Hemsedal Explained

Hemsedal
Idnumber:3042
County:Buskerud
District:Hallingdal
Capital:Trøym
Demonym:Hemsedøl
Language:Nynorsk
Coatofarms:Hemsedal_komm.svg
Munwebpage:www.hemsedal.kommune.no
Mayor:Pål Rørby
Mayor Party:Sp
Mayor As Of:2020
Area Rank:145
Area Total Km2:753
Area Land Km2:711
Area Water Percent:0.23
Population As Of:2004
Population Rank:341
Population Total:1,876
Populationpercent:0.04
Population Density Km2:3
Population Increase:13.2
Coordinates:60.9058°N 8.5147°W
Utm Zone:32V
Utm Northing:6752420
Utm Easting:0473683
Geo Cat:adm2nd

Hemsedal is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Trøym. Hemsedal lies on the Norwegian National Road 52 (Rv 52). Hemsedal is located 220km (140miles) northwest of Oslo and 273km (170miles) from Bergen. In 1897, Hemsedal was separated from the municipality of Gol to become a municipality of its own.[1]

General information

Name

The Old Norse form of the name was Hemsudalr. The second element is dalr, which means "dale" or "valley"; the first element is usually taken as the genitive case of the river name Hemsa (now Hemsil) of unknown derivation, although Sophus Bugge believed that it might derive from the Old Norse hemsa, hefnsa or hofn, meaning "going to pasture". The Norwegian word hems ("bed built in a small loft room") is named after the valley of Hemsedal.[2]

Coat of arms

The coat of arms is from modern times. The arms were granted on 2 October 1992 and were designed by Stein Davidsen. The arms show a gold lynx head on a red background.[3]

Number of minorities (1st and 2nd generation) in Hemsedal by country of origin in 2017[4]
AncestryNumber
Poland130
Sweden126
Denmark65

History

Early history

Hemsedal stave church (Hemsedal stavkyrkje) is believed to have been built between 1207 and 1224, and is first mentioned, as Ecclesia Aamsodal, in the accounts and diaries of the Papal nuncios sent to Scandinavia to collect tithes in 1282 - 1324.[5] In 1327 it was also mentioned under the name Skodvinar Kirkja i Hemsudali; this refers to alternate names of the farm where it stood, Kyrkjebøen: Skodvin and Skadengård. The church was dismantled in 1882.[6]

Hemsedal Church (Hemsedal kyrkje) was built during 1882 as a replacement for Hemsedal stave church. It was constructed of wood on the basis of plans by architect Johannes Henrik Nissen. It has 500 seats. The organ was built in 1888 by Olsen & Jørgensens orgelfabrikk and was restored in 1976. The church is associated with the Hallingdal deanery of the Diocese of Tunsberg.[7] Hemsedal's economy has traditionally been based on agriculture. The valley had small and medium-sized farms that were widely scattered on the valley bottom on both sides of the river and along the slopes. Because of the high altitude, farming has concentrated for the most part on livestock and dairy, and use of summer shielings has been important for the farms, which could not find sufficient pasturage in the valley bottom. Most therefore had milking stations on the shielings.

In the 1647 cadastre there was only one farm in Hemsedal large enough to pay full taxes; there were 24 liable for half taxation and 15 - 16 assessed as disused. In addition, there were a number of enterprises that were not assessed tax. The estimated population was about 400 (the exact number is unknown). Until the mid-19th century, the population increased steadily. In 1845 there were 1,775 people in the village. However, the population declined again over the next 75 years. In 1920 it had fallen to 1,358, before once more starting to increase.[8]

Recent history

Skogstad Hotell was completed in 1905 as the first hotel in the village. Before that, in the latter half of the 19th century, a road had been built through the village with the hope that it would become a major route to Western Norway. However, things changed dramatically with the opening of the Bergen Railway in 1909. Hemsedal once more became a detour, while upper Hallingdal took over as the main route.[9]

After the World War II, new places to stay were established in the valley, such as Vangen Pensjonat (inn) at Tuv (1947) and Lykkjaheim Pensjonat (1953). A tourist agency was established in 1939 and in 1952 suggested building a ski lift in Hemsedal, but this did not happen until 1959, when Fossheim Pensjonat created the Tottenheisen, a 350m (1,150feet) ski lift behind the inn at Ulsåk, serving the first piste in the village, Tottenløypa. However, this lift was torn down in 1961.[10] [11]

Hemsedal Skisenter opened at Holdeskaret in 1961, and a few years later, planning began for tourist development. Over the five years beginning in 1980, a series of new businesses aimed at tourists were established. The first chairlift, Olaheisen, opened in 1983. Tourism has continued to grow in economic significance for Hemsedal. More than half of visitors come from abroad. Hemsedal is now also popular in the summer season, due to opportunities for fishing, hiking, climbing, cycling, golf and other activities.[12]

Geography

The municipality is bordered to the north by Vang and Vestre Slidre (both in Oppland county), to the east by Nord-Aurdal (in Oppland county) and Gol, to the south by Ål and Hol, and to the west by Lærdal (in Vestland county). Lakes in the region include Juklevatnet.[13]

Mountains

Tourism

One of the first tourists in Hemsedal was the Norwegian polar explorer Fritjof Nansen, who visited in 1898 and stayed at the Bjøberg Fjellstue. Today Hemsedal is a popular destination, with Hemsedal Skisenter the main attraction. About 70% of all visitors come in the winter season (December–May) and most of the remaining 30% in the summer months.[14]

Hemsedal Skisenter is the second largest ski resort in Norway, with 44 km slopes. The ski centres in Hemsedal and Grøndalen were bought in 2000 by the Swedish company Sälenstjärnen, which changed its name the following year to SkiStar. Skistar also owns Trysil Ski Centre, Sälen and Åre, Vemedalen and Hammarbybacken in Sweden.[15]

Attractions

Notable residents

Sister cities

The following cities are twinned with Hemsedal:[26]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hemsedal. Store norske leksikon . Geir Thorsnæs. 15 September 2016.
  2. [Einar Haugen|Haugen, Einar]
  3. Web site: Kommunevåpenet . Hemsedal kommune . 2009-01-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081222004646/http://www.hemsedal.kommune.no/nn-no/Om-Hemsedal/Kommunevapenet/ . 22 December 2008 . no.
  4. Web site: Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, by immigration category, country background and percentages of the population . en . ssb.no . 29 June 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150702101705/https://www.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/selectvarval/Define.asp?subjectcode=&ProductId=&MainTable=FolkInnvkatLand&nvl=&PLanguage=1&nyTmpVar=true&CMSSubjectArea=befolkning&KortNavnWeb=innvbef&StatVariant=&checked=true . 2 July 2015 .
  5. P. A. Munch, ed., Pavelige Nuntiers [J. de Serone, B. de Ortolis, P. Gervasii] Regnskabs-og Dagböger, førte under Tiende-Opkrævningen i Norden 1282 - 1334, Christiania: 1864,
  6. Web site: Hemsedal stavkirke . Stavkirke.info . Håkon Christie. 15 September 2016.
  7. Web site: Hemsedal kirke. Norges kirker. Sigrid Marie Christie, Håkon Christie. 15 September 2016.
  8. https://web.archive.org/web/20090208145110/http://ssb.no/english/municipalities/0618 Municipal fact sheet
  9. Web site: Skogstad Hotell. Destination Hemsedal. 1 October 2017.
  10. Web site: Vangen Pensjonat på Tuv i Hemsedal . digitaltmuseum.no . 1 October 2017.
  11. Web site: Lykkjaheim Pensjonat og Kafé i Lykkja i Hemsedal. omnia.ie. 1 October 2017.
  12. Web site: Hemsedal Skisenter. hemsedal.com. 1 October 2017.
  13. Web site: Juklevatnet. aroundguides.com . 1 October 2017.
  14. http://www.storelia.no/English/en-hemsedal.html "Hemsedal facts"
  15. Web site: Hemsedal for dummies - Hemsedal kommune . 2011-01-28 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110724180807/http://www.hemsedal.kommune.no/Hemsedal-in-english/Welcome-to-Hemsedal/Seasonalworker-in-Hemsedal/Hemsedal-for-dummiesE/ . 24 July 2011.
  16. Web site: Hemsedal Bygdatun . Hallingdal Museum . 1 October 2017 . 16 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191216072306/http://www.hallingdal-museum.no/hemsedal-bygdamuseum/ . dead .
  17. Web site: Rjukandefossen. Destination Hemsedal. 1 October 2017.
  18. Web site: Hemsedal Topp 20 hiking. Destination Hemsedal. 1 October 2017.
  19. Web site: Osvaldgruppen. Store norske leksikon. October 1, 2020.
  20. Web site: Kjell Venås. Store norske leksikon. October 1, 2020.
  21. Web site: Ingrid Wigernæs . Store norske leksikon. October 1, 2020.
  22. Web site: Sigrun Slapgard . litfestbergen.no. October 1, 2020.
  23. Web site: Nerland, Hege (1966-2007). stortinget.no . October 1, 2020.
  24. Web site: Geir Skeie. ming.com. October 1, 2020.
  25. Web site: Erik Solbakken. Store norske leksikon. October 1, 2020.
  26. Web site: Venskapskommunar . Microsoft Word . Hemsedal kommune . 2009-01-07 . no . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110724180506/http://www.hemsedal.kommune.no/hemsedalfiles/Politikk/Formannskap2007/FS190607.doc?epslanguage=nn-NO . 24 July 2011.