Berlevåg

Berlevågⓘ (Northern Sami: Bearalváhki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Øst-Finnmark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Berlevåg.

This article is about the municipality in Finnmark, Norway. For the village in that municipality, see Berlevåg (village).
Berlevåg kommune
Bearalvági gielda
Municipality
View of the village of Berlevåg
View of the village of Berlevåg
Flag of Berlevåg kommune
Flag
Coat of arms of Berlevåg kommune
Coat of arms
Official logo of Berlevåg kommune
Troms og Finnmark within
Norway
Berlevåg within Troms og Finnmark
Berlevåg within Troms og Finnmark
Coordinates: 70°51′29″N 29°05′06″E
CountryNorway
CountyTroms og Finnmark
DistrictØst-Finnmark
Established1 Jan 1914
 • Preceded byTana Municipality
Administrative centreBerlevåg
Government
 • Mayor (2015)Rolf Laupstad (Ap)
Area
 • Total1,121.78 km2 (433.12 sq mi)
 • Land1,082.77 km2 (418.06 sq mi)
 • Water39.01 km2 (15.06 sq mi)  3.5%
 • Rank#100 in Norway
Population
 (2022)
 • Total906
 • Rank#339 in Norway
 • Density0.9/km2 (2/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Decrease −10.7%
DemonymBerlevåging[1]
Official language
[2]
 • Norwegian formBokmål
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-5440
WebsiteOfficial website
Data from Statistics Norway

There are two settlements in the municipality of Berlevåg: the village of Berlevåg and the village of Kongsfjord. The village of Berlevåg is by far the biggest; Kongsfjord only has around 45 inhabitants. Kjølnes Lighthouse is located along the shore, east of the village of Berlevåg.

The 1,122-square-kilometre (433 sq mi) municipality is the 100th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Berlevåg is the 339th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 906. The municipality's population density is 0.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (2.1/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 10.7% over the previous 10-year period.[3][4]

General information
View of the village of Berlevåg

The municipality of Berlevåg was established on 1 January 1914 when it was separated from Tana Municipality. Initially, there were 784 residents. The borders remain unchanged.[5]

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Finnmark county.[6]

Name

There are different opinions of the origin of the name Berlevåg (or historically spelled Berlevaag). The first is that it relates to an old Northern Sami language name that sounded like Berlevaggi or Perlavaggi. The second is that it derives from the name of the first settler or explorer at the bay whose name was Berle or Perle. The last theory of the name Berlevåg (which is less likely) is that the first element derives from the Norwegian word perle which means "pearl" and the last element is våg which means "bay".[7][8]

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 22 July 1988. The official blazon is "Per fess rayonny Or and azure" (Norwegian: Delt av gult og blått ved flammesnitt). This means the arms have a field (background) that is divided by a line with a rayonny design with five waves with yellow over blue. The field above the line 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 color below the line has a tincture of azure (blue). The design is meant to symbolize the sun over the waves of the sea that break against the shore. This can represent both the struggle against the sea as well as the dependence on it. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.[9][10][11]

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Berlevåg. It is part of the Varanger prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

Churches in Berlevåg
Parish (sokn)Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
BerlevågBerlevåg ChurchBerlevåg1960

Transportation

Berlevåg Airport is located just outside the village of Berlevåg. Norwegian County Road 890 runs through Berlevåg, connecting it to the neighboring municipalities, and the rest of Norway.

Facing rough ocean conditions, the four man-made breakwaters that protect the harbor of Berlevåg have been destroyed several times due to bad weather. The current breakwaters include tetrapods that intertwine and have made for a flexible breakwater that can resist the Barents Sea. The port was completely secured with breakwaters in 1973. Since then, the Coastal Ferry has been able to dock in Berlevåg. Prior to that time, a smaller vessel had to unload cargo and passengers from it in the open sea and then ferry them in to the port.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Berlevåg, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor.[12] The municipality falls under the Øst-Finnmark District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Berlevåg is made up of 13 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Berlevåg kommunestyre 2020–2023 [13]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 6
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 1
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 3
Total number of members:13
Berlevåg kommunestyre 2016–2019 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 10
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
Total number of members:13
Berlevåg kommunestyre 2012–2015 [15]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 5
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 7
Total number of members:13
Berlevåg kommunestyre 2008–2011 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 4
Total number of members:13
Berlevåg kommunestyre 2004–2007 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 4
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 4
 Berlevåg Free Voters (Berlevåg frie velgere)2
Total number of members:13
Berlevåg kommunestyre 2000–2003 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 5
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
 Berlevåg Free Voters (Berlevåg frie velgere)3
Total number of members:13
Berlevåg kommunestyre 1996–1999 [16]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
Total number of members:13
Berlevåg kommunestyre 1992–1995 [17]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 11
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 4
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
Total number of members:17
Berlevåg kommunestyre 1988–1991 [18]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Cross-Party List (Tverrpolitisk folkeliste)2
 Berlevåg and Kongsfjord Free Voters' List (Berlevåg og Kongsfjord Frie Velgeres liste)5
Total number of members:17
Berlevåg kommunestyre 1984–1987 [19]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Youth List (Ungdomslista)1
 Berlevåg and Kongsfjord Free Voters' List (Berlevåg og Kongsfjord Frie Velgeres liste)2
Total number of members:17
Berlevåg kommunestyre 1980–1983 [20]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 6
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Berlevåg and Kongsfjord Free Voters (Berlevåg og Kongsfjord Frie Velger)6
Total number of members:17
Berlevåg kommunestyre 1976–1979 [21]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 10
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Joint list of the Conservatives, Liberals, and Kongsfjord Free Voters (Høyre, Venstre og Kongsfjord Frie Velgeres Liste) 5
Total number of members:17
Berlevåg kommunestyre 1972–1975 [22]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 10
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:17
Berlevåg kommunestyre 1968–1971 [23]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 11
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:17
Berlevåg kommunestyre 1964–1967 [24]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 11
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 2
  Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) 1
Total number of members:17
Berlevåg herredsstyre 1960–1963 [25]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 10
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 3
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 1
Total number of members:17
Berlevåg herredsstyre 1956–1959 [26]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 1
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 1
Total number of members:13
Berlevåg herredsstyre 1952–1955 [27]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 6
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 2
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 2
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 2
Total number of members:12
Berlevåg herredsstyre 1948–1951 [28]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 5
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 4
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 3
Total number of members:12
Berlevåg herredsstyre 1945–1947 [29]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 6
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 3
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 2
Total number of members:12
Berlevåg herredsstyre 1938–1941* [30]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 5
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidere, fiskere, småbrukere liste) 3
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 3
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 1
Total number of members:12
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945.

Mayors

The mayors of Berlevåg:[31][32]

  • 1914–1919: Alf Brodtkorb (LL)
  • 1920–1925: Christian Olsen Gaare (LL)
  • 1926–1931: Anton Grebstad (V)
  • 1932–1934: Jørgen Lund (Ap)
  • 1934–1953: Jentoft Jensen (Ap)
  • 1953–1969: Agaton Larsen (Ap)
  • 1970–1975: Finn Jørstad (Ap)
  • 1976–1977: Oddrunn Pettersen (Ap)
  • 1978–1979: Gullik Bugge Nicolaysen (Ap)
  • 1980–1983: Tora Høgestøl (LL)
  • 1984–1991: Bjarne Johnsen (Ap)
  • 1992–1995: Erik Brøske (Ap)
  • 1995–1999: Arne Kristian Arntzen (Ap)
  • 1999–2003: Steinar Hansen (Ap)
  • 2003–2007: Erik Brøske (SV)
  • 2007–2011: Janne Andreassen (Ap)
  • 2011–2015: Karsten G. Schanche (H)
  • 2015–present: Rolf Laupstad (Ap)

Geography
View of the Tanahorn mountain

The municipality is situated in the northwestern part of the Varanger Peninsula, facing the open Barents Sea to the north and the Tanafjorden to the west. It is an isolated and barren region with mostly rocks and tundra. There are no native trees in Berlevåg because of the cold and windy summers. The municipality also contains the lakes Geatnjajávri and Skonsvikvatnan.

Climate

Berlevåg's coastal location serves to moderate temperatures during winter, giving it a marine subarctic climate. Coldest month is February with mean −4.6 °C (24 °F), while warmest month is July and August, both with mean 10.4 °C (51 °F).[33]

Birdlife

The sea and the islands along this part of Finnmark's coastline are home for thousands of seabirds. As well as the large seabird colonies with thousands of nesting birds, there are also areas of unspoiled nature consisting of mountains, moorlands, and marshes. This enables birdwatching in a natural environment. A 17,855 ha area of marine waters along the coast, including supralittoral and neritic habitats, has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a population of Steller's eiders.[34]

Panorama of Berlevåg

History
View of the village of Berlevåg in 1942, before the village was burned

World War II

Berlevåg, along with the rest of Finnmark, was occupied during World War II. Berlevåg Airport was originally put into use at this time, when German occupying forces constructed it with the help of hundreds of Russian prisoners of war. From 1943 to 1944, there were nearly daily bombing raids from Russia on Berlevåg and the German airfield.

In November 1944, the village was completely burned down and the inhabitants evacuated by force as part of the scorched earth strategy of the Germans. In the aftermath, the Norwegian government wanted to relocate the inhabitants to nearby Kongsfjord because of a better harbour, but they refused, and the village was rebuilt. As there are absolutely no trees in Berlevåg, many of the houses in Berlevåg were built by the help of the wooden planks in the "tarmac" and runway of the previous German airfield.

Berlevåg was brought some fame in Norway when the Norwegian film director Knut Erik Jensen made a documentary film about Berlevåg Mannsangsforening, Berlevåg's men's choir. The movie Heftig og begeistret (English: "Cool and Crazy") was a big hit 2001 in Norway, first shown at Tromsø International Film Festival. The choir later went on a tour of the United States and were featured at Ground zero in New York City. The choir's oldest and most famous member, Einar Strand, died at the age of 98 in 2004.

Berlevåg is also the place for the fictional story "Babette's Feast" by the Danish author Karen Blixen / Isak Dinesen published in the anthology Anecdotes of Destiny (1958). (See also the homonym film Babette's Feast.)

Notable people
  • Stig Henrik Hoff (born 1965) a Norwegian actor, born in Vadsø, but grew up in Berlevåg and Fiskum [35]

Sister cities

The following are twin towns of Berlevåg:

References
  1. "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  3. Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  4. Statistisk sentralbyrå. "09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)" (in Norwegian).
  5. Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
  6. Mæhlum, Lars, ed. (24 December 2019). "Troms og Finnmark". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  7. Rygh, Oluf (1924). Norske gaardnavne: Finmarkens amt (in Norwegian) (18 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 243.
  8. Store norske leksikon. "Berlevåg" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  9. "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  10. "Berlevag, Finmark". Flags of the World. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  11. "Godkjenning av våpen og flagg". Lovdata.no (in Norwegian). Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet. 22 July 1988. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  12. Hansen, Tore, ed. (12 May 2016). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  13. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2019 - Troms og Finnmark". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  14. "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
  15. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Finnmark". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  16. "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  17. "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  18. "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  19. "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  20. "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  21. "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  22. "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  23. "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  24. "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  25. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  26. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  27. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  28. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  29. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  30. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  31. Andersen, Thor M. (1931). Norges ordførere 1929–1931 (in Norwegian). Kristiania: A.M. Hanches Forlag. p. 283.
  32. "Ordførervalg". Arbeiderbladet (in Norwegian). 28 December 1931. p. 11.
  33. "Weather statistics for Berlevåg as a table - Last 13 months".
  34. "Berlevåg". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  35. IMDb Database retrieved 26 September 2020
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