Mosjøen

Quality 0.50 · 2 views · Updated 2 months ago

Town in Vefsn, Norway

title: "Mosjøen" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["vefsn-municipality", "populated-places-in-nordland", "cities-and-towns-in-norway", "former-municipalities-of-norway", "1875-establishments-in-norway", "1961-disestablishments-in-norway", "1998-establishments-in-norway"] description: "Town in Vefsn, Norway" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosjøen" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Town in Vefsn, Norway ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
settlement_type	Town/City
image_skyline	Mosjoeen Olderskog.jpg
image_caption	View of southern parts of Mosjøen
mapframe	yes
mapframe-zoom	9
mapframe-marker	town
pushpin_map	Nordland#Norway
pushpin_label	Mosjøen
pushpin_label_position	top
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Norway
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Northern Norway
subdivision_type2	County
subdivision_name2	Nordland
subdivision_type3	District
subdivision_name3	Helgeland
subdivision_type4	Municipality
subdivision_name4	Vefsn Municipality
timezone1	CET
utc_offset1	+01:00
timezone1_DST	CEST
utc_offset1_DST	+02:00
established_title	Established as
established_date
established_title1	Ladested
established_date1	1875-1962
established_title2	Town (By)
established_date2	1998
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	6.55
population_as_of	2024
population_footnotes
population_total	10059
population_density_km2	1536
population_demonym	Mosjøværing
postal_code_type	Post Code
postal_code	8651–8665 Mosjøen
coordinates
elevation_m	5
elevation_footnotes
name	Mosjøen
former	yes
child	yes
native_name
official_name	Mosjøen ladested
idnumber	1802
county	Nordland
district	Helgeland
capital	Mosjøen
established	1 Jan 1876
preceded	Vefsn Municipality
disestablished	1 Jan 1962
succeeded	Vefsn Municipality
language	Neutral
coatofarms	Vefsn komm.svg
mayor	Einar Jensen
mayor_party	Ap
mayor_as_of	1957-1962
area_rank	697
area_total_km2	2.4
population_as_of	1961
population_rank	181
population_total	4600
population_density_km2	1917
population_increase	37.4
::

no (Norwegian; ) or sma is a town in Vefsn Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. Mosjøen is the oldest town in the Helgeland region, with only the town of Bodø being older within Nordland county. The town is also the administrative centre of Vefsn Municipality. The old village of Mosjøen was declared a ladested in 1875. It was also a town-municipality (bykommune) from 1875 until 1961 when it was merged into Vefsn Municipality, losing its status as a town (ladested). It is also a former garrison town and customs place. After a change in law during the 1990s, the urban area of Mosjøen was declared to be a town once again in 1998. People from Mosjøen are referred to using the demonym "mosjøværing". The 6.55 km2 town has a population (2024) of 10,059 and a population density of 1536 PD/km2.

Together with the other regional towns of Mo i Rana and Narvik, Mosjøen is one of the industrial towns in Nordland county. Owned by Alcoa, Mosjøen Aluminum Plant is among the biggest in Europe, and is traditionally the town's cornerstone. Additionally, the town's business sector includes trade, crafts, banking, transportation, and tourism. The town attracts customers from the entire region.

Mosjøen is a transport hub in Helgeland. From Mosjøen, it is 71 km to the town of Sandnessjøen in the west, 87 km to the town of Mo i Rana in the north, and 160 km to the town of Brønnøysund in the south. Furthermore, the road distance is 318 km to the town of Bodø and 393 km to the city of Trondheim. The European route E6 highway runs through the town. There are daily departures from Mosjøen Bus Central, from Mosjøen Railway Station on the Nordland Line, and from Mosjøen Airport south of the town. There are both public and private quays in Mosjøen. The town's harbour is among the largest in Northern Norway.

In terms of secondary and adult education, Mosjøen exercises both local and regional functions. Offering general (including music), vocational, and agricultural lines, Mosjøen High School also receives students from rural municipalities surrounding the town and from other regions of Nordland. Vefsn Folk High School lies in Mosjøen, while Sandvik Folk High School is located north of it. The town has got a department of the Open University. Many bigger events for children and youth take place in Mosjøen, among others Toppen International Summer Music School and The Kippermoen Cup.

Mosjøen is known for Sjøgata: Northern Norway's longest cluster of 19th-century wooden houses and piers. Other tourist attractions include Dolstad Church from 1735, the award-winning Town Park from 1905, and the aluminum plant.

Etymology

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Mosjoeen_Byflata.jpg" caption="Downtown as well as northern and north-eastern parts of Mosjøen"] ::

The town is named after the old Mo farm () the town was built up on the outskirts of the large farm. The first element is derived from the word móar which is the plural form of {{linktext|mór}} which means "moorland". The last element is sjøen ( which means "sea" or "seaside". Mosjøen, therefor means "the sea(side) belonging to Mo". In other words, it was a place where the farmers of Mo had their boats and boatsheds. Earlier spellings are Moesøen in the 18th century and Mosøen in the 19th century.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Mosjoeen_villabebyggelse.jpg" caption="Spanning 300 years, Mosjøen's architecture includes [[villa]]s of the early 20th century"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Engelskbruket.jpg" caption="The English sawmills in 1870. As Mosjøen grew wealthier and wealthier, surrounding forests were depleted"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Telegraph_station_Mosjöen_1906.jpg" caption="Mosjøen's [[telegraph station]] in 1906. The town was central for infrastructure and communications in Helgeland"] ::

Mentioned in Aslak Bolt's cadastre of the 15th century, Mo is a medieval farm with a history at least dating to the Viking Age. Mosjøen's own history starts in the early modern period. Mosjøen was populated by 1600. The earliest inhabitant known by name is Svein Beachdweller, who lived there together with his wife and daughters in 1660. In the 17th and early 18th century, especially following the 1645 Treaty of Brömsebro, several inhabitants of Jemtland escaped to Trøndelag and to Nordland. Many of them came to the Vefsna river valley (in present-day Vefsn Municipality), including to the Mosjøen area. In the 18th century, Mosjøen as a settlement for nonagrarian occupations started to materialise. For example, the regional executioner resided there temporarily. As did a handful of craftsmen and public officials.

From the late 16th century until the 1820s, Mo was possessed by the Mo family: wealthy farmers as well as skippers and merchants who contributed to Mosjøen's gradual expansion. In 1794, a member of the family received royal privilege to establish a trading post in Mosjøen.

In the 1860s, a group of Englishmen—the 'salmon lords'—established The North of Europe Land & Mining Company, introducing the first industrial period in Mosjøen. Sawmill industry created 'Klondike conditions': People came from everywhere in order to get a job, to trade, and so on, and salaries were relatively high.

On 4 April 1874, King Oscar II decided to grant ladested (town) status to Mosjøen effective on 1 January 1875. As a ladested, Mosjøen now had the privilege to export goods directly to foreign countries. As a new town, it had the right to self-government, so it was separated from Vefsn Municipality to become a separate municipality on 1 January 1876. Initially, the new town had 379 residents. In 1939, a small adjoining area of Vefsn was transferred into the town of Mosjøen. The Cinema Museum in London holds excellent film of the area in 1931 in its collection (ref HMO321)

As the biggest and most important, central town in the Helgeland region, Mosjøen became northern headquarters of the Nazi German occupiers between 1940 and 1945. After the war in 1945, Mosjøen entered its second industrial period. Among several industrial establishments was Mosjøen Aluminum Plant.

Mosjøen's coat of arms was granted by King Olav V on 25 March 1960. Composed by sculptor Arthur Gustavsson, it is blazoned Sable, a cock Argent. The cock is traditionally equipped with red beak, wattles, comb, and claws: the so-called colour of armament. The cock represents watchfulness and fighting spirit. After the merger with Vefsn Municipality in 1962, the same coat of arms was adopted for the newly enlarged Vefsn Municipality.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, a major municipal merger took place. The town of Mosjøen (population: 4,628) was merged with Vefsn Municipality (population: 5,358), Drevja Municipality (population: 1,001), and Elsfjord Municipality (population: 920), creating a new municipality called Vefsn. Upon merging, Mosjøen lost its status as a town.

In 1998 (after a change in the national law regarding towns), the municipal council of Vefsn Municipality declared Mosjøen to have the formal status as a town once again.

Municipal self-government (1875–1962)

Mosjøen was a self-governing municipality from 1875 until 1962. During that time, Mosjøen 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.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Bystyre) of Mosjøen Municipality was made up of 29 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party. |name = Mosjøen |city = yes |start = 1959 |end = 1963 |reference = |Total = 29 |Arbeiderpartiet = 19 |Høyre = 5 |Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1 |Venstre = 4 |note = On 1 January 1962, Mosjøen Municipality became part of Vefsn Municipality. |}} |name = Mosjøen |city = yes |start = 1955 |end = 1959 |reference = |collapsed = yes |Total = 29 |Arbeiderpartiet = 18 |Høyre = 5 |Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1 |Venstre = 5 |}} |name = Mosjøen |city = yes |start = 1951 |end = 1955 |reference = |collapsed = yes |Total = 28 |Arbeiderpartiet = 16 |NKP = 1 |Høyre = 5 |Venstre = 6 |}} |name = Mosjøen |city = yes |start = 1947 |end = 1951 |reference = |collapsed = yes |Total = 20 |Arbeiderpartiet = 10 |NKP = 2 |Høyre = 3 |Venstre = 5 |}} |name = Mosjøen |city = yes |start = 1945 |end = 1947 |reference = |collapsed = yes |Total = 20 |Arbeiderpartiet = 11 |NKP = 2 |Venstre = 4 |Local_Lists = 3 |}} |name = Mosjøen |city = yes |start = 1937 |end = 1941* |reference = |collapsed = yes |Total = 20 |Venstre = 4 |Borgerlige_Felleslister = 5 |Arbeiderpartiet = 11 |}} |name = Mosjøen |city = yes |start = 1934 |end = 1937 |reference = |collapsed = yes |Total = 20 |Venstre = 4 |otherparty = Non-Socialist Group |otherparty_no = Borgerlig Samling |otherparty_number = 6 |Arbeiderpartiet = 9 |Local_Lists = 1 |}}

Mayors

The mayor () of Mosjøen Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who held this position:

1876–1877: Andreas Christian Bech Jürgensen
1878–1879: Johan Jakob Johannessen
1880–1882: Andreas Christian Bech Jürgensen
1883–1887: Ole Sivert Elnan (V)
1888–1889: Andreas Fredrik Peter Schroeter
1890–1890: Ole Sivert Elnan (V)
1891–1891: Andreas Fredrik Peter Schroeter
1891–1891: Ole Sivert Elnan (V)
1892–1895: Christian Fredrik Nergaard Havig (V)
1896–1898: Ole Sivert Elnan (V)
1899–1901: Erik Bathen (H)
1902–1903: Ole Sivert Elnan (V)
1904–1908: Erik Bathen (H)
1909–1909: Ole Andreas Fellingfors (H)
1910–1910: Erik Bathen (H)
1910–1910: Ole Andreas Fellingfors (H)
1911–1913: Mathias Løkke
1914–1916: Thomas Riis
1917–1917: Anton Solbraa
1918–1921: Kristian Tustervatn (V)
1922–1923: Ole Tobias Olsen
1924–1924: Otto Bugge (Ap)
1925–1925: Ole Tobias Olsen
1926–1926: Kristian Tustervatn (V)
1927–1931: Harald Robert Barth (LL)
1932–1934: Hans Olaus Jarnæs (LL)
1935–1935: Harald Robert Barth (LL)
1936–1937: Hans Olaus Jarnæs (LL)
1938–1941: Carl Wilhelm Johansen (Ap)
1941–1942: Carl August Eliassen (NS)
1943–1945: Halfdan Sundlo (NS)
1945–1945: Carl Wilhelm Johansen (Ap)
1945–1945: Kristian Karlsen (Ap)
1946–1947: Johan Kristian Lian (Ap)
1948–1949: Ole Ferdinand Andersen (Ap)
1950–1951: Ole Jakob Wika (Ap)
1952–1957: Ole Ferdinand Andersen (Ap)
1957–1962: Einar Jensen (Ap)

Industry and business

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Mosjoeen_A-verk.jpg" caption="Part of [[Mosjøen Aluminum Plant"] ::

Mosjøen is one of the industrial towns in Nordland county. Especially important is the Mosjøen Aluminum Plant, owned by Alcoa.

Mosjøen's business sector contains both traditional and modern companies as well as a wide spectre of branches, including trade, crafts, banking, transportation, and tourism. The town is a commercial centre in the region, attracting customers from smaller neighbouring towns and from rural municipalities.

Transportation

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Mosjoeen_havn_fergeanloep_1.jpg" caption="Part of the harbour"] ::

As a transport hub in Helgeland, Mosjøen connects to the towns of Sandnessjøen 71 km to the west, Mo i Rana 87 km to the north, and Brønnøysund 160 km to the south by road. The European route E6 between Trondheim 393 km to the south and the county capital Bodø 318 km to the north runs through Mosjøen.

Mosjøen is also accessible by airplane, by train, and by ship. Mosjøen is served by Mosjøen Airport, Kjærstad, which is located five minutes by car south of the town. Mosjøen Station on the Nordland Line has daily departures for Trondheim in the south and for the Bodø in the north. A smaller commuter rail operates between Trofors and Mo i Rana.

Encompassing both private and public quays, Mosjøen's harbour is the biggest port in Northern Norway. Mosjøen Aluminum Plant has got its own port.

Tourism

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Sjoegata_Mosjoeen_Husrekke_2.jpg" caption="Part of [[Sjøgata"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Dolstad_k3.JPG" caption="[[Dolstad Church]] from 1735"] ::

The following are popular sightseeing spots:

Sjøgata, a historic and picturesque street containing the largest concentration of 19th-century wooden buildings in Northern Norway.
Fru Haugans Hotel, established in 1794 and today the oldest hotel in Northern Norway.
Dolstad Church, established in 1735.
The Town Park, established ca. 1900 and regarded as one of the finest public parks in Norway.

Geography

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Vefsn_IMG_4762_mosjöen.JPG" caption="Topographic situation"] ::

Topography

Mosjøen is situated in the lower part of the Vefsn Valley, where the Vefsna and Skjerva rivers flow into the Vefsnfjord. Downtown Mosjøen lies on a flat moorland between these two rivers. Moreover, the town is surrounded by mountains and hills, which are mainly vegetated. Standing immediately west of the town, the 814 m tall mountain Øyfjellet dominates the town's landscape.

Climate

Mosjøen is located about 100 km south of the Arctic Circle, and the town has an untypical wet and mild boreal climate (Köppen: Dfc), with winter as the wettest season. The town has mild summers and moderately cold winters, but is mild compared to other places on similar latitudes due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Situated at the head of a relatively narrow fjord, Mosjøen is not as mild in winter as places on the outer seaboard, but has slightly warmer summers. On 27 July 2019, Mosjøen recorded a high of 35.0 C, which is the warmest temperature officially recorded in Nordland and Northern Norway. Mosjøen receives a large amount of precipitation, particularly in autumn and early winter, and usually has substantial amounts of snow on the ground from late November or early December until mid-April. Its temperatures are fairly similar to that of Anchorage, Alaska. The weather station is located at the airport, about 7 km further inland from Mosjøen. The town itself, located at the shores of the fjord, will typically have slightly warmer lows than the airport. The record low is from January 2010. Despite being south of the Arctic Circle, Mosjøen experiences midnight sun from 16 June to 26 June due to atmospheric refraction, but has no polar night: on the December solstice, Mosjøen has just under three hours of daylight.

Friendship towns

::data[format=table]

Town	Country	Start	Reason
[[File:Lycksele vapen.svg	15px]] Lycksele	Sweden	url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212533/http://www.lycksele.se/templates/Page.aspx?id=19839
[[File:Gornji Milanovac grb.jpg	15px]] Gornji Milanovac	Serbia	28 Sep 1975
[[File:Coat of Arms of Volkhov (Leningrad oblast).png	15px]] Volkhov	Russia	16 Jun 1992
[[File:Taksony.jpg	15px]] Taksony	Hungary	4 Sep 2000
::

References

In the Norwegian language, the word ''by'' can be translated as "town" or "city".
"Mosjøen, Vefsn (Nordland)". [[yr.no]].
(1932). "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1932. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri.
(2014-11-27). "Mosjøen – tidligere kommune". [[Kunnskapsforlaget]].
Statistisk sentralbyrå. (2024-10-01). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality".
(2016-02-01). "Mosjøen". [[Kunnskapsforlaget]].
Rygh, Oluf. (1905). "Norske gaardnavne: Nordlands amt". W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri.
Jæger, Claes-Henrik: Mosjøen i Norges Bebyggelse : Fylkesbindet for Sør-Trøndelag, Nord-Trøndelag og Nordland fylker, p. 725–732. Norsk Yrkesforlag, 1954.
Jukvam, Dag. (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen". [[Statistics Norway.
"Cinema Museum Home Movie Database.xlsx".
{{Cite SNL. kommunestyre. kommunestyre. 2024-12-31. Hansen. Tore. 2024-11-25
(1960). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
(1957). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
(1952). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
(1948). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
(1947). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
(1938). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
(1935). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1934". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
Jacobsen, Kjell. (1977). "Vefsn bygdebok". Vefsn bygdeboknemnd.
Jacobsen, Kjell. (1975). "Vefsn bygdebok". Vefsn bygdeboknemnd.
"Infoclimat Mosjøen".
"Sunrise and sunset times in Mosjøen".
"Weatheronline".
"Weatheronline climate robot 1996-2020 (average high and low)".
"Mosjøen average conditions - base period 10 last years". Storm Weather Center.
"Normaler for Vefsn kommune (1961-1990)". Meterologisk institutt.
link. (2016-03-03)
Municipality of Vefsn: [http://www.vefsn.kommune.no/vennskapskommuner.5012335-228298.html Vennskapskommuner] {{Webarchive. link. (2017-07-28)

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::