–1937: Tor Kivle (Ap)
 * 1938–1940: Daniel Bull (H)
 * 1941–1941: Henry Karlsen (NS)
 * 1941–1943: A.E. Abrahamsen (NS)
 * 1943–1944: L.P. Thoresen (NS)
 * 1944–1945: Olav Kvaalen (NS)
 * 1945–1945: Daniel Bull (H)
 * 1946–1946: Petter Bentsen (Ap)
 * 1946–1957: Thorbjørn Nilsen (Ap)
 * 1957–1959: Reidar Soløy (Ap)
 * 1960–1963: Arne Midgaard (Ap)
 * 1964–1975: Thorleif Knutsen (Ap)
 * 1976–1981: Einar Barland (KrF)
 * 1982–1983: Per Espeli (H)
 * 1984–1999: Magnar Kalseth (Ap)
 * 1999–2003: Kari Fosso (H)
 * 2003–2007: Erling Laland (Ap)
 * 2007–2015: Kåre Preben Hegland (H)
 * 2015–2019: Jone Blikra (Ap)
 * 2019–2023: Grunde Wegar Knudsen (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Charlotte Therkelsen (R)

Notable people

 * Anton Martin Schweigaard (1808–1870), a jurist and economic reformer
 * Nels Anderson (born 1828), a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
 * Johan Christian Heuch (1838–1904), a Bishop of the Diocese of Agder
 * Theodor Kittelsen (1857–1914), a painter who also illustrated fairy tales, legends, and trolls
 * Hans Daae (1865–1926), a physician, military officer and sports official
 * Johan Søhr (1867–1949), a jurist and police officer
 * Thomas Krag (1868–1913), a novelist, playwright and writer of short stories
 * Samson Eitrem (1872–1966), a philologist, expert in ancient literature, religion and magic
 * Edvard Amundsen (1873–1928), a Lutheran missionary in China and Tibet and an explorer
 * Inge Debes (1882–1945), a jurist, editor, and politician
 * Ronald Fangen (1895–1946), a novelist, playwright, psalmist, journalist, and literary critic
 * Eugen Skjønberg (1889–1971), an actor
 * Kirsten Heiberg (1907–1976), a Norwegian/German actress and singer
 * Else Heiberg (1910–1972), an actress
 * Ole Myrvoll (1911–1988), a professor of economics, liberal politician, and Minister of Finance
 * Carsten Hopstock (1924–2014), an art historian who was the curator of Norwegian Museum of Cultural History
 * Alf Cranner (1936–2020), a folk singer, lyricist and painter who lived in Kragerø from the 1960s
 * Robert Mood (born 1958), a Major General and Head of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS)

Sport

 * Olaf Ørvig (1889–1939), a sailor and team gold medalist at the 1920 Summer Olympics
 * Knut Lundstrøm (born 1951), an athlete and winter paralympian
 * Geir Borgan Paulsen (born 1957), an IFBB Pro bodybuilder
 * Preben Fjære Brynemo (born 1977), a Nordic combined skier who competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics

Twin towns — Sister cities
The following cities are twinned with Kragerø:
 * 🇦🇽 Mariehamn, Åland, Finland
 * Slagelse, Region Sjælland, Denmark
 * 🇫🇮 Valkeakoski, Western Finland, Finland
 * 🇸🇪 Visby, Gotland County, Sweden

title: Kragerø


text:
Skien

Skien is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the Norsjø area and Bø. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien, which is also the administrative centre of the whole county. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Åfoss, Hoppestad, Klovholt, Luksefjell, Melum, Kilebygda, Skotfoss, Sneltvedt, and Valebø.

The 779 km2 municipality is the 147th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Skien is the 18th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 55,924. The municipality's population density is 77.8 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 5.5% over the previous 10-year period. The conurbation of Porsgrunn/Skien is reckoned by Statistics Norway to be the seventh largest urban area in Norway, straddling an area of three municipalities: Skien municipality (about 62% of the population), Porsgrunn Municipality (30%), and Bamble Municipality (8%). This entire area is home to more than 100,000 people.

The municipality has existed since 1838, but the city of Skien is one of Norway's oldest cities, with an urban history dating back to the Middle Ages, and received privileges as a market town in 1358. From the 15th century, the city was governed by a 12-member council. Skien was historically a centre of seafaring, timber exports, and early industrialization. It was one of Norway's two or three largest cities between the 16th and 19th centuries. It was also one of Norway's most internationally oriented cities, with extensive contact with its export markets in the Low Countries, the United Kingdom, and Denmark. It retained its position as Eastern Norway's leading commercial city until the 19th century, when it gradually started to lose importance to the emerging capital of Christiania following the Napoleonic Wars. The city was the birthplace of playwright Henrik Ibsen, and many of his famous dramas are set in places reminiscent of early 19th-century Skien.

General information
The town of Skien was established as an urban municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1856, an area of Gjerpen Municipality (population: 1,286) was annexed by the growing town of Skien. Again, on 1 July 1916, another area of Gjerpen Municipality (population: 1,332) and an area of Solum Municipality (population: 1,042) was annexed by the growing town of Skien. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the town of Skien (population: 15,805) was merged with the neighboring Solum Municipality (population: 13,706) and Gjerpen Municipality (population: 15,300) plus the Valebø area of Holla Municipality (population: 259). These areas became the new Skien Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the town of Skien) is named after the Skien river (Skiða) since it ran through the town. The name is the plural genitive case of the word which means "ski", likely referring to the straight path of the river.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms is derived from the oldest known seal of the city, dating back to 1609. The blazon is "Gules, two crossed ski-poles with central star between two skis addorsed between two flower plants issuant from a terrace in base Or". This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a two ski poles forming a cross with a star at the crosspoint located in between two skis which in turn are between two tall flower plants growing out of a flat ground at the bottom of the shield. A mural crown is usually displayed above the shield. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The skis are a semi-canting element (based on the meaning of the town's name) and the cross is a religious symbol. There have been several theories about the meaning of the cross, but its meaning is not clearly known. It has been suggested that it is a symbol for the main church in Skien, the Holy Cross church. The small star may be a symbol of St. Mary as the second medieval church of Skien was devoted to her. Besides the skis and cross, there are two meadow buttercups on each side. The municipal flag is white with a small image of coat of arms next to the name "Skien kommune".

In 1854, the arms were shown as two skis, but the cross was now made from ski poles, as another canting element. This remained so until the early half of the 20th century. In the 1980s, the city officially adopted the current arms, which are identical to the oldest seal. The colours are the colours that have been used since the 19th century. The differences between the seal and the present arms are that in the arms the cross is placed on top of the skis and the star is changed from a four-pointed star to a six-pointed star, and that the cross is made of ski-poles.

History
Until 1979, it was thought that Skien was founded in the 14th century. However, the archaeological discovery of a carving of the Skien animal has established that its founding preceded 1000 A.D. The city was then a meeting place for inland farmers and marine traders, and also a centre for trading whetstones from Eidsborg (inland Telemark). Gimsøy Abbey was founded in the 12th century. Skien was given formal commercial town rights by the Norwegian crown in 1358. Timber has historically been the principal export from Skien, and in the sixteenth century the city became the Kingdom's leading port for shipping timber. The oldest remaining building is Gjerpen church (built in approximately 1150).

From the 16th century, the city came to be dominated by a group of families known as patricians. In an 1882 letter to Georg Brandes, Henrik Ibsen mentions the families Paus, Plesner, von der Lippe, Cappelen and Blom as the most prominent patrician families when he grew up there. The current town layout was fixed after the last town fire in 1886.

Government
Skien Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Telemark District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Skien is made up of 55 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Skien:

 * 1838-1838: Christopher Myhre
 * 1838-1840: Peter Fredrik Feilberg
 * 1840-1842: Hans Severin Arentz
 * 1842-1843: Hother Bøttger
 * 1844-1845: Cornelius Blom
 * 1845-1847: Hans Severin Arentz
 * 1847-1848: Herman Bagger
 * 1848-1850: Hans Severin Arentz
 * 1850-1851: Herman Bagger
 * 1851-1860: Hans Severin Arentz
 * 1860-1861: Herman Bagger
 * 1861-1867: Hans Severin Arentz
 * 1867-1869: Herman Bagger
 * 1869-1872: Hans Julius Hammer
 * 1872-1873: Anthon H. Steenstrup
 * 1873-1876: Hans Severin Arentz
 * 1876-1878: Johan Castberg (V)
 * 1878-1879: Hans Dulin (V)
 * 1879-1881: Johan R. Garben
 * 1881-1883: Hans Dulin (V)
 * 1883-1886: Axel Borchgrevink (H)
 * 1886-1887: Martin Walther (H)
 * 1887-1893: Paul Steenstrup Koht (V)
 * 1893-1896: Hans Gurstad (V)
 * 1896-1897: Hans Larsen (V)
 * 1897-1899: Carl Stousland (V)
 * 1899-1905: Tholf Grini (V)
 * 1905-1909: Søren B. Paulsen (V)
 * 1909-1910: Tholf Grini (V)
 * 1910-1911: Johannes Sørfonden (V)
 * 1911-1912: Harald Kristoffersen (V)
 * 1912-1914: Tholf Grini (FV)
 * 1914-1917: Jonas P. Solheim (V)
 * 1917-1919: Carl Stousland (V)
 * 1919-1920: Tholf Grini (FV)
 * 1920-1926: Lars Skjelbred (H)
 * 1926-1927: Hermann Olaus Hansen (NKP)
 * 1927-1928: Christian C. Bruun (H)
 * 1928-1929: Jørgen Bøhle (H)
 * 1929-1931: Carl Hartmann (V)
 * 1932-1935: Jørgen Bøhle (H)
 * 1931-1932: K. Slagstad (V)
 * 1935-1937: Ambros Sollid (V)
 * 1938-1941: Øivind Stensrud (V)
 * 1945-1945: Øivind Stensrud (V)
 * 1945-1947: Hermann Olaus Hansen (Ap)
 * 1948-1952: Aslak Nilsen (Ap)
 * 1952-1964: Arnt Haraldsen (Ap)
 * 1964-1967: Johan Heisholt (Ap)
 * 1967-1980: Sigurd Namløs (Ap)
 * 1980-1984: Halvor Aas (H)
 * 1984-1986: Einfrid Halvorsen (Ap)
 * 1986-1987: Per Sigurd Lauvstad (Ap)
 * 1988-1988: Einfrid Halvorsen (Ap)
 * 1988-1989: Audun Kleppe (KrF)
 * 1990-1993: Per Sigurd Lauvstad (Ap)
 * 1993-1993: Rolf Erling Andersen (Ap)
 * 1994-1995: Audun Kleppe (KrF)
 * 1995-1999: Rolf Erling Andersen (Ap)
 * 1999-2001: Kari Lise Holmberg (H)
 * 2001-2003: Jan Terje Olsen (H)
 * 2003-2011: Rolf Erling Andersen (Ap)
 * 2011–2023: Hedda Foss Five (Ap)
 * 2023-present: Marius Roheim Aarvold (H)
 * 2024, Feb 1 - May 15: Jørn Inge Næss (FrP), Acting Mayor

Roads
The European route E18 highway runs through neighboring Porsgrunn and it connects to the Norwegian national road 36 which is the main road through Skien. It follows along the Skienselva river to the north. Another main route used by most buses coming from Oslo is Norwegian county road 32 which goes through Siljan and on to the northeast.

Water
Skien is the main terminus for the Telemark Canal. The "Norsjø-Skienskanalen" section of the canal, with one terminus at Skien and the other at Løveid, was built in 1854–1861. In Europe, canals were commonly built in the pre-railroad period to transport goods, timber, and passengers. The "Porsgrunn river" runs from the lock at Skien through Porsgrunn to the Frierfjord. Skien harbour is located at Vold havneterminal.

Railroads
Skien was connected to the Norwegian railway network (Vestfoldbanen) in 1882. In 1919, Bratsbergbanen railway line opened between Skien and Notodden. Vy still operates regular train services on both railways.

Air
The local airport was Skien Airport, Geiteryggen. It served domestic flights to Bergen and Stavanger as well as flights to Trondheim by the airline Vildanden. For the present, no commercial flights are operated from Geiteryggen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has seven parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Skien. It is part of the Skien prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Skien Church is the largest church in Telemark county, and is famous for its two twin towers and great organ.

Ibsen and Telemark Museums
Skien was the birthplace of the author and playwright Henrik Ibsen, probably the most important writer to emerge from Norway. Many of Ibsen's plays are set in an unnamed provincial town that suggests Skien. The former Ibsen family homestead at Venstøp outside Skien was established as the Ibsen Museum in 1958. The Ibsen Museum has now been incorporated into the multi-site Telemark Museum, which includes several other historical sites.

Music and entertainment
Ibsenhuset is the local culture and conference center in Skien. It also houses concerts by international and national artists, opera, theatre and other cultural events. Skien kunstforening has a department in Ibsenhuset, and the local culture school and library are also located in the building. The venue is also home to the regional symphony orchestra, Grenland Symfoniorkester.

Teater Ibsen is the city theatre, and is still used for small productions.

In the summer of 2009 Elton John held a concert at the new Skagerak Arena, the soccer pitch for the local footfall team Odd. Next to Skagerak Arena is Stevneplassen, where car shows, concerts, flea markets and the annual "Handelsstevnet" – a trade fair with entertainment and a small amusement park – are held. The Handelsstevnet was closed down after the annual fair in 2011.

In Skotfoss, a small suburb of Skien further up the Telemark Canal, concerts are held at Løveid Sluser. There are plans to hold cultural events and concerts at Klosterøya (a downtown graffiti park).

Amusement parks
There are no local amusement parks in Skien. Lekeland was a small amusement park for children just outside the town, but it closed in 2008. Every year there is a traveling carnival with rides and merry-go-arounds for a week, in "Stevneplassen". There is an indoor waterpark and a big outdoor climbing park in Skien Fritidspark.

Frogner Manor in Skien
Frogner Manor (Skien) (Frogner Hovedgård) is a manor house on the outskirts of Skien. The manor house was built for shipowner and timber merchant Christopher Hansen Blom (died 1879) and his wife Marie Elisabeth (Cappelen) Blom (died 1834). The main building is influenced by Italian Renaissance architecture. The garden was laid out in English landscape style in the 1850s.

Kapitelberget
The Church on Kapitelberget (Kirken på Kapitelberget) was a medieval church. Kapitelberget was a private chapel on Bratsberg farm dating to the early 1100s. It is not known when the church went out of use, but Bratsberg farm burned down in 1156. in 1576, Peder Claussøn Friis reviewed it as a ruin. The site was first excavated in 1901. In 1928, Gerhard Fischer undertook restoration and preservation. The work was completed in 1933.

Media
The daily newspapers Varden and Telemarksavisa are published in Skien. The local television for Telemark, TVTelemark, is located in Skien.

Commerce and industry
The largest industries are ABB Asea Brown Boveri (engineering firm), Norske Skog Union (a paper mill which was closed down in the spring of 2006), and EFD Induction (induction heating and induction welding).

Other important places of work are Telemark Hospital and Telemark county municipality. Agder Court of Appeal is located in Skien.

Because the E18 highway lies outside of the metropolitan area of Grenland, Skien has lost many important companies to the cities in Vestfold.

Shopping
Skien has three shopping malls:
 * Handelsbyen Herkules (110 stores and services)
 * Arkaden Skien Storsenter (47 stores and services)
 * Lietorvet Senter (28 stores and services)

Arenas

 * Gjerpenhallen
 * Grenland Speedway Arena
 * Mælahallen
 * Skagerak Arena
 * Skienshallen
 * Skien Ishall
 * Skien Isstadion

Clubs

 * Gjerpen IF (handball)
 * Grenland Speedwayklubb (motorcycle speedway)
 * Odds Ballklubb (football)
 * Sceen Curling Klubb (curling)
 * Skien Ishockeyklubb (ice hockey)
 * Tollnes Ballklubb (football)
 * Moflata table tennis (table tennis)
 * Skien Innebandyklubb (Floorball)

Public service & public thinking

 * Jørgen von Ansbach (ca.1510–ca.1590), a German-Norwegian timber merchant who was Mayor of Skien
 * Diderik von Cappelen (1761–1828), a wholesaler, shipowner, estate owner, and politician
 * Ulrich Fredrich von Cappelen (1770–1820), a ship owner and timber merchant
 * Severin Løvenskiold (1777–1856), a landowner, Prime Minister, and Governor in Norway
 * Peter Andreas Munch (1810–1863), a historian who worked on the medieval history of Norway
 * Brynild Anundsen (1841–1913), a Norwegian-American editor and publisher
 * Gunnar Knudsen (1848–1928), the Prime Minister of Norway from 1908-1910 & 1913-1920
 * Hjalmar Johansen (1867–1913), a polar explorer
 * Halvdan Koht (1873–1965), a Norwegian historian and politician
 * Carl Størmer (1874–1957), a Norwegian mathematician and astrophysicist
 * George Awsumb (1880–1959), a Norwegian-American architect
 * Alfhild Hovdan (1904–1982), a tourist manager who started the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree
 * Herman Wold (1908–1992), a Swedish econometrician and statistician
 * Einfrid Halvorsen (born 1937), a trade unionist and mayor of Skien from 1983 to 1986
 * Bjørn Tore Godal (born 1945), a politician who was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994-1997
 * Jon Fredrik Baksaas (born 1954), the CEO of Telenor
 * Margareth Øvrum (born 1958), an engineer and executive VP of Statoil
 * Eskil Pedersen (born 1984), the leader of the Labour Party´s Youth Organization, AUF, during terrorist attack on AUF at Utøya on 22 July 2011
 * Bastian Vasquez (1990 – ca.mid 2015), a Norwegian ISIS jihadist

The arts

 * August Cappelen (1827–1852), a Norwegian painter of melancholic, dramatic landscapes
 * Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906), a Norwegian playwright and theatre director
 * Iver Holter (1850–1941), a Norwegian composer and conductor
 * Rolf Christensen (1894–1962), an actor in operettas, plays and farces, and film director
 * Ella Peaters (1907–1991), an actress, revue artist, singer, and circus performer
 * Aage Samuelsen (1915–1987), a Norwegian evangelist, singer, and composer
 * Knut Wigert (1916–2006), a Norwegian actor, known for his Ibsen roles
 * Kari Lövaas (born 1939), a Norwegian operatic soprano
 * Tor Åge Bringsværd (born 1939), an author, playwright, editor, and translator
 * Yngvar Numme (born 1944), a singer, actor, revue writer, and director
 * Torhild Staahlen (1947-2022), a Norwegian operatic mezzo-soprano
 * Iver Kleive (born 1949), a Norwegian composer and organist
 * Audun Kleive (born 1961), a Norwegian jazz drummer
 * Bugge Wesseltoft (born 1964), a jazz musician, pianist, composer, and producer
 * Gisle Kverndokk (born 1967), a Norwegian contemporary composer
 * Heidi Hauge (born 1967), a Norwegian folk and country music singer
 * Paal Flaata (born 1968), a Norwegian vocalist
 * Bård Tufte Johansen (born 1969), a Norwegian comedian
 * Wetle Holte (born 1973), a Norwegian jazz drummer and composer
 * Lage Lund (born 1978), a Norwegian jazz guitarist
 * Atle Pettersen (born 1989), a Norwegian singer and songwriter
 * Julie Bergan (born 1994), a Norwegian singer and songwriter

Sport

 * Per Mathias Jespersen (1888–1964), a gymnast who was a team silver medallist at 1908 Summer Olympics
 * Werner Nilsen (1904–1992), an American high-scoring soccer forward
 * Nicolai Johansen (1917–1999), the Secretary Gen. the Norwegian Football Association from 1955-1983
 * Geir Karlsen (born 1948), a retired footballer with nearly 300 club caps and 32 for Norway
 * Dag Erik Pedersen (1959–2024), a road racing cyclist and anchorman with NRK
 * Jeanette Nilsen (born 1972), a handball player who was a team bronze medallist at the 2000 Summer Olympics
 * Tommy Svindal Larsen (born 1973), a retired footballer with 517 club caps and 24 for Norway
 * Torjus Hansén (born 1973), a Norwegian former footballer with 373 club caps
 * Frode Johnsen (born 1974), a retired footballer with 518 club caps and 35 for Norway
 * Alexander Aas (born 1978), a retired Norwegian footballer with 350 club caps
 * Erik Midtgarden (born 1987), a Norwegian footballer with 320 club caps

Twin towns – sister cities
Skien is twinned with:

 * 🇫🇮 Loimaa, Finland
 * 🇺🇸 Minot, United States
 * 🇮🇸 Mosfellsbær, Iceland
 * 🇷🇴 Onești, Romania
 * 🇮🇹 Sorrento, Italy
 * Thisted, Denmark
 * 🇸🇪 Uddevalla, Sweden

title: Skien


text:
Notodden

is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Aust-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Notodden. Other population centres include the villages of Bolkesjø, Gransherad, Heddal, Hjuksebø, Hjuksevelta, Rudsgrendi, Tinnoset, and Yli.

The 984 km2 municipality is the 118th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Notodden is the 94th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 13,025. The municipality's population density is 14.3 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 4.2% over the previous 10-year period.

Norway's largest stave church, Heddal Stave Church, is located in Heddal, a few kilometres west the municipal centre. Notodden Airport, is located west of the town of Notodden, along the European route E134 highway. Norsk Hydro was founded in this town. Notodden is well known for the annual Notodden Blues Festival, which is considered one of the best blues festivals in Europe. It also has a well-known metal festival called Motstøy Festivalen. The football club Notodden FK is headquartered here.

General information
On 1 January 1913, the newly-designated kjøpstad (town) of Notodden (population: 4,821) was separated from Heddal Municipality to form a separate self-governing town as an enclave within Heddal Municipality. This left Heddal with 2,890 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Heddal Municipality was dissolved and the following areas were merged to form a new, larger Notodden Municipality:
 * most of Gransherad Municipality (population: 1,115) - except for the upper Jondalen valley which became part of Kongsberg Municipality
 * all of Heddal Municipality (population: 4,844)
 * the Rudsgrendi area of Hovin Municipality (population: 21)
 * the town of Notodden (population: 7,523)

Name
The municipality (originally the town) is named after a small cotter's farmstead (husmannsplass) located on the old Tinne farm since this was the original site of the town (near the mouth of the river Tinnelva at the lake Heddalsvatnet). The first element is derived from the word which means "to fish using a seine". The last element is the definite singular form of which means "headland". Thus it is a "headland for net fishing".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 11 August 1939. The official blazon is "Azure, a pale wavy and four lightning bolts in saltire argent" (På blå bunn en loddrett sølvelv som sender lynstråler av sølv til begge sider). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a wavy vertical bar and four lightning bolts emanating from the centre and making an X-shape. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The design symbolizes that Notodden was created by the exploitation of hydroelectric power on the river Tinnelva when Norsk Hydro started its operations with saltpeter production and power development in 1905. The vertical bar represents the Tinnfoss waterfall along the river and the lightning bolts represent electricity. The arms were designed by Jens Høibø. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has four parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Notodden. It is part of the Øvre Telemark prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Government
Notodden Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Telemark District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Notodden is made up of 41 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Notodden:

 * 1913-1913: Johannes Strandli (Ap)
 * 1914-1914: Mathias Kleppen (H)
 * 1915-1915: Gunnulf Tinne (H)
 * 1916-1916: Mathias Kleppen (H)
 * 1917–1919: Nerid Asland (H)
 * 1920–1922: A.C. Aasnes (H)
 * 1923–1924: Olav Andresen (Ap)
 * 1925-1925: Frimann Nergaard (H)
 * 1926–1927: Hans Helgesen (Ap)
 * 1928–1931: Olav Andresen (Ap)
 * 1932-1932: Johan Bugge (H)
 * 1933–1934: Jens Røkke (H)
 * 1935–1940: Olav Andresen (Ap)
 * 1941–1945: Arne Bergsvik (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Kai Birger Knudsen (Ap)
 * 1945-1945: Nerid Asland (H)
 * 1946-1946: Kai Birger Knudsen (Ap)
 * 1947–1949: Johannes P. Løkke (Ap)
 * 1950–1955: Ole Styrvold (Ap)
 * 1956–1959: Johannes P. Løkke (Ap)
 * 1960–1971: Henry Finrud (Ap)
 * 1972–1975: Egil Bergsland (Ap)
 * 1976–1983: Hans T. Kasin (Ap)
 * 1984–1991: Per Nagelsaker (Ap)
 * 1992–1993: Sveinung O. Flaaten (H)
 * 1993–1995: Anund Sisjord (KrF)
 * 1995–1999: Nils Buverud (Ap)
 * 1999–2007: Bjarne Bakken (Ap)
 * 2007–2011: Lise Wiik (Ap)
 * 2011–2015: Jørn Christensen (H)
 * 2015–present: Gry Fuglestveit (Ap)

Geography
The municipality is located in Aust-Telemark, along the border with Buskerud. Notodden Municipality includes the lands between the lakes Tinnsjå and Heddalsvatnet lake. The rivers Tinnelva and Heddøla both run through the municipality. The Blefjell mountains are located in the northern part of the municipality.

Climate
Notodden has a humid continental climate (Dfb). Situated inland at low altitude in the Telemark region, is one of the warmer towns in Norway in summer, but winters can be cold. The weather station at Notodden Airport has been recording since March 1970 (temperature and wind speed). Precipitation data is from a different station in Notodden. The all-time high temperature 33.3 °C was recorded on 27 July 2018.

Twin towns
In 2008, the Notodden council decided to end the twin city agreements with Ilisalmi, Nyköping, and Stelle. At the same time Suwałki was approved as a new twin city.

The following cities are twinned with Notodden:
 * 🇺🇸 Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States
 * 🇵🇱 Suwałki, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland

Former twin cities of Notodden:
 * 🇫🇮 Iisalmi, Eastern Finland, Finland
 * 🇸🇪 Nyköping, Södermanland County, Sweden
 * 🇩🇪 Stelle, Lower Saxony, Germany

Notable people

 * Kåre Nordstoga, an organist
 * Hans Herbjørnsrud, an internationally known author who was born in Heddal
 * Olav Gunnarsson Helland (1875–1939), a Hardanger fiddlemaker who many consider the finest of the twentieth century
 * Klaus Egge (born 1906 in Gransherad), a composer
 * Ådne Søndrål, an Olympic gold medalist
 * Seasick Steve, an American blues musician who is achieving fame in the United Kingdom, currently resides in Notodden
 * Margit Bakken, a blues musician and songwriter
 * Tor-Arne Moen, a painter and author
 * Olav Andresen (1877 in Heddal–1950), a politician who was Mayor of Notodden in the 1920s and 1930s
 * Ambros Sollid (1880 in Heddal–1973), an agronomist and politician who was Mayor of Skien from 1935–1937
 * Carl Bugge (1881 in Heddal–1968), a geologist and academic
 * Helga Stene (1904 in Notodden–1983), an educator, feminist, and resistance member
 * Aage Eriksen (1917 in Notodden–1998 in Notodden), a wrestler and silver medallist at the 1948 Summer Olympics
 * Egil Bergsland (1924 in Notodden–2007), a politician who was Mayor of Notodden from 1971 to 1975
 * Sissel Sellæg (1928 in Notodden–2014), an actress
 * Hilde Mæhlum (born 1945 in Notodden), a sculptor
 * Magne Orre (born 1950 in Notodden), a cyclist, competed at the 1972 & 1976 Summer Olympics
 * Helga Flatland (born 1984 in Notodden), a novelist and children's writer

One of the most influential Norwegian black metal bands, Emperor, came from Notodden, as does Mortiis, Peccatum, Star of Ash, Leprous, and Zyklon. Emperor's singer, Ihsahn, still resides in Notodden.

title: Notodden


text:
Bamble

Bamble is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Langesund. Other population centres in Bamble include the town of Stathelle and the villages of Bamble, Botten, Herre, and Valle.

The 304 km2 municipality is the 263rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Bamble is the 87th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 14,172. The municipality's population density is 50.2 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 0.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Bamble was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1878, the island of Langøya (population: 22), just off shore from the town of Langesund, was transferred from the rural municipality of Bamble to the town of Langesund. In 1949, the town of Langesund was again enlarged by annexing an adjacent area of Bamble municipality (population: 127). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the town of Stathelle (population: 724) and the town of Langesund (population: 2,281) were both merged with the surrounding rural municipality of Bamble (population: 5,237) to form a new, larger Bamble Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Bamle farm (Bamblar). The meaning of the name is unknown. It is possible that the name is the plural form derived from the word bembel which means "belly". In this case, it was likely referring to a round hill or mountain. Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Bamle. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Bamble.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 12 December 1986. The official blazon is "Azure, a ship's wheel Or" (I blått et gull skipsratt). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a ship's wheel. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The arms are nearly identical to the former arms of the town Stathelle which used them from 1954 until 1964 when it became part of Bamble. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of the sea for this coastal municipality. Sailing and fishing have always been of great importance for the area, and a ship's wheel was thus an appropriate symbol. The arms were designed by Svein J. Haugholt. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Bamble. It is part of the Bamble prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Bamble Church (Bamble kirke) is located along the European route E18 highway, about 5 km to the south of the Grenland Bridge. It is a wooden cruciform church which was built in 1845. The church is located next to the ruins of Olav Church which dated to around 1145.

Geography
The municipality is located along the Skaggerak coast in southeastern Norway. The village is located on the west side of the Frierfjorden and Langesundsfjorden and to the northeast of the Fossingfjorden. The southeastern tip of the large lake Toke is located in northwestern Bamble. The European route E18 highway runs through Bamble, crossing into Porsgrunn Municipality via the Grenland Bridge. The Brevik Bridge also crosses the Frierfjorden, a short distance east of the Grenland Bridge. The Langøytangen Lighthouse is located near the town of Langesund.

Geology
Bamble, lying at the southern tip of the Kongsberg-Bamble geological formation, also has a unique geology that has been extensively researched by geologists such as W. C. Brøgger. It exhibits a high grade gneiss terrane characterized by metasomatism. As such there have been many mines operating in the area, most notably the Ødegården Verk apatite mines and the nickel mines in Nystein.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Telemark District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Bamble is made up of 33 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Bamble (incomplete list):

 * 1919-1921: Herman Løvenskiold (H)
 * 1971-1981: Kjell Bohlin (Ap)
 * 1995-2003: Jan Erik Gyllensten (KrF)
 * 2003-2007: Anne Margrete Blaker (Ap)
 * 2007-2015: Jon Pieter Flølo (FrP)
 * 2015-2023: Hallgeir Kjeldal (Ap)
 * 2023–present: Jon Pieter Flølo (FrP)

Twin towns – sister cities
Bamble is twinned with:
 * 🇮🇸 Akranes, Iceland
 * 🇫🇮 Närpes, Finland
 * Tønder, Denmark
 * 🇸🇪 Västervik, Sweden

Notable people

 * Marcus Olaus Bockman (1849 in Langesund – 1942), a Norwegian-American Lutheran theologian in Minnesota
 * Marie Høeg (1866 in Langesund – 1949), a photographer and suffragist
 * William Houlder Zachariasen (1906 in Langesund – 1979), a Norwegian-American physicist, pioneering specialist in X-ray crystallography and the structure of glass in Chicago
 * Arne Selberg (1910 in Langesund – 1989), a civil engineer who designed suspension bridges
 * Sigmund Selberg (1910–1994), a mathematician who worked on the distribution of prime numbers
 * Atle Selberg (1917 in Langesund – 2007), a mathematician who worked on analytic number theory
 * Kjell Bohlin (1928–2011), a politician and Mayor of Bamble from 1971 to 1981
 * Turid Thomassen (born 1965 in Stathelle), the leader of the Norwegian Red party 2010 to 2012
 * Sverre Gjørvad (born 1966 in Stathelle), a jazz musician (drums) and composer
 * Odd Ivar Solvold (born 1969 in Bamble), a chef, restaurateur, and author of cook books
 * Jørn Lier Horst (born 1970 in Bamble), an author of crime fiction and former Police officer
 * Kenneth Nilsen (born 1994 in Bamble), a music producer who uses the stage name K-391

Sport

 * Thor Thorvaldsen (1909 in Bamble – 1987), a sailor and two-time Olympic champion
 * Jan Halvor Halvorsen (born 1963 in Bamble), a former footballer with 250 club caps and 5 for Norway
 * Ella Gjømle Berg (born 1979 in Stathelle), a cross-country skier

title: Bamble