Austad Municipality

Austad Municipality
Austad herred
Former municipality
View of the local church
Vest-Agder within Norway
Austad within Vest-Agder
Coordinates: 58°05′30″N 07°02′45″E / 58.09167°N 7.04583°E / 58.09167; 7.04583
CountryNorway
CountyVest-Agder
DistrictLister
Established1 Jan 1909
 • Preceded byLyngdal Municipality
Disestablished1 Jan 1963
 • Succeeded byLyngdal Municipality
Administrative centreAustad
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total
44.01 km2 (16.99 sq mi)
 • Rank#607 in Norway
Highest elevation
[1]
270 m (890 ft)
Population
 (1962)
 • Total
621
 • Rank#678 in Norway
 • Density14.1/km2 (37/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
 −19.1%
Official language
[3]
 • Norwegian formBokmål[2]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1031[4]
Data from Statistics Norway

Austad is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. The 44-square-kilometre (17 sq mi) municipality existed from 1909 until its dissolution in 1963. The area is now part of Lyngdal Municipality in the traditional district of Lister in Agder county. The administrative centre was the village of Austad where Austad Church is located.[5]

Prior to its dissolution in 1962, the 44.01-square-kilometre (16.99 sq mi) municipality was the 607th largest by area out of the 705 municipalities in Norway. Austad Municipality was the 678th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 621. The municipality's population density was 14.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (37/sq mi) and its population had decreased by 19.1% over the previous 10-year period.[6][7]

General information

The municipality of Austad was established on 1 January 1909 when the old Lyngdal Municipality was divided into three municipalities:[8]

  • the southern coastal area (population: 1,263) became the new Austad Municipality
  • the northern area (population: 736) became the new Kvaas Municipality
  • the central area (population: 2,698) continued as a smaller Lyngdal Municipality

On 7 January 1916, there was a small border adjustment which transferred a small area (population: 4) from Austad Municipality to the neighboring Spind Municipality.[8]

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee.[9][10] On 1 January 1963, Austad Municipality was dissolved and the following areas were merged to form a new, larger Lyngdal Municipality:[8]

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Austad farm (Old Norse: Alvisstaðir) since the first Austad Church was built there. The first element the male name "Ålvir" or "Ǫlvir". The last element is the plural form of staðr which means "place" or "abode".[11]

Churches

The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within Austad Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Lyngdal prestegjeld and the Lister prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder.[7]

Churches in Austad Municipality
Parish (sokn) Church name Location of the church Year built
Austad Austad Church Austad 1803
Korshamn Chapel Korshavn 1906

Geography

The municipality encompassed the area surrounding the Rosfjorden. The highest point in the municipality was the 570-metre (1,870 ft) tall mountain Gitlesteinheia.[1] Lyngdal Municipality was located to the north, Spangereid Municipality was located to the east, the North Sea was to the south, and Spind Municipality was located to the west.

Government

While it existed, Austad Municipality was 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 was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[12] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Lyngdal District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Austad Municipality was made up of 13 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Austad herredsstyre 1959–1962 [13]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 4
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
Total number of members:13
Note: On 1 January 1963, Austad Municipality became part of Lyngdal Municipality.
Austad herredsstyre 1955–1959 [14]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 4
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 7
Total number of members:13
Austad herredsstyre 1951–1955 [15]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 6
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 1
Total number of members:12
Austad herredsstyre 1947–1951 [16]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 12
Total number of members:12
Austad herredsstyre 1945–1947 [17]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 12
Total number of members:12
Austad herredsstyre 1937–1941* [18]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 6
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidere, fiskere, småbrukere liste) 3
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 3
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 mayor (Norwegian: ordførar) of Austad Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:[19]

  • 1909–1925: Michael Boxnæs
  • 1926–1934: Thorvald Grefstad[20]
  • 1935–1936: T.Z. Lundegård
  • 1936–1937: Thorvald Grefstad[20]
  • 1937–1940: Ole Jensen[21]
  • 1940–1941: Thorvald Grefstad[22]
  • 1941–1945: Selmer Bærø[22]
  • 1945–1945: Thorvald Grefstad[20]
  • 1946–1947: Emil Visdal[23]
  • 1948–1962: Jakob Holvik[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Kart over Norge" (in Norwegian). Kartverket.
  2. ^ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1932. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 453–471. 1932.
  3. ^ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  4. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (9 January 2024). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon.
  5. ^ Lauritzen, Per Roger, ed. (8 December 2025). "Austad". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  6. ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  7. ^ a b Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 1951). Norges Sivile, Geistlige, Rettslige og Militære Inndeling 1. Januar 1951 (PDF). Norges Offisielle Statistikk (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norge: H. Aschehoug & Co.
  8. ^ a b c Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  9. ^ Grepstad, Jon, ed. (25 March 2025). "Nikolai Schei". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  10. ^ Hansen, Tore; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (27 May 2024). "kommuneinndelingen i Norge". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  11. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1912). Norske gaardnavne: Lister og Mandals amt (in Norwegian) (9 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 221.
  12. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (25 November 2024). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  13. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  14. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  16. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  19. ^ Vest-Agder fylke 1837-1937 (in Norwegian). Kristiansand: Landmarks bokhandel. 1937. p. PAGEPAGEPAGE.
  20. ^ a b c d Lian, Oddleif. Lyngdal 1 : Austad : gard og folk (in Norwegian). Lyngdal: Lyngdal kommune. ISBN 8299197953. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  21. ^ "Austad". Farsunds Avis (in Norwegian). 31 December 1937. p. 2. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  22. ^ a b "Ny ordfører i Austad". Christianssands Tidende (in Norwegian). 30 August 1941. p. 2. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  23. ^ "Til ny ordfører i Austad". Fædrelandsvennen (in Norwegian). 17 January 1946. p. 3. Retrieved 5 June 2026.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.