Jondal Municipality
Jondal Municipality
Jondal kommune | |
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View of Jondal | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
Hordaland within Norway | |
Jondal within Hordaland | |
| Coordinates: 60°16′06″N 06°19′45″E / 60.26833°N 6.32917°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Hordaland |
| District | Hardanger |
| Established | 1 Jan 1863 |
| • Preceded by | Strandebarm Municipality |
| Disestablished | 1 Jan 2020 |
| • Succeeded by | Ullensvang Municipality |
| Administrative centre | Jondal |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2009–2019) | Jon Larsgard (Sp) |
| Area (upon dissolution) | |
• Total | 247.08 km2 (95.40 sq mi) |
| • Land | 234.73 km2 (90.63 sq mi) |
| • Water | 12.35 km2 (4.77 sq mi) 5% |
| • Rank | #305 in Norway |
| Highest elevation | 1,644 m (5,394 ft) |
| Population (2019) | |
• Total | 1,087 |
| • Rank | #387 in Norway |
| • Density | 4.4/km2 (11/sq mi) |
| • Change (10 years) | +6.4% |
| Demonyms | Jondøl Jondøling[2] |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Nynorsk |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-1227[4] |
Jondal is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The 247.08-square-kilometre (95.40 sq mi) municipality existed from 1863 until its dissolution in 2020. The area is now part of Ullensvang Municipality in the traditional district of Hardanger in Vestland county. The administrative centre was the village of Jondal. Other villages in the municipality included Herand, Kysnesstranda, and Torsnes.
Prior to its dissolution in 2020, the 247.08-square-kilometre (95.40 sq mi) municipality was the 305th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Jondal Municipality was the 387th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 1,087. The municipality's population density was 4.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (11/sq mi) and its population had increased by 6.4% over the previous 10-year period.[5][6]
General information
The municipality of Jondal was established on 1 January 1863 when the large Strandebarm Municipality was divided as follows:[7]
- the eastern district which was mostly east of the Hardangerfjorden (population: 1,663) became the new Jondal Municipality
- the western district which was mostly west of the Hardangerfjorden (population: 2,200) remained as a smaller Strandebarm Municipality
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, there were two changes that effected Jondal municipality: the part of Jondal located on the northwestern side of the Hardangerfjorden (population: 515) was transferred to Kvam Municipality and the Kysnesstranda area of Strandebarm Municipality (population: 100) was transferred to Jondal Municipality.[7]
Then on 1 January 2013, the southwestern part of the Folgefonna peninsula (south of Kysnesstranda) was transferred to Jondal from the neighboring Kvinnherad Municipality. This added forty new residents and 37.1 square kilometres (14.3 sq mi) of land area to the municipality.[8]
On 1 January 2020, Jondal Municipality, Odda Municipality, and Ullensvang Municipality were merged. The new municipality was named Ullensvang Municipality and its administrative centre is the town of Odda.[9] Historically, this municipality was part of the old Hordaland county. On 1 January 2020, the newly-enlarged Ullensvang Municipality became a part of the newly-formed Vestland county (after Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane counties were merged).[10]
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Jondalen valley (Old Norse: Jónardalr) which runs through the municipality and it is where the village of Jondal is located. The first element is an old river name Jón (now called Jondalselvi). The meaning of the river name is unknown. The last element is dalr which means "valley" or "dale".[11]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 27 November 1987 and it was in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was dissolved. The official blazon is "Gules, three boathooks bendwise issuant from sinister base Or" (Norwegian: På raud grunn tre skrått framveksande gule båtshaker). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a set of three boat hooks lined up diagonally. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. This design was chosen to symbolise the importance of sailing and shipping along the Hardangerfjord. Historically, Jondal Municipality has been known for its shipyards and sailing college. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[12][13][14]
Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within Jondal Municipality. It is part of the Hardanger og Voss prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.
| Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jondal | Jondal Church | Jondal | 1888 |
Geography
Jondal Municipality was located on the Folgefonna peninsula in the Hardanger district, on the eastern shore of the Hardangerfjorden. It was bounded by the large Folgefonna glacier to the southeast (inside Folgefonna National Park). The highest point in the municipality was the 1,644-metre (5,394 ft) tall point at the top of the Folgefonna glacier.[1] The lake Juklavatnet was located on the municipal border with Kvinnherad Municipality. The 10-kilometre (6.2 mi) long tunnel runs under the glacier from Jondal to Mauranger (in Kvinnherad Municipality).
Kvam Municipality was located to the west and north, Ullensvang Municipality was located to the east, and Kvinnherad Municipality was located to the south.
Population
Historical population | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Note: The municipal borders were changed in 1965 and 2013, causing a significant change in the population. Source: Statistics Norway[16][17] and Norwegian Historical Data Centre[18] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Government
While it existed, Jondal 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.[19] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Hardanger District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.
Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Jondal Municipality was made up of 17 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 8 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Note: On 1 January 2020, Jondal Municipality, Odda Municipality, and Ullensvang Municipality were merged to form the new Ullensvang Municipality. | ||
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 9 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 7 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 5 | |
| Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 1 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 6 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 6 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Non-party common list (Upolitisk Samlingsliste) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 2 | |
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 11 | |
| Total number of members: | 13 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 13 | |
| Total number of members: | 13 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 17 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 17 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidarar, fiskarar, småbrukarar liste) | 2 | |
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 15 | |
| Total number of members: | 17 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 14 | |
| Total number of members: | 16 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 16 | |
| Total number of members: | 16 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 6 | |
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 10 | |
| Total number of members: | 16 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) | 4 | |
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 12 | |
| Total number of members: | 16 | |
| 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 (Nynorsk: ordførar) of Jondal Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:[37][38]
- 1863–1865: Hans Galtung[38]
- 1866–1875: Ole Evensen Vadsæl[38]
- 1876–1879: Jens Galtung[38]
- 1880–1889: Mikkel Digrebrække[38]
- 1890–1898: Lars Berge[38]
- 1899–1904: Samson Haugen[38]
- 1905–1916: Lars Storaas[38]
- 1917–1919: Lars Eide[38]
- 1920–1934: Hans Halleråker[38]
- 1935–1937: Ola N. Heradstveit[38]
- 1937–1946: Olaf L. Håheim[39]
- 1946–1947: Johannes S. Bakke[40]
- 1947–1951: Theodor Sandven (LL)[41]
- 1951–1967: Johannes S. Bakke (Sp)[42]
- 1967–1975: Lars Vetlesand (LL)
- 1975–1979: Leif Galtung (Sp)
- 1979–1995: Bjørg Hope Galtung (Sp)
- 1995–2007: John Skogseth (Ap)
- 2007–2009: Sigrid Brattabø Handegard (Sp)
- 2009–2019: Jon Larsgard (Sp)
Police
In 2016, the chief of police for Vestlandet formally suggested a reconfiguration of police districts and stations. He proposed that the police station in Jondal be closed.[43]
Notable people
- Herborg Kråkevik, a singer and actress
- Bjørg Hope Galtung, the mayor of Jondal Municipality from 1979 to 1993 (only leaving to sit in the national Parliament)
See also
References
- ^ a b "Høgaste fjelltopp i kvar kommune" (in Norwegian). Kartverket. 16 January 2024. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019.
- ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
- ^ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
- ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (9 January 2024). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon.
- ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
- ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)" (in Norwegian).
- ^ a b Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
- ^ Olsen, Kjartan Wang (8 December 2011). "Jondal overtar Kvinnherad-bygder" (in Norwegian). Hardanger folkeblad. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
- ^ "Ullensvang kommune - den nye kommune i Hardanger" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (1 August 2025). "Vestland". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ Rygh, Oluf (1910). Norske gaardnavne: Søndre Bergenhus amt (in Norwegian) (11 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 507.
- ^ "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ "Jondal, Hordaland". Flags of the World. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ "Godkjenning av våpen og flagg". Lovdata.no (in Norwegian). Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet. 27 November 1987. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ Statistics Norway - Church of Norway.
- ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
- ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Folketelling 1960" (PDF) (in Norwegian).
- ^ Universitetet i Tromsø – Norges arktiske universitet. "Censuses in the Norwegian Historical Data Archive (NHDC)".
- ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (25 November 2024). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
- ^ "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Hordaland". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ Fiva, Jon H; Sørensen, Rune J.; Vøllo, Reidar, eds. (2024). "Local Candidate Dataset" (PDF).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Sjurseth, Karl (1937). Hordaland fylke 1837-1937 (in Norwegian). Bergen: Hordaland fylke.
- ^ "Olaf Håheim ny ordfører i Jondal". Hardanger (in Norwegian). 4 January 1938. p. 1. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ "Johs. S. Bakke vald til ordførar i Jondal". Hardanger (in Norwegian). 8 January 1946. p. 1. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ "Lærar Th. Sandven ny ordførar i Jondal". Hardanger (in Norwegian). 30 December 1947. p. 4. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ "Johs. S. Bakke ordførar i Jondal". Bergens Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 31 December 1951. p. 14. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ Fjelltveit, Ingvild; Raunholm, Per Vidar (20 December 2016). "Foreslår å legge ned 17 lensmannskontor i Vest politidistrikt". NRK Hordaland (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 October 2017.