Vågå

Vågå (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈvôːɡoː]) 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 Vågåmo. Other village areas in Vågå include Lalm and Bessheim.

Vågå kommune
Vaage herred (historic)
Flag of Vågå kommune
Official logo of Vågå kommune
Vågå within Innlandet
Vågå within Innlandet
Coordinates: 61°50′55″N 9°7′16″E
CountryNorway
CountyInnlandet
DistrictGudbrandsdal
Established1 Jan 1838
  Created asFormannskapsdistrikt
Administrative centreVågåmo
Government
  Mayor (2019)Harald Sve Bjørndal (BL)
Area
  Total1,330.01 km2 (513.52 sq mi)
  Land1,251.96 km2 (483.38 sq mi)
  Water78.05 km2 (30.14 sq mi)  5.9%
  Rank#73 in Norway
Population
 (2022)
  Total3,591
  Rank#212 in Norway
  Density2.9/km2 (8/sq mi)
  Change (10 years)
Decrease −4%
DemonymVagvær[1]
Official language
  Norwegian formNynorsk
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-3435
WebsiteOfficial website

The 1,330-square-kilometre (510 sq mi) municipality is the 73rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Vågå is the 212th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 3,591. The municipality's population density is 2.9 inhabitants per square kilometre (7.5/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 4% over the previous 10-year period.[3][4]

General information

The prestegjeld of Vaage was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1908, the municipality was divided into three parts. The northeastern part of Vågå (population: 2,287) became Sel Municipality, the southeastern part (population: 1,241) became Hedalen Municipality, and the remaining areas in the west (population: 2,953) remained as Vågå municipality. During the 1960s, there were many municipal changes across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the Tolstadåsen area of Vågå (population: 35) was transferred to the neighboring Sel Municipality.[5]

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named Vågå, using a very old name for the area (Old Norse: Vaga or Vága) since the first Vågå Church was built there. Two origins have been suggested for the name Vågå (historic spelling: Vaage):

  • The name Vågå may come from the Old Norse word vega meaning "travel". The area lies on an ancient east–west route mentioned in the Heimskringla.
  • The Old Norse form of the name may come from vaga (accusative and dative cases) from the word vagi (nominative case). It was probably originally the name of the lake Vågåvatn, but the meaning is unknown. (Maybe derived from vage which means "sleigh runner" since the shape of the lake has some similarity of form with a sleigh runner.)[6]

Historically, the name was written "Vaage" and in 1918, it was changed to "Vaagaa" to better match the local pronunciation. Prior to the 1921 Norwegian language reform law, the name was spelled with the digraph "aa", and after this reform, the letter å was used instead. The letter å is a long vowel similar to "oh" or "aw", like in the American pronunciation of "cold" or "oar."

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 23 August 1985. The official blazon is "Gules, a reindeer springing Or" (Norwegian: På raud grunn eit springande gull reinsdyr på skrå oppover). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a springing reindeer. The reindeer 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 design symbolizes the importance of reindeer herding and hunting. It is also based on a character in Henrik Ibsen's book Peer Gynt, who rides on a reindeer bull over the Besseggen mountains. Ibsen got the idea for this book from a local story. The arms were designed by Hans H. Holm and redrawn by Ola T. Rybakken. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[7][8][9]

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Vågå. It is part of the Nord-Gudbrandsdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Churches in Vågå
Parish (sokn)Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
VågåVågå ChurchVågåmo1627

Geography

Jetta
Jotunheimen mountains

Vågå is bordered on the north by the municipality of Lesja, in the east by Dovre and Sel, in the southeast by Nord-Fron, in the south by Vang and Øystre Slidre, and in the west by Lom.

Vågå municipality lies in a mountainous region just to the east of Norway's Jotunheimen National Park, west of Rondane National Park, and south of the Dovrefjell mountains. The highest peak is the Surtningssue with a height of 2,368 metres (7,769 ft). Vågå includes a mountain road to the top of the1,618-metre (5,308 ft) tall Jetta mountain which provides an unobstructed view of both the Gudbrandsdal valley and the surrounding national parks.[10]

The river Otta begins in Skjåk municipality and flows into Vågåvatn lake. Exiting Vågåvatn at Vågåmo, the river continues its journey through the Ottadalen valley leaving Vågå municipality to meet the Gudbrandsdalslågen river at the town of Otta in the municipality of Sel. Lakes in the region include Flatningen.

Climate

Vågå lies in the rain shadow from the Jotunheimen mountains which separate Eastern and Western Norway. The climate is hence characterized by a continental climate. Warm summers and cold winters dominate, and the precipitation is very low. In fact, during some years it receives less than 300 millimetres (12 in) of precipitation.[11]

This dry continental climate makes Vågå the obvious place for the national hang glider and para glider centre of Norway.

Physical geography

Although being affected by the ice-sheet history spanning the Quaternary period of the last 2.5 million years, much of the landscape are moderately imprinted by ice-sheet erosion except from in the main valleys. Even these valleys including Sjodalen and Ottadalen are of pre-Quaternary origin, and were originally sculptured by fluvial rather than glacial erosion. The numerous lakes does remind us of the glacial history, although being much more limited than in the more dramatic [fiord]s of western Norway.[12]

This limited glacial erosion also means that Vågå had limited glacier erosion during the last glacial period. Many findings of Mammoth pre-dating the last glacial maximum (LGM) have been found, being evidence of the conservative nature of the LGM in the region.

History

Årestue (open-hearth room) from Tolstadskriden, Vågå, Oppland.
Number of minorities (1st and 2nd generation) in Vågå by country of origin in 2017[13]
AncestryNumber
 Eritrea34
 Lithuania27
 Poland20
 Iraq14
 Thailand12

Vågå is mentioned in the Heimskringla (English: The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway) by Snorri Sturluson. The old Norse saga (Conversion of Dale-Gudbrand) relates that after King Olaf stayed several nights in Lesja, he proceeded south across the uplands to the Ottadal, and the beautiful hamlet lying there on both sides of the Otta river. King Olaf remained there five days, summoning the residents of Vågå, Lom, and Heidal to a meeting (ting). They were advised they must either receive Christianity and give their sons as hostages, or see their habitations burnt. Many submitted to his demands.[14]

Vågå stave church is the second oldest stave church in the country, which was constructed around 1150 and originally dedicated to St. Peter. It was converted to a cruciform church in 1625; the carved portal and wall planks are original. The baptismal font dates from the original church and a Gothic crucifix from the 13th century can be seen there as well.[15]

In 1130, Ivar Gjesling was the earliest-known owner of Sandbu (just north of Vågåmo) in Vågå. He was also King Magnus IV's lendmann for the Opplands. Sigrid Undset's fictional Lady Ragnfrid, wife of Lavrans, was created a Gjesling from Sandbu. Ivar Gjesling, allied himself with the Birchlegs (Birkebeinerne) — who chose Sverre as their king at Øreting in 1177. Sverre granted him the valley of Heidal as a reward.[14]

Farmers from Vågå participated in the successful attack on Scottish mercenary troops journeying to join Swedish forces in 1612. The legends of the Battle of Kringen lives on to this day, including the story of how the peasant girl Prillar-Guri lured the Scots into an ambush by playing of the traditional ram's horn.[14]

Ole Paulssøn Haagenstad (17751866) was in 1814 summoned by Christian-Frederick to plan the defense of Gudbrandsdalen in the event of a Swedish attack.[14]

Over 150 houses in the municipality are designated as historic landmarks.

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.[16] The municipality falls under the Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Vågå is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Vågå kommunestyre 20202023 [17]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 5
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
 Local list in Vågå (Bygdalista i Vågå)4
Total number of members:17
Vågå kommunestyre 20162019 [18][19]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 7
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Local list in Vågå (Bygdalista i Vågå)3
Total number of members:17
Vågå kommunestyre 20122015 [20]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 13
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 3
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Local list for cross-party cooperation
(Bygdalista for tverrpolitisk samarbeid)
4
Total number of members:21
Vågå kommunestyre 20082011 [19]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 15
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 3
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Local list for cross-party cooperation
(Bygdalista for tverrpolitisk samarbeid)
2
Total number of members:21
Vågå kommunestyre 20042007 [19]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 14
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 3
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Local list for cross-party cooperation
(Bygdalista for tverrpolitisk samarbeid)
3
Total number of members:21
Vågå kommunestyre 20002003 [19]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 11
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Local list for cross-party cooperation
(Bygdalista for tverrpolitisk samarbeid)
3
Total number of members:21
Vågå kommunestyre 19961999 [21]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 9
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
 Local list for cross-party cooperation
(Bygdalista for tverrpolitisk samarbeid)
6
Total number of members:21
Vågå kommunestyre 19921995 [22]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 7
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 3
 Local list for cross-party cooperation
(Bygdalista for tverrpolitisk samarbeid)
7
Total number of members:21
Vågå kommunestyre 19881991 [23]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 13
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Local list for cross-party cooperation
(Bygdalista for tverrpolitisk samarbeid)
2
Total number of members:21
Vågå kommunestyre 19841987 [24]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 12
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Local list for cross-party cooperation
(Bygdalista for tverrpolitisk samarbeid)
2
Total number of members:21
Vågå kommunestyre 19801983 [25]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 12
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Local list for cross-party cooperation
(Bygdalista for tverrpolitisk samarbeid)
2
Total number of members:21
Vågå kommunestyre 19761979 [26]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 13
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Joint list of the Conservative Party and Free Voters
(Høyre og Frie Veljarar)
1
Total number of members:21
Vågå kommunestyre 19721975 [27]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 13
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) 1
Total number of members:21
Vågå kommunestyre 19681971 [28]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 14
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
Total number of members:21
Vågå kommunestyre 19641967 [29]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 12
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidarar, fiskarar, småbrukarar liste) 3
Total number of members:21
Vågå heradsstyre 19601963 [30]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 10
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidarar, fiskarar, småbrukarar liste) 4
Total number of members:21
Vågå heradsstyre 19561959 [31]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 14
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 7
Total number of members:21
Vågå heradsstyre 19521955 [32]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 12
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 6
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 1
Total number of members:20
Vågå heradsstyre 19481951 [33]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 12
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 1
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 6
  Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and the Radical People's Party (Radikale Folkepartiet) 1
Total number of members:20
Vågå heradsstyre 19451947 [34]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 13
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 5
  Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and the Radical People's Party (Radikale Folkepartiet) 2
Total number of members:20
Vågå heradsstyre 19381941* [35]  
Party Name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 11
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 5
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 4
Total number of members:20
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

Since 1946, all mayors with three exceptions have represented the Norwegian Labour Party. The non-Labour mayors were Ola O. Kleiven and Kari Hølmo Holen (Norwegian Centre Party) and Harald Sve Bjørndal who was elected from the local bygdeliste. The mayors of Vågå (incomplete list):

  • 1929-1931: Johannes Øverstedal
  • 1938-1940: Ola O. Kleiven
  • 1945-1946: Ola O. Kleiven
  • 1946-1951: Martinus Høgåsen (Ap)
  • 1952-1959: Anders Bjørkheim (Ap)
  • 1960-1961: Ola O. Kleiven
  • 1962-1963: Kaspar Øvstedal (Ap)
  • 1964-1983: Sigurd Granrud (Ap)
  • 1984-1987: Sverre Damstuen (Ap)
  • 1988-1991: Kjell Nyhus (Ap)
  • 1992-1995: Kari Hølmo Holen (Sp)
  • 1996-2012: Rune Øygard (Ap)
  • 2012–2019: Iselin Jonassen (Ap)
  • 2019–present: Harald Sve Bjørndal (LL)

Politics

Øygard case

In the September 2011 election, Rune Øygard was reelected as mayor, after having served in that role since 1995. His reelection by the municipal council was controversial as he was already under police investigation for alleged child sexual abuse,[36] the so-called Øygard case, sometimes also referred to as the Vågå case. Øygard was granted temporary leave following his indictment in the case, and was succeeded as acting mayor by Iselin Jonassen (Labour) on 8 May 2012. After being found guilty and sentenced to four years imprisonment, Rune Øygard resigned as mayor. His resignation was granted by the municipal council on 18 December 2012, effective immediately.[37]

Notable people

Edvard Storm
Thekla Resvoll, 1891

Sister cities

Vågå has sister city agreements with the following places:[38]

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 (2022). "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  4. Statistisk sentralbyrå (2022). "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: Kristians amt (in Norwegian) (4 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. pp. 68–69.
  7. "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  8. "Vågå, Oppland (Norway)". Flags of the World. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  9. "Godkjenning av våpen og flagg". Lovdata.no (in Norwegian). Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet. 30 August 1985. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  10. Welle-Strand, Erling (1996). Adventure Roads in Norway. Nortrabooks. ISBN 978-82-90103-71-7.
  11. Lemmer, Gerhard; Frey, Elke; Rahe, Helge (2001). Norway (2 ed.). Nelles Verlag GmbH. ISBN 3-88618-897-3.
  12. Cornwallis, Graeme; Bender, Andrew; Swaney, Deana (2002). Loney Planet Norway (2 ed.). Lonely Planet Publications. ISBN 978-1-74059-200-0.
  13. "Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, by immigration category, country background and percentages of the population". ssb.no. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  14. Stagg, Frank Noel (1956). East Norway and its Frontier. George Allen and Unvin, Ltd.
  15. Taylor-Wilkie, Doreen, ed. (1996). Insight Guides Norway (2 ed.). Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 978-0-395-81912-8.
  16. Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  17. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2019 - Innlandet". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  18. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2015 - Innlandet". Valg Direktoratet.
  19. "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
  20. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Innlandet". Valg Direktoratet.
  21. "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  22. "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  23. "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  24. "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  25. "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  26. "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  27. "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  28. "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  29. "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  30. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  31. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  32. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  33. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  34. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  35. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  36. "Overgrepssiktede Rune Øygard (Ap) gjenvalgt som ordfører".
  37. "Rune Øygard trekker seg som ordfører".
  38. "Vennskapskommuner" (in Norwegian). Vågå kommune. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2009.

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