Kvinesdal is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Liknes. Other villages in Kvinesdal include Feda, Fjotland, Knaben, and Storekvina.
Kvinesdal is an elongated mountain-to-coast municipality, reaching saltwater at the head of the Fedafjorden, which provides access to the North Sea in the south. Further north, the landscape is cut by narrow valleys with scattered small villages. There are also abandoned mines at Knaben, a popular ski resort. Because Kvinesdal resembles the geography of the nation as a whole, it is often referred to as "Little Norway".
The municipality is the 121st largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Kvinesdal Municipality is the 156th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of . The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 4.4% over the previous 10-year period.
From the 1850s until the 1950s, many people emigrated from Kvinesdal Municipality and moved to North America, particularly to the United States. It is noted as being an "American village" () because of the high number of American residents in Kvinesdal Municipality. These people are typically either Norwegians who moved to the States, obtained US Citizenship, and then later moved back to Norway, or they are descendants of Norwegians who have never acquired Norwegian citizenship.
General information
The parish of Kvinesdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1841, the rural neighboring Fjotland Municipality (population: 980) to the north was merged with Kvinesdal Municipality (population: 3,226) to form a new, larger Kvinesdal Municipality, although this was short-lived. In 1858, the merger was un-done and Kvinesdal Municipality was divided: the northern district (population: 1,044) became Fjotland Municipality once again and the southern district (population: 4,485) continued on as smaller Kvinesdal Municipality.
On 1 January 1900, Kvinesdal Municipality was divided into two: the southern area around the Fedafjorden (population: 1,090) became the new Feda Municipality and the northern district (population: 2,937) was renamed as Liknes Municipality. In 1917, Liknes Municipality was changed (back) to Kvinesdal Municipality.
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1963, the following areas were merged to form a much larger Kvinesdal Municipality:
all of Kvinesdal Municipality (population: 3,218) all of Fjotland Municipality (population: 1,244) all of Feda Municipality (population: 576)
Historically, this municipality was part of the old Vest-Agder county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed Agder county (after Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder counties were merged).
Name The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Kvinesdal valley (). The first element of the name comes from the old name for the local Fedafjorden. The old name of the fjord was . The old fjord name comes from the name of the main river, Kvina, which flows into the fjord. The old river name, is derived from the verb which means "to squeal" or "to whistle". The last element of the name is which means "valley" or "dale".
In 1900, the municipality was renamed Liknes Municipality. This was short-lived, however, and in 1917 the name was changed back to Kvinesdal Municipality. The new name came from the old Liknes farm (). The first element comes from the word which means "game" or "sport". The last element is which means "headland". Thus, a headland for games or sports.
Coat of arms The coat of arms was granted on 15 March 1985. The official blazon is "Azure a pall engrailed argent" (). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a Y-shaped figure called a pall with edges that are engrailed. The pall 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 blue color in the field and the pall design was chosen to symbolize the meeting of the two local rivers: Kvina and Litleåna which join at the village of Liknes and then flow south together to the Fedafjorden. The arms were designed by Truls Nygaard who developed it using ideas by Hans Freddy Larsen and Lars Olsen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.
Churches The Church of Norway has three parishes () within Kvinesdal Municipality. It is part of the Lister og Mandal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.
Churches in Kvinesdal MunicipalityParish ()Church nameLocation of the churchYear builtFedaFeda ChurchFeda1802FjotlandFjotland ChurchFjotland1836Netlandsnes ChapelNetland1886KvinesdalKvinesdal ChurchLiknes1837
Geography The long, narrow Kvinesdal Municipality stretches from the mountains in the north, along the Kvinesdal valley to the Fedafjorden in the south. To the west, Kvinesdal Municipality is bordered by Flekkefjord Municipality and Sirdal Municipality. To the east, it is bordered by Åseral Municipality and Hægebostad Municipality. To the south, it is bordered by Lyngdal Municipality, and it is bordered by Farsund Municipality in the east and south. A small segment of the northern boundary borders Bygland Municipality.
The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Venehei, located a short distance north of the village of Knaben. Two valleys meet in Kvinesdal's center: the larger Kvinesdal, known as the Vesterdalen () through which flows the river Kvina and the smaller Austerdalen () through which flows the river Litleåna until it joins the Kvina. The river Kvina, which runs through the municipality, is known for its salmon, and salmon fishing is a popular activity.
Climate
Population About 10% of the inhabitants of Kvinesdal Municipality are American citizens, and the municipality does enjoy a special relationship with the United States. Every year, the municipality hosts a special festival remembering the days when local people emigrated to the new world.
History
The Kvinesdal valley was home of many prominent characters in the Saga Period. Among them were the Skald Tjodolv the Frode. Frode means one with great knowledge of the history of ancestors. He composed a historic poem for his king Harold Fairhair. His work was later combined into the Heimskringla when it was recorded by Snorri Sturluson.
In northern Kvinesdal, along the high plateau which sits at above sea level, records show that the Salmeli Farm dates back at least to the year 1300. During the Black Death years of 1350 the farm became deserted, but was back as a working farm again by 1647. It is now a historic site.
The bailiff Stig Bagge, who was granted local leadership from 1536 to 1542 by king Christian III, was an energetic man when he lived at his ancestral home of Eikeland in Kvinesdal. According to the reports of Peder Claussøn Friis, he executed refractory peasants so willingly that the district thought it was to excess; he was the district's bogeyman for many years thereafter. When the bailiff in Nedenes was killed in his bed and rebels came in an unsuccessful attempt to capture and execute Stig, he collected his men and brutally stifled the revolt. Stig himself died by being drawn and quartered by the Dutch when he was caught in piracy or espionage off their coast at Walcheren.
Government Kvinesdal Municipality is 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Agder District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.
Municipal council The municipal council () of Kvinesdal Municipality is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
Mayors The mayor () of Kvinesdal Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:
1838–1840: Rev. Jens Saxe 1841–1843: Didrik Mortensen Bøgvad 1844–1845: Hans Hansen Feda 1846–1847: Anders Christian Tollaksen Rørvik 1848–1851: Didrik Mortensen Bøgvad 1852–1852: Anders Christian Tollaksen Rørvik 1853–1854: Salve Olsen Aamodt 1854–1858: Sigbjørn Stenersen Helle 1858–1859: Asbjørn Sigbjørnsen Sande 1860–1861: Rev. Tollef Martin Bang 1862–1863: Hans Hansen Teigen 1864–1867: Rev. Tollef Martin Bang 1868–1874: Hans Hansen Teigen 1874–1875: Andreas Andersen Lindland 1876–1877: Ole Svendsen Jerstad 1878–1879: Hans Berntsen Gullestad 1880–1898: Andreas Andersen Lindland 1899–1907: Daniel Olsen Aamodt 1908–1916: Gabriel Sørensen Røynestad 1917–1919: Karl Arnesen Haugland 1920–1928: Jens Hompland 1929–1931: Sevald Åmodt 1932–1934: Jens Hompland 1935–1937: Sevald Åmodt 1938–1940: Hans O. Egeland 1941–1942: Sevald Åmodt 1943–1945: Halvdan Hansen (NS) 1945–1947: Hans O. Egeland 1948–1971: Tønnes Oksefjell (V) 1971–1975: Olav A. Egeland (Ap) 1975–1979: Arnold Omland (KrF) 1979–1983: Olav Konsmo (H) 1983–1990: Arnold Omland (KrF) 1990–1999: Anders Mathias Larsen (KrF) 1999–2003: Sigmund Oksefjell (Sp) 2003–2013: Odd Omland (Ap) 2013–2015: Svein Arne Jerstad (Ap) 2015–present: Per Sverre Kvinlaug (KrF)
Economy In addition to various small businesses and public services, Kvinesdal's economy is driven in part by hydroelectric power. The Sira-Kvina power company derives hydroelectric power from the Kvina river, in addition to various smaller dams. Eramet is an important local employer that provides work to about 200 persons in producing manganese-alloys. There is also a small tourism industry, with golfing and fishing being the main draws.
Notable people
Peder Jacobsen Bøgvald (1762 in Feda – 1829), a sea captain, farmer, and politician Kristian Marcelius Førland (1891–1978), an artist who lived and painted in Kvinesdal Erling Moi (1918 in Kvinesdal – 1944), a Norwegian resistance member in WWII Sigbjørn Hølmebakk (1922 in Feda – 1981), an author Anne Gullestad (1925 in Kvinesdal – 1998), an actress and theatre director. Retrieved 14 November 2020. Gordon Hølmebakk (1928 in Feda – 2018), a publishing editor, essayist, and novelist Aril Edvardsen (1938 in Kvinesdal – 2008), an evangelical preacher and missionary whose former home is now a museum Andreas Hompland (born 1946 in Kvinesdal), a social scientist, journalist, and non-fiction writer Arnfinn Moland (born 1951 in Kvinesdal), a historian and writer Odd Omland (born 1956), a politician who was mayor of Kvinesdal from 2003 to 2013 Per Sverre Kvinlaug (born 1974), a politician who was mayor of Kvinesdal starting in 2015 Silvia Moi (born 1978 in Kvinesdal), an opera singer. Retrieved 14 November 2020. Luxus Leverpostei, (Norwegian Wiki), a band formed in Kvinesdal in 1991
Sport Ludvig Hunsbedt, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1961 in Kvinesdal), a rallycross driver Roger Eskeland (born 1977), a football goalkeeper Atle Roar Håland (born 1977), a retired footballer with over 300 club caps
See also Kvinesdal Rock Festival
References
External links Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway Official website