Eidanger Municipality
Eidanger herred
Former municipality
View of the Eidanger Church
View of the Eidanger Church
Telemark within Norway
Telemark within Norway
Eidanger within Telemark
Eidanger within Telemark
Coordinates: 59°07′07″N 9°41′53″E / 59.1185°N 9.698°E / 59.1185; 9.698
CountryNorway
CountyTelemark
DistrictGrenland
Established1 Jan 1838
 • Created asFormannskapsdistrikt
Disestablished1 Jan 1964
 • Succeeded byPorsgrunn Municipality
Administrative centreEidanger
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total136 km2 (53 sq mi)
Population
 (1964)
 • Total13,018
 • Density96/km2 (250/sq mi)
DemonymDangling[1]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-0813[2]
Data from Statistics Norway

Eidanger is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The 136-square-kilometre (53 sq mi) municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Porsgrunn Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Eidanger where Eidanger Church is located.[3]

The municipality of Eidanger included a peninsula between the Eidangerfjorden and the Frierfjorden. Situated between the urban municipalities (towns) of Brevik and Porsgrunn. It also included the more rural areas to the north and east of the Eidangerfjorden. The municipality had excellent natural conditions for building harbours, it became the site of Norsk Hydro's plant at Herøya and the Dalen Portland (now part of the Norcem corporation) concrete factory just outside Brevik. More recently, a major industry in the area is Heistad Fabrikker, which makes products for diabetics. Isola maintains its head office and administration office in Eidanger. Isola has two factories in this area where bitumen-based products and steel roofing tiles are manufactured.[4]

Eidanger Church (Eidanger kirke) is located in the village of Eidanger and was the main church for the municipality. The church was originally a relatively simple stone church in the Romanesque style, probably built ca. 1150. The church was extended in 1787 and received a new sacristy in 1981. The altarpiece, stained glass and the pulpit is from 1991 and made by Terje Grøstad. The baptismal font is of stone and is from the 1890s. The church has two bells, one from 1720 and one from 1940.[3][5]

History

The parish of Eidanger was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 July 1920, an area of northern Eidanger (population: 550) that was adjacent to the growing town of Porsgrunn was annexed and transferred into the town. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, there was a major municipal merger where the following areas were merged to form a new Porsgrunn Municipality.[6]

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Eidangerfjorden (Old Norse: Eiðangr) since the historic Eidanger Church was built at the head of the fjord. The first element is eið which means "isthmus" or "neck of land". The last element is angr which means "fjord" or "bay".[3][7]

Government

While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[8]

Municipal council

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

Eidanger herredsstyre 1960–1963 [9]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 23
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 4
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 4
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 8
Total number of members:45
Eidanger herredsstyre 1956–1959 [10]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 23
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 4
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 4
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 8
Total number of members:45
Eidanger herredsstyre 1952–1955 [11]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 15
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 3
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 6
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 4
Total number of members:32
Eidanger herredsstyre 1948–1951 [12]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 12
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 7
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 3
  Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and the Radical People's Party (Radikale Folkepartiet) 6
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 4
Total number of members:32
Eidanger herredsstyre 1945–1947 [13]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 13
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 8
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 4
  Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and the Radical People's Party (Radikale Folkepartiet) 4
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 3
Total number of members:32
Eidanger herredsstyre 1938–1941* [14]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 17
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 5
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 9
Total number of members:32
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 mayors (Norwegian: ordfører) of Eidanger (incomplete list):[15][16]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (26 January 2023). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
  3. ^ a b c Lundbo, Sten, ed. (27 June 2022). "Eidanger". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  4. ^ "About Us". Isola. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Navnet Eidangers skrivemåte i gamle dager" (in Norwegian). Eidanger kirke.
  6. ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  7. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1914). Norske gaardnavne: Bratsbergs amt (in Norwegian) (7 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 74.
  8. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norge: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960.
  10. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norge: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957.
  11. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952.
  12. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948.
  13. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947.
  14. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938.
  15. ^ Hals, Harald (1968). Eidanger bygdehistorie (in Norwegian). Porsgrunn: Porsgrunn Kommune.
  16. ^ Ramberg, I.C. "Herredsstyrets medlemmer gjennem tiderne" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 12 August 2022.


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