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Øyer

Øyer is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tingberg. The two largest villages in the municipality are Granrudmoen and Tretten.

The 640 km2 municipality is the 182nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Øyer is the 180th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 5,161. The municipality's population density is 8.4 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 1.2% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Øier (later spelled Øyer) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1867, a small area of Øier (population: 40) was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Gausdal. The borders of Øyer have not changed since that time.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Øier farm (Øyja / accusative case and dative case) since the first Øyer Church had been located there for centuries. The name comes from the word øyi (nominative case). Two lakes in Norway had the name Øyi(r) in Old Norse times (now called Øymark and Øyeren), and these names are derived from the word which means "flat and fertile land along the edge of the water". This name is probably given to this area because the Gudbrandsdalslågen river widens out in the central part of the municipality and creates two river-lakes (called the Jemnefjorden and Gildbusfjorden). Øyi was probably the old name of one (or both) of these "fjords". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Øier. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Øyer.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 29 April 1983. The official blazon is "Vert, a wooden staple argent" (I grønt ei sølv helder). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a wooden staple hegd or helder). 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. This is a type of ring or staple that was historically made of wood and it was used to fasten a tree trunk to a rope in order to haul it over the land. Similar devices were used all over Norway, but this particular shape is typical for this area. The arms were designed by Ola T. Rybakken. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms, but the staple design is off-center on the flag.

Churches
The Church of Norway has two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Øyer. It is part of the Sør-Gudbrandsdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

History
The Black Death reached Norway in the winter of 1349-1350. Øyer was one of the parishes that was most severely impacted. Estimates based on tax payments suggest that between 66 and 75% of all residents died. Many of the farms there became deserted farms (ødegårder), which remained vacant until the late 17th century. The Tretten Church parish (which had been a separate parish from Øyer) was merged with the Øyer Church parish after the Black Death, because the decimated population of Tretten no longer could maintain their own priest.

Economy
Øyer has traditionally been a farming and logging municipality.

Recreation is increasingly important economically. Since it opened in 1989, Øyer's Hafjell Alpine Ski Center has grown to include 15 lifts (with an additional in construction) and 28 runs as wells as extensive cross-country skiing runs. It is located about 15 km from the town of Lillehammer, making it very accessible to a larger population. Tobogganing, luge, and bobsled racing (on the 1994 Olympic course) are also found in the area.

Government
Øyer 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Øyer 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.

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

 * 1838-1854: Amund Tande
 * 1884-1886: Ole Moe
 * 1897-1901: Ole Torgersen Gillebo (V)
 * 1902-1910: Christian Mageli
 * 1911-1916: Ole Torgersen Gillebo (V)
 * 1917-1919: Kristian Bjørnstad
 * 1920-1922: M. Lunke (Bp)
 * 1923-1925: Ole Torgersen Gillebo (V)
 * 1926-1931: O. Hageløkken (AD)
 * 1932-1934: John Vedum (Bp)
 * 1935-1941: Tor Mageli (Bp)
 * 1945-1946:	Tor Mageli (Bp)
 * 1946-1947: Ole Hageløkken (V)
 * 1948-1955: Erl. Skjønsberg (Bp)
 * 1956-1959: Einar Bræin (V)
 * 1960-1975: Lars Bjerke (Sp)
 * 1976-1979: Geir Korslund (Ap)
 * 1980-1983: Einar Moe (Sp)
 * 1984-1987: Arne Bueie (Ap)
 * 1988–1995: Ola Prestegarden (Sp)
 * 1996-1999: Rigmor Aarø Spiten (Sp)
 * 1999-2007: Ole Hageløkken (Ap)
 * 2007-2015: Mari Botterud (H)
 * 2015–2019: Brit Kramprud Lundgård (Ap)
 * 2019–2023: Jon Halvor Midtmageli (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Anne Marie Sveipe (H)

Geography
Øyer municipality is bordered by Ringebu Municipality to the north, Stor-Elvdal Municipality to the east, Ringsaker Municipality to the southeast, Lillehammer Municipality to the south, and Gausdal Municipality to the west. The municipality is divided into two parishes: Øyer in the south and Tretten in the north.

The municipality is located in the Gudbrandsdal valley, through which the Gudbrandsdalslågen river flows. The lake Losna is partially located in the municipality.

Notable people

 * Anders Lysgaard (1756 in Tretten – 1827), a farmer, sheriff, and representative at the Norwegian Constituent Assembly
 * Johannes Skar (1837 in Øyer - 1914), a Norwegian educator and folklorist
 * Matias Skard (1846 at Øyer - 1927), a philologist, educator, psalmist, and essayist
 * Anton Kraabel (1862 in Øyer – 1934), the 11th Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota in the USA
 * Simon Johnson (1874 in Øyer – 1970), a Norwegian-American newspaper editor and author
 * Ottar Grepstad (born 1953 in Øyer), a Norwegian Nynorsk writer
 * Kjetil-Vidar Haraldstad (born 1973 in Øyer), a drummer in black metal bands Satyricon and 1349

Sport

 * Ole Stenen (1903 in Øyer – 1975), a Nordic skier and silver medallist at the 1932 Winter Olympics
 * Erling Jevne (born 1966), a skier who was a team gold and silver medallist at the 1998 Winter Olympics
 * Roger Hjelmstadstuen (born 1979 in Øyer), a retired snowboarder who competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics
 * Aleksander Melås (born 1998 in Øyer), a retired Norwegian luger

Twin towns – sister cities
Øyer has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * 🇸🇪 Färgelanda, Sweden
 * 🇫🇮 Muhos, Finland

title: Øyer


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Gausdal

Gausdal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Follebu. Other villages in Gausdal include Segelstad, Forset, and Svingvoll.

The 1191 km2 municipality is the 91st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Gausdal is the 157th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 6,129. The municipality's population density is 5.3 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 0.2% over the previous 10-year period.

Logging, farming, and tourism are important industries in the municipality.

General information
The parish of Gausdal was established as a civil municipality on 1 January 1738 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1867, a small area of neighboring Øyer Municipality (population: 40) was transferred into Gausdal. In 1879, the municipality of Gausdal was divided into two separate municipalities: Vestre Gausdal in the northwest (population: 2,362) and Østre Gausdal in the southeast (population: 5,911). On 27 July 1956, a small area of Sør-Fron municipality (population: 7) was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Vestre Gausdal. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, the two municipalities of Vestre Gausdal (population: 2,590) and Østre Gausdal (population: 3,942) were merged into a new Gausdal Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Gausdalen valley (Gausdalr) since the municipality is located in the valley. The first element is named after the river Gausa which flows through the valley. The river name comes from the verb which means to "gush", "burst out", or "stream forcefully". The last element is which means "valley" or "dale".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 19 September 1986. The official blazon is "Per fess azure and argent, a single stair step section slanting outwards" (Delt av blått og sølv ved enkelt trappesnitt skrått utover). This means the arms have are divided with a line that is divided horizontally in the shape of a stairstep that is slanting to the right. The field (background) above the line has a tincture of blue. Below 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 arms were designed to mimic the shape of one of the main mountains in the municipality, Skeikampen. The bottom argent part represents the snowy mountain and the top blue part represents the sky. The arms were designed by Inger Line Thallaug. 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 Gausdal. It is part of the Sør-Gudbrandsdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

History
The old Follebu Church was built of stone in the early Middle Ages (around 1250). It is unusual in that the chancel and nave were built as one continuous piece.

In the 1880s, there was mining for nickel in the Espedalen valley in the northwest part of the municipality. The search for nickel was taken up again in 2004 by Blackstone Venture, a Canadian company. As of 2006, they are still drilling for mineral samples only.

Geography

Gausdal is bordered on the northwest by Sør-Fron Municipality, on the northeast by Ringebu Municipality and Øyer Municipality, on the southeast by Lillehammer Municipality, on the south by Nordre Land Municipality, and on the southwest by Nord-Aurdal Municipality and Øystre Slidre Municipality.

The famous Peer Gynt mountain road begins here and leads to the town of Vinstra.

A popular ski area is located on the south slope of Skeikampen mountain.

Western tributaries of the Gudbrandsdalslågen river include the Gausa River, which flows through Gausdalen valley. The lake Dokkfløyvatn is located in the municipality.

Norway's smallest national park, Ormtjernkampen National Park, lies within the municipality.

Government
Gausdal 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Gausdal is made up of 23 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 Gausdal since its establishment in 1962:

 * 1962-1970: Reidar Engjom (Ap)
 * 1970-1975: Bjørn Midtlien (Ap)
 * 1976-1982: Kristian Baukhol (Ap)
 * 1983-1991: Nils Nygard (Ap)
 * 1992-1993: Liv Røe Johnsen (SV)
 * 1994–2001: Inger Enger (Sp)
 * 2001-2007: Olav Olstad (Sp)
 * 2007-2011: Mona B. Nicolaysen (Sp)
 * 2011-2019: Hans Oddvar Høistad (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Anette Musdalslien (Sp)

Public service

 * Abraham Pihl (1756 in Gausdal – 1821), a Norwegian clergyman, astronomer, and architect
 * Hakon Adelsteen Sommerfeldt (1811 in Gausdal – 1888), a Norwegian naval officer and ship designer
 * Sigurd Fougner (1879 in Østre Gausdal – 1959), a Norwegian Supreme Court judge
 * Reidar Engjom, (Norwegian Wiki) (1907 - Gausdal - 1970), a Norwegian politician

The Arts

 * Simen Fougner (1701 in Follebu – 1783), a Norwegian farmer, poet, and non-fiction writer
 * Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832–1910), a Norwegian author and Nobel Prize in Literature winner in 1903; lived in Aulestad in Follebu, 1874-1910
 * Iver Holter (1850 in Gausdal – 1941), a composer and conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra from 1882-1886
 * Ole Amundsen Buslett (1855 in Gausdal – 1924), a Norwegian-American author, newspaperman, and politician
 * Clara Tschudi (1856–1945), a Norwegian writer who lived in Gausdal
 * Hans Aanrud (1863–1953), a writer of plays, poetry, and stories of rural life in Gudbrandsdalen; raised in Auggedalen
 * Inge Krokann (1893 – 1962 in Gausdal), a writer who wrote idiosyncratic nynorsk works
 * Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen (1903–1984), a violinist and composer of Norwegian folk tunes; lived in Gausdal from 1947-1966
 * Magne Elvestrand (1914 in Østre Gausdal – 1991), a pianist, harpsichordist, and organist
 * Else Kveine, (Norwegian Wiki) (1933 in Gausdal - 2013), a Norwegian poet

Sport

 * Christen Smed, (Norwegian Wiki) (1797 in Gausdal - 1846), a mountaineer who climbed Romsdalshornet
 * Mattis Stenshagen (born 1996 in Follebu), a Norwegian cross-country skier

Sister cities
Gausdal has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * 🇸🇪 – Mora, Dalarna County, Sweden

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

title: Gausdal


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Friedrich Theodor Vischer

Friedrich Theodor Vischer (30 June 1807 – 14 September 1887) was a German novelist, poet, playwright, and writer on the philosophy of art. Today, he is mainly remembered as the author of the novel Auch Einer, in which he developed the concept of Die Tücke des Objekts (the spite of objects), a comic theory that inanimate objects conspire against humans.

Biography
Born at Ludwigsburg as the son of a clergyman, Vischer was educated at Tübinger Stift, and began life in his father's profession. He became Privatdozent in aesthetics and German literature at his old university in 1835, was advanced to extraordinary professor two years later, and was appointed to full professor in 1844. Due to his outspoken inaugural address he was suspended for two years by the Württemberg government. In this enforced leisure he wrote the first two volumes of his Aesthetik, oder Wissenschaft des Schönen (1846), the fourth and last volume of which did not appear till 1857.

Vischer threw himself heartily into the great German political movement of 1848-49, and shared the disappointment of patriotic democrats at its failure. In 1855 he became professor at Zürich. In 1866, his fame being now established, he was invited back to Germany with a professorship at Tübingen combined with a post at the Polytechnikum of Stuttgart. He died at Gmunden on 14 September 1887.

Critical legacy
Vischer was not an original thinker, and his monumental Aesthetik, in spite of industry and learning, has not the higher qualities of success. He attempts the hopeless task of explaining art by the Hegelian dialectic. Starting with the definition of beauty as "the idea in the form of limited appearance," he goes on to develop the various elements of art (the beautiful, sublime and comic), and the various forms of art (plastic art, music and poetry) by means of the Hegelian antitheses—form and content, objective and subjective, inner conflict and reconciliation. The shape of the work also is Hegelian, consisting of short highly technical paragraphs containing the main argument, followed by detailed explanations printed in different type.

Still, Vischer had a thorough knowledge of every branch of art, except music. Much valuable material is buried in his volumes.

In later life Vischer moved considerably away from Hegelianism, and adopted the conceptions of sensuous completeness and cosmic harmony as criteria of beauty; but he never found time to rewrite his great book. According to Chisholm, 'His own work as a literary artist is of high quality; vigorous, imaginative and thoughtful without academic technicality.'

He would not abstain from grossly unfair remarks, e. g. in vol. 2 of Auch Einer: "In der lächerlichsten aller Kultursprachen hat Shakespeare geschrieben" about English (Shakespeare wrote in the most ridiculous of all civilized languages), or "Übrigens war der Taugenichts Beyle ein Narr" on Stendhal (Besides, the good-for-nothing Beyle was a fool).

Selected works

 * Ueber das Erhabene und Komische und andere Texte zur Philosophie des Schönen, 1837
 * Kritische Gänge, 1844
 * Aesthetik oder Wissenschaft des Schönen. In six parts, 1846
 * Kritische Gänge. Neue Folge. In six parts, 1860
 * Faust. Der Tragödie dritter Teil (under the pseudonym Deutobold Symbolizetti Allegoriowitsch Mystifizinsky), a parody of Goethe's Faust: The Second Part of the Tragedy, 1862
 * Mein Lebensgang, autobiography, 1874
 * Auch Einer. Eine Reisebekanntschaft, novel, 1879 (Digital edition in two volumes from 1900 by the University and State Library Düsseldorf)
 * Altes und Neues, 1881
 * Lyrische Gänge, poetry, 1882
 * Nicht Ia. Schwäbisches Lustspiel in drei Aufzügen, comedy, 1884
 * Altes und Neues. Neue Folge, 1889

A complete list of Vischer's works is available on the German Wikipedia.

title: Friedrich Theodor Vischer


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Østre Toten

Østre Toten is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Toten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lena. Other villages in the municipality include Kapp, Kolbu, Kraby, Lensbygda, Nordlia, Skreia, and Sletta.

The 563 km2 municipality is the 193rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Østre Toten is the 83rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 14,896. The municipality's population density is 30.7 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 0.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Østre Toten was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1875, there was a border change between Vestre Toten Municipality and Østre Toten Municipality. On 1 January 1896, a small area of Østre Toten (population: 49) was transferred to the neighboring Vardal Municipality. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the neighboring Kolbu Municipality (population: 2,909) was merged with Østre Toten to form a new, larger Østre Toten Municipality.

Etymology
The municipality is named Østre Toten after the district of Toten (Þótn). The name is identical with the word Þótn which has an uncertain meaning, but it might be from the word þóttr which means "the pleasant district" or "something one likes". The parish of Toten was divided into two parts (eastern and western) in 1825 and the first word, was added to signify that this was the "eastern" part, thus the name was Østre Toten which means "(the) eastern (part of) Toten".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 27 March 1987. The official blazon is "Vert, a potato plant argent" (I grønt en sølv potetplante). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a potato plant. The potato plant 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 green color in the field symbolizes the importance of agriculture in the municipality and the potato was chosen since that is a particularly important crop that is grown in the municipality. The arms were designed by Arne Løvstand. 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 Østre Toten. It is part of the Toten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Geography
Østre Toten is bordered to the west by Vestre Toten, to the north by Gjøvik, as well as by Hurdal and Eidsvoll in neighboring Akershus county. The highest peak is Torsæterkampen with a height of 841 m.

Settlement in Østre Toten is predominantly dispersed. In January 2015, 42.6% of the population lived in areas defined as urban settlements by Statistics Norway, compared to 81% for Norway as a whole. The urban settlements in Østre Toten are Kapp, Kolbu, Lena, Lensbygda, Nordlia, Skreia and Sletta.

History
According to the sagas, Halfdan Hvitbeinn (Whiteleg) was the first Yngling in Norway. He conquered Romerike, part of Hedmark, part of Vestfold, and Toten. He was killed in Toten around the year 740.

In 1021, according to saga, King Olaf (reigned 1015–1028) converted Toten to Christianity. Also, King Håkon IV (reigned 1217–1263) came to Toten around the year 1226 to settle local unrest.

Christian II (1481–1559) was a Danish monarch and King of Denmark and Norway from 1513–1523 and also the King of Sweden from 1520–1521, under the Kalmar Union. Prior to becoming king, Duke Christian was sent to Norway in 1506 by John II (also called Hans), King of Norway (1483–1513) to take charge of the kingdom. In 1507, he became aware of a revolt in Hedmark. In early 1508, he took a force there, routing the rebellion. He then rowed across lake Mjøsa to Toten, capturing residents, imprisoning them in the vaulted cellar of the rectory in Østre Toten and torturing them there. As a result, he determined that Bishop Karl of Hamar had been behind the rebellion. With Bishop Karl as his captive, he was able to suppress the unrest.

Toten was a part of Akershus county until 1756, when it became part of Oppland county. Lauritz Weidemann, Corporal Peder Balke, and Niels Dyhren from Toten attended the 1814 constitutional convention at Eidsvold.

Government
Østre Toten 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Østre Toten 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 of Østre Toten:

 * 1838-1847: Peder Fauchald
 * 1848-1849: Ole Larsen Hammerstad
 * 1850-1856: Peder Fauchald
 * 1856-1861: Ole Larsen Hammerstad
 * 1862-1865: Jacob Brager
 * 1866-1869: Hans Henrik Thaulow Borchgrevink
 * 1870-1871: Ole Larsen Hammerstad
 * 1872-1875: Carl Schjøll
 * 1876-1877: Hans Laurits O. Hammerstad
 * 1878-1893: Martin Adolf Andersen
 * 1894-1897: Peder Madsen Wang
 * 1898-1907: Adolf Rogneby
 * 1908-1910: Peder Madsen Wang (LL)
 * 1911-1913: Even Fodstad (LL)
 * 1914-1922: Ole Weflen (AD)
 * 1923-1925: Kristian Ørud (Bp)
 * 1926-1928: Even Fodstad (Bp)
 * 1929-1931: Ole Aass (Bp)
 * 1932-1934: Ole Festad (Bp)
 * 1935-1940: Einar Hermanrud (Ap)
 * 1941-1943: Hans Rognerud (NS)
 * 1943-1945: Nils Lundbæk (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Per Gjestvang (NS)
 * 1945-1967: Einar Hermanrud (Ap)
 * 1968-1975: Fredrik Bredli (Ap)
 * 1976-1983: Johan Nygaard (Ap)
 * 1984-1991: Helge Røragen (Ap)
 * 1992-1995: Hans Bjerregård (Ap)
 * 1996-2003: Tor Finstad (Sp)
 * 2004-2015: Hans Seierstad (Sp)
 * 2015-2019: Guri Bråthen (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Bror Helgestad (Sp)

Climate
Østre Toten has a subarctic climate (Dfc). It is very close to a continental climate as September averages 9.7 C and May averages 9 C. Summer is the wettest time of year and winters are cold and snowy.

Economy
Østre Toten is one of the Innlandet's most productive farming municipalities. Østre Toten is Norway's largest producers of potatoes and onions. This is reflected in the municipality's coat of arms, which displays a potato plant. The KiMs factory (which produces potato chips) is located at Skreia.

Attractions
Among the town's most notable landmarks are the old Hoff Church and the rock carvings at Glemmestad near Kapp, now displayed in the Toten Museum.

Public Service

 * Ole Hannibal Sommerfelt (1753 at Sukkestad – 1821), a jurist, civil servant, and topographer
 * Lauritz Weidemann (1775 in Sukkestad – 1856), a Norwegian judge, civil servant, and politician
 * Niels Fredriksen Dyhren (1778 in Østre Toten – 1866) & Peder Paulsen Balke (1779 in Østre Toten –1840), farmers, non-commissioner military officers and representatives at the Norwegian Constitutional Assembly
 * Eduard Bøckmann (1849 in Østre Toten – 1927), a Norwegian-American ophthalmologist and physician
 * E. W. Everson (1857 in Hveem - 1931), a pioneer homesteader in Dakota Territory
 * Kristian Ørud (1878 at Skjefstad – 1946), a farmer and Mayor of Østre Toten in the 1920s
 * twins Adolf Bredo Stabell (1908 in Kolbu – 1996), a Norwegian diplomat & Peter Platou Stabell (1908 in Kolbu – 1992), a Norwegian barrister.
 * Atle Ørbeck Sørheim (born 1933 in Østre Toten), a Norwegian veterinarian and civil servant

The Arts

 * Peder Balke (1804–1887), a painter of romantic and dramatic landscapes, lived in Toten
 * Marie Wexelsen (1832 in Østre Toten – 1911), an educator, poet, children's writer, and novelist
 * Leif Solberg (1914 in Lena – 2016), a Norwegian classical composer and organist
 * Margit Sandemo (1924 in Lena – 2018), a Norwegian-Swedish historical fantasy author
 * Svein Erik Brodal (born 1939 in Østre Toten), an actor, theatre director, novelist and politician
 * Einar Steen-Nøkleberg (1944 in Østre Toten), a classical pianist and musical pedagogue
 * Inger Lise Rypdal (born 1949 in Lena), a Norwegian singer and actress
 * Maj Britt Andersen (born 1956 in Østre Toten), a Norwegian singer
 * Eldar Vågan (born 1960 in Kapp), a songwriter and guitarist in Vazelina Bilopphøggers
 * Knut Anders Sørum (born 1976 in Østre Toten), a singer at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004

Sport

 * Alv Gjestvang (1937 in Østre Toten − 2016), a speed skater, bronze and silver medallist at the 1956 & 1964 Winter Olympics
 * Arne Senstad (born 1969 in Kapp), a professional Norwegian handball coach
 * Ruben Gabrielsen (born 1992 in Lena), a professional footballer with over 200 club caps

Sister cities
Østre Toten has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * – Jammerbugt, Region Nordjylland, Denmark
 * 🇫🇮 – Kesälahti, Itä-Suomi, Finland
 * 🇸🇪 – Rättvik, Dalarna County, Sweden

title: Østre Toten


text:
Vestre Toten

Vestre Toten is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Toten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Raufoss. Other villages in the municipality include Bøverbru, Eina, and Reinsvoll.

The 251 km2 municipality is the 287th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Vestre Toten is the 88th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 13,635. The municipality's population density is 58.7 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 4.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Vestre Toten was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1875, there was a border adjustment between Østre Toten Municipality and Vestre Toten Municipality. On 1 January 1908, the municipality was divided into three parts: Kolbu Municipality (population: 2,412) in the southeast, Eina Municipality (population: 1,173) in the southwest, and Vestre Toten Municipality (population: 4,027) in the north. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the following areas were merged to form a new, larger Vestre Toten Municipality:
 * all of the old Vestre Toten Municipality (population: 9,113)
 * the Sørligrenda area of Vardal Municipality (population: 87)
 * all of the old Eina Municipality (population: 1,591)
 * the area on the south end of the lake Einavatnet from Gran Municipality (population: 12)

Name
The municipality is named Vestre Toten after the district of Toten (Þótn). The name is identical with the word Þótn which has an uncertain meaning, but it might be from the word þóttr which means "the pleasant district" or "something one likes". The parish of Toten was divided into two parts (eastern and western) in 1825 and the first word, was added to signify that this was the "western" part, thus the name was Vestre Toten which means "(the) western (part of) Toten".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 3 May 1991. The official blazon is "Vert, two knives argent in bend sinister points to base dexter" (I grønt to sølv kniver skråstilt venstre-høyre). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is two knives that are lined up diagonally (specifically a special locally-produced knife known as a Toten knife). 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 green color in the field symbolizes the local forests and agriculture and the knife was chosen since the area has a long tradition of wood carving and knife making. The arms were designed by Inge Rotevatn. 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 Vestre Toten. It is part of the Toten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Geography
Vestre Toten is located along the large lake Mjøsa. The municipality is bordered by Østre Toten Municipality to the east, Gjøvik Municipality to the north, Søndre Land Municipality to the west, and Gran Municipality to the southwest.

The highest point in the municipality is Lauvhøgda with a height of 722 m. The Hunnselva river runs through the lake Einavatnet and flows through the whole municipality before going into Gjøvik where it empties into the large lake Mjøsa.

History
According to the sagas, Halfdan Hvitbeinn (Whiteleg) was the first Yngling in Norway. He conquered Romerike, part of Hedmark, part of Vestfold, and Toten. He was killed in Toten around the year 740.

In 1021, according to saga, King Olaf (reigned 1015–1028) converted Toten to Christianity. Also, King Håkon IV (reigned 1217–1263) came to Toten around the year 1226 to settle local unrest.

Christian II (1481–1559) was a Danish monarch and King of Denmark and Norway from 1513 to 1523 and also the King of Sweden from 1520 to 1521, under the Kalmar Union. Prior to becoming king, Duke Christian was sent to Norway in 1506 by John II (also called Hans), King of Norway (1483–1513) to take charge of the kingdom. In 1507, he became aware of a revolt in Hedmark. In early 1508, he took a force there, routing the rebellion. He then rowed across lake Mjøsa to Toten, capturing residents, imprisoning them in the vaulted cellar of the rectory in Østre Toten and torturing them there. As a result, he determined that Bishop Karl of Hamar had been behind the rebellion. With Bishop Karl as his captive, he was able to suppress the unrest.

Toten was a part of Akershus county until 1756, when it became part of Oppland county. Lauritz Weidemann, Corporal Peder Balke, and Nels Dyhren from Toten attended the 1814 constitutional convention at Eidsvold.

Government
Vestre Toten 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Vestre Toten is made up of 31 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 Vestre Toten:

 * 1838-1843: Peder Tollefsen Hallingstad
 * 1844-1845: Johannes Johannessen Westrum
 * 1846-1847: Hans Lemmich Juell
 * 1848-1853: Wilhelm Christian Magelssen
 * 1854-1855: Christian Eilert Heyerdahl
 * 1856-1857: Johannes Johannessen Westrum
 * 1858-1865: Christian Grønland
 * 1866-1871: Lars Christiansen Blilie
 * 1872-1885: Ole Christian Præstesæter
 * 1886-1890: Peder Olsen Hohle
 * 1890-1891: L. A. Grefsrud
 * 1892-1893: Anton Jørgensen Røstøen
 * 1894-1895: Ole Christian Præstesæter
 * 1896-1901: Anton Jørgensen Røstøen
 * 1902-1907: Mathias Blilie (LL)
 * 1908-1916: Olav Larsson Gjørvad (AD)
 * 1917-1922: Peder Markus Hansen Nauf (AD)
 * 1923-1940: Severin Olsen (Ap)
 * 1940-1942: Hans Henrik Petersen (NS)
 * 1942-1945: Ole Thorsrud (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Severin Olsen (Ap)
 * 1946-1951: Helge Sunde (Ap)
 * 1952-1955: Hans J. Kjelsberg (Ap)
 * 1956-1979: Sigurd Østlien (Ap)
 * 1980-1995: Svein Erik Strandlie (Ap)
 * 1995-2011: Stein Knutsen (Ap)
 * 2011-2019: Leif Waarum (Ap)
 * 2019-2023: Stian Olafsen (Ap)
 * 2023-present: Tonje Bergum Jahr (Ap)

Economy
Farming and industry are important. Raufoss Aluminum is a major employer in the community. The Gjøvikbanen railway line passes through the community.

Notable people

 * Frøis Frøisland (1883 in Raufoss – 1930), a Norwegian newspaper correspondent and editor
 * Karsten Gaarder (1902 in Vestre Toten – 1980), a Justice of the Supreme Court of Norway
 * Halfdan Hegtun (1918–2012), a radio personality, comedian, writer, and former politician
 * Aud Blegen Svindland (1928 in Vestre Toten – 2019), a physician and women's rights activist
 * Ronni Le Tekrø (born 1963), a guitarist with hard rock band TNT who lives in Raufoss
 * Bente Nordby (born 1974 in Raufoss), a former Norwegian football goalkeeper with 172 caps for Norway women

title: Vestre Toten


text:
Jevnaker

Jevnaker is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Jevnaker with a population of 4,302.

The parish of Jævnaker was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The area of Lunner was separated from the municipality of Jevnaker on 1 January 1898 to form a municipality of its own. From 2020 to 2023 the municipality belonged to Viken county, it was Oppland before that.

The municipality is (together with Gran and Lunner) a part of the Hadeland traditional region. The Hadeland region has a population of about 30,000. The region spreads over a large area including several villages and towns.

Name and coat-of-arms
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Jevnaker farm (Old Norse: Jafnakr), since the first church was built here. The first element is jafn which means "even" or "flat" and the last element is akr which means "field" or "acre". Prior to 1889, the name was written "Jævnaker".

The coat-of-arms is from modern times, granted in 1983. The arms show three silver-colored glasses, since glassblowing has been a long tradition and industry in the municipality (see Hadeland Glassverk). The red colour of the background was also chosen as the colour of the glass when hot.

Geography
Jevnaker is situated at the southern end of the Randsfjorden. The municipality is bordered to the north by the municipality of Gran, to the east by Lunner, and to the southwest by Ringerike (in Buskerud county).

Jevnaker municipality has an area of 224 km2, measuring 25.5 km on a north–south axis and 21 km on an east–west axis. The municipality lies in the extreme south of Oppland county.

The highest point is Svarttjernshøgda with a height of 717 m.

Economy
Jevnaker is home to Hadeland Glassverk, an old glassblowing factory with over 600,000 visitors each year, ranking it as the third most popular tourist destination in Norway.

The Kistefos Træsliberi, an industrial museum with a very impressive Art collection, is also located in Jevnaker

Demographics
In 2015, 96 inhabitants had Polish parents and/or were Polish (themselves); 66 had Lithuanian parents and/or were Lithuanian.

Notable people

 * Ulrik Frederik Lange (1808 in Jevnaker – 1878) educator and Mayor of Lillehammer, 1850's & 60's
 * Carl M. Rynning-Tønnesen (1924 in Jevnaker – 2013) police chief of Kristiansand 1979 to 1992
 * Kjell Knudsen (born 1931 in Jevnaker) civil servant and county mayor of Akershus, 1969 to 1975
 * Tor Bomann-Larsen (born 1951 in Jevnaker) a children's writer, non-fiction writer and novelist
 * Jonas Rønning (born 1970 in Jevnaker) a Norwegian comedian, actor and cabaret artist

title: Jevnaker


text:
Lunner

Lunner is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hadeland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Roa. Lunner was established when it was separated from the municipality of Jevnaker on 1 January 1898. From 1 January 2020 the municipality belongs to Viken county, it was Oppland before that.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Lunner farm (Old Norse: Lunnar), since the first church was built here. The name is the plural form of lunnr "log". (The farm and the church are located on a long hill which was probably compared to a log.)

Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 4 April 1986. The arms show a Lily of the Valley, as a symbol for the forests in the area. The Lily of the Valley is a very common flower in the meadows and forests. The flowers also symbolize the eight schools in the municipality.

Geography
Lunner is bordered to the north by the municipality of Gran, to the east by Nannestad, to the south by Nittedal and Oslo, and to the west by Jevnaker. There are several population centers in the municipality. Amongst these are: Harestua, Grua, Roa, and the village of Lunner.

Lunner is 23 km on a north–south axis (23.1 km with water included) and 16.2 km on an east–west axis. It lies at the southern end of Oppland county. The highest point is the Bislingflaka with a height of 691 m. Lakes in the region include Avalsjøen.

Transportation
The Gjøvikbane and Bergensbane railway lines pass through the municipality.

Attractions

 * Lunner church
 * Hadeland Mining Museum at Grua
 * Harestua Solar Observatory, near Piperen
 * Kloppstock Music Festival used to be held every summer at Harestua

Notable residents

 * Trond Halvorsen Wirstad (1904 in Lunner – 1985) politician, Mayor of Lunner, 1947–1951
 * Ivar Ballangrud (1904 in Lunner - 1969), a speed skater, triple gold medalist at the 1936 Winter Olympics
 * Josef Monsrud (1922 in Harestua – 2009) a forester and resistance member during WWII
 * Jorun Askersrud Nygaard (1929 in Lunner – 2012) a cross-country skier and track and field athlete
 * Knut Schreiner (born 1974) stage name "Euroboy" from the punk rock band Turbonegro, grew up in Harestua
 * Ivar Rønningen (born 1975 in Lunner) a former footballer with over 200 club caps
 * Steinar Strømnes (born 1987 in Roa) a footballer with over 300 club caps

Sister cities
The following cities are twinned with Lunner:
 * - Frederikssund, Region Hovedstaden, Denmark
 * 🇪🇪 - Keila, Harju County, Estonia
 * 🇫🇮 - Loppi, Etelä-Suomi, Finland
 * 🇸🇪 - Vetlanda, Jönköping County, Sweden

title: Lunner


text:
Gran, Norway

is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Hadeland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Jaren. Other villages in Gran include Bjoneroa, Brandbu, Egge, Gran, and Ringstad.

The 757 km2 municipality is the 148th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Gran is the 89th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 13,568. The municipality's population density is 20.7 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 0.1% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The prestegjeld of Gran was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1874, an unpopulated area of Gran Municipality was transferred to the neighboring Jevnaker Municipality. On 1 January 1897, the municipality was divided into two. The northern part of the municipality (population: 4,719) became the new municipality of Brandbu and the southern part of the municipality (population: 3,897) remained as Gran municipality. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, the Furulund area of Gran on the west side of the lake Randsfjorden (population: 180) was transferred to the neighboring Jevnaker Municipality. Also on that date, the remaining part of Gran (population: 5,249) was merged with Brandbu Municipality (population: 6,477) to form a new, larger Gran Municipality. On 1 January 1964, the part of Gran located at the south end of the lake Einavatnet (population: 12) was transferred to the neighboring Vestre Toten Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Gran farm (Grǫn). The name is identical with the word which means "spruce tree".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 11 December 1987. The official blazon is "Gules, two piles reversed from each emerges a cross bottony Or" (I rødt to gull spisser som ender i kløverbladkors). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is two triangles stretching upwards with a bottony cross on the tip of each triangle. 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 triangles and crosses were meant to represent the spires of the medieval Sister Churches which are located in the municipality. The arms were designed by Kari Ruud Flem from Jevnaker. 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 Gran. It is part of the Hadeland og Land prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

History
Granavollen is the site of the Sister Churches (Søsterkirkene). These two stone churches are from the Middle Ages and were constructed side by side. The smaller and older is the Mariakirke, a single nave church built in the Romanesque style, built sometime before 1150. The neighbouring Nikolaikirke is a three-aisled basilica, probably inspired by the construction of the St. Halvardskirke in Oslo. It was built sometime between 1150 and 1200. According to local folklore, the churches were built by two sisters. These two detested each other so much they could not share the same church. A more likely explanation however, is that the Mariakirke was built for the local congregation, while the Nikolaikirke was the main church for Hadeland parish. The Granavollen stone is located behind the Nikolaikirken.

The Old Tingelstad Church (Tingelstad St.Petri Kirke) is another medieval stone church. It is a Romanesque stone church, dated to the 12th century and dedicated to St.Peter. This church has survived even though it has not been in regular use for some 140 years.

This is also the location of Hadeland Folkemuseum with a collection of buildings from the area, farm implements, a grave mound from the Viking Age, and a replica of the 11th century Dynna Runestone (Dynnasteinen). It also holds an archive of photographs and documents.

Economy
In 2002, the economy of the municipality was NOK24,098 in free income per inhabitant, and the net debt per inhabitant was NOK41,835 (also municipal economy, not private). Health care spending represents about one-third of the total municipal budget, which is 7.5% higher than the average for Norway. The Norwegian National Road 4 runs through the most populated parts of Gran, bringing lots of transportation traffic.

Geography
Gran is part of the Hadeland region. It is bordered to the north by the municipalities of Søndre Land and Vestre Toten (in Innlandet county), to the east by Hurdal and Nannestad, to the south by Lunner and Jevnaker, and to the west by Ringerike. There are several lakes in Gran including Øyangen, Randsfjorden, and Vestre Bjonevatnet.

Government
Gran 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Gran is made up of 27 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 Gran (incomplete list):

 * 1838-1839: Carl Jacob Bergh
 * 1856-1861: Amund Larsen Gulden
 * 1864-1867: Amund Larsen Gulden
 * 1945-1946: Olaf Prestsæter (Bp)
 * 1946-1948: Paul A. Grini (Bp)
 * 1948-1951: Axel Moger (Ap)
 * 1952-1954: Lars Skovly (Ap)
 * 1955-1956: Axel Bråten (Ap)
 * 1956-1959: Torgrim Dynna (Bp)
 * 1960-1961: Kristian Torgalsen (Ap)
 * 1962-1965: Jens Røisli (Ap)
 * 1966-1970: Alf Skovly (Ap)
 * 1970-1979: Gunnar Sagbakken (Ap)
 * 1980-1995: Lars Arne Høydal (Ap)
 * 1996–2005: Rigmor Aasrud (Ap)
 * 2005-2007: Roald Braathen (Ap)
 * 2007-2011: Inger Staxrud (LL)
 * 2011-2015: Knut Magnar Lehre (Ap)
 * 2015–2019: Willy Westhagen (LL)
 * 2019–2023: Randi Eek Thorsen (Ap)
 * 2023-present: Gunn Elisabeth Alm Thoresen (Ap)

Sister cities
Gran has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * - Favrskov, Region Midtjylland, Denmark
 * 🇸🇪 - Kungsbacka, Halland County, Sweden
 * 🇺🇬 - Lugazi, Kampala District, Uganda
 * 🇺🇬 - Mukono, Mukono District, Uganda
 * 🇪🇪 - Pärnu, Pärnu County, Estonia
 * 🇫🇮 - Saarijärvi, Länsi-Suomi, Finland

Notable people

 * Cally Monrad (1879 in Gran – 1950), a Norwegian singer, actress, and poet
 * Hans Stenseth (1896 in Gran – 1994), a leading Norwegian flautist
 * Kristian Horn (1903 in Brandbu – 1981), a Norwegian botanist, academic, and humanist
 * Kirsten Langbo (1909 in Gran – 1996), a children's writer, singer-songwriter, and entertainer
 * Ulla-Mari Brantenberg (born 1947), a Norwegian glass artist who lives in Brandbu
 * Espen Reinertsen (born 1979 in Gran), a saxophonist, flutist, composer, and music producer

Sport

 * Sverre Fredheim (1907 in Gan – 1981), an American Olympic skier
 * Torstein Seiersten (born 1931 in Brandbu), a retired speed skater who competed at the 1956 & 1960 Winter Olympics
 * Trond-Arne Bredesen (born 1967 in Gran), a Nordic combined skier who competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics

title: Gran, Norway


text:
Søndre Land

Søndre Land is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Land. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hov. Other villages in the municipality include Fluberg and Odnes.

The 728 km2 municipality is the 156th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Søndre Land is the 171st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 5,564. The municipality's population density is 8.4 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 2.4% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The old Land Municipality was established on 1 January 1838 after the formannskapsdistrikt law went into effect. This municipality was quite large and in less than a decade, the municipality was divided. In 1847, the old Land Municipality was divided into Nordre Land (population: 4,595) in the north and Søndre Land (population: 4,604) in the south. On 1 January 1868, a part of Søndre Land (population: 340) was transferred to Nordre Land. On 1 January 1900, an unpopulated area of Søndre Land was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Vardal.

On 1 January 1914, Søndre Land municipality was divided into two municipalities: Fluberg (population: 2,027) in the north and Søndre Land (population: 3,374) in the south. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, the municipality of Søndre Land (population: 4,339) was merged with most of the neighboring municipality of Fluberg (population: 2,110).

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the historical district of Land (Land) which was once a petty kingdom of its own. The name is identical to the word which means "land". In 1847, when the old Land Municipality was divided, the municipality was named Søndre Land, using the old name plus the word which means "southern", therefore the name means "(the) southern (part of) Land".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 21 June 1985. The official blazon is "Azure, three branched tree trunks in bend Or" (I blått tre skråstilte kvistede gull trestammer). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is three branched tree trunks lined up diagonally. 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 blue color in the field symbolizes the water of the Randsfjorden which dominates the central part of the municipality. The tree trunks were chosen to symbolise the importance of forestry and the sawmills in the municipality. The arms were designed by Asbjørn Fladsrud. 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 Søndre Land. It is part of the Hadeland og Land prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Geography
Søndre Land is bordered on the north by Nordre Land Municipality, on the east by Gjøvik Municipality and Vestre Toten Municipality, on the west by Sør-Aurdal Municipality, and on the south by Gran Municipality in Innlandet county. It is also bordered to the west by Ringerike Municipality in Buskerud county.

Søndre Land is 39.2 km on a north–south axis and 31.3 km east-west. It lies in the south of Innlandet and on the northern end of the 4th largest lake in Norway, Randsfjorden. The highest elevation in the municipality is Skjellinghovde with a height of 856 m. The lake Vestre Bjonevatnet lies in the southwestern corner of the municipality.

Government
Søndre Land 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Søndre Land is made up of 17 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 Søndre Land:

 * 1847–1851 	Peder Pavels Aabel
 * 1852–1858 	Ole Hannibal Lie
 * 1859–1861 	Edvard Vilberg
 * 1862–1865 	Ole Hannibal Lie
 * 1866–1883 	Otto Emanuel Lie
 * 1884–1887 	Ole H. Lien
 * 1887–1907 	Ola Hofslien
 * 1908–1914 	Ole Martin Lappen (AD)
 * 1914–1919 	Wilhelm Eid
 * 1920–1922 	Johannes Hofslien (RF)
 * 1923–1928 	Jakob Nordli (NKP)
 * 1929-1933 	Martin Smeby (Ap)
 * 1934-1934 	Magnus Svendsen (Ap)
 * 1935-1935 	Bjarne Borgan (Ap)
 * 1935–1937 	Magnus Svendsen (Ap)
 * 1938–1940 	Marthinius Smerud (Ap)
 * 1946–1975: Bernt Skjølaas (Ap)
 * 1976–1982: Kåre Inngjerdingen (Ap)
 * 1982–1994: Bjørn Hansen (Ap)
 * 1994–1999: Ellen H. Magnussen (Ap)
 * 1999–2011: Reidar Eriksen (LL)
 * 2011–2019: Terje Odden (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Anne Hagenborg (Ap)

Notable people

 * Christian Ancher (1711-1765), a Norwegian merchant, timber trader, and ship owner
 * Peder Aadnes (1739–1792), a Norwegian rural painter
 * Jørgen Meinich (1820-1911), a Norwegian jurist and wood processor
 * Martin Smeby (1891-1975), a politician and mayor of Søndre Land in the 1930s
 * Ola Viker (1897-1942), a Norwegian novelist and lawyer
 * Håvard Narum (born 1944), a Norwegian journalist and author
 * Ola Skjølaas (1941-2006), a Norwegian veterinarian, civil servant, and politician
 * Per Blom (1946-2013), a Norwegian film director
 * Finn Thrana (1958–2006), a Norwegian barrister and civil servant for Nasjonal Samling
 * Ellen Andrea Wang (born 1986), a Norwegian jazz double bass player, singer, and composer

title: Søndre Land


text:
Nordre Land

Nordre Land is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Land. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dokka. Other villages in the municipality include Vest-Torpa, Nord-Torpa, Aust-Torpa, Fagerlund, and Nordsinni.

The 955 km2 municipality is the 122nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Nordre Land is the 151st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 6,527. The municipality's population density is 7.1 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 3.4% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The old Land Municipality was established on 1 January 1838 after the formannskapsdistrikt law went into effect. This municipality was quite large and in less than a decade, the municipality was divided. In 1847, the old Land Municipality was divided into Nordre Land (population: 4,595) in the north and Søndre Land (population: 4,604) in the south. On 1 January 1868, a part of Søndre Land (population: 340) was transferred to Nordre Land. On 1 January 1914, Nordre Land municipality was divided into two municipalities: Torpen (population: 2,219) in the north and Nordre Land (population: 2,570) in the south. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, the municipality of Nordre Land (population: 3,870) was merged with the neighboring municipality of Torpa (population: 2,620) and the Tranlia and Store Røen areas of the neighboring municipality of Fluberg (population: 196).

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the historical district of Land (Land) which was once a petty kingdom of its own. The name is identical to the word which means "land". In 1847, when the old Land Municipality was divided, the municipality was named Nordre Land, using the old name plus the word which means "northern", therefore the name means "(the) northern (part of) Land".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 20 November 1987. The official blazon is "Azure, two log-driving hooks Or addorsed issuant from the base" (I blått to oppvoksende adosserte gull fløterhaker). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is two hooks for log driving (brøtningshaker) which are aligned vertically like a mirror image. The charge has a tincture of Or (heraldry) which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The blue color in the field symbolizes the local rivers and lakes. The log driving hook was chosen because of the rich local traditions of forestry and log driving, including the vast number of log dams within the area. Tools were required for the log driving, and the local blacksmiths made pike poles. Every blacksmith created his own shape or design for the poles, and one of the most famous pike poles in Nordre Land was the design made by the blacksmith Kristian Halden. In addition to pike poles he made knives. The poles and knives were named "Hæillhakar" and "Hæillakniver" by the locals. It is the "Halden Pole" which has been the model for the municipal arms of Nordre Land. The arms were designed by Dag Magne Staurheim. 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 Nordre Land. It is part of the Hadeland og Land prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Geography
Nordre Land is located in the traditional district of Land. It is bordered on the north by Nord-Aurdal Municipality and Gausdal Municipality, on the northeast by Lillehammer Municipality, on the east by Gjøvik Municipality, on the south by Søndre Land Municipality, on the southwest by Sør-Aurdal Municipality, and on the west by Etnedal Municipality.

The river Etna flows from Etnedal and through western parts of the municipality down into the Randsfjorden. Lake Akksjøen is also in this area.

Government
Nordre Land 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Nordre Land is made up of 23 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 Nordre Land:

 * 1847-1848: Ole Hannibal Lie
 * 1849-1856: Arne Baggerud
 * 1857-1861: Johannes Sollien
 * 1862-1865: Halvard Hauk Alsing
 * 1866-1872: Johannes Frøsaker
 * 1872-1879: Haldor Eriksen Felde
 * 1880-1885: Oluf Kind
 * 1886-1887: Haldor Eriksen Felde
 * 1888-1890: G. Andersen
 * 1890-1910: Christian Snilsberg
 * 1911-1918: Nikolai Lien
 * 1919-1921: Torstein Rudi
 * 1922-1924: Henrik Hagen
 * 1925-1931: Torstein Rudi
 * 1932-1944: Nils Rognerud
 * 1946-1955: Odd Brekke (Ap)
 * 1956-1984: Hans Christian Endrerud (Ap)
 * 1984-1995: Nils Herman Sundby (Ap)
 * 1996-2002: Rolf Ødegård (Ap)
 * 2002-2004: Rolf Rønningen (Ap)
 * 2004–2015: Liv Solveig Alfstad (Ap)
 * 2015-present: Ola Tore Dokken (Sp)

Attractions

 * The rock carvings at Møllerstufossen are more than 6,000 years old. There are 11 carvings of moose, and also two that are more difficult to interpret. Sometime in the Stone Age this must have been an important place.
 * The Lands Museum is located in Dokka. About thirty buildings are reassembled in the area. In the main building from the Thomle farm there are rococo paintings on the walls by Peder Aadnes dating from about 1750.

Notable people

 * Jacob Sverdrup Smitt (1835–1889), a politician and bishop in the Diocese of Tromsø
 * Anna Rogstad (1845-1938), an educator, women's rights activist, and first woman elected to the Storting
 * Jens Bratlie (1856–1939), an attorney, military officer, and party leader
 * Linn T. Sunne (born 1971), a Norwegian children's writer

Sport

 * Ole Kolterud (1903–1974), a Norwegian skier who competed at the 1928 Winter Olympics
 * Sverre Kolterud (1908–1996), a Nordic combined skier who competed at the 1932 Winter Olympics
 * Rune Brattsveen (born 1984), a former Norwegian biathlete

title: Nordre Land


text:
Sør-Aurdal

Sør-Aurdal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bagn. Other villages in the municipality include Begna, Hedalen, and Begnadalen.

The 1109 km2 municipality is the 101st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sør-Aurdal is the 233rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,866. The municipality's population density is 2.7 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 8.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Søndre Aurdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1894, the new Etnedal Municipality was established by merging the eastern valley area of Nordre Etnedal (population: 362) from the neighboring Nordre Aurdal municipality and the Søndre Etnedal area (population: 1,331) from the neighboring municipality of Søndre Aurdal. Then on 1 January 1984, the unpopulated northern side of the Makalaus mountain was transferred from Sør-Aurdal to Nord-Aurdal.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Aurdalen valley (Aurardalr) since it was a central geographic feature of the area. The first word in the name is which is essentially a prefix that means "south". The second word comes from the local valley name. The first element of that word is the genitive case of the old river name, Aur, now named Bøaelva. The river name comes from the word which means "gravel". The last element of the second word is which means "valley" or "dale". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Søndre Aurdal. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Sør-Aurdal. Both and  mean "south" (more specifically, "søndre" means "southern"), so the name Sør-Aurdal means "(the) southern (part of) Aurdal". (The Church of Norway parish of Aurdal that had existed for centuries was divided into two in 1805, just over 30 years before the parish borders were used to defin the new municipality that was established in 1838.)

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted by royal decree on 9 February 1990. The official blazon is "Azure, a box reliquary Or" (I blått et gull relikvieskrin). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a reliquary. 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 show the silhouette of a gilt-copper medieval reliquary (chasse). It was designed to look like the one found in the Hedal Stave Church, except that this one has five blue arches which are inspired by the arches on a similar medieval chasse from the nearby medieval St. Thomas Church at Filefjell (now in the Bergen Museum) and representing the five Church of Norway parishes of the municipality (Bagn, Reinli, Hedalen, Bruflat, and Begnadalen). It also has two dragon heads in the design since Sør-Aurdal is one of only two municipalities in Norway that have two stave churches that are still in use. The color blue was chosen to represent the two river systems in the municipality that were historically important for the logging industry and sawmills in Sør-Aurdal. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen. 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 Sør-Aurdal. It is part of the Valdres prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Geography
Sør-Aurdal municipality is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Nord-Aurdal and Etnedal, on the northeast by Nordre Land, on the east by Søndre Land (all of which are in Innlandet county). It is also bordered on the south by Ringerike and Flå municipalities, and on the west by Nesbyen and Gol municipalities (all of which are in Buskerud).

Sør-Aurdal is part of the traditional district of Valdres in central, southern Norway, situated between the Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal valleys. Sør-Aurdal includes parts of several smaller valleys including Begnadalen, Hedalen, Vassfaret, and Vidalen. The river Begna is the main river flowing through the municipality.

History
Reinli Stave Church (built 1190-1250) is the third church on the same location in Reinli. A new tower was added in 1685 and the building was reconditioned by the Society for Preservation of Ancient Buildings in 1885.

Olaf Haraldsson traveled through Valdres in 1023, and also visited Reinli. It is assumed, then, that there was a pagan temple at the same location before the first church, some time before the year 1000.

Hedal Stave Church was built after 1160 and in 1699 it was rebuilt and changed. An old legend says the valley was abandoned during the Black Death and the church later discovered by a bear hunter. A hide is hanging in the church, although now there is only a small part left as visitors have cut away pieces over the years.

Government
Sør-Aurdal 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sør-Aurdal is made up of 19 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 Sør-Aurdal:

 * 1838-1842: Ole Ellingsen Østvold
 * 1842-1845: Christoffer Juckam
 * 1846-1849: Johan H. Corneliussen
 * 1850-1851: Lars K. Kirkeberg
 * 1852-1859: Erik Tidemandsen Wold
 * 1860-1860: John Nilsen Fjeld
 * 1860-1863: Lars K. Kirkeberg
 * 1864-1871: Mikkel Sörböen
 * 1872-1881: Erling Wold
 * 1882-1883: Ole G. Nerbye
 * 1884-1891: Erling Wold
 * 1892-1893: Ole M. Øvergaard
 * 1894-1898: Erling Wold
 * 1899-1904: Arne Fönhus, Jr.
 * 1905-1907: Erling Wold
 * 1908-1913: Ole M. Øvergaard
 * 1914-1919: Ole O. Tronrud
 * 1920-1925: Arne H. Grøv
 * 1926-1927: Kristoffer Eid
 * 1928-1931: Eirik Klemmetsrud
 * 1932-1940: Arne H. Grøv (V)
 * 1941-1944: Kristoffer Eid (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Arne H. Grøv (V)
 * 1946-1963: Harald Bakken (Ap)
 * 1964-1981: Hallgrim Tronrud (Ap)
 * 1982-1991: Kristoffer Storruste (Ap)
 * 1992-1999: Svein Thorsrud (Sp)
 * 1999-2007: Knut Torgersen (Ap)
 * 2007–2019: Kåre Helland (Sp)
 * 2019–present: Marit Hougsrud (Sp)

Attractions

 * Bagn Bygdesamling is a museum that is associated with Valdres Folkemuseum. It is located 8 km south of Bagn. It consists of twelve log houses and a building for permanent displays. A part of the museum is at Sandviken and the farm is Bagnsbergatn.
 * Bautahaugen Samlinger is another museum that is also associated with Valdres Folkemuseum. It is located in the middle of Hedalen. It consists of a collection of houses and items from Hedalen. The Hedal Stave Church is located just nearby.

Notable residents

 * Ola Hermundsen Berge (1768 in Sør-Aurdal - 1825), a Norwegian folk artist and rose painter
 * Hans Jacob Stabel (1769–1836), a priest in Sør-Aurdal in 1806 and a member of the constitutional assembly at Eidsvoll in 1814
 * Haldor Boen (1851 in Sør-Aurdal – 1912), an American congressman from Minnesota
 * Mikkjel Fønhus (1874 in Sør-Aurdal - 1973), a journalist, novelist, and short story writer about animals in the wilderness
 * Sigurd Islandsmoen (1881 in Bagn – 1964), a composer of music for the Church of Norway
 * Rolf Andvord (1890 in Sør-Aurdal – 1976), a Norwegian jurist and diplomat
 * Per Juvkam (1907 in Sør-Aurdal – 2003), a Lutheran Bishop of Bjørgvin from 1961-1977
 * Ruth Lagesen (1914 in Bagn – 2005), a Norwegian pianist and conductor
 * Morten Bakke (born 1968 in Hedalen), a retired football goalkeeper with over 300 club caps

title: Sør-Aurdal


text:
Etnedal

Etnedal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruflat.

The 459 km2 municipality is the 216th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Etnedal is the 315th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,239. The municipality's population density is 2.8 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 11.4% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Etnedal was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1894 by merging the eastern valley area of Nordre Etnedal (population: 362) from the neighboring Nordre Aurdal municipality and the Søndre Etnedal area (population: 1,331) from the neighboring municipality of Søndre Aurdal. On 1 January 1979, there was a border adjustment in an unpopulated area where part of Etnedal was transferred to Nord-Aurdal and another part of Nord-Aurdal that was transferred to Etnedal.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Etnedalen valley (Etnardalr) since it was a central geographic feature of the municipality. The first element is the genitive case of local Etna river Etn. The meaning of the river name is uncertain but it is possibly derived from which means to "push forward" or from  which means to "eat". The last element is which means "valley" or "dale". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Etnedalen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Etnedal, removing the definite form ending -en.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted by royal decree on 14 July 1989. The official blazon is "Azure, an arched bridge Or" (På blå grunn ei gull kvelvingsbru). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is an arched bridge. The bridge 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 were designed to symbolize the old Lunde bridge (Lundebru) which is one of the best preserved stone bridges in Norway. The bridge is now a national monument. It is also Northern Europe's largest dry stone-arch bridge. The bridge was built in 1829 on the Old King's Road connecting the cities of Oslo and Bergen. A portion of the king's road was refurbished and turned into a footpath in 1992 and is now a natural and cultural walking path. The arms were designed by Ivar Aars. 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 Etnedal. It is part of the Valdres prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Geography
Etnedal is part of the traditional district of Valdres in central, southern Norway, situated between the Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal valleys. Valdres also includes the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, and Vang. Etnedal is bordered to the east by Nordre Land Municipality, to the south by Sør-Aurdal Municipality, and on the west and north by Nord-Aurdal Municipality.

The river Etna flows through the municipality, then into Nordre Land municipality and then down into Randsfjorden. The mountain Spåtind lies in the northern part of the municipality.

Government
Etnedal 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Etnedal is made up of 15 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 Etnedal:

 * 1894–1900: Arild Huitfeldt Siewers
 * 1900–1901: Nils Hagaseth
 * 1901–1904: Erik Thon
 * 1904–1907: Aslak E. Bruflat
 * 1907–1913: Engebret Espelien
 * 1913–1919: Nils Nielsen
 * 1919–1922: Carl Christian Wishman
 * 1922–1925: Ole E. Bruflat (V)
 * 1925–1928: Martin Lundstein (V)
 * 1928–1931: Ole E. Bruflat (V)
 * 1931–1934: Engebret Haug
 * 1934–1937: Ole E. Bruflat (V)
 * 1937–1940: Torleiv Hodne (Ap)
 * 1940–1945: (Vacant due to the war)
 * 1946–1959: Iver K. Haug (V)
 * 1960–1967: Nicolai Hestekind (H)
 * 1968–1974: Ole Fløgum (Ap)
 * 1975-1975: Kristian Midthus (Sp)
 * 1976–1979: Alfred Steinset (KrF)
 * 1980–1983: Knut Engelien (Sp)
 * 1984–1999: Odd Byfuglien (Sp)
 * 1999–2014: Jan Arild Berg (Sp)
 * 2014–2019: Toril Grønbrekk (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Linda Mæhlum Robøle (Sp)

Economy
Occupations in the municipality include animal husbandry and logging, but there is also some industry and tourism.

Notable people

 * Sigurd Lybeck (1895 in Etnedal – 1975), a Norwegian writer, featured Jens von Bustenskjold
 * Iacob Dybwad Sømme (1898 in Etnedal – 1944), a Norwegian ichthyologist and resistance member
 * Ingjerd Thon Hagaseth (born 1967), a Norwegian politician and deputy mayor of Etnedal
 * Ingebjørg Saglien Bråten (born 1999 in Etnedal), a Norwegian ski jumper

title: Etnedal


text:
Nord-Aurdal

Nord-Aurdal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town Fagernes. Other urban centres in Nord-Aurdal include the villages of Aurdal, Leira, and Skrautvål. The municipality is served by Fagernes Airport, Leirin. In Nord-Aurdal, there is an alpine skiing center called Valdres Alpinsenter.

The 906 km2 municipality is the 128th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Nord-Aurdal is the 152nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 6,401. The municipality's population density is 7.5 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 0.1% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Nordre Aurdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1894, the new Etnedal Municipality was established by merging the eastern valley area of Nordre Etnedal (population: 362) from Nordre Aurdal municipality and the Søndre Etnedal area (population: 1,331) from the neighboring municipality of Søndre Aurdal. On 1 January 1979, there was a border adjustment in an unpopulated area where part of Etnedal was transferred to Nord-Aurdal and another part of Nord-Aurdal that was transferred to Etnedal. Then on 1 January 1984, the unpopulated northern side of the Makalaus mountain was transferred from Sør-Aurdal to Nord-Aurdal.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Aurdalen valley (Aurardalr) since it was a central geographic feature of the area. The first word in the name is which is essentially a prefix that means "north". The second word comes from the local valley name. The first element of that word is the genitive case of the old river name, Aur, now named Bøaelva. The river name comes from the word which means "gravel". The last element of the second word is which means "valley" or "dale". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Nordre Aurdal. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Nord-Aurdal. Both and  mean "north" (more specifically, "nordre" means "northern"), so the name Nord-Aurdal means "(the) northern (part of) Aurdal". (The Church of Norway parish of Aurdal that had existed for centuries was divided into two in 1805, just over 30 years before the parish borders were used to defin the new municipality that was established in 1838.)

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted by royal decree on 13 December 1985. The official blazon is "Or, three cinquefoils azure" (På gull grunn tre blå fembladingar, 2-1). 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 three five-petaled flowers. The arms show three blue flowers of the species Gentiana nivalis which are commonly called "Snow Gentian". The flowers, which are locally known as "the blue eyes of Christ", grow all over Norway, but they grow abundantly in this area. Three flowers were chosen to represent the three main settlements of the municipality: Aurdal, Fagernes, and Leira. This type of flower only opens in sunlight and heat, so it was chosen to symbolize being open and positive. The arms were designed by Bjørn Arnesen who based it off an idea by Ivar Aars. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has six parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Nord-Aurdal. It is part of the Valdres prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Geography
Nord-Aurdal municipality is located to the north of Sør-Aurdal Municipality, east of Etnedal Municipality and Gausdal Municipality, and south of Øystre Slidre Municipality and Vestre Slidre Municipality. To the west, it is bordered by Hemsedal Municipality and Gol Municipality in Buskerud county. Nord-Aurdal measures about 52.4 km on the north–south axis and 43.3 km on the east–west axis.

The municipality lies in the western side of Innlandet county. Although Fagernes is the administrative center of Nord-Aurdal, the village of Aurdal was the historic centre of the centuries-old Church of Norway parish of Aurdal. Nord-Aurdal is part of the traditional district of Valdres in the central part of southern Norway, situated between the valleys of Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.

The highest point in Nord-Aurdal is the Duptjernkampen at 1325 m. About 50% of the land is above 900 m. The Tisleifjorden and Aurdalsfjorden are large inland lakes that are located in Nord-Aurdal. The river Begna flows through the municipality as well, with the Strondafjorden being a large lake that the river flows through.

Government
Nord-Aurdal 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Nord-Aurdal 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.

Mayors
The mayors of Nord-Aurdal:

 * 1838-1839: Amund Wessel Kolderup
 * 1840-1841: Thore S. Belgum
 * 1842-1845: Torger Melbye
 * 1846-1849: Amund Wessel Kolderup
 * 1850-1853: Thore S. Belgum
 * 1854-1859: Jean Marie L'Abee
 * 1860-1865: Nils Frydenlund
 * 1866-1881: Erik Kjørstad
 * 1882-1901: Ole Skrutvold
 * 1902-1907: O.T. Svennæs
 * 1908-1913: Th. Aaberg
 * 1914-1919: O.T. Svennæs
 * 1920-1926: Erik Strand
 * 1926-1945: Ivar Simensen
 * 1946-1971: Asbjørn Granheim (Sp)
 * 1972-1981: Nils T. Døvre (KrF)
 * 1982-1987: Lage Westerbø (Sp)
 * 1988-2003: Ola N. Døvre (Sp)
 * 2003-2007: Svein Erik Hilmen (Sp)
 * 2007-2011: Helge Halvorsen (Ap)
 * 2011-2019: Inger Torun Klosbøle (Ap)
 * 2019-present: Knut Arne Fjelltun (Sp)

Attractions
The Valdres Folkemuseum is located just outside Fagernes and has large collections of old houses, textiles, and music instruments.

Notable people

 * Knut Hamsun (1859–1952), a Norwegian author who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920
 * J. C. M. Hanson (1864–1943), an American librarian and author
 * Kaare Strøm (1902–1967), a Norwegian limnologist
 * Olav Meisdalshagen (1903–1959), a Norwegian politician who was Minister of Finance from 1947-1951 and Minister of Agriculture from 1955-1956
 * Asbjørn Granheim (1906–1977), a Norwegian politician who was mayor of Nord-Aurdal from 1945-1971
 * Inger Helene Nybråten (born 1960), a former Norwegian cross-country skier, gold medalist at the 1984 Winter Olympics, and twice silver medallist at the 1992 & 1994 Winter Olympics
 * Eldbjørg Hemsing (born 1990), a Norwegian classical violinist
 * Guro Kleven Hagen (born 1994), a violinist, the 1st concertmaster at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet
 * Sylfest Glimsdal (born 1966), a former Norwegian biathlete who competed at three Summer Olympics

Twin towns — Sister cities
Nord-Aurdal has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * 🇫🇮 - Kouvola, Etelä-Suomi, Finland
 * 🇸🇪 - Lidköping, Västra Götaland County, Sweden
 * - Skanderborg, Region Midtjylland, Denmark

title: Nord-Aurdal


text:
Vestre Slidre

Vestre Slidre is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Slidre. Other villages in Vestre Slidre include Lomen and Røn.

The 457 km2 municipality is the 219th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Vestre Slidre is the 275th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,091. The municipality's population density is 5 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 5.8% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Vestre Slidre was established in 1849 when the old municipality of Slidre was divided into two municipalities: Vestre Slidre (population: 3,130) and Øystre Slidre (population: 2,406). On 1 January 1899, a small unpopulated part of Øystre Slidre was transferred to Vestre Slidre. On 1 January 2021, the Skjelgrenda area of Vestre Slidre was transferred to Øystre Slidre.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Slidre farm (Slíðrar) since the old Slidredomen church was built there. The name is probably derived from the word which means "sheath" (which is probably referring to a long depression near the church). In 1849, the municipality (and parish) was divided into two separate municipalities. The word (meaning "western") was added to the beginning of the name. Thus, the meaning of the name Vestre Slidre is "(the) western (part of) Slidre".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted by royal decree on 20 November 1987. The official blazon is "Azure, a sea-leaf within a tressure invected on the outer edge and engrailed on the inner edge argent" (På blå grunn eit sølv sjøblad omgjeve av sølv bord laga med taggesnitt). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a heart-shaped seeblatt design with a tressure border around the edge of the escutcheon. 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 is based on a heraldic decoration found in the local Slidredomen church that dates back to the year 1170. The design was originally part of a seal that belonged to a medieval nobleman from the area. The arms were designed by Kari Ruud Flem. 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 Vestre Slidre. It is part of the Valdres prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

 * The ruins of Mo church (Mo kirkeruin) are located on the west side of the Slidrefjorden. The medieval church of stone was built ca. 1215 and was probably out of use after the Reformation. The ruins were excavated and restored from 1972–1977.
 * Slidredomen, a medieval stone-built church, was once the main church for Valdres. The church is built around 1170. The church is entirely made of stone. Its treasures formerly included a chalice presented by Bishop Salomon of Oslo (1322–1352), the only Bishop in Norway to survive the Black Death. Slidredomen is also known to have had a local bishop.
 * Lomen Stave Church is located in the small village of Lomen. It was built circa 1170. The exterior of the present Lomen church is post-Reformation, and only the wall and roof timbers remain from the original building.

History
High above the village of Slidre, there is an ancient burial ground called the Gardberg site. At this site, there is a runestone which reads I Godguest wrote the runes. This stone is known as the Einang stone.

Vestre Sildre figures prominently in the Norse Sagas:
 * According to the Sagas, Harald Fairhair was the first Norwegian king (872–930) of Norway. In 866, he made the first of a series of conquests over a number of petty kingdoms. One of the encounters leading to the overall conquest was with Skallagrim Kveldulvssøn in Vestre Slidre. In 872, after winning the Battle of Hafrsfjord near Stavanger, he found himself king of the whole country.
 * In the Heimskringla attributed to Snorri Sturluson, it is recorded that in 1023 King Olav came unannounced from Sogn as part of his campaign to Christianize Norway. At Slidre, he caught the peasants unaware and secured all their boats. As a condition for having their boats restored, they accepted Christianity.

Government
Vestre Slidre 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Vestre Slidre is made up of 17 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 Vestre Slidre (incomplete list):

 * 1945-1947: Endre Fyrstro (V)
 * 1948-1951: Ola J. Dahle (Sp)
 * 1952-1955: Erik Steine Riste (Sp)
 * 1956-1963: Erik Kirkeeng (V)
 * 1964-1967: Erik Steine Riste (Sp)
 * 1968-1979: Ola Ødegård (Sp)
 * 1980–1999: Sverre Vik (Sp)
 * 1999-2011: Eivind Brenna (BL)
 * 2011-2015: Lars Kvissel (Sp)
 * 2015–2019: Eivind Brenna (V)
 * 2019–present: Haldor Ødegård (Sp)

Geography
Vestre Slidre is bordered to the northwest by Vang Municipality, to the northeast by Øystre Slidre Municipality, to the east by Nord-Aurdal Municipality, and to the southwest by Hemsedal Municipality (in Buskerud county). Vestre Slidre is part of the Valdres region in south-central Norway. It is situated between Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.

The municipality is located along the river Begna and its surrounding valley. There are several lakes in the municipalities including Helin, Øyangen, Slidrefjorden, and Strondafjorden.

Notable people

 * Ole Brandt (1818–1880), a Norwegian farmer and Mayor of Vestre Slidre in the 1850s and 1860s
 * Ragnhild Kåta (1873–1947), the first deafblind Norwegian to receive proper schooling
 * Ola Bøe (1910–1986), a Norwegian fiddler
 * Knut Hauge (1911–1999), an author of novels, children's books, and plays
 * Berit Skjefte (1809–1899), a langeleik player

title: Vestre Slidre


text:
Øystre Slidre

Øystre Slidre is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Heggenes. Other villages in the municipality include Hegge, Rogne, Volbu, Moane, Skammestein, Beito, and Beitostølen.

The 969 km2 municipality is the 120th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Øystre Slidre is the 221st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 3,291. The municipality's population density is 3.7 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 2.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Øystre Slidre was established in 1849 when the old municipality of Slidre (created in 1838) was divided into Øystre Slidre (population: 2,406) and Vestre Slidre (population: 3,130). On 1 January 1882, a small area of Vang Municipality (population: 31) was transferred to the neighboring Øystre Slidre Municipality. On 1 January 1899, a small unpopulated area of Øystre Slidre was transferred to Vestre Slidre. On 1 January 2021, the Skjelgrenda area of Vestre Slidre was transferred to Øystre Slidre.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Slidre farm (Slíðrar) since the old Slidredomen church was built there. The name is probably derived from the word which means "sheath" (which is probably referring to a long depression near the church). In 1849, the municipality (and parish) was divided into two separate municipalities. The word (meaning "eastern") was added to the beginning of the name. Thus, the meaning of the name Østre Slidre is "(the) eastern (part of) Slidre". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Østre Slidre. On 11 September 1925, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Øystre Slidre, switching to a local dialect spelling for the same word.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 17 March 1989. The official blazon is "Plumetty azure and argent" (Dekt av blå og sølv skjell). This means the arms have a field (background) that is covered with a plumetty pattern with alternating tinctures of blue and argent (which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used). The arms are designed to look like tiles made of slate. This recognizes that the slate industry was a formerly important industry in the area. Slate roofing was very common in Valdres. The arms were designed by Odd Karlberg. 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 Gausdal. It is part of the Valdres prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

History
Båtskaret ("The boat pass") is a narrow pass along the mountain Bitihorn where in medieval times people from Øystre Slidre dragged their boats through, therefore the name. A bit further into the mountain there is a big lake called Vinstre with a lot of fine trout. As a result of a dispute between people from Valdres and people from Gudbrandsdalen, they could not leave their boats behind. Therefore, they had to resort to dragging their boats through Båtskaret. According to local folklore, the dispute began in medieval times with a young bride being married to an old man and a knight stealing his way over the mountains to rescue her.

Hegge Stave Church was originally constructed around the year 1216 in the village of Hegge. It has been extensively rebuilt and is mostly post-reformation. It contains a fine altarpiece (reredos) carved by Eistein Kjørn from Heidal between 1781 and 1782.

Geography
Øystre Slidre shares borders with the municipalities of Nord-Aurdal and Vestre Slidre in the south, Vang in the west, Gausdal, Sør-Fron, and Nord-Fron to the east, and up to the Valdresflya plateau at the border of Vågå in the north. Øystre Slidre is part of the traditional district of Valdres in central, southern Norway, situated between the valleys of Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal. Øystre Slidre measures about 45.1 km on a north–south axis and 39.8 km on an east–west axis.

The highest point is Øystre Rasletind at a height of 2010 m above sea level. About 73% of the land is over 900 m in elevation. More than 10% of the land is over 1300 m above sea level. Some of the notable mountains in the municipality include Gråhøi, Kalvemellen, Kvernhøi, Rabalsmellen, Raslet, Rundemellen, Skaget, and Skarvemellen. The lowest points lie at 410 m above sea level. Lakes and rivers cover 75 km2 of the area. The largest lakes are Vinstre, Yddin, Vangsjøen, Javnin, Olevatn, Nedre Heimdalsvatn, Øyangen, and Sandvatnet/Kaldfjorden/Øyvatnet.

Government
Øystre Slidre 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Øystre Slidre 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.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Øystre Slidre (incomplete list):

 * 1945-1947: Gullik K. Hovi (V)
 * 1948-1955: Haldor Hegge (V)
 * 1956-1959: Knut Bjørnstad (Sp)
 * 1960-1963: Haldor Hegge (V)
 * 1964-1975: Knut Bjørnstad (Sp)
 * 1976-1979: Nils T. Windingstad (Sp)
 * 1980-1991: Knut Bergo (V)
 * 1992–1997: Terje Stenseng (Sp)
 * 1997–1999: Ola Fjelltun (Sp)
 * 1999–2003: Ove Skaret (Ap)
 * 2003-2011: Gro Lundby (Ap)
 * 2011-2019: Kjell Berge Melbybråten (Ap)
 * 2019-2023: Odd Erik Holden (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Bjarne Budal (Ap)

Economy
Because of the rugged landscape, farming is only possible on a small scale, but this is still one of the main sources of income. There are only about 30 km2 of agricultural land in the municipality. About 85% of farmers in the municipality use the high mountain pastures in the summer time.

The winter sports resort of Beitostølen, host to World Cup events in biathlon and cross-country skiing, is located here. It is the biggest tourist area in the municipality, and provides a large fraction of the municipality's income.

Notable people

 * Olav Beito (1901–1989), a linguist and academic
 * Ole Haldorsen Bjelbøle (1879–??), a farmer and politician
 * Torger Hovi (1905–1980), a politician and deputy mayor of Øystre Slidre from 1959–1961
 * Torleiv Bolstad (1915–1979), a Norwegian musician and Hardanger fiddle player

title: Øystre Slidre