Granvin is a
former municipality in the old
Hordaland
Hordaland () was a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland counties. Hordaland was the third largest county, after Akershus and Oslo, by population. The county government was the Hordaland County Munici ...
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 ...
. The municipality existed from 1891 until its dissolution in 2020 when it merged with
Voss Municipality
Voss () is a municipality and a traditional district in Vestland county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages include Bolstadøyri, Borstrondi, Evanger, Kvitheim, Mjølfjell, ...
. The municipality was located in the
traditional district of
Hardanger
Hardanger is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, dominated by the Hardangerfjord and its inner branches of the Sørfjorden and the Eid Fjord. It consists of the municipalities of Ullensvang, Eidfjord, Ulvik and Kvam, and is ...
. 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 Granvin was the village of
Eide, which is also called "Granvin". About half of the residents of the municipality lived in the municipal centre. The rest lived in the rural valley areas surrounding the
Granvin Fjord or the lake
Granvinsvatnet
Granvinsvatnet is a lake in the Granvin area of Voss Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The lake sits just north of the village of Eide, Granvin, Eide.
The Norwegian National Road 13 exits the Tunsberg Tunnel just northwest of the lake ...
in the central part of the municipality.
Prior to its dissolution in 2020, the municipality is the 326th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Granvin is the 403rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 933. 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 decreased by 4.5% over the last decade.
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 ''Graven'' 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). This new municipality was very large and it included two annexes to the parish:
Ulvik
Ulvik is a municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The municipality stretches from the Hardangerfjord to the mountains that reach above sea level. The administrative centre of the municipality is t ...
and
Eidfjord
Eidfjord is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The municipality is located in the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Hardanger. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of E ...
. On 1 January 1859, "Ulvik" became the main parish, so that Granvin and Eidfjord became annexes to Ulvik, and the name of municipality was changed accordingly.
On 1 May 1891, the municipality of Ulvik was divided into three parts by creating two new municipalities. The western annex (population: 1,331) became the new municipality of Granvin and the southeastern annex (population: 1,018) became the new municipality of
Eidfjord
Eidfjord is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The municipality is located in the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Hardanger. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of E ...
. On 1 January 1964, the Lussand-Kvanndal area of
Kinsarvik municipality (population: 72) was transferred to Granvin.
On 1 January 2020, the neighboring municipalities of Granvin and
Voss
Voss () is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality and a Districts of Norway, traditional district in Vestland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages inclu ...
were merged into a new large municipality called ''Voss''.
Name
The municipality (originally 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 ...
) is named after the old ''
Granvin'' farm () since the first
Granvin Church
Granvin Church () is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Voss Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located on the eastern shore of the Granvinsvatnet in the small farm area called "Granvin". This place located a few kilometers nor ...
was built there. The first element is which means "
spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' ...
". The last element is which means "
meadow
A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable con ...
" or "
pasture
Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing.
Types of pasture
Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, c ...
". The area is one of the few places in
Western Norway
Western Norway (; ) is the Regions of Norway, region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the Counties of Norway, counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrative fu ...
that has spruce forests.
The name of the parish was spelled as "Graven" before 1858. It was then spelled as "Granvin" from 1858 until 1891. When it became a separate municipality in 1891, the old spelling of "Graven" was used again briefly until 1898. Since 1898 the spelling of "Granvin" has been used.
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 13 May 1988 and it was in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was dissolved. 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 ''"
Vert
Vert or Verts may refer to:
* Vert (heraldry), the colour green in heraldry
* Vert (music producer) (born 1972), pseudonym of Adam Butler, an English music producer
* Vert (river), in southern France
* Vert (sport), a competition in extreme versio ...
, a fiddle
Or in
bend sinister"'' (). This means the arms have a green
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 diagonal
hardanger fiddle
A hardanger fiddle () is a traditional stringed instrument considered the national instrument of Norway. In modern designs, this type of fiddle is very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings (rather than four as on a standard v ...
(), a type of Norwegian folk instrument. The fiddle 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 design was chosen to symbolize the rich
folk-music traditions in the
Hardanger
Hardanger is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, dominated by the Hardangerfjord and its inner branches of the Sørfjorden and the Eid Fjord. It consists of the municipalities of Ullensvang, Eidfjord, Ulvik and Kvam, and is ...
region and it also symbolizes an active and creative community. The fiddle is a simplified representation of the richly decorated Hardanger fiddles. This fiddle, used to play folk dance music, has two sets or layers of four strings and has a very characteristic sound. The lower set of
sympathetic strings is not directly touched by the fiddler, but they vibrate when the other strings are played. The arms were designed by Øyvind Kvamme. 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 ...
had one parish () within the municipality of Granvin. It is part of the
Hardanger og Voss 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 Bjørgvin
The Diocese of Bjørgvin () is one of the 11 dioceses that make up the Church of Norway. It includes all of the churches located in the county of Vestland in Western Norway, and those outside of Norway in the Seamen's Church. The cathedral cit ...
.
Geography

The municipality was situated along both sides of the
Granvin Fjord (a small arm off of the main
Hardangerfjorden
The Hardangerfjord () is the fifth longest fjord in the world, and the List of Norwegian fjords, second longest fjord in Norway. It is located in Vestland county in the Hardanger region. The fjord stretches from the Atlantic Ocean into the mou ...
) and the valley extending inland from the end of the fjord, in the region of
Hardanger
Hardanger is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, dominated by the Hardangerfjord and its inner branches of the Sørfjorden and the Eid Fjord. It consists of the municipalities of Ullensvang, Eidfjord, Ulvik and Kvam, and is ...
. The large lake
Granvinsvatnet
Granvinsvatnet is a lake in the Granvin area of Voss Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The lake sits just north of the village of Eide, Granvin, Eide.
The Norwegian National Road 13 exits the Tunsberg Tunnel just northwest of the lake ...
lies right in the center of the valley, just north of the village of
Eide. On both sides of the fjord and valley, there are high mountains.
Espeland Falls is located in the Espelandsdalen valley near the border with Ulvik. The
Skjervefossen waterfall is also located in Granvin.
Transportation
Norwegian National Road 13
National Road 13 (, ) is a national road which runs from the town of Stavanger in Rogaland county to the village of Sogndalsfjøra in Vestland county. The route is long and runs south–north through Rogaland and Vestland counties, following ...
entered Granvin via the
Tunsberg Tunnel
The Tunsberg Tunnel () is a road tunnel in Voss Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The long tunnel was built from 2009 until 2011 to replace a stretch of Norwegian National Road 13 just west of Seim. That stretch of roadway was full of n ...
which runs through the high mountains to the northwest. The highway then ran through Granvin before entering the
Vallavik Tunnel
The Vallavik Tunnel () is a road tunnel in Vestland county, Norway. The tunnel begins on the north edge of the village of Eide, Granvin, Eide in the municipality of Voss and runs to the southeast, ending at the small farm of Vallaviki in the muni ...
which runs through the high mountains to the southeast. The Vallavik Tunnel connects up with the
Hardanger Bridge
The Hardanger Bridge () is a suspension bridge across the Eidfjorden branch off of the main Hardangerfjorden in Vestland county, Norway. The bridge connects the municipalities of Ullensvang and Ulvik. It replaced a ferry connection between ...
in Ulvik which crosses the Hardangerfjorden. A car ferry service connects Kvanndal (in southwest Granvin) with the villages of
Utne
Utne is a village in Ullensvang municipality in the Hardanger region of Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the northern end of the Folgefonn Peninsula, at the confluence of the Sørfjorden and Hardangerfjorden. The village is ...
and
Kinsarvik
Kinsarvik is a village in the municipality of Ullensvang in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located at the end of a small bay at the confluence of the Sørfjorden and the Eid Fjord, where they join to form the main branch of the Hardang ...
(in
Ullensvang
Ullensvang is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is located in the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Hardanger. The administrative centre is the Odda (town), town of Odda. Some o ...
municipality) on the south side of the Hardangerfjord. From 1935 to 1988,
Hardanger railway line ran between Granvin and
Vossevangen
Vossevangen or Voss is the administrative centre of Voss municipality in Vestland county, Norway.
Location
The village lies on the northeastern shore of the lake Vangsvatnet in the central part of the municipality, about east of the city of Berg ...
. The line was closed in 1988 and the rails were later removed.
History
In April 1940, during the
German invasion of Norway during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, there was some fighting between German and Norwegian forces in Granvin. German forces landed in the village of
Granvin on 25 April as part of their
pincer movement
The pincer movement, or double envelopment, is a maneuver warfare, military maneuver in which forces simultaneously attack both flanking maneuver, flanks (sides) of an enemy Military organization, formation. This classic maneuver has been im ...
towards the Norwegian military camps at
Vossevangen
Vossevangen or Voss is the administrative centre of Voss municipality in Vestland county, Norway.
Location
The village lies on the northeastern shore of the lake Vangsvatnet in the central part of the municipality, about east of the city of Berg ...
. There was fighting at ''Skjervefossen'' for most of that day, until the Norwegian forces retreated late at night to avoid encirclement. Four Norwegian soldiers and at least 30 German soldiers fell in the fighting.
Population
Upon the dissolution of the municipality, the population of Granvin had been dropping since
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. In 1951, the population was 1,158. Since then, it has dropped by 21.3% to 911 in 2014. This situation is common in many smaller, rural municipalities in Norway.
Government
While it existed, this municipality was 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,
unemployment
Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work du ...
,
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. During its existence, this municipality was 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 ...
was
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.
Municipal council
The
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 Granvin was made up of 13 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The
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 ...
breakdown of the council is as follows:
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 Granvin (incomplete list):
*1891–1892: Hans Saakvitne (
V)
*1968–1972: Torbjørn Seim
*1996–2007: Olav Seim (
Sp)
*2007–2011: Jan Ivar Rødland (
Ap)
*2011–2019: Ingebjørg Winjum (
V)
Notable people
*
Lars Jonson Haukaness (1863–1929), an
impressionist
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
painter
*
Hans Dahl
Hans Dahl (19 February 1849 – 27 July 1937) was a Norwegian painter. He was best known for his paintings of Norwegian fjords and surrounding landscapes.
Background
Hans Dahl was born in the village of Granvin, on the Hardangerfjord in ...
(1849–1937), an artist specializing in landscape paintings
*
Olav Medaas (1926–2019), a three-time champion in Norwegian national shooting competition, also a military world champion
In popular culture
Granvin is a major setting in Moe Cidaly's short story "''Summer Episode''".
See also
*
List of former municipalities of Norway
This is a list of former municipalities of Norway, i.e. municipalities that no longer exist.
When the local council system was introduced in Norway in 1837-38, the country had 392 municipalities. By 1958, the number had grown to a total of 744 rur ...
References
External links
*
*
{{use dmy dates, date=June 2023
Voss
Former municipalities of Norway
1891 establishments in Norway
2020 disestablishments in Norway