Skudeneshavn

Skudeneshavn
Skudeneshamn (unofficial)[2]
Town/City[1]
Skudeneshavn in July 1951
Interactive map of Skudeneshavn
Coordinates: 59°09′00″N 5°15′24″E / 59.1501°N 5.2566°E / 59.1501; 5.2566
CountryNorway
RegionWestern Norway
CountyRogaland
DistrictHaugaland
MunicipalityKarmøy Municipality
Established as 
Ladested10 Feb 1858
Area
[3]
 • Total
2.55 km2 (0.98 sq mi)
Elevation
[6]
3 m (9.8 ft)
Population
 (2025)[3]
 • Total
3,360
 • Density1,318/km2 (3,410/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Skudnesbu,[4] Skudenesbu[5]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Post Code
4280 Skudeneshavn
Former municipality
Skudeneshavn ladested
Rogaland within Norway
Skudeneshavn within Rogaland
CountryNorway
CountyRogaland
DistrictHaugaland
Established10 Feb 1858
 • Preceded bySkudenes Municipality
Disestablished1 Jan 1965
 • Succeeded byKarmøy Municipality
Administrative centreSkudeneshavn
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total
0.51 km2 (0.20 sq mi)
 • Rank#522 in Norway
Population
 (1964)
 • Total
1,310
 • Rank#466 in Norway
 • Density2,568.6/km2 (6,653/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
 −1.4%
Official language
[8]
 • Norwegian formNeutral[7]
ISO 3166 codeNO-1104[9]
Data from Statistics Norway

Skudeneshavnⓘ[2] (also known as simply Skudenes) is a town[1] in Karmøy Municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located on the southernmost tip of the island of Karmøy at the entrance to the Boknafjorden and Karmsundet strait. The town is part of the traditional district of Haugaland. The town was an independent municipality due to its status as a ladested from 1858 until 1965.[10]

The 2.55-square-kilometre (630-acre) town has a population (2025) of 3,360 and a population density of 1,318 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,410/sq mi).[3] In 1990, Skudeneshavn won second prize in NORTRA's competition for Norway's Best Preserved Small Town.[11]

History

The village of Skudeneshavn was declared to be a ladested (port town) on 10 February 1858. Since towns were not allowed to be part of a rural municipality, Skudeneshavn was removed from Skudenes Municipality, and established as its own urban municipality. Initially, Skudeneshavn Municipality had 1,209 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the town-municipality of Skudeneshavn was merged into the newly formed Karmøy Municipality (along with Skudenes Municipality, Avaldsnes Municipality, Stangaland Municipality, Torvastad Municipality and the town of Kopervik). Prior to the merger, Skudeneshavn Municipality had 1,275 residents. At the time of the merger, Skudeneshavn lost its status as a town (ladested). In 1996, after the law on towns had been changed, Karmøy Municipality declared Skudeneshavn to be a town once again.[12]

Name

The town (originally the municipality and parish) is named after the Skudenes peninsula (Old Norse: Skútunes) at the south end of the island of Karmøy. The first element is the genitive case of skúta which means "rock wall that is sticking out", referring to the rocky islets and skerries that lie just off the shore of the peninsula. The second element is nes which means "headland". The last element is havn which means "harbor" or "port".[13]

Municipal self-government (1858-1964)

From 1858 through 1964, Skudeneshavn was a self-governing municipality. While it existed, Skudeneshavn 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.[14] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Karmsund District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Bystyre) of Skudeneshavn Municipality was made up of 21 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Skudeneshavn bystyre 1963–1964 [15]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 7
Total number of members:21
Skudeneshavn bystyre 1959–1963 [16]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 7
Total number of members:21
Skudeneshavn bystyre 1955–1959 [17]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 7
Total number of members:21
Skudeneshavn bystyre 1951–1955 [18]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 6
Total number of members:20
Skudeneshavn bystyre 1947–1951 [19]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and the Radical People's Party (Radikale Folkepartiet) 9
Total number of members:20
Skudeneshavn bystyre 1945–1947 [20]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 11
  Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and the Radical People's Party (Radikale Folkepartiet) 7
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 2
Total number of members:20
Skudeneshavn bystyre 1937–1941* [21]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 6
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 14
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.
Skudeneshavn bystyre 1935–1937 [22]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 7
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 8
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 5
Total number of members:20

Attractions

Skudeneshavn's old town (Gamle Skudeneshavn), consisting of 225 wooden houses/boathouses, is regarded as one of the best preserved in Europe. In 2004, it was voted Norway's "Summer Town" by listeners to NRK Radio's Reiseradioen programme.[23]

Each year the "Skudeneshavn International Literature and Culture festival" (Norwegian: Skudeneshavn Internasjonale Litteratur- og Kulturfestival) (SILK festival) is held on the first weekend of November.

Skudefestival

Every year, Skudeneshavn hosts a "boating" festival known as Skudefestivalen. It usually runs for four days (from Thursday to Sunday) at the end of June or beginning of July (it is a 'moveable' date). The festival is the largest gathering of coastal culture in Western Norway, with boats of all categories - old wooden boats, vintage boats, modern boats, sailing boats, tall ships - the town is full of life around the harbour - both on land and on water. Markets stalls are set up in the Town Square. Craftsmen demonstrate handcrafts from olden days connected to sea and shipping. Boat builders, ship models, old engines. An art exhibition in Søragadå - the main and narrow street in "Old Skudeneshavn" is held with a new festival artist chosen every year. Visitors can see the exhibitions in "Bytunet" in the old part of town. Entertainment is provided in the daytime - and in the evenings in the festival tent featuring national and international artists and in the many sea houses Celtic music, blues and middle-of the road pop. Travelling amusement rides and arcades usually time their visits to coincide with this popular festival, providing extra enjoyment for younger children and teenagers. Every year about 35,000 people visit the festival and it gathers more than 600 boats. The festival in 2017 was between 29 June - 2 July and is the 24th festival. The festival in 2018 is between 5 and 8 July.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b In the Norwegian language, the word by can be translated as "town" or "city".
  2. ^ a b "Informasjon om stadnamn". Norgeskart (in Norwegian). Kartverket. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  3. ^ a b c Statistisk sentralbyrå (27 October 2025). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality".
  4. ^ "Innbyggjarnamn - Språkrådet" (in Norwegian). Language Council of Norway. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  5. ^ Vårvik, Bjørn Inge (11 September 2020). "Skudenesbu kan havne på Stortinget - SkudenesNytt.no" (in Norwegian). SkudenesNytt. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Skudeneshavn, Karmøy (Rogaland)". yr.no. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1932. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 453–471. 1932.
  8. ^ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  9. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (9 January 2024). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon.
  10. ^ Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (25 November 2024). "Skudeneshavn (tidligere kommune)". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  11. ^ "Gamle Skudeneshavn" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 28 May 2007.
  12. ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  13. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1915). Norske gaardnavne: Stavanger amt (in Norwegian) (10 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 383.
  14. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (25 November 2024). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  15. ^ "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  16. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  17. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  18. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  19. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  20. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  21. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  22. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1934" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1935. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  23. ^ "Old Skudeneshavn - fishing village of Karmøy". The Karmøy Museums. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  24. ^ "Boating Festival". Archived from the original on 7 January 2008.

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