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Søgne

Søgne is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until 2020 when it was merged with the municipalities of Songdalen and Kristiansand into the "new" Kristiansand municipality in what is now Agder county. It was located in the traditional district of Sørlandet, just outside of the city of Kristiansand. The administrative centre of the municipality was the hamlet of Tangvall. Hamlets and areas in Søgne include Ausviga, Eig, Høllen, Langenes, Lohne, Lunde, Ny-Hellesund, Trysnes, Vedderheia, Ålo, and Åros.

Prior to its dissolution in 2020, the 151 km2 municipality was the 354th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Søgne is the 103rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 11,321. The municipality's population density is 78.6 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 16.2% over the last decade.

General information
The parish of Sygne (later spelled Søgne) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). on 1 July 1913, the northern half of Søgne (population: 822) was separated to form the new municipality of Greipstad. This left Søgne with 2,609 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. Søgne municipality remained generally the same during this time, however, there were a couple of small changes to the municipal boundaries. On 1 January 1964, the Stubstad area of neighboring Holum municipality (population: 9) and the Brunvatne area of neighboring Øyslebø municipality (population: 44) were both transferred to Søgne municipality. Then on 1 January 1965, the unpopulated Svalemyren area of neighboring Mandal municipality was transferred to Søgne.

On 1 January 2020, the three neighboring municipalities of Kristiansand, Songdalen, and Søgne merged to form one large municipality called Kristiansand.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Søgne farm (Sygna) since the Old Søgne Church was built there. The name comes from the local river Sygna (now called Søgneelva). The river name is derived from the verb which means "to suck". The municipality was historically spelled Sygne until the 1880s when it was changed to Søgne.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 24 May 1985 and they were in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was dissolved. The official blazon is "Per fess urdy azure and argent, two points to the chief" (Delt av blått og sølv ved gråverksnitt (med to spisser oppover)). This means the arms have a field (background) that is divided by a line that follows a geometric "urdy" pattern. Below the line, the field has a tincture of azure (blue). Above the line, the field 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 of the line is meant to symbolize two stone road markers (varder), which in historical times were used to mark the paths and tracks that people followed. Two of the largest of these signs are found in the municipality, and were mentioned in historical records in the early 17th century. According to legend, they were built by King Olaf II of Norway (Hellige-Olav), in the 11th century. A local tradition says they represent two girls standing on top of the hill looking for their lovers to return from fishing. The fishermen drowned and the girls remained waiting there. The stone markers are named "jentene på Hellerøya" (the girls on Heller island). The original stone markers were destroyed by Germans during World War II and afterwards they were rebuilt in concrete. The arms were designed by Ulf Skauge based on idea by Nols Th. Finstad.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Søgne. It is part of the Mandal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

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 Kristiansand District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Søgne was made up of 27 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 Søgne (incomplete list):

 * 1838–18??: Otto Joachim Moltke Hansen
 * 1853-18??: Peder Bjørnson
 * 1888–1901: Jakob Brunvatne (V)
 * 1902–1904: Hans Jensen Try (H)
 * 1905–1907: Jakob Brunvatne (V)
 * 1908–1916: Hans Jensen Try (H)
 * 1916-1922: S. Sverdrup (V)
 * 1922–1925: Harald Brunvatne (Bp)
 * 1926–1928: Hans Jensen Try (H)
 * 1929–1931: Harald Brunvatne (Bp)
 * 1932–1941: Tarald Eg (V)
 * 1945-1945: Tarald Eg (V)
 * 1946–1951: Jørgen H. Lohne (V)
 * 1952–1955: Tarald Eg (V)
 * 1956–1963: Jørgen H. Lohne (V)
 * 1964-1967: Syvert Tallaksen (V)
 * 1968-1971: Thorbjørn Odd Olsen (V)
 * 1972-1975: Syvert Tallaksen (V)
 * 1976–1991: Bjarne Nesheim (H)
 * 1992–2001: Anne Berit Andersen (H)
 * 2001–2007: Eli Løite (H)
 * 2007–2011: Solveig Kjelland Larsen (Ap)
 * 2011–2015: Åse R. Severinsen (H)
 * 2015–2019: Astrid Hilde (Ap)

Media
The newspaper Søgne og Songdalen Budstikke has been published in Søgne since 1999.

Geography
Søgne was a small, coastal municipality, with a long stretch of coastline and islands to the south. To the east, it bordered the municipality of Kristiansand, to the north and northeast it bordered the municipalities of Marnardal and Songdalen, and to the west it bordered the municipality of Mandal.

The municipality had a couple main rivers running through it: Lundeelva and Søgneelva. The Trysfjorden cuts into the shoreline in the west part of the municipality. There are also many islands to the south of the mainland. Ny-Hellesund is a small cluster of three populated islands that were an important outport in the history of Søgne. The Songvår Lighthouse is located in the far south part of the municipality on the small island of Hellersøya.

Notable people

 * Dina Larsen (1873-1961), domestic science teacher and civil servant
 * Hans Try (1934–1990), archivist and historian

title: Søgne


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Songdalen

Songdalen is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1964 until 2020 when it was merged with Søgne and Kristiansand municipalities to form a new, much larger Kristiansand municipality in what is now Agder county. It was located in the traditional district of Sørlandet, just outside of the city of Kristiansand. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Nodeland. Other villages in the municipality included Brennåsen, Finsland, Kilen, Nodelandsheia, and Volleberg. The Sørlandsbanen railway line ran through the municipality, stopping at Nodeland Station. The European route E39 highway also ran through the southern part of the municipality.

Prior to its dissolution in 2020, the 216 km2 municipality is the 323rd largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Songdalen is the 161st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 6,568. The municipality's population density is 31.8 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 16% over the last decade.

General information
Songdalen was a relatively short-lived municipality. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the municipality of Greipstad (population: 2,061), most of the municipality of Finsland (population: 797) except for the Kleveland bru area, and the Eikeland area of Øvrebø (population: 39) were all merged to form the new municipality of Songdalen. On 1 January 1978, a small area of Vennesla municipality (population: 10) was transferred to Songdalen. Then on 1 January 1984, the unpopulated Hauglandsvatnet area was transferred from Vennesla to Songdalen.

On 1 January 2020, the three neighboring municipalities of Kristiansand, Songdalen, and Søgne merged to form one large municipality called Kristiansand.

Name
The municipal name is relatively new, having been created in 1964. The name comes from the local river Songdalselva (Sygna). The lower part of this river is also known as the Søgneelva. The first element of the name comes from the Old Norse name for the river. The river name is derived from the verb which means "to suck". The last element is which means "valley" or "dale".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 20 December 1985 and they were in use until the municipality was dissolved on 1 January 2020. The official blazon is "Vert, three oak leaves in pall and three acorns in pall inverted stems conjoined Or" (I grønt tre gull eikeblad i trepass med eikenøtter mellom). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is three conjoined oak leaves with three acorns. 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 oak leaf and acorn design symbolize the importance of the abundant oak forests in the municipality. There are three leaves/acorns to represent each of the three former municipalities of Greipstad, Finsland, and Øvrebø which were merged to form the municipality of Songdalen in 1964. The arms were designed by Nils Th. Finstad.

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

Geography
Songdalen was an inland municipality, the municipalities of Kristiansand and Vennesla were located to the east, Marnardal to the west, and Søgne to the south. Songdalen's administrative centre, Nodeland, is a short 10-minute drive from the center of the city of Kristiansand.

The landscape of the municipality was heavily shaped by the last ice age. The river Songdalselva flows through the valley that made up the southern part of the municipality. The river passes through a 1 km long, 100 m deep scenic narrow gorge called (Juve) at Underåsen. It is recognized for fishing, canoeing, and other recreational opportunities.

Southern Songdalen's elevation was close to sea level, but it increased up to a maximum of 414 m above sea level in the northern part of the municipality. The climate changes correspondingly, from a coastal climate in the south to a more inland type climate in the north.

The forests are mixed deciduous and evergreen (heavily forested with oak and pine), with the ratio of pine woods increasing towards the north of the municipality. Moose and beaver are common in the area.

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 Kristiansand District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Songdalen 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.

History
In 1964, Finsland and Greipstad municipalities, along with the Eikeland area of neighboring Øvrebø, were merged to form Songdalen municipality.

Greipstad is mentioned in written sources as early as 1344. Through the Middle Ages records indicate that Greipstad, a small farm community with 34 farms, was continuously inhabited. Greipstad became an independent municipality in 1913; split off from the municipality of Søgne.

Finsland, which lies further from the coast, has few preserved written records, but records have indications of farms there in the year 1000.

An 8 km long section of the old Vestlandske Hovedvei (Westland Highway) passes through the municipality from Farvannet to Kvislevann. The highway was built in the 1790s and the section exists today in much the same way as it did for ordinary traffic in 1881.

The fortifications at Rossevann were built in 1916-1917 for the Stavanger Battalion. The municipality also has visible evidence of World War II fortifications.

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

title: Songdalen


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Flekkefjord

Flekkefjord is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Flekkefjord. The villages of Sira, Gyland, Rasvåg, Kirkehavn, and Åna-Sira are located in Flekkefjord.

Flekkefjord is the westernmost municipality of the geographical region of Sørlandet. Flekkefjord is approximately midway between the cities of Kristiansand and Stavanger, located along European route E39 and the Sørlandet Line.

The 544 km2 municipality is the 198th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Flekkefjord is the 121st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 9,216. The municipality's population density is 19.1 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 1.7% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The small town of Flekkefjord was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1942, a part of the municipality of Nes (population: 377) was transferred to the town of Flekkefjord.

On 1 January 1965, there was a major municipal merger due to the work of the Schei Committee. On that date, the rural municipalities of Bakke (except the Øksendal area), Gyland, Hidra, and Nes were merged with the town of Flekkefjord, creating a new, much larger municipality of Flekkefjord with about 8,800 people. On 1 January 1987, the Virak and Espetveit areas of northern Flekkefjord (population: 41) were transferred to Sirdal municipality.

Name
The municipality (and town) is named after the local fjord called the Flekkefjorden. The first element of the name comes from the name of the old Flikke farm (Flikkar) since it is located near the fjord. That name is the plural form of the word flikkar which has an unknown meaning. The last element is which means "fjord".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms for Flekkefjord are rather old (compared with most Norwegian municipal arms). They were granted around the year 1855. The blazon is "Or, a sailing ship above four barrulets wavy gules". This means the arms have a field (background) 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 charge is a pilot boat above four wavy stripes symbolizing the sea. The arms have a mural crown above the shield. The arms were originally proposed in 1855 and they were described as a pilot boat on the sea. It specifically is like the pilot boats that Colin Archer made during that time period. The original proposal showed a boat on a very natural sea, using all in natural colours. The present shape of the boat and the more heraldically correct arms date from 1899. The arms were designed by an unknown designer. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms. In 2023, the design of the arms was updated slightly. The flag on the boat was made to look more wavy, a single black stripe is on the sails, and a pilot is more visible at the rear of the boat.

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

Geography
The municipality is located in southwestern Agder county, along the border with Rogaland county and the North Sea to the southwest. It is bounded by Sokndal and Lund municipalities (in Rogaland county) to the west across the river Sira, by Sirdal municipality to the north, and by Kvinesdal municipality to the east.

The town of Flekkefjord is located near the southern coast of the municipality in a fjord. It straddles the narrow sound which connects the Flekkefjorden to Grisefjorden. The port is ideal due to the tiny difference in tides experienced here. This is a result of its close proximity to the amphidromic point outside Eigersund.

The lakes Kumlevollvatnet, Lundevatn, Selura, and Sirdalsvatnet are located in Flekkefjord. The southern coast is dominated by the Listafjorden and Fedafjorden with the large inhabited islands of Hidra and Andabeløyna lying in the Listafjorden.

History
Flekkefjord was a landing place from early times. It was mentioned as a town as early as 1580. In 1589, James VI of Scotland landed there before travelling overland via Tønsberg to Oslo, where he married Princess Anne of Denmark, daughter of Frederick II. When Kristiansand was founded in 1641, Christian IV wanted to assure the economic survival of his new city by moving Flekkefjord residents there. Twice it was sentenced to extinction by royal decree. But many of the Flekkefjord inhabitants remained and continued to trade.

Norway's plentiful stone was a Flekkefjord commodity. In 1736 over 300 Dutch ships are reported to have carried paving stones from Flekkefjord. By 1750 the herring fishery began in earnest, such that herring and timber dominated the trade. In the 1750s Flekkefjord was the most important Norwegian herring export harbor.

In 1760 Flekkefjord petitioned Frederik V to grant a town charter. At that time several ships were home ported there and both sailors and herring fishermen had their homes in this small town that was not officially recognized. Barrel making (cooperage) was also an important local trade that served the fishing fleet.

During the Napoleonic Wars Flekkefjord found a new life as a smugglers port, exporting oak to the Napoleon-occupied Netherlands during the period prior to 1807. The unusual tidal condition, the local timber abundance, and a long-term relationship with the Dutch were the reasons behind Flekkefjord's then serving as a smuggler's headquarters. They specialized in the lucrative oak trade, the warship timber in those days. Ships could come and leave Flekkefjord at any hour of the day, without concern for the tides.

Prior to 1807, Denmark-Norway had followed a policy of armed neutrality, using its naval forces only to protect trade flowing within, into, and out of Danish and Norwegian waters. But this changed for the last phase of the Napoleonic Wars when, in the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807, the British preemptively captured large portions of the Danish naval fleet to prevent the French from doing the same. As a result, the Danish government declared war and built small gunboats in large numbers to attack the British. The Gunboat War (1807–1814) was the title given to naval conflict between Denmark-Norway against the British navy. It was natural for Flekkefjord to move from a smuggler's haven to blockade runner's headquarters. The unusual tides there were unknown to the British warships that were blockading the Norwegian coast against Napoleon-supporting ships and this provided the blockade runners a considerable advantage.

After the war the Dutch maintained a strong presence in Flekkefjord, and continued exporting oak and pine. The pine was used mainly to make foundations for the boom in Amsterdam house construction; as a result most of Amsterdam's houses from the 19th century are constructed of pines from Flekkefjord exporters. A section of Flekkefjord called 'Hollenderbyen' (town of the Dutch) dates from the 18th century.

Xenotime, a rare yttrium phosphate mineral whose chemical formula is YPO4, was discovered in 1832 at Hidra (Hitterø), Flekkefjord.

The herring fisheries deserted the coast in 1838, depriving Flekkefjord residents of their main export. Tanning replaced fishing and by 1866 five tanneries were operating in Flekkefjord.

The Flekkefjord Line railway ran between Sira and Flekkefjord from 1904 to 1990.

Flekkefjord and nearby areas are served by Sørlandet Hospital Flekkefjord that covers population needs for surgery, orthopedics, oncology, gynecology and obstetrics.

Government
Flekkefjord 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 Agder District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Flekkefjord 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.

Parliamentary representation
After Flekkefjord acquired market town status in 1842, it also became a constituency for elections to the Parliament of Norway. The first representative was elected in 1845: Gerhard Heiberg Garmann. He served for three years before Nils Elias Børresen was elected. He served until 1863, when deputy Johan Andreas Kraft took over for one year. Knud Geelmuyden Fleischer Maartmann served from 1865 to 1866 and 1868 to 1869, and Elias Didrichsen served from 1871 to 1888, interrupted by Thorvald Olsen who served from 1877 through 1879. Niels Eyde, Jakob Stang, Sivert Hanssen-Sunde and Hans Sivert Jacobsen served one three-year term each between 1889 and 1900. Then, Cornelius Bernhard Hanssen served from 1900 to 1921, interrupted by Bernhard Severin Sannerud in the years 1916 through 1918. A law change in 1919 repelled Flekkefjord as a constituency of its own; from then it was a part of the combined constituency Market towns of Vest-Agder and Rogaland counties.

Mayors
Mayors in Flekkefjord typically served for one year from the start of local government in 1838. Of the notable early mayors were Jens Henrik Beer (Parliament member before Flekkefjord became its own constituency) in 1840 and Anders Beer in 1843. Many of the parliamentarians served as mayors: J. A. Kraft in 1842, 1858 and 1859; Børresen in 1846, 1849, 1850, 1852 and 1862; Didrichsen from 1853 to 1857, 1863 to 1870, 1878 to 1879 and 1883 to 1888; Jacobsen in 1889; Hanssen-Sunde from 1893 to 1899; Sannerud from 1906 to 1909 and in 1917; and C. B. Hanssen in 1933, 1936 and 1937. The mayors (ordfører) of Flekkefjord:

 * 1838-1838: Ebbe Dreier
 * 1839-1839: Anders Tjørsvaag
 * 1840-1840: Jens Henrik Beer
 * 1841-1841: L.L. Ross
 * 1842-1842: Johan Andreas Kraft
 * 1843-1843: Anders Beer
 * 1844-1844: L.L. Ross
 * 1845-1845: J. Saxe
 * 1846-1847: Nils Elias Børresen
 * 1848-1848: Johan Christian Stephanson
 * 1849-1850: Nils Elias Børresen
 * 1851-1851: Johan Christian Stephanson
 * 1852-1852: Nils Elias Børresen
 * 1853-1857: Elias Didrichsen
 * 1858-1859: Johan Andreas Kraft
 * 1860-1860: B.L. Søyland
 * 1861-1861: Inspector Engh
 * 1862-1862: Nils Elias Børresen
 * 1863-1870: Elias Didrichsen
 * 1871-1877: Hans H.S. Sunde
 * 1878-1879: Elias Didrichsen
 * 1880-1882: Hans H.S. Sunde
 * 1883-1888: Elias Didrichsen
 * 1889-1889: Hans Sivert Jacobsen
 * 1890-1892: Ole Z. Torkildsen
 * 1893-1899: Sivert Hanssen-Sunde
 * 1900-1900: T. Knudsen
 * 1901-1904: C.T. Berg
 * 1905-1905: J. Olsby
 * 1906-1909: Bernhard Severin Sannerud
 * 1910-1913: J.P.M. Eyde
 * 1914-1916: S. Brække
 * 1918-1918: S. Brække
 * 1919-1919: H.T. Nygaard
 * 1920-1922: Wilhelm E. Kaurin
 * 1923-1924: Børge Ask
 * 1925-1925: Olav Just
 * 1926-1928: Wilhelm E. Kaurin
 * 1929-1931: T.V.H. Undhammer
 * 1932-1932: Wilhelm E. Kaurin
 * 1933-1933: Cornelius Bernhard Hanssen
 * 1934-1934: T.V.H. Undhammer
 * 1935-1935: Olav Just
 * 1936-1937: Cornelius Bernhard Hanssen
 * 1938-1938: Olav Just
 * 1939-1939: Wilhelm E. Kaurin
 * 1940-1940: Olav Just
 * 1945-1945: Olav Just
 * 1946-1947: Gustav Selstad
 * 1948-1948: Jens Smith Sunde
 * 1949-1949: Sverre Fredhall
 * 1950-1951: Olaf Søyland
 * 1952-1959: Jakob Modal
 * 1960-1963: Magnus Tonstad
 * 1964-1967: Jakob Modal
 * 1968-1975: Petter J. Peersen
 * 1976-1987: Kjell Svindland (KrF)
 * 1988-1989: Sigmund Kroslid (KrF)
 * 1990-1991: Jan Østreim
 * 1992-1995: Egil Nordmann Eek
 * 1995-2007: Sigmund Kroslid (KrF)
 * 2007-2011: Reidar Gausdal (V)
 * 2011-2019: Jan Sigbjørnsen (H)
 * 2019-present: Torbjørn Klungland (FrP)

Twin towns – sister cities
Flekkefjord is twinned with:

 * 🇸🇪 Bollnäs, Sweden (1950)
 * Burntisland, Scotland, UK (1946)
 * 🇺🇸 Elbow Lake, United States (1973)
 * 🇫🇮 Kankaanpää, Finland (1950)
 * 🇩🇪 Misburg-Anderten (Hanover), Germany (1971)
 * Morsø, Denmark (1950)

Notable people

 * Jens Henrik Beer Sr. (1731–1808), a ship-owner, sawmill owner, and merchant
 * Jens Henrik Beer (1799–1881), a ship-owner, sawmill owner, farmer, and politician
 * Anders Beer (1801–1863), a Norwegian ship-owner, tanner, and agriculturalist
 * Marie Aarestrup (1826–1919), a painter who specialized in genre and portrait painting
 * Peter Waage (1833–1900), a chemist and academic who developed the law of mass action
 * Anders Beer Wilse (1865–1949), a photographer of natural sceneries and people at work
 * Marta Steinsvik (1877–1950), an author who promoted women's rights, Nynorsk, and theology
 * Gudmund Seland (1907–1996), a Norwegian resistance member and Mayor of Nes
 * Nils Fuglesang (1918–1944), a Norwegian Supermarine Spitfire pilot who escaped from Stalag Luft III, was recaptured, and shot
 * Gunvald Tomstad (1918–1970), a major agent of the British SIS and resistance member
 * Bitten Modal, (Norwegian Wiki) (1940–2008), a journalist, writer, and feminist
 * Kåre Drangsholt (1941–1983), a boat designer and manufacturer of Draco boats
 * Sverre Anker Ousdal (born 1944), an actor
 * Eva Lundgren (born 1947), a Norwegian-Swedish sociologist, re. violence against women
 * Arnfinn Moland (born 1951), a Norwegian historian, long jumper, and triple jumper
 * Tove Pettersen (born 1962 on Hidra), a Norwegian feminist philosopher
 * Boye Brogeland (born 1973), a Norwegian professional bridge player

Sport

 * Olaf Søyland (born 1952), a sprint canoer who competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics
 * Einar Rasmussen (born 1956), a sprint canoeist who was a medallist at several World Championships
 * Svein Egil Solvang (born 1968), a sprint canoer who competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics
 * Anne Tønnessen (born 1974), a footballer and team gold medallist at the 2000 Summer Olympics
 * Eirik Verås Larsen (born 1976), a Norwegian sprint kayaker and medallist at three Olympics

title: Flekkefjord


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Farsund

is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Farsund. Farsund is a coastal municipality in the far southwestern part of Norway, bordering Kvinesdal municipality in the north and Lyngdal in the north and east.

The 263 km2 municipality is the 276th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Farsund is the 114th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 9,860. The municipality's population density is 39.2 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 4.4% over the previous 10-year period. The inhabitants of Farsund are concentrated in three centres of population: the town of Farsund (population: 3,265), Vanse (population: 2,016), and Vestbygda (population: 1,123). Loshavn with its wooden buildings is located outside the town of Farsund. Other villages in Farsund include Ore, Rødland, and Sande.

General information
The town of Farsund was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law), although it was already recognized as a trading center in 1795. The present municipality of Farsund was established on 1 January 1965 when the rural municipalities of Herad, Lista, and Spind were merged with the town of Farsund. On 1 January 1971, the Ytre og Indre Skarstein farms (population: 21) located along the western shore of the Rosfjorden were transferred from Lyngdal to Farsund.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Farsundet strait, a narrow strait through which the Lyngdalsfjorden passes as it goes by the town of Farsund. The first element of the name comes from the small island of Farøy which sits in the Farsund strait. The name of the island comes from the word which means "travel" or "journey" (similar to the English word farewell meaning "good journey"). The last element is which means "strait" or "sound".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms has been used since 1900 or 1901. The blazon is "Or, a mount surmounted by four linden trees vert". This means the arms have a field (background) 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 charge is a group of linden trees on a green hill. This design was chosen to represent the town of Farsund since there were four old linden trees on the town square. Originally, these trees grew in the garden of the Lund merchant dynasty, where they were probably planted in the middle of the 18th century. The trees also appear in the trade seal of the family. In 1957, the old trees were removed and replaced with new ones. 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 Farsund. It is part of the Lister og Mandal prosti deanery in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

History
There is evidence of settlement in Farsund and Lista since the Stone Age.

Farsund held a strategic location in the Atlantic wall during World War II, with the Lundebanen and over 400 bunkers built in Farsund municipality, many that can be visited. Between 1940 and 1945, large Soviet prison camps were located at Lista, with prison camps at Kåde and Ore holding over 600 prisoners. The Soviet prisoners were used as forced labour to build Farsund Airport, bunkers, barracks, and fortifications.

Farsund previously had a hospital, which was closed down in 2007.

Government
Farsund 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 Agder District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Farsund is made up of 29 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 Farsund:

 * 1838-1838: Fredrik Christian Thrane Abel
 * 1839-1839: Christian Larsen
 * 1840-1840: Fredrik Christian Thrane Abel
 * 1841-1841: Hans Paludan Smith Bøckman
 * 1842-1842: Christian Larsen
 * 1843-1843: Johan C. Eliesen
 * 1844-1844: Johan Henrik Lund
 * 1845-1845: Hans Paludan Eide
 * 1846-1846: Fredrik Christian Thrane Abel
 * 1847-1847: Hans Paludan Eide
 * 1848-1849: Hans Paludan Smith Bøckman
 * 1850-1850: Gabriel G. Lund
 * 1851-1851: E. Røhl
 * 1853-1853: Gottlieb Gundersen
 * 1854-1854: E. Røhl
 * 1855-1855: Gottlieb Gundersen
 * 1856-1856: Hans Paludan Eide
 * 1857-1860: Gottlieb Gundersen
 * 1861-1861: Sigbjørn Salvesen
 * 1862-1862: Gottlieb Gundersen
 * 1863-1863: Sigbjørn Salvesen
 * 1864-1864: Gottlieb Gundersen
 * 1865-1865: Sigbjørn Salvesen
 * 1866-1868: Gottlieb Gundersen
 * 1869-1869: Sigbjørn Salvesen
 * 1870-1870: Fredrik Adam Otto
 * 1871-1873: Peter Sundt
 * 1874-1874: Theodor August Overwien
 * 1875-1875: Severin Jahnsen
 * 1876-1876: Theodor August Overwien
 * 1877-1877: Peter Severin Pedersen
 * 1878-1878: Adolf Julius Wichstrøm
 * 1879-1879: Peter Severin Pedersen
 * 1880-1880: Peter Sundt
 * 1881-1881: Peter Severin Pedersen
 * 1882-1882: Severin Abrahamsen
 * 1883-1884: Fredrik Julius Kloumann
 * 1885-1895: Peter Severin Pedersen
 * 1896-1896: Harald Hansen
 * 1897-1897: Peder Simonsen Holmesland (V)
 * 1898-1898: Harald Hansen
 * 1899-1899: Peder Simonsen Holmesland (V)
 * 1900-1900: Einar Bärnholdt
 * 1901-1902: Peder Simonsen Holmesland (V)
 * 1903-1903: Harald Hansen
 * 1904-1904: Ivar Svenningsen
 * 1905-1907: Anders Vesthassel (V)
 * 1908-1908: Hans M. Meyer (AvH)
 * 1909-1910: Alfred Abrahamsen (LL)
 * 1911-1913: Thales Johnsen (H)
 * 1914-1914: Anders Vesthassel (V)
 * 1915-1916: Tharald Brøvig Sr. (H)
 * 1917-1918: Sigvald Nyvold (V)
 * 1919-1919: Anders Vesthassel (V)
 * 1920-1922: Tharald Brøvig Sr. (H)
 * 1923-1925: Thales Johnsen (H)
 * 1926-1937: Tharald Brøvig Sr. (H)
 * 1938-1940: Karl Briseid (V)
 * 1945-1945: Karl Briseid (V)
 * 1946-1947: Sverre Carlsen (H)
 * 1948-1948: Finn Reinertsen (H)
 * 1949-1949: Harald Brøvig (H)
 * 1950-1950: Finn Reinertsen (H)
 * 1951-1964: Harald Brøvig (H)
 * 1965-1973: Sveinung Tveit (V)
 * 1974-1975: Martin Sudland (Sp)
 * 1976-1979: Richard Urbye Buch (H)
 * 1980-1987: Julius Andersen (H)
 * 1988-1991: Ole Conrad Evenstad (KrF)
 * 1992-2003: Ove Rullestad (H)
 * 2003-2007: Margit Brøvig (H)
 * 2007-2011: Stein Arve Ytterdahl (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Richard Ivar Buch (H)
 * 2015-2023: Arnt Abrahamsen (Ap)
 * 2023-present: Ingrid Williamsen (FrP)

Economy
The largest industries are Alcoa Lista, an aluminium plant that employs 270; A maker of auto parts, Aludyne Norway has c. 250 employees.

Farsund Aluminium Casting AS, which makes auto parts out of aluminium. Historically, shipping and fisheries have also been important. Farsund is the largest agricultural district in the county of Vest-Agder, having 26 km2 productive land, 88 km2 of forest, and 11 km2 freshwater areas. Farsund was already organized as a trading centre in 1795, and in 1995 celebrated its 200-year jubilee.

Trade and shipping laid the foundation for prosperity, and "the city of the strait" was a period one of the world's largest shipping towns in relation to the size of population.

Geography
The municipality sits in southwestern Norway along the North Sea. The Fedafjorden and Listafjorden lie along the northwestern side of the municipality and the Lyngdalsfjorden lies in the eastern part of Farsund. The coastal municipality has two lighthouses: Lista Lighthouse in the west and Søndre Katland Lighthouse in the south.

Climate
Farsund has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb). The driest season is April - July, and the wettest season is October - January. In January 1987, Lista recorded a low of -17.5 °C, and July 2018 recorded a high of 28.3 °C. The Lista lighthouse weather station has been recording since 1867.

Farsund Airport
Farsund Airport, Lista (FAN) was closed in 2002. The airport had from 1955 to 2002 scheduled traffic to Stavanger, Bergen and Oslo. Airlines which have frequented at Lista are among others Braathens SAFE, Norving and Air Stord.

The Airport was built by Luftwaffe in 1940, and they operated the airport with several fighter squadrons during World War II. After the war, the Royal Norwegian Air Force took over the airport, and for a period it was used as training camp for conscripts.

Today, the airport is privatized and is an industrial area with only minor GA-traffic.

Education
Farsund has 3 primary schools, located in Farsund, Vanse, and Borhaug. Furthermore, there are two junior high schools, in Farsund and Vanse, and two high schools also located in Farsund and Vanse.

Outdoor Activities

 * Farsund is a town linked to the fjords. Its guest harbour was considered one of the best in Norway, and is full of boats in summer months.
 * Every year, Strandmila (5k / 10k run) takes place in Husenby Park. The course covers countryside trails, forest paths and sand beaches.
 * The annual Kaperdagene (Pirate Town) festival takes place in July and depicts a battle between British and Norwegian ships who were fighting a war in the 1800s. It has been running since 1996.
 * The American Festival (Last weekend in June) is considered one of the most popular festivals in the region. It takes place, as mention in their name, in the last weekend in June in Vanse. And it celebrates the American heritage that many families from Lista brought home with them from the United States in the late 60s and early 70s. It is celebrated with an American inspired parade and also an old Am-Car Parade.

Twin towns
Farsund has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * Skagen, Denmark

Notable people

 * Jochum Brinch Lund (1743–1807), a merchant and shipowner who founded the town of Farsund
 * Thomas Fasting (1769–1841), a Norwegian Naval officer and government minister
 * Evert Andersen (1772–1809), a Norwegian-Danish sea captain who fought in the Gunboat War
 * Gabriel Lund (1773–1832), a merchant and representative at the Norwegian Constituent Assembly
 * Eilert Sundt (1817–1875), a theologist and sociologist, who worked on mortality and marriage
 * James DeNoon Reymert (1821–1896), an American newspaper editor, mine operator, lawyer, and pioneer settler in Wisconsin Territory
 * Lorentz Severin Skougaard (1837-1885), a Norwegian tenor who moved to the US in 1866
 * Abraham Berge (1851–1936), the mayor of Lista in 1882 and Prime Minister of Norway in 1923-1924
 * Halfdan Sundt (1873–1951), a physician who was president of the Norwegian Medical Association
 * Vigleik Trygve Sundt (1873–1948), a Norwegian attorney, genealogist, and politician
 * Richard Birkeland (1879–1928), a mathematician who wrote on the theory of algebraic equations.
 * Einar Høiland (1907–1974), a meteorologist who studied the theory of lee waves
 * Olav Selvaag (1912–2002), a Norwegian engineer and residential contractor with an innovative approach to designing and building affordable housing
 * Odd Starheim DSO (1916–1943), a Norwegian resistance fighter and SOE agent in WWII
 * Vesla Vetlesen (born 1930), a Norwegian weaver, trade unionist, writer, and politician
 * Alf Meberg (born 1942), a Norwegian pediatrician who works on congenital heart defects
 * Toril Moi (born 1953), an academic and writer who works on feminist theory and women's writing
 * Kjell Elvis (born 1968), a Norwegian professional Elvis impersonator
 * Ingvild Stensland (born 1981), a footballer with 144 caps with Norway women

title: Farsund


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Mandal (municipality)

Mandal is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. It was located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The municipality existed from 1964 until 1 January 2020 when the municipalities of Mandal, Lindesnes, and Marnardal were merged to form a new, larger municipality of Lindesnes in what is now Agder county. Mandal was the southernmost municipality in all of Norway, with the tiny skerry of Pysen being the southernmost point of land in Norway.

The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Mandal. The town of Mandal was the second largest town by population in the old Vest-Agder county after the nearby town of Kristiansand and it is also the fourth largest city in all of the Sørlandet/Agder region. Besides the town of Mandal, the municipality also includes the villages of Bykjernen, Skjebstad, Sånum-Lundevik, Skogsfjord-Hesland, Krossen, Harkmark, Skinsnes-Ime, and Tregde-Skjernøy.

At the time of its dissolution in 2020, the 223 km2 municipality is the 321st largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Mandal is the 77th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 15,600. The municipality's population density is 74.1 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 9.9% over the last decade.

The river Mandalselva is a salmon river that flows through the municipality with its river mouth just outside the town. Mandal has many small, white-painted wooden houses, which is typical of towns at the South Coast of Norway (Sørlandet). The European route E39 highway connecting Kristiansand and Stavanger is the main road through Mandal. There are connecting airplane flights and ferries to Europe from Kristiansand.

General information
The town of Mandal was established as a ladested municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 July 1921, a part of the neighboring municipality of Halse og Harkmark (population: 221) that was next to the town of Mandal was merged with the town. 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 Mandal (population: 5,446) was merged with the rural municipalities of Halse og Harkmark (population: 3,676) and Holum (population: 1,127) to form a new, large municipality of Mandal. On 1 January 1965, an unpopulated area of Mandal called Svalemyren was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Søgne.

On 1 January 2020, the three neighboring municipalities of Mandal, Marnardal, and Lindesnes will be merged into one large municipality called Lindesnes with its administrative centre being the town of Mandal.

Name
The municipality is named after the town of Mandal (Marnardalr), which in turn is named after the Mandalen river valley in which it is located. The first element is the genitive case of the river name Mǫrn which is now called Mandalselva. The meaning of this old river name is uncertain, but it may be derived from the word which means "sea". The last element is which means "valley" or "dale".

Prior to 1653, the town of Mandal was named Vesterrisør (meaning "western Risør"). The name was originally referring to the island Risøya outside the town, and the first element was added in the 16th century to distinguish it from the town of Østerrisør (meaning "eastern Risør"), which is now simply called Risør.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 2 July 1921, just after Mandal became a town, and it was in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was dissolved. The official blazon is "Azure, three salmon naiant argent" (I blått tre hvite lakser, 1-1-1). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is three salmon shown swimming horizontally and stacked vertically. The salmon have a tincture of argent which means they are commonly colored white, but if the arms are made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field and the salmon were chosen to symbolize the importance of salmon fishing on the river Mandalselva. Mandal is the southernmost municipality in Norway that has a large salmon population, so therefore, salmon fishing also played a major role in the economic development of the village and its trade with the rest of southern Norway. The municipality usually added a mural crown to the top of the arms to show that the municipality included the town of Mandal. The arms were designed by Hallvard Trætteberg. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

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

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 Kristiansand District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Mandal was made up of 35 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 Mandal:

 * 1964–1969: Olav Håland
 * 1970–1971: Kjell Gase Nygaard (H)
 * 1972–1975: Ludvig Hope Faye (H)
 * 1976–1979: Guttorm Ihme (H)
 * 1980–1991: Knut Lindseth (KrF)
 * 1992–2003: Kirsten Huser Leschbrandt (H)
 * 2003–2007: Åse Lill Kimestad (Ap)
 * 2007–2011: Alf Godtfred Møll (FrP)
 * 2011–2015: Tore Askildsen (KrF)
 * 2015–2019: Alf Erik Andersen (FrP)

Geography
Mandal bordered the North Sea to the south, the municipality of Lindesnes to the west and northwest, the municipality of Marnardal to the north, and the municipality of Søgne to the east. The municipality included many islands and skerries along the coast including Hille, Pysen, Skjernøy, and Skogsøy. The Hatholmen Lighthouse and Ryvingen Lighthouse marked the sides of the Mannefjorden which leads north into the town of Mandal. The majority of the municipality was located in the southern Mandalen valley which follows the river Mandalselva.

Climate
Mandal had an oceanic climate (Cfb) with short, cool summers and long, moderately cold and wet winters.

Attractions
Mandal is a very popular holiday resort, with its mild and refreshing summer climate. It is famous for its long-stretching beaches surrounding the town. Sjøsanden (The Sea Sand) is the most famous beach, as it stretches for almost a kilometre just outside the town centre. It is frequently ranked as one of Norway's most popular beaches.

The city center is known for its charming concentration of old, white, wooden houses and the Mandalselva river running through it. Another attraction is the city's church: Mandal Church. It is the largest wooden church in Norway, with 1,800 seats and a pulpit on the wall behind the altar. Also, the library, art gallery, cinema, concert hall, and theater is located in the Buen kulturhus (culture house) which was built in 2012.

The artists Gustav Vigeland, Adolph Tidemand, Amaldus Nielsen, and Olaf Isaachsen are all from Mandal, so the town is sometimes called "The Little Town with the Great Artists".

Hogganvik, in the Sånum-Lundevik area of Mandal, is the site of discovery of the Hogganvik runestone in 2009.

Economy
Mandal is famous for its shipbuilding and engineering industries. There was much trade in sailing ships, where the natural harbor of Kleven at Gismerøya was used. Large yard providing ships and marine equipment in Norway and abroad are Westermoen Hydrofoil and Båtservice yard at Skogfjorden, the later Umoe Mandal. Moreover, the textile industry has been substantial, with several manufacturing companies that had at most 200-300 employees.

Mandal is also famous for its annual Shellfish festival (Skalldyrfestivalen) the second weekend of August when many people gather in downtown to eat Norwegian seafood.

Twin towns – sister cities
Mandal has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * 🇫🇮 Korsholm, Ostrobothnia, Finland
 * Middelfart, Syddanmark, Denmark
 * 🇸🇪 Oskarshamn, Kalmar, Sweden

Notable people

 * The sculptor Gustav Vigeland (1869–1943) was born in Mandal, and has a museum dedicated to him here. Vigeland's main achievement is the Vigeland Sculpture Park (Vigelandsparken) in Oslo.
 * The painter Adolph Tidemand (1814–1876) was also born in Mandal. His most famous painting is the national romantic image of a traditional wedding on the Hardangerfjorden, which he made together with Hans Gude.

title: Mandal (municipality)