Vikebygd Municipality

Vikebygd Municipality
Vikebygd herad
Former municipality
View of the village of Vikebygd
Hordaland within Norway
Vikebygd within Hordaland
Coordinates: 59°35′39″N 05°35′14″E / 59.59417°N 5.58722°E / 59.59417; 5.58722
CountryNorway
CountyHordaland
DistrictSunnhordland
Established1 Jan 1902
 • Preceded bySveen Municipality
Disestablished1 Jan 1964
 • Succeeded byØlen Municipality and Sveio Municipality
Administrative centreVikebygd
Government
 • Mayor (1959–1963)S. Ludvig Rasmussen (V)
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total
101.9 km2 (39.3 sq mi)
 • Rank#518 in Norway
Highest elevation
[1]
637.5 m (2,092 ft)
Population
 (1962)
 • Total
1,075
 • Rank#602 in Norway
 • Density10.5/km2 (27/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
 −7.6%
Official language
[3]
 • Norwegian formNynorsk[2]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1215[4]
Data from Statistics Norway

Vikebygd is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The 101.9-square-kilometre (39.3 sq mi) municipality existed from 1902 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now divided between Sveio Municipality (in Vestland county) and Vindafjord Municipality (in Rogaland county) in the traditional district of Sunnhordland in Vestland county. The administrative centre was the village of Vikebygd.[5]

Prior to its dissolution in 1964, the 101.9-square-kilometre (39.3 sq mi) municipality was the 518th largest by area out of the 689 municipalities in Norway. Vikebygd Municipality was the 602nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 1,075. The municipality's population density was 10.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (27/sq mi) and its population had decreased by 7.6% over the previous 10-year period.[6][7]

General information

Historically, the parish of Vikebygd was a part of the old Fjeldberg Municipality. In 1865, Vikebygd parish became a part of the new Sveen Municipality. On 1 January 1902, Sveen Municipality was divided as follows: the eastern part (population: 1,092) became the new Vikebygd Municipality and the western part (population: 1,977) remained as a smaller Sveen Municipality.[8]

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Vikebygd Municipality of Vikebygd was dissolved and its lands were divided:[8]

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Vik farm (Old Norse: Víkr). The first element is the plural genitive case vík which means "bay" or "cove". The last element was added as a suffix. It comes from the word byggð which means "settlement" or "inhabited area".[9]

Churches

The Church of Norway had two parishes (sokn) within Vikebygd Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Sveio prestegjeld and the Søndre Sunnhordland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.[7]

Churches in Vikebygd Municipality
Parish (sokn) Church name Location of the church Year built
Austre Vikebygd Vikebygd Church Vikebygd 1937
Vestre Vikebygd Vestre Vikebygd Church Førde 1938

Geography

It was located along the eastern and western shores of the Ålfjorden, a small branch off the main Hardangerfjorden. The highest point in the municipality was the 637.5-metre (2,092 ft) tall mountain Trollafjellet.[1] Valestrand Municipality was located to the northwest, Ølen Municipality was located to the east, Vats Municipality was located to the southeast, Skjold Municipality was located to the southwest, and Sveio Municipality was located to the west.

Government

While it existed, Vikebygd 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.[10] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Sunnhordland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Heradsstyre) of Vikebygd 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.

Vikebygd heradsstyre 1959–1963 [11]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 15
Total number of members:17
Note: On 1 January 1964, Vikebygd Municipality was divided between Ølen Municipality and Sveio Municipality.
Vikebygd heradsstyre 1955–1959 [12]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 3
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 14
Total number of members:17
Vikebygd heradsstyre 1951–1955 [13]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 14
Total number of members:16
Vikebygd heradsstyre 1947–1951 [14]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 14
Total number of members:16
Vikebygd heradsstyre 1945–1947 [15]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 3
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 13
Total number of members:16
Vikebygd heradsstyre 1937–1941* [16]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 15
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 Vikebygd Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:

  • 1902–1903: Ivar Rodvold[17]
  • 1904–1904: A. Alme[18]
  • 1905–1916: Jens E. Østvik[19]
  • 1917–1922: I. Svendsbø[20]
  • 1923–1931: Jens E. Østvik[21]
  • 1932–1934: Knut P. Skartland[22]
  • 1935–1942: Gunnar J. Røkenes[23]
  • 1942–1945: Klaus Meland[24]
  • 1945–1946: Gunnar J. Røkenes[25]
  • 1946–1955: Hans A. Dommersnes (LL)[26]
  • 1955–1959: Øystein Jensen (LL)[27]
  • 1959–1963: S. Ludvig Rasmussen (V)[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Høgaste fjelltopp i kvar kommune" (in Norwegian). Kartverket. 16 January 2024.
  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. ^ Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (26 November 2024). "Vikebygd". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 3 February 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 Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  9. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1910). Norske gaardnavne: Søndre Bergenhus amt (in Norwegian) (11 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 100.
  10. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (25 November 2024). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  12. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  13. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  14. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  15. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  17. ^ "Amtsthinget for Søndre Bergenhus". Bergens Aftenblad (in Norwegian). 4 June 1902. p. 1. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  18. ^ "Amtsthinget for Søndre Bergenhus". Søndhordland (in Norwegian). 24 March 1904. p. 1. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  19. ^ "Søndre Bergenhus Amtsting". Hordaland Folkeblad (in Norwegian). 24 March 1905. p. 1. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  20. ^ "Amtstinget for Søndre Bergenhus". Arbeidet (in Norwegian). 19 March 1917. p. 3. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  21. ^ "Hordalands Fylkesting". Arbeidet (in Norwegian). 28 May 1923. p. 3. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  22. ^ "Hordaland fylkesting åpner i rådhuset på mandag". Bergens Aftenblad (in Norwegian). 28 May 1932. p. 4. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  23. ^ "Ordførerskifte i 10 kommuner i Hordaland". Bergens Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 13 January 1941. p. 2. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  24. ^ "Ordførarar". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). 16 November 1942. p. 2. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  25. ^ "De nye ordførere i Hordaland". Bergens Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 12 May 1945. p. 6. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  26. ^ "Millombils styre i Vikebygd". Bergens Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 28 February 1946. p. 6. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  27. ^ "Ny ordførar i Vikebygd". Bergens Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 28 December 1955. p. 2. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  28. ^ "Ny ordførar i Vikebygd". Bergens Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 19 December 1959. p. 5. Retrieved 4 February 2026.

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