Åsnes

Åsnes is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Solør. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Flisa, which is also the largest village in the municipality with around 1,700 people. Other villages in the municipality include Gjesåsen, Hof, and Kjellmyra.

Åsnes kommune
Aasnes herred (historic)
Municipality
View of the village of Flisa
View of the village of Flisa
Flag of Åsnes kommune
Flag
Coat of arms of Åsnes kommune
Coat of arms
Official logo of Åsnes kommune
Innlandet within
Norway
Åsnes within Innlandet
Åsnes within Innlandet
Coordinates: 60°39′13″N 12°9′11″E
CountryNorway
CountyInnlandet
DistrictSolør
Established1854
 • Preceded byÅsnes og Våler
Administrative centreFlisa
Government
 • Mayor (2019)Kari Heggelund (Sp)
Area
 • Total1,040.94 km2 (401.91 sq mi)
 • Land1,004.07 km2 (387.67 sq mi)
 • Water36.87 km2 (14.24 sq mi)  3.5%
 • Rank#108 in Norway
Population
 (2022)
 • Total7,211
 • Rank#137 in Norway
 • Density7.2/km2 (19/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Decrease −5.2%
DemonymÅsnessokning[1]
Official language
[2]
 • Norwegian formBokmål
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-3418
WebsiteOfficial website
Data from Statistics Norway

The 1,041-square-kilometre (402 sq mi) municipality is the 108th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Åsnes is the 137th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 7,211. The municipality's population density is 7.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (19/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 5.2% over the previous 10-year period.[3][4]

General information
View of Gjesåssjøen lake
Åsnes Finnskog kirke

When municipal government was established in Norway on 1 January 1838, the Åsnes area was part of Hof Municipality. In 1849, Hof municipality was divided into two: Hof (population: 2,913) and Åsnes og Våler (population: 7,087). A short time later, in 1854, the municipality of Åsnes og Våler was divided into the two current municipalities of Våler (population: 3,410) and Åsnes (population: 3,677).[5]

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1963, Hof Municipality (population: 3,222) was merged into Åsnes Municipality (population: 6,750). On 1 January 1969, the Rotberget farm area (population: 23) in the Finnskogen part of the municipality was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Grue.[5] In the 2010s, there had been talk of further municipal mergers but the neighboring municipalities of Grue and Våler both rejected merging with Åsnes.

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Åsnes farm (Old Norse: Ásnes) since the first Åsnes Church was built there. The first element is áss which means "mountain ridge". The last element is nes which means "headland". The headland that it is referring to is made by the river Glomma near the Åsnes farm which is located beneath a hill. Prior to the 1917 Norwegian language reform law, the name was spelled with the digraph "Aa" (Aasnes), and after this reform, the letter Å was used instead (Åsnes).[6]

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 9 December 2001. The official blazon is "Or, three pike hooks sable in bend sinister points in base dexter" (Norwegian: I gult tre skrått nedvoksende svarte fløterhaker). 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 hooks for log driving that are pointing downwards diagonally. This was chosen to represent the importance of logging and forestry to the municipality throughout history. There are three poles to symbolize the three important rivers of the municipality: Glomma, Flisa, and Kynna. The arms were designed by Arvid Steen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[7][8][9]

See also: the coats of arms for Fet, Jondal, Marker, and Nordre Land.

Churches

The Church of Norway has six parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Åsnes. It is part of the Solør, Vinger og Odal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Churches in Åsnes
Parish (sokn)Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
ArnebergArneberg ChurchJammerdalen1878
GjesåsenGjesåsen ChurchGjesåsen1863
HofHof ChurchHof1861
Hof FinnskogHof Finnskog ChurchDulpetorpet1953
ÅsnesÅsnes ChurchFlisa1744
Åsnes FinnskogÅsnes Finnskog ChurchVermundsjøen1861

Geography
Number of minorities (1st and 2nd generation) in Åsnes by country of origin in 2017[10]
AncestryNumber
 Poland59
 Lithuania58
 Sweden55
 Eritrea32
 Thailand29
 Syria25
 Bosnia-Herzegovina23
 Denmark22

The municipality is located in the southern part of Innlandet county in the traditional region of Solør. Åsnes is bordered to the north by the municipality of Våler, to the south by Grue, to the west by Nord-Odal and Stange, and to the east it borders Torsby Municipality in Värmland County, Sweden.

Finnskogen or the forest of the Finns is a belt about 32 kilometres (20 mi) wide which runs continuously northwards along the border between Norway and Sweden through six Norwegian municipalities, including Åsnes.

Åsnes has several lakes and rivers throughout the forested municipality which sits in the southern Glåmdal valley. It includes the lakes Gjesåssjøen, Hukusjøen, and Vermunden. The rivers Flisa, Rotna, and Glomma all flow through the municipality.

Government

All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[11] The municipality falls under the Østre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Åsnes is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Åsnes kommunestyre 2020–2023 [12]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 1
  Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 9
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:23
Åsnes kommunestyre 2016–2019 [13][14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
  Radical Socialists (Radikale Sosialister) 1
Total number of members:23
Åsnes kommunestyre 2012–2015 [15]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 3
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 3
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
  Radical Socialists (Radikale Sosialister) 1
Total number of members:23
Åsnes kommunestyre 2008–2011 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 7
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 3
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 2
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
  Radical Socialists (Radikale Sosialister) 2
Total number of members:23
Åsnes kommunestyre 2004–2007 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 10
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 3
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 2
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 3
  Joint list of the Conservative Party (Høyre), Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti), and Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:23
Åsnes kommunestyre 2000–2003 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 13
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 4
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 3
Total number of members:23
Åsnes kommunestyre 1996–1999 [16]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 13
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 4
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 1
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 8
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 4
Total number of members:31
Åsnes kommunestyre 1992–1995 [17]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 12
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 8
Total number of members:31
Åsnes kommunestyre 1988–1991 [18]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 20
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 3
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 6
 Cross-party local list (Tverrpolitisk bygdeliste)6
Total number of members:41
Åsnes kommunestyre 1984–1987 [19]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 19
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 3
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 8
 Cross-party local list (Tverrpolitisk bygdeliste)5
Total number of members:41
Åsnes kommunestyre 1980–1983 [20]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 20
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 8
 Local people's free list (Bygdefolkets Frie Liste)3
Total number of members:41
Åsnes kommunestyre 1976–1979 [21]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 19
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 9
 Local people's free list (Bygdefolkets Frie list)4
Total number of members:41
Åsnes kommunestyre 1972–1975 [22]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 21
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 3
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) 7
Total number of members:41
Åsnes kommunestyre 1968–1971 [23]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 20
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 3
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 7
  Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) 7
Total number of members:41
Åsnes kommunestyre 1964–1967 [24]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 24
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) 2
Total number of members:41
Åsnes herredsstyre 1960–1963 [25]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 15
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 1
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 7
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
Total number of members:29
Åsnes herredsstyre 1956–1959 [26]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 14
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 9
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 4
Total number of members:29
Åsnes herredsstyre 1952–1955 [27]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 14
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 9
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 3
Total number of members:28
Åsnes herredsstyre 1948–1951 [28]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 12
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 11
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 5
Total number of members:28
Åsnes herredsstyre 1945–1947 [29]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 13
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 13
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 2
Total number of members:28
Åsnes herredsstyre 1938–1941* [30]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 20
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 1
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 2
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 3
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 2
Total number of members:28
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 Åsnes (incomplete list):

  • 1910-1914: August Embretsen (Ap)
  • 1925-1928: Arne Adolf Løfsgaard (Bp)
  • 1941-1945: Gudbjørn Fleischer (NS)
  • 1945-1963: Jon Gudbjørn Dybendal (Ap)
  • 1980-1981: Johan Dybendal [31]
  • 1982-1983: Torbjørn Konttorp
  • 1984-1992: Hans-Didrik Bakke (Ap)
  • 1992-1999: Knut Rustad (Sp)[32]
  • 1999-2003: Hans-Didrik Bakke (Ap)
  • 2003-2007: Frank Willy Bjørneseth (Ap)
  • 2007-2011: Lars Petter Heggelund (V)
  • 2011-2019: Ørjan Bue (Sp)
  • 2019–present: Kari Heggelund (Sp)

Notable people
Johannes Bergh, 1890
Gunnar Gundersen, 2008

Sister cities

Åsnes has sister city agreements with the following places:[33][34]

  • Flisa station on the Solørbanen railway
    Flisa station on the Solørbanen railway
  • Bjerkely Folkehøyskole (school)
    Bjerkely Folkehøyskole (school)

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. ISBN 9788253746845.
  6. Rygh, Oluf (1900). Norske gaardnavne: Hedmarkens amt (in Norwegian) (3 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. pp. 285 and 289.
  7. "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  8. "Asnes, Hedmark". Flags of the World. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  9. "Kommunevåpen" (in Norwegian). Åsnes kommune. Retrieved 21 December 2008.
  10. "Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents". ssb.no. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  11. Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  12. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2019 - Innlandet". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  13. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2015 - Hedmark". Valg Direktoratet.
  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 - Hedmark". Valg Direktoratet.
  16. "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996.
  17. "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993.
  18. "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988.
  19. "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984.
  20. "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979.
  21. "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977.
  22. "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973.
  23. "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967.
  24. "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964.
  25. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960.
  26. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957.
  27. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952.
  28. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948.
  29. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947.
  30. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938.
  31. "Ny ordfører". Glåmdalen (in Norwegian). 3 January 1980. p. 2.
  32. "Rustad ny ordfører". Glåmdalen (in Norwegian). 2 October 1991. p. 2.
  33. "Vennskapskommuner" (in Norwegian). Åsnes kommune. Retrieved 21 December 2008.
  34. "Åsnes". Åsnes Municipality. Retrieved 29 September 2021.

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