Vang Municipality

General information

On 1 January 1838, the prestegjeld of Vang was established as a civil municipality (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1882, a small area of Vang Municipality (population: 31) was transferred into the neighboring Øystre Slidre Municipality. The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.

Historically, the municipality was part of the old Oppland county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed Innlandet county (after Hedmark and Oppland counties were merged).

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Vang farm () since the first Vang Church was built there. The name is identical to the word which means "field" or "meadow".

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted by royal decree on 26 June 1987. The official blazon is "Azure, within a tressure floury three swords bendwise Or" (). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is three diagonal swords. The arms also have a border line with fleur-de-lis designs (tressure floury) going around the edge of the arms. The charge and border have a tincture of Or which means they are commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The arms are based on historic descriptions and depictions of the personal arms the a local medieval nobleman Sigvat of Leirhol. He was named as one of the members of the delegation that followed King Håkon V Magnusson to Copenhagen in 1309. Later, he became the local governor of Valdres and Hallingdal (Vang is part of the Valdres region). He played a major role in the development of the region and the arms can be seen on different places, including in the local Vang Church. The arms were designed by Stein Davidsen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches

The Church of Norway has four parishes (sokn) within Vang Municipality. It is part of the Valdres prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

History

Vang, like the rest of Valdres, was originally populated by migrants from Vestlandet. In 1153, recognizing this, Cardinal Breakspear included these valleys in the Diocese of Stavanger.

The ancient Vang Church was the site of a legal court (thing) held by King Haakon VI in 1368. Here, he settled a boundary dispute. The boundary stone which resulted stands to this day.

High up the slopes of Filefjell is the site of Nystuen, where travellers found refuge as they passed across the divide into Vestlandet. On the other side of the pass, Maristua was erected at the direction of Queen Margaret . Although Nystuen is first mentioned in 1627, it is undoubtedly older. These refuges were maintained by the state until 1830.

Smeddalen (Smith's Valley) immediately to the west of Nystuen, was for centuries the site of the church of St. Thomas på Filefjell. The earliest reference to it is in 1615, but it was apparently a stave church, so would have been much older. According to F.N. Stagg "It was reconditioned (c. 1615)… the priest at Vang preached there once a year–on July 2nd… many sought cures for their ailments in the miraculous powers possessed by splinters from its timbers…" A market grew up near the church as a result of the 2 July service. "Horses were traded, races run, heavy drinking indulged in and many a fight ensued." Markets continued to be held near the church until the 19th century, but as a result of fighting and general unrest in connection with the market days the church was torn down in 1808. A new church was built on the site in 1971.

Government

Vang Municipality is 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 is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Vestoppland og Valdres District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Vang Municipality is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party. |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}} |}}

Mayors

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

• 1838–1839: O. Holien

• 1840–1841: Anfind Qvame

• 1842–1843: Nils N. Helle

• 1844–1844: Rev. Schnitler

• 1845–1845: Anders Hamre

• 1846–1847: Rev. Hansen

• 1848–1849: Mr. Framstad

• 1850–1855: Nils Wangensteen

• 1871–1877: Nils Thune

• 1878–1879: Torger Haalien

• 1880–1884: Thomas Kjersteen

• 1885–1897: Thorstein Kvale

• 1898–1898: K. Berge

• 1899–1901: J. Wangensten

• 1901–1904: Lars O. Kvien (H)

• 1905–1920: Kristoffer K. Lerhol (H)

• 1921–1922: Ivar Opdal

• 1923–1925: Ole Wangensten (Bp)

• 1925–1926: Ivar Opdal

• 1926–1928: Olav Nystuen (Bp)

• 1929–1931: Ole Kvale (Bp)

• 1931–1934: Andris Larsen Wangensten (Bp)

• 1934–1937: Olav Nystuen (Bp)

• 1937–1945: Andris Larsen Wangensten (Bp)

• 1945–1945: Helge Ellingbø (LL)

• 1945–1945: Endre Holien (LL)

• 1946–1948: Torstein Hamre (LL)

• 1948–1952: Nils Thune (LL)

• 1952–1959: John Opdal (LL)

• 1960–1968: Ove W. Kvien (LL)

• 1968–1975: Jørgen Garstad (LL)

• 1976–1995: Erling Øraker (Sp)

• 1996–2011: Knut Haalien (Sp)

• 2011–2023: Vidar Eltun (Ap)

• 2023–present: Jørand Ødegård Lunde (LL)

Geography

Vang is bordered to the north by Lom Municipality and Vågå Municipality, to the east by Øystre Slidre Municipality, to the southeast by Vestre Slidre Municipality, to the south by Hemsedal Municipality (in Buskerud county), and to the west by Lærdal Municipality and Årdal Municipality (in Vestland county).

Vang is part of the Valdres region in central, southern Norway. This region is situated between the Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal valleys.

Vang Municipality is 56 km on a north–south axis and 47.3 km on an east–west axis. The highest point is Kalvehøgde with a height of 2208 m above sea level.

Three-quarters of the region is above 900 m. About 13 percent of the municipality is covered by water, including Lakes Fleinsendin, Slettningen and Vangsmjøsa. The lowest point is 363 m above sea level. The river Begna has its headwaters in the Filefjell area of Vang.

Attractions

• The Vang stone
• The Ryfossen waterfall
• The Sputrefossen waterfall

Gallery

St. Tomaskyrkja 01.JPG|St. Thomas Church Grehamarstølen.jpg|Highway E16 Vangsmjösi-utsikt från väst över Vang.JPG|Lake Vangsmjøsa Tyin from Stølsnøse.png|Tyin lake

Trivia

The Veblen and Bunde farmsteads were the homes of the parents of Thorstein Bunde Veblen, from where they emigrated a year before the birth of their son.

Notable people

• Christopher Andreas Holmboe (1796 in Vang – 1882), a philologist, orientalist, and numismatist
• Johannes Belsheim (1829 in Thorpegardane – 1909), a teacher, priest, translator, and biographer
• Nils Nilsen Thune (1880 in Vang – 1950), a jurist and civil servant
• Torstein Høverstad (1880 in Vang – 1959), an educator, teacher educator, school historian, and government scholar

References

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