Vardal Municipality (original) (raw)

Former municipality in Oppland, Norway

Former municipality in Oppland, Norway

Vardal Municipality Vardal herred
Former municipality
Old farmhouse in VardalOld farmhouse in Vardal
Oppland within NorwayOppland within Norway
Vardal within OpplandVardal within Oppland
Coordinates: 60°48′58″N 10°31′28″E / 60.8162°N 10.52443°E / 60.8162; 10.52443
Country Norway
County Oppland
District Vestoppland
Established 1 Jan 1838
• Created as Formannskapsdistrikt
Disestablished 1 Jan 1964
• Succeeded by Vestre Toten Municipality and Gjøvik Municipality
Administrative centre Vardal
Government
• Mayor (1960-1963) Alf R. Iversen (Ap)
Area (upon dissolution)
• Total 272.9 km2 (105.4 sq mi)
• Rank #301 in Norway
Highest elevation[1] 708 m (2,323 ft)
Population (1963)
• Total 9,584
• Rank #76 in Norway
• Density 35.1/km2 (91/sq mi)
• Change (10 years) Increase +3.3%
Demonyms VardølVardøling[2]
Official language[4]
• Norwegian form Neutral[3]
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code NO-0527[5]
Data from Statistics Norway

Vardal is a former municipality in the old Oppland county, Norway. The 273-square-kilometre (105 sq mi) municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now divided between Gjøvik Municipality and Vestre Toten Municipality in the traditional district of Vestoppland. The administrative centre was the village of Vardal where Vardal Church was located. Other villages in the municipality included Bybrua and Øverbygda.[6]

Prior to its dissolution in 1964, the 272.9-square-kilometre (105.4 sq mi) municipality was the 301st largest by area out of the 689 municipalities in Norway. Vardal Municipality was the 76th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 9,584. The municipality's population density was 35.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (91/sq mi) and its population had increased by3.3 % over the previous 10-year period.[7][8]

General information

[edit]

Map of the Vardal area before 1964

View of Vardal Church

The prestegjeld of Vardal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). According to the 1835 census the parish had a population of 2,921 shortly before it became a municipality.[9] On 1 January 1861 the town of Gjøvik (population: 626) was separated from Vardal Municipality to constitute a separate town-municipality, leaving the rural Vardal Municipality with a population of 4,114. On 1 January 1896, the Østby and Aas farms from Østre Toten Municipality (population: 49) were transferred into Vardal Municipality. On 1 January 1900, an unpopulated area of Søndre Land Municipality was transferred to Vardal Municipality.[10]

During the 20th century, the town of Gjøvik was growing and twice the town annexed parts of Vardal Municipality. On 1 July 1921, an area with 723 residents was taken from Vardal Municipality and added to the town of Gjøvik. Then again on 1 July 1955, another area (population: 1,372) was transferred from Vardal Municipality to Gjøvik Municipality.[10]

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Vardal Municipality was dissolved and its lands and people were transferred to neighboring municipalities:[10]

The municipality is named after the Vardal valley (Old Norse: Vardalr) since the valley was located in the municipality. The first element is probably from the old name for a local river. the river name comes from the word ver which means "quiet" or "calm". The last element is dalr which means "valley" or "dale".[11][6]

The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within Vardal Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Vardal prestegjeld and the Toten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.[8]

Churches in Vardal Municipality

Parish (sokn) Church name Location of the church Year built
Vardal Vardal Church Øverbygda 1803

Biri Municipality was located to the north, Ringsaker Municipality (in Hedmark county) was located to the northeast, Nes Municipality (in Hedmark county) was located to the east, Østre Toten Municipality was located to the southeast, Vestre Toten Municipality was located to the south, Søndre Land Municipality was located to the southwest, Fluberg Municipality was located to the west, and Snertingdal Municipality was located to the northwest. The highest point in the municipality was the 708-metre (2,323 ft) tall mountain Skybergtoppen, in the northwest part of the municipality.[1]

While it existed, Vardal Municipality was 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 was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[12] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

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

The mayor (Norwegian: ordfører) of Vardal Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:[19]

  1. ^ a b "Kart over Norge" (in Norwegian). Kartverket.
  2. ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  3. ^ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1932. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 453–471. 1932.
  4. ^ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  5. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (9 January 2024). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon.
  6. ^ a b Mæhlum, Lars, ed. (26 November 2024). "Vardal". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
  7. ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  8. ^ a b Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 1951). Norges Sivile, Geistlige, Rettslige og Militære Inndeling 1. Januar 1951 (PDF). Norges Offisielle Statistikk (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norge: H. Aschehoug & Co.
  9. ^ Registreringssentral for historiske data. "Hjemmehørende folkemengde Oppland 1801-1960" (in Norwegian). University of Tromsø.
  10. ^ a b c Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  11. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1900). Norske gaardnavne: Kristians amt (in Norwegian) (4 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 28.
  12. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (25 November 2024). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  13. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norge: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960.
  14. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norge: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957.
  15. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952.
  16. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948.
  17. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947.
  18. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938.
  19. ^ Lauvdal, Torgeir (1930). Vardal bygdebok (in Norwegian). Vol. 3. Gjøvik: Gjøvik by. pp. 232–242.