Kvam

Kvam is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The municipality is located along the Hardangerfjorden in the traditional district of Hardanger. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Norheimsund. Other larger settlements in the municipality include Øystese, Bru, Ålvik, Tørvikbygd, Omastranda, and Mundheim. Historically, the municipality was named Vikør.[3]

For other uses, see Kvam (disambiguation).
Kvam herad
Vikør herred (historic)
Municipality
View of Norheimsund in Kvam
View of Norheimsund in Kvam
Flag of Kvam herad
Flag
Coat of arms of Kvam herad
Coat of arms
Official logo of Kvam herad
Vestland within
Norway
Kvam within Vestland
Kvam within Vestland
Coordinates: 60°22′12″N 06°08′38″E
CountryNorway
CountyVestland
DistrictHardanger
Established1 Jan 1838
 • Created asFormannskapsdistrikt
Administrative centreNorheimsund
Government
 • Mayor (2019)Torgeir Næss (Ap)
Area
 • Total616.94 km2 (238.20 sq mi)
 • Land580.40 km2 (224.09 sq mi)
 • Water36.54 km2 (14.11 sq mi)  5.9%
 • Rank#188 in Norway
Population
 (2022)
 • Total8,497
 • Rank#126 in Norway
 • Density14.6/km2 (38/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Decrease −0.3%
DemonymKvemming[1]
Official language
[2]
 • Norwegian formNynorsk
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-4622
WebsiteOfficial website
Data from Statistics Norway

The 617-square-kilometre (238 sq mi) municipality is the 188th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Kvam is the 126th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 8,497. The municipality's population density is 14.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (38/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 0.3% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]

General information
View of the village of Norheimsund
View of Vikøy Church

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) was first named Vikør after the old Vikøy farm (Old Norse: Víkeyjar) since the first Vikøy Church was built there. The first element is vík which means "small bay", "cove", or "inlet". The last element is the genitive case of ey which means "island". This is likely referring to the small island in the little cove just east of the farm.[6]

In 1911, the municipality was renamed Kvam, bringing back an old name for the area (Old Norse: Hvammr). The name is identical to the word hvammr which means "small valley" or "grassy hollow", possibly referring the Steinsdalen valley west of Norheimsund.[7][8]

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 27 November 1981. The official blazon is "Azure, a pale pattee argent" (Norwegian: I blått ein innsvinga sølv stolpe). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the ordinary is a pale that curves inwards on each side. The ordinary 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 look like the Fyksesund, a narrow fjord in the municipality. The shape of the fjord is that it is narrower in the middle and this is symbolized in the design. The arms were designed by Magnus Hardeland. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[9][10][11]

Churches

The Church of Norway has four parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Kvam. It is part of the Hardanger og Voss prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

Churches in Kvam
Parish (sokn)Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
StrandebarmStrandebarm ChurchBru1876
VikøyNorheimsund ChurchNorheimsund1992
Vikøy ChurchVikøy1838
ØysteseØystese ChurchØystese1868
ÅlvikÅlvik ChurchÅlvik1962

Geography
View of the Steinsdalsfossen waterfall
Old road in Kvam

Kvam municipality borders the municipality of Voss to the north and east; Vaksdal, Samnanger, and Bjørnafjorden to the west; and the Hardangerfjorden to the south. The Fyksesund fjord branches off the main fjord and heads north into the municipality. The Fyksesund Landscape Park surrounds the inner part of the Fyksesund, north of the Fyksesund Bridge. The largest lakes are Bjølsegrøvvatnet and Holmavatnet. In addition a portion of Hamlagrøvatnet is located in Kvam. The Kvamskogen plateau lies west of Norheimsund and is home to hundreds of holiday cabins. The Steinsdalsfossen waterfall, located in Steine is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Norway.

History

The old parish of Vikør was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). According to the 1835 census, the parish had a population of 2,321.[12] On 1 January 1882, a small area of Ullensvang municipality (population: 22) was transferred to Vikør. In 1912, the municipality changed its name from "Vikør" to "Kvam".[13][14]

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the Åsgrenda area on the Folgefonna peninsula (population: 61) was moved from Kvam to the neighboring Ullensvang Municipality. On the same date, Kvam also gained a considerable amount of territory, making it a much larger municipality. The following places were merged, giving the new Kvam municipality a population of 9,119.[14]

  • Most of Kvam municipality (population: 6,759) except for Åsegrenda which was moved to Ullensvang
  • The part of Jondal municipality that was located on the northwest side of the Hardangerfjord, around the village of Tørvikbygd (population: 515)
  • Most of Strandebarm municipality (population: 1,545), except for the Kysnesstranda area which went to Jondal
  • The Mundheim area of Varaldsøy (population: 300).

Population
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
18452,444—    
18552,619+0.69%
18652,853+0.86%
18752,988+0.46%
18913,205+0.44%
19003,539+1.11%
19103,613+0.21%
YearPop.±% p.a.
19203,993+1.01%
19304,288+0.72%
19465,232+1.25%
19515,530+1.11%
19606,525+1.86%
19709,017+3.29%
19808,733−0.32%
YearPop.±% p.a.
19908,773+0.05%
20008,592−0.21%
20108,360−0.27%
20208,457+0.12%
20238,531+0.29%
Note: The municipal borders were changed in 1965, causing a significant change in the population.
Source: Statistics Norway[15][16] and Norwegian Historical Data Centre[17]

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.[18] The municipality falls under the Hordaland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

In 2007, Kvam participated in a trial where the mayor was directly elected. The sitting mayor, Astrid Selsvold, won the election with 26.7% of the votes.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Heradsstyre) of Kvam is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Kvam heradsstyre 2020–2023 [19]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 6
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 4
  Green Party (Miljøpartiet Dei Grøne) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 3
  Red Party (Raudt) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 8
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
Total number of members:27
Kvam heradsstyre 2016–2019 [20]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 6
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 3
  Green Party (Miljøpartiet Dei Grøne) 1
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 3
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 9
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:27
Kvam heradsstyre 2012–2015 [21]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 4
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 3
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 4
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
 Kvam Cross-Party List (Kvam Tverrpolitiske liste)3
Total number of members:27
Kvam heradsstyre 2008–2011 [20]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 6
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
 The Independents (Dei uavhengige)3
Total number of members:27
Kvam heradsstyre 2004–2007 [20]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 7
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 4
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:27
Kvam heradsstyre 2000–2003 [20]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 7
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 5
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 7
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
 Cross-party local list (Tverrpolitisk grendaliste)2
 Green local list (Grøn bygdeliste)1
Total number of members:33
Kvam heradsstyre 1996–1999 [22]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 8
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 7
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 12
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
 Cross-party local list (Tverrpolitisk Grendeliste)2
Total number of members:41
Kvam heradsstyre 1992–1995 [23]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 9
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 7
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 6
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 12
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 4
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:41
Kvam heradsstyre 1988–1991 [24]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 12
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 9
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 8
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 7
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:41
Kvam heradsstyre 1984–1987 [25]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 11
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 10
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 9
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 7
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:41
Kvam heradsstyre 1980–1983 [26]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 9
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 10
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 9
  Liberal People's Party (Liberale Folkepartiet) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 8
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:41
Kvam heradsstyre 1976–1979 [27]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 10
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 10
  New People's Party (Nye Folkepartiet) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 10
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:41
Kvam heradsstyre 1972–1975 [28]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 12
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 9
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 11
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
Total number of members:41
Kvam heradsstyre 1968–1971 [29]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 13
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 8
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 8
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 7
Total number of members:41
Kvam heradsstyre 1964–1967 [30]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 9
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 3
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 5
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:25
Kvam heradsstyre 1960–1963 [31]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 9
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 6
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:25
Kvam heradsstyre 1956–1959 [32]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 8
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 1
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 6
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 6
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:25
Kvam heradsstyre 1952–1955 [33]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 8
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 5
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 6
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
Total number of members:24
Kvam heradsstyre 1948–1951 [34]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 2
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 3
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidarar, fiskarar, småbrukarar liste) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 8
Total number of members:24
Kvam heradsstyre 1945–1947 [35]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 5
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidarar, fiskarar, småbrukarar liste) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 14
Total number of members:24
Kvam heradsstyre 1938–1941* [36]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 5
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 7
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgarlege Felleslister) 12
Total number of members:24
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 Kvam:[37]

  • 1838-1839: Fredrich Christian Bruun
  • 1840-1843: Torgeir P. Aarhus
  • 1844-1857: Gjermund N. Skaar
  • 1858-1859: Ola S. Aksnes
  • 1860-1865: Johannes S. Neteland
  • 1866-1885: Nils N. Skaar, Sr.
  • 1886-1887: Lars Lofthus
  • 1888-1919: Nils N. Skaar, Jr.
  • 1919-1922: Hans Jakobson Vik
  • 1923-1931: Jakob N. Vik
  • 1932-1937: Jakob H. Vik
  • 1938-1940: Lars Matre
  • 1940-1945: Jakob H. Vik (NS)
  • 1945-1945: Lars Matre
  • 1946-1960: Olav L. Skeie
  • 1960-1975: Olav M. Laupsa (KrF)
  • 1976-1983: Guttorm Skeie (Sp)
  • 1984-1987: Johannes Waage (KrF)
  • 1988-1989: Sigvard Berge (Ap)
  • 1990-1991: Guttorm Skeie (Sp)
  • 1992-1993: Sigvard Berge (Ap)
  • 1994-2003: Martin Vik (Sp)
  • 2003-2011: Astrid Farestveit Selsvold (Ap)
  • 2011-2015: Asbjørn Tolo (H)
  • 2015-2019: Jostein Ljones (Sp)
  • 2019–present: Torgeir Næss (Ap)

Notable people
Johannes Nilssøn Skaar
Geirr Tveitt)

Sport
  • Knut Hjeltnes (born 1951 in Øystese), a college coach and former shot-putter and discus thrower
  • Kirsten Melkevik Otterbu (born 1970 in Øystese), a Norwegian marathon runner
  • Torgeir Børven (born 1991 in Øystese), a Norwegian footballer with over 240 club caps

References
  1. "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  3. Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (20 June 2017). "Vikøy". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  4. Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  5. Statistisk sentralbyrå. "09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)" (in Norwegian).
  6. Rygh, Oluf (1910). Norske gaardnavne: Søndre Bergenhus amt (in Norwegian) (11 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. pp. 492–493.
  7. Store norske leksikon. "Kvam – kommune i Hordaland" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  8. Rygh, Oluf (1910). Norske gaardnavne: Søndre Bergenhus amt (in Norwegian) (11 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. pp. 501 and 506.
  9. "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  10. "Kvam, Hordaland (Norway)". Flags of the World. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  11. "Godkjenning av våpen og flagg". Lovdata.no (in Norwegian). Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet. 23 January 1982. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  12. Registreringssentral for historiske data. "Hjemmehørende folkemengde Hordaland 1801-1960" (in Norwegian). University of Tromsø. Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2006.
  13. Kvam municipality. "Arkivkatalogar" (in Norwegian).
  14. Jukvam, Dag (1999). Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  15. Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  16. Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Folketellingen 1960" (PDF) (in Norwegian).
  17. Universitetet i Tromsø – Norges arktiske universitet. "Censuses in the Norwegian Historical Data Archive (NHDC)".
  18. Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  19. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2019 - Vestland". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  20. "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
  21. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Hordaland". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  22. "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  23. "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  24. "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  25. "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  26. "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  27. "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  28. "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  29. "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  30. "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  31. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  32. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  33. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  34. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  35. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  36. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  37. "Ordførarar i Kvam". Kvam herad (in Norwegian Nynorsk). Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  38. "Frank Kjosås". IMDb Database. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
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