Kinsarvik Municipality

This article is about the former municipality in Hordaland, Norway. For Kinsarvik Municipality (1838-1869), see Ullensvang Municipality.
Kinsarvik Municipality
Kinsarvik herad
Former municipality
Kinservik herred  (historic name)
View of Kinsarvik
Hordaland within Norway
Kinsarvik within Hordaland
Coordinates: 60°22′28″N 06°43′12″E / 60.37444°N 6.72000°E / 60.37444; 6.72000
CountryNorway
CountyHordaland
DistrictHardanger
Established1 Jan 1913
 • Preceded byUllensvang Municipality
Disestablished1 Jan 1964
 • Succeeded byUllensvang Municipality
Administrative centreKinsarvik
Government
 • Mayor (1961–1963)Jakob D. Hus
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total
392.5 km2 (151.5 sq mi)
 • Rank#232 in Norway
Highest elevation
[1]
1,648 m (5,407 ft)
Population
 (1963)
 • Total
1,585
 • Rank#526 in Norway
 • Density4/km2 (10/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
 −3.5%
DemonymKinserviking[2][3]
Official language
[5]
 • Norwegian formNynorsk[4]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1231[6]
Data from Statistics Norway

Kinsarvik is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The 392.5-square-kilometre (151.5 sq mi) municipality existed from 1913 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Ullensvang Municipality in the traditional district of Hardanger in Vestland county. The administrative centre was the village of Kinsarvik.[7]

Prior to its dissolution in 1964, the 392.5-square-kilometre (151.5 sq mi) municipality was the 232nd largest by area out of the 689 municipalities in Norway. Kinsarvik Municipality was the 526th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 1,585. The municipality's population density was 4 inhabitants per square kilometre (10/sq mi) and its population had decreased by 3.5% over the previous 10-year period.[8][9]

General information

The large parish of Kinsarvik (historically spelled Kinzervig) was a prestegjeld in Norway for a long time. On 1 January 1838 the parish of Kinsarvik was established as a civil municipality (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The new Kinsarvik Municipality was centered at Kinsarvik Church and it had one annex church (Ullensvang Church) at Lofthus. In 1869, Ullensvang became the main parish, and Kinsarvik became an annex to Ullensvang (and at the same time the name was changed to Ullensvang Municipality).[10]

On 1 July 1913, the large Ullensvang Municipality was split into three separate municipalities:[10]

  • the northwestern part (population: 1,736) became the new Kinsarvik Municipality
  • the central part (population: 1,941) continued on as a smaller Ullensvang Municipality
  • the southern part (population: 3,077) became the new Odda Municipality

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Kinsarvik municipality was dissolved. The Lussand-Kvanndal area north of the Hardangerfjorden (population: 72) was transferred to Granvin Municipality. The remainder of Kinsarvik Municipality (population: 1,513) was merged (back) into Ullensvang Municipality.[10]

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Kinsarvik farm (Old Norse: Kinsarvík) since the first Kinsarvik Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the old river name Kinns (now called Kinso). That name comes from the word kinn which means "steep hillside". The last element is vík which means "bay" or "cove".[11]

Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Kinservik. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Kinsarvik.[12]

Churches

The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within Kinsarvik Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Ullensvang prestegjeld and the Hardanger og Voss prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.[9]

Churches in Kinsarvik Municipality
Parish (sokn) Church name Location of the church Year built
Kinsarvik Kinsarvik Church Kinsarvik c. 1150
Utne Chapel Utne 1895

Geography

The municipality was centered around the inner part of the Hardangerfjorden, at the place where the main fjord splits into the Granvinsfjorden, Eidfjorden, and Sørfjorden. The highest point in the municipality is the 1,648-metre (5,407 ft) tall mountain Sovarenuten.[1]

Granvin Municipality and Ulvik Municipality were to the north, Eidfjord Municipality was to the east, Ullensvang Municipality was to the south, Kvam Municipality was to the west, and Voss Municipality was to the northwest.

Government

While it existed, Kinsarvik 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.[13] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Heradsstyre) of Kinsarvik 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.

Kinsarvik heradsstyre 1959–1963 [14]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 3
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 7
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:13
Note: On 1 January 1964, Kinsarvik Municipality became part of Ullensvang Municipality.
Kinsarvik heradsstyre 1955–1959 [15]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 13
Total number of members:13
Kinsarvik heradsstyre 1951–1955 [16]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 12
Total number of members:12
Kinsarvik heradsstyre 1947–1951 [17]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 1
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgarlege Felleslister) 11
Total number of members:12
Kinsarvik heradsstyre 1945–1947 [18]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 3
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 9
Total number of members:12
Kinsarvik heradsstyre 1937–1941* [19]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgarlege Felleslister) 10
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 (Nynorsk: ordførar) of Kinsarvik Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:

  • 1913–1925: Lars Aga[20]
  • 1926–1934: Gunnar E. Bjotveit[21]
  • 1934–1941: Torgeir J. Alvsaaker[22]
  • 1941–1945: Olav Eidnes[23]
  • 1945–1945: Torgeir J. Alvsaaker[24]
  • 1946–1951: Knut Vindal[25]
  • 1951–1961: Josef Lutro (Sp)[26]
  • 1961–1963: Jakob D. Hus[27]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Kart over Norge" (in Norwegian). Kartverket.
  2. ^ "Kinservik". Stadnamn.no. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  4. ^ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1932. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 453–471. 1932.
  5. ^ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  6. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (9 January 2024). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon.
  7. ^ Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (2 June 2025). "Kinsarvik (tidlegare kommune)". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  8. ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ a b c Jukvam, Dag (1999). Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  11. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1910). Norske gaardnavne: Søndre Bergenhus amt (in Norwegian) (11 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 457.
  12. ^ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1917. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Kristiania, Norge: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 1057–1065. 1917.
  13. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (25 November 2024). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  15. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  17. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  18. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  19. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Søndre Bergenhus amtsting". Hordaland Folkeblad (in Norwegian). 25 March 1914. p. 2. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  21. ^ "Hordalands ordførere". Arbeidet (in Norwegian). 29 May 1926. p. 4. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  22. ^ "Ordførarval". Den 17de Mai (in Norwegian). 17 December 1934. p. 3. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  23. ^ "Ordførerskifte i 10 kommuner i Hordaland". Bergens Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 13 January 1941. p. 2. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  24. ^ "De nye ordførere i Hordaland". Bergens Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 12 May 1945. p. 6. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  25. ^ "Kinsarvik". Haugesunds Avis (in Norwegian). 7 January 1946. p. 2. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  26. ^ "Josef Lutro". Hardanger Folkeblad (in Norwegian). 21 December 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  27. ^ "Ordførerval i Hordaland". Bergens Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 30 November 1961. p. 7. Retrieved 18 January 2026.

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