Sunnylven Municipality

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title: "Sunnylven Municipality" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["stranda-municipality", "sunnmøre", "former-municipalities-of-norway", "1838-establishments-in-norway", "1965-disestablishments-in-norway", "populated-places-established-in-1838", "populated-places-disestablished-in-1965"] description: "Former municipality in Møre og Romsdal, Norway" topic_path: "geography/norway" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunnylven_Municipality" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Former municipality in Møre og Romsdal, Norway ::

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

Field	Value
name	Sunnylven
herred	yes
former	yes
former_name	Sunnelven herred
image_skyline	Sunnylven kyrkje Lindahl.jpg
image_caption	View of Hellesylt and Sunnylven Church (1880s)
idnumber	1523
county	Møre og Romsdal
district	Sunnmøre
capital	Hellesylt
established	1 Jan 1838
preceded	none
disestablished	1 Jan 1965
succeeded	Stranda Municipality
demonym	Sunnylving
language	Nynorsk
mayor	Ivar N. Hole
mayor_party	V
mayor_as_of	1963-1964
elevation_max_m	1775.6
highest_point_ref
area_rank	184
area_total_km2	566.3
population_as_of	1964
population_rank	472
population_total	1226
population_density_km2	2.2
population_increase	-5.6
coordinates
::

|name = Sunnylven |herred = yes |former = yes |native_name = |native_name_lang = |other_name = |former_name = Sunnelven herred |image_skyline = Sunnylven kyrkje Lindahl.jpg |image_caption = View of Hellesylt and Sunnylven Church (1880s) |idnumber = 1523 |county = Møre og Romsdal |district = Sunnmøre |capital = Hellesylt |established = 1 Jan 1838 |preceded = none |disestablished = 1 Jan 1965 |succeeded = Stranda Municipality |demonym = Sunnylving |language = Nynorsk |coatofarms = |flag = |mayor = Ivar N. Hole |mayor_party = V |mayor_as_of = 1963-1964 |elevation_max_m = 1775.6 |highest_point_ref = |area_rank = 184 |area_total_km2 = 566.3 |area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 = |area_water_percent = |population_as_of = 1964 |population_rank = 472 |population_total = 1226 |population_density_km2 = 2.2 |population_increase = -5.6 |coordinates =

Sunnylven is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The 566 km2 municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1965. Since that time, it has made up the southern part of the present-day Stranda Municipality. It encompassed the areas around the Sunnylvsfjorden and Geirangerfjorden. The village of Hellesylt was the administrative centre of the municipality and Geiranger was the other main population centre in Sunnylven. The main church for the municipality was Sunnylven Church in Hellesylt.

Prior to its dissolution in 1965, the 566 km2 municipality was the 184th largest by area out of the 525 municipalities in Norway. Sunnylven Municipality was the 472nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 1,226. The municipality's population density was 2.2 PD/km2 and its population had decreased by 5.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/816._Søndmør,Hellesylt_med_Hotellet-_no-nb_digifoto_20151112_00165_bldsa_AL0816.jpg" caption="1885}}"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/To_kuer_på_fjellet_-_no-nb_digifoto_20151105_00027_NB_MIT_FNR_06514.jpg" caption="View of a farm in Sunnylven"] ::

The municipality of Sunnylven was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). According to the 1835 census, Sunnylven had a population of 1,476.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, Sunnylven Municipality (population: 1,221) and Stranda Municipality (population: 3,453) were merged to form a new, larger Stranda Municipality.

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Sunnylvsfjorden (). The first element is which means "southern". This is likely referring to the fact that the main Storfjorden splits into two branches: Norddalsfjorden (in the north) and Sunnylvsfjorden (in the south). The last element is iflir which is frequently used in the Sunnmøre area in the names of fjords. It possibly comes from the word viflir which means "low, wet terrain".

Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Sunnelven. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Sunnylven.

Churches

The Church of Norway had two parishes (sokn) within Sunnylven Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Sunnylven prestegjeld and the Austre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nidaros.

::data[format=table title="style="font-size:medium"|'''''Churches in Sunnylven Municipality'''''"]

Parish (sokn)	Church name	Location of the church	Year built
Geiranger	Geiranger Church	Geiranger	1842
Sunnylven	Sunnylven Church	Hellesylt	1859
::

Geography

The municipality encompassed the areas around the Sunnylvsfjorden and Geirangerfjorden. The highest point in the municipality was the 1775.6 m tall mountain Blåfjellet, near the border with Norddal Municipality. Hjørundfjord Municipality was located to the northwest, Stranda Municipality was located to the north, Norddal Municipality was located to the east, Skjåk Municipality was located to the southeast (in Oppland county), and Stryn Municipality was located to the south (in Sogn og Fjordane county).

Government

While it existed, Sunnylven 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. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Heradsstyre) of Sunnylven 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. |name = Sunnylven |herad = yes |start = 1963 |end = 1964 |reference = |nynorsk = yes |Total = 17 |Local_Lists = 17 |note = On 1 January 1965, Sunnylven Municipality became part of Stranda Municipality. |}} |name = Sunnylven |herad = yes |start = 1959 |end = 1963 |reference = |nynorsk = yes |collapsed = yes |Total = 17 |Local_Lists = 17 |}} |name = Sunnylven |herad = yes |start = 1955 |end = 1959 |reference = |collapsed = yes |nynorsk = yes |Total = 15 |Local_Lists = 15 |}} |name = Sunnylven |herad = yes |start = 1951 |end = 1955 |reference = |collapsed = yes |nynorsk = yes |Total = 16 |Local_Lists = 16 |}} |name = Sunnylven |herad = yes |start = 1947 |end = 1951 |reference = |collapsed = yes |nynorsk = yes |Total = 16 |Local_Lists = 16 |}} |name = Sunnylven |herad = yes |start = 1945 |end = 1947 |reference = |collapsed = yes |nynorsk = yes |Total = 16 |Local_Lists = 16 |}} |name = Sunnylven |herad = yes |start = 1937 |end = 1941* |reference = |collapsed = yes |nynorsk = yes |Total = 16 |Local_Lists = 16 |}}

Mayors

The mayor () of Sunnylven Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:

• 1840–1840: Amund Olsen Kjelstad

• 1846–1848: Knut Syltevig

• 1849–1852: Nils O. Langeland

• 1860–1860: Nils O. Langeland

• 1869–1869: Knut Syltevig

• 1870–1877: Andreas Stadheim

• 1877–1914: Ole Ingebrigtsen Langeland (V)

• 1914–1920: Peter Andreas Lillebø

• 1920–1941: Knut Stadheim

• 1941–1944: Peter A. Gausdal (NS)

• 1945–1945: Knut Stadheim

• 1946–1948: Peder Kristian Frøysa

• 1948–1951: Aamund Lillebø

• 1951–1955: Stefan Aasen

• 1955–1959: Ivar N. Hole (V)

• 1959–1963: Knut Martin Stadheim

• 1963–1964: Ivar N. Hole (V)

References

|state = collapsed |Centre = Sunnylven Municipality |North = Stranda Municipality |Northeast = Norddal Municipality |East = Norddal Municipality |Southeast = Skjåk Municipality county |South = Stryn Municipality county |Southwest = Stryn Municipality county |West = Hornindal Municipality county |Northwest = Hjørundfjord Municipality

References

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2. (2024-01-16). "Høgaste fjelltopp i kvar kommune". [[Kartverket]].
3. {{Cite SNL. Sunnylven_-_tidligere_kommune. Sunnylven (tidligere kommune). 2025-04-16. Thorsnæs. Geir. 2024-11-25
4. Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)".
5. Statistisk sentralbyrå. (1951-01-01). "Norges Sivile, Geistlige, Rettslige og Militære Inndeling 1. Januar 1951". H. Aschehoug & Co..
6. Registreringssentral for historiske data. "Hjemmehørende folkemengde Møre og Romsdal 1801-1960". [[University of Tromsø]].
7. Jukvam, Dag. (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen". [[Statistics Norway.
8. Rygh, Oluf. (1908). "Norske gaardnavne: Romsdals amt". W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri.
9. (1917). "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1917. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri.
10. {{Cite SNL. kommunestyre. kommunestyre. 2024-12-31. Hansen. Tore. 2024-11-25
11. (1964). "Kommunevalgene 1963". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
12. (1960). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
13. (1957). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
14. (1952). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
15. (1948). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
16. (1947). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
17. (1938). "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937". Statistisk sentralbyrå.
18. (1840-08-08). "Amtsformandskabsforhandlinger for Romsdals Amt i Aaret 1840". Romsdals Amtstidende.
19. (1846-02-24). "Molde, den 23de Februar". [[Romsdals Budstikke]].
20. (1852-06-12). "Romsdals Amtsformandskab". Postbudet.
21. (1860-06-15). "Indlandet". [[Aftenbladet]].
22. (1869-06-03). "Romsdals Amtsformandskab". Møringen.
23. (1870-06-09). "Romsdals Amtsformandskab i 1870". Møringen.
24. (1878-06-04). "Referat af Romsdals Amtsformandskabs Forhandlinger". [[Romsdalsposten]].
25. (1914-01-08). "Ordførervalget i Sunnelven". [[Sunnmørsposten]].
26. (1926-06-01). "Møre Fylkesting". [[Sunnmørsposten]].
27. (1941-06-07). "Ordførere". Møre Dagblad.
28. (1946-01-03). "Ordførervalget i Sunnylven". [[Sunnmørsposten]].
29. (1948-01-02). "Aamund Lillebø ny ordfører i Sunnylven". [[Sunnmørsposten]].
30. (1951-12-24). "Sunnylven". [[Sunnmøre Arbeideravis]].
31. (1955-12-19). "Ivar Hole ny ordførar i Sunnylven". [[Sunnmørsposten]].
32. (1959-12-19). "K.M. Stadheim ny ordførar i Sunnylven". [[Sunnmørsposten]].
33. (1963-12-21). "Hole ny ordførar i Sunnylven". [[Sunnmøre Arbeideravis]].

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