Vennesla

Vennesla kommune
Municipality

Setesdal Line railway museum in Vennesla municipality

Coat of arms
Vest-Agder within
Norway

Vennesla within Vest-Agder
Coordinates: 58°18′38″N 7°51′25″E / 58.31056°N 7.85694°E / 58.31056; 7.85694Coordinates: 58°18′38″N 7°51′25″E / 58.31056°N 7.85694°E / 58.31056; 7.85694
Country Norway
County Vest-Agder
District Sørlandet
Administrative centre Vennesla
Government
 • Mayor (2003) Torhild Bransdal (KrF)
Area
 • Total 384 km2 (148 sq mi)
 • Land 362 km2 (140 sq mi)
Area rank 244 in Norway
Population (2013)
 • Total 13,986
 • Rank 83 in Norway
 • Density 36/km2 (90/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years) 5.1 %
Demonym(s) Venndøl[1]
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code NO-1014
Official language form Neutral
Website www.vennesla.kommune.no
Data from Statistics Norway

Vennesla is a municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. Vennesla was separated from Øvrebø in 1861. Øvrebø and Hægeland were merged with Vennesla again on January 1, 1964. Vennesla lies about 17 kilometres (11 mi) north of Kristiansand and has the third largest population in the county.

General information

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Vennesla farm (Old Norse Vendilslá), since the first church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of vendill which means "small twig" (maybe used as a name of an arm of Venneslafjorden) and the last element is lá which means "swamp".

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 15 May 1971. The wavy bend in the arms symbolises the Otra river, which runs through the municipality. The trees symbolize forestry and the cogwheels symbolize industry.[2]

Geography

Vennesla is situated in the Vest-Agder county, Norway, around 17 kilometres (11 mi) north of Kristiansand. The neighboring municipalities are Marnardal and Songdalen in the west, in the east Birkenes and Iveland, in the northeast Evje og Hornnes, and in the south Kristiansand.

Economy

Vennesla has mainly been considered an industrial small town, with Hunsfos Fabrikker AS, a paper mill, as the cornerstone of the community. During recent decades, however, the number of employees has drastically declined from around 1,200 in the 1970s, to 200 in 2005 and 120 in 2007.In 2010 there is 135 employees at the paper mill. In 2011 Hunsfos Fabrikker AS will celebrate their 125 years as a paper mill. www.hunsfos.com

Vikeland Hovedgård

Vikeland Hovedgård

Vikeland Hovedgård is a manor house located by the Otra River. Vigeland Manor was completed in 1847. The building was constructed of wood in both Empire and Swiss style. It was built as part of Vigeland Brug, then one of the largest sawmills in the area. Vigeland Manor was built by Caspar Wild who bought the farm and adjacent sawmill in 1833. In 1894 the farm was sold to John Clarke Hawkshaw whose family retained the manor until around 1960. The current annex was built around 1900. During the 1980s, there was restoration with the main building subsequently used as lodging, corporate and meeting facilities. [3]

The manor house has been said to be haunted by a ghost known as "the Blue Lady" (den Blå Dama). Mari was a farm worker who fell in love with the owner's son. They were not allowed to marry, so it is said Mari committed suicide in the "blue room", hence the title "the Blue Lady".[4]

Vennesla Church

Vennesla Church

Vennesla Church (Vennesla Kirke) serves Vennesla parish in Otredal deanery (Otredal prosti). The church was completed in 1829 and consecrated the following year. The church was built of stone and brick, while the west tower with side buildings are wooden. The church replaced a church from the first half of the 1600s. The tower was made higher in 1886, and the interior was restored in 1925.[5] [6]

Vindbjart Football Club

The football club of Vennesla is Vindbjart FK, founded in 1896. Vindbjart is currently playing in the Norwegian Second Division and the stadium is Moseidmoen gress.

People from Vennesla

Twin Towns - Sister Cities

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  2. ↑ Norske Kommunevåpen (1990). "Nye kommunevåbener i Norden". Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  3. ↑ "Vigeland hovedgård (Vigelands verk)". Kulturminnesøk. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Historien til Vigeland Hovedgård". Vigeland Hovedgård. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Vennesla kirke". Lokalhistoriewik. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Otredal prosti". Lokalhistoriewik. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  7. ↑ Børre Knudsen er død
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