Bamble is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Telemark Telemark () is a Counties of Norway, county and a current electoral district in Norway. Telemark borders the counties of Vestfold, Buskerud, Vestland, Rogaland and Agder. In 2020, Telemark merged with the county of Vestfold to form the county o ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. It is located in the traditional district of

Grenland Grenland is a traditional district in Telemark county, in the south-east of Norway. "Grenland" has referred to varying locations throughout history. In modern times, Grenland refers to the areas of the municipalities of Skien, Porsgrunn, Bamble, ...

. The

administrative centre An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgi ...

of the municipality is the town of

Langesund is the administrative centre of Bamble Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The town is located on a peninsula along the Langesundsfjorden near the Skaggerak coast. The town of Stathelle lies about to the northwest. The town was establi ...

. Other population centres in Bamble include the town of

Stathelle is a town in Bamble Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The town is located at the confluence of the Frierfjorden, Eidangerfjord, and Langesundsfjorden. The town of Brevik lies about across the fjord and the town of Langesund lies about ...

and the villages of

Bamble Bamble is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Langesund ...

, Botten, Herre, and

Valle Valle may refer to: * Valle (surname) Geography *"Valle", the cultural and climatic zone of the dry subtropical Interandean Valles of the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, and northwest Argentina * University of Valle, a public university in Cali, Colomb ...

. The municipality is the 263rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Bamble is the 87th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 14,172. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

is and its population has increased by 0.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

of Bamble was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see

formannskapsdistrikt () was the name of a Norwegian self-governing municipality. The name was used from the establishment these municipalities in 1838 until the name fell out of use in 1863. The municipalities had their legal basis from two laws enacted on 14 Jan ...

law). On 1 January 1878, the island of Langøya (population: 22), just off shore from the town of

, was transferred from the rural municipality of Bamble to the town of Langesund. In 1949, the town of Langesund was again enlarged by annexing an adjacent area of Bamble municipality (population: 127). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the

Schei Committee The Schei Committee () was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post-World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a ...

. On 1 January 1964, the town of

(population: 724) and the town of

(population: 2,281) were both merged with the surrounding rural municipality of Bamble (population: 5,237) to form a new, larger Bamble Municipality.

Name

The municipality (originally the

) is named after the old ''Bamle'' farm (). The meaning of the name is unknown. It is possible that the name is the plural form derived from the word which means "

belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, ce ...

". In this case, it was likely referring to a round hill or mountain. Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled ''Bamle''. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to ''Bamble''.

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

was granted on 12 December 1986. The official

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

is ''"

Azure Azure may refer to: Color * Azure (color), a hue of blue ** Azure (heraldry) ** Shades of azure, shades and variations Arts and media * ''Azure'' (Art Farmer and Fritz Pauer album), 1987 * Azure (Gary Peacock and Marilyn Crispell album), 2013 * ...

, a ship's wheel Or"'' (). This means the arms have a blue

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

(background) and the

charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...

is a

ship's wheel A ship's wheel or boat's wheel is a device used aboard a ship, boat, submarine, or airship, with which a helmsman steering, steers the vessel and controls its course (navigation), course. Together with the rest of the steering mechanism, it forms ...

. The charge has a

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The arms are nearly identical to the former arms of the town Stathelle which used them from 1954 until 1964 when it became part of Bamble. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of the sea for this coastal municipality.

Sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...

and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

have always been of great importance for the area, and a ship's wheel was thus an appropriate symbol. The arms were designed by Svein J. Haugholt. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches

The

Church of Norway The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...

has three parishes () within the municipality of Bamble. It is part of the Bamble prosti (

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...

) in the

Diocese of Agder og Telemark The Diocese of Agder og Telemark () is a diocese of the Church of Norway, covering all of Agder county and Telemark county in Norway. The cathedral city is Kristiansand, Norway's fifth largest city. Kristiansand Cathedral serves as the seat of t ...

. Bamble Church (''Bamble kirke'') is located along the

European route E18 European route E18 runs between Craigavon, County Armagh, Craigavon in Northern Ireland and Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is about in length. Although the designation implies the ...

highway, about to the south of the

Grenland Bridge Grenland Bridge () is Norway's highest cable-stayed bridge with a tower height of . The bridge, which opened in 1996, is part of the European Route E18 highway and it crosses the Frierfjord, a fjord in Telemark counties of Norway, county. The bri ...

. It is a wooden cruciform church which was built in 1845. The church is located next to the ruins of Olav Church which dated to around 1145.

Geography

The municipality is located along the

Skaggerak The Skagerrak (; , , ) is a strait running between the North Jutlandic Island of Denmark, the east coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea. The Skagerrak contains some of the busiest shipping ...

coast in southeastern Norway. The village is located on the west side of the

Frierfjorden Frier or Frierfjord is a fjord in Telemark county, Norway. The long fjord is located along the Skaggerak coast in the traditional district of Grenland and it forms the border with the municipalities of Bamble, Skien, and Porsgrunn. The fjord is ...

and

Langesundsfjorden Langesundsfjord (), also known as the Breviksfjord (), is a stretch of fjord in Telemark county, Norway. The long fjord flows from the Skagerrak, between the islands of Sandøya, Bjørkøya, and Siktesøya in Porsgrunn Municipality and the ma ...

and to the northeast of the

Fossingfjorden Fossingfjord is a fjord in Telemark county, Norway. The long fjord forms part of the border between Kragerø Municipality and Bamble Municipality. The entrance to the fjord lies about north of the island of Langøy. The small islands of Store ...

. The southeastern tip of the large lake Toke is located in northwestern Bamble. The

highway runs through Bamble, crossing into

Porsgrunn Municipality is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Porsgrunn. Some other notable settlements in Porsgrunn include the town of Brev ...

via the

. The

Brevik Bridge Brevik Bridge () is one of two bridges that span the mouth of the Frierfjord. It connects the municipalities of Bamble and Porsgrunn in Telemark county. On the west side, in Bamble, lies the town of Stathelle, while on the east side lies the town ...

also crosses the Frierfjorden, a short distance east of the Grenland Bridge. The

Langøytangen Lighthouse Langøytangen Lighthouse () is a fully automated coastal lighthouse situated on the island of Langøya in Langesund in municipality of Bamble, Norway. It marks the southern point of the Langesund Sound. It is available for rental for overnight gu ...

is located near the town of

Geology

Bamble, lying at the southern tip of the Kongsberg-Bamble

geological formation A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics (lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock expo ...

, also has a unique geology that has been extensively researched by

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

s such as W. C. Brøgger. It exhibits a high grade

gneiss Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...

terrane In geology, a terrane (; in full, a tectonostratigraphic terrane) is a crust fragment formed on a tectonic plate (or broken off from it) and accreted or " sutured" to crust lying on another plate. The crustal block or fragment preserves its d ...

characterized by

metasomatism Metasomatism (from the Greek μετά ''metá'' "change" and σῶμα ''sôma'' "body") is the chemical alteration of a rock by hydrothermal and other fluids. It is traditionally defined as metamorphism which involves a change in the chemical com ...

. As such there have been many mines operating in the area, most notably the

Ødegården Verk Ødegården Verk (''Ødegården Mines'', ), alternate names ''Ødegården Apatittgruver'' and ''Bamble Apatittgruver'', was a series of primarily apatite shaft mines and quarries located in the Bamble municipality of Norway. At its peak, Ødeg ...

apatite Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals, usually hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite and chlorapatite, with high concentrations of Hydroxide, OH−, Fluoride, F− and Chloride, Cl− ion, respectively, in the crystal. The formula of the admixture of ...

mines and the

nickel Nickel is a chemical element; it has symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive, but large pieces are slo ...

mines in Nystein.

Government

All municipalities in Norway are responsible for

primary education Primary education is the first stage of Education, formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle s ...

(through 10th grade), outpatient

health services Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

senior citizen Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...

services,

welfare Welfare may refer to: Philosophy *Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group * Utility in utilitarianism * Value in value theory Economics * Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...

and other

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...

zoning In urban planning, zoning is a method in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into land-use "zones", each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for ...

economic development In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...

, and municipal

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

s and utilities. The municipality is governed by a

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...

of directly elected representatives. The

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

indirectly elected An indirect election or ''hierarchical voting,'' is an election in which voters do not choose directly among candidates or parties for an office ( direct voting system), but elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties. It is one of the o ...

by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Telemark District Court and the

Agder Court of Appeal The Agder Court of Appeal () is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the town of Skien. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Vestfold og Telemark and Agder (except for Sirdal Municipality which ...

Municipal council

The

of Bamble is made up of 33 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...

Mayors

The

mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

() of Bamble (incomplete list): *1919-1921: Herman Løvenskiold ( H) *1971-1981:

Kjell Bohlin Kjell Gotfred Bohlin (27 September 1928 – 17 June 2011) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was born in Røros Municipality. He was elected to the Parliament of Norway from Telemark in 1977, and was re-elected on two occasions. ...

( Ap) *1995-2003: Jan Erik Gyllensten ( KrF) *2003-2007: Anne Margrete Blaker ( Ap) *2007-2015: Jon Pieter Flølo ( FrP) *2015-2023: Hallgeir Kjeldal ( Ap) *2023–present: Jon Pieter Flølo ( FrP)

Twin towns – sister cities

Bamble is twinned with: *

Akranes Akranes () is a port town and municipality on the west coast of Iceland, around north of the capital Reykjavík. The area where Akranes is located was settled in the 9th century; however, it did not receive a municipal charter until 1942. His ...

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

Närpes Närpes (Finland Swedish: ; ) is a town in Finland, located on the west coast of the country. Närpes is situated in Ostrobothnia, along the Gulf of Bothnia. The population of Närpes is approximately , while the sub-region has a population of ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

Tønder Tønder (; ) is a town in the Region of Southern Denmark. With a population of 7,477 (as of 1 January 2025), it is the main town and the administrative seat of the Tønder Municipality. History The first mention of Tønder might have been in th ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

Västervik Västervik is a city status in Sweden, city and the seat of Västervik Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden, with 36,747 inhabitants in 2021. Västervik is one of three coastal towns with a notable population size in the province of Småland. Cl ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

Notable people

Marcus Olaus Bockman Marcus Olaus Bockman (January 9, 1849 – July 21, 1942) was a Norwegian-American Lutheran theologian. Background Marcus Olaus Bockman was born Marcus Olaus Bøckmann at Langesund in Bamble municipality, Telemark county, Norway. He was educated a ...

(1849 in Langesund – 1942), a Norwegian-American Lutheran theologian in

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

Marie Høeg Marie Høeg (15 April 1866 – 22 February 1949) was a Norwegian photographer and suffragist. Høeg's published work was traditional in nature, while her private photography, including images of and created with her partner, Bolette Berg, c ...

(1866 in Langesund – 1949), a photographer and suffragist *

William Houlder Zachariasen William Houlder Zachariasen (5 February 1906 – 24 December 1979), more often known as W. H. Zachariasen, was a Norwegian-American physicist, specializing in X-ray crystallography and famous for his work on the structure of glass. Background ...

(1906 in Langesund – 1979), a Norwegian-American physicist, pioneering specialist in

X-ray crystallography X-ray crystallography is the experimental science of determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to Diffraction, diffract in specific directions. By measuring th ...

and the structure of glass in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

* Arne Selberg (1910 in Langesund – 1989), a civil engineer who designed suspension bridges *

Sigmund Selberg Sigmund Selberg (11 August 1910 – 20 April 1994) was a Norwegian mathematician. He was born in Langesund as the son of Ole Michael Ludvigsen Selberg and Anna Kristina Brigtsdatter Skeie. He was twin brother of Arne Selberg and brother of ...

(1910–1994), a mathematician who worked on the distribution of

prime numbers A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...

Atle Selberg Atle Selberg (14 June 1917 – 6 August 2007) was a Norwegian mathematician known for his work in analytic number theory and the theory of automorphic forms, and in particular for bringing them into relation with spectral theory. He was awarded ...

(1917 in Langesund – 2007), a mathematician who worked on

analytic number theory In mathematics, analytic number theory is a branch of number theory that uses methods from mathematical analysis to solve problems about the integers. It is often said to have begun with Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet's 1837 introduction of Dir ...

(1928–2011), a politician and Mayor of Bamble from 1971 to 1981 *

Turid Thomassen Turid Thomassen (born 19 April 1965) is a Norwegian politician who was party leader of the Norwegian Red party from 2010 to 2012, succeeding Torstein Dahle. Born in Stathelle, Telemark, Thomassen works in the administration offices of the De ...

(born 1965 in Stathelle), the leader of the Norwegian Red party 2010 to 2012 *

Sverre Gjørvad Sverre Gjørvad (born 26 October 1966 in Stathelle, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (drums) and composer. He is known for participating in establishing the SoddJazz festival and recording with various notable musicians including Live Maria ...

(born 1966 in Stathelle), a jazz musician (drums) and composer *

Odd Ivar Solvold Odd Ivar Solvold, (born 21 July 1969 in Bamble, Norway) is a Norwegian chef from Sandefjord, 3 times Norwegian Champion in Culinary art 1990, 91,93, Young Chef of the Year 1988 Nice France, Chef of the Year 1995 and a 1997 Bocuse d'Or bronze medall ...

(born 1969 in Bamble), a chef, restaurateur, and author of cook books *

Jørn Lier Horst Jørn Lier Horst (born 27 February 1970) is a Norwegian author of crime fiction and a former Senior Investigating Officer at Vestfold police district. His books have been published in over 40 countries and have sold more than ten million copies. ...

(born 1970 in Bamble), an author of crime fiction and former Police officer * Kenneth Nilsen (born 1994 in Bamble), a music producer who uses the stage name ''K-391''

Sport

Thor Thorvaldsen Thor Thorvaldsen (31 May 1909 – 30 June 1987) was a Norwegian sailor and Olympic champion. He was born in Bamble and died in Bærum. He competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he received a gold medal in the dragon class as helms ...

(1909 in Bamble – 1987), a sailor and two-time Olympic champion *

Jan Halvor Halvorsen Jan Halvor Halvorsen (born 8 March 1963) is a former Norwegian football player and manager. Club career Halvorsen started his youth career in Pors, debuting at the age of fifteen and a half. He has also played for clubs like Brann, Rosenb ...

(born 1963 in Bamble), a former footballer with 250 club caps and 5 for

Ella Gjømle Berg Ella Gjømle Berg (born 29 May 1979) is a cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skier from Stathelle, Bamble, Norway. She competes for SFK Lyn, Lyn Ski Club, Oslo. Career Gjømle Berg competed in the 2005 World Championship in Oberstdorf, ...

(born 1979 in Stathelle), a cross-country skier

References

External links

* *
Municipal fact sheet
from

Statistics Norway Statistics Norway (, abbreviated to ''SSB'') is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876. Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All rele ...

* {{use dmy dates, date=September 2023 Municipalities of Telemark 1838 establishments in Norway