Levanger 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' ...

Trøndelag Trøndelag (; or is a county and coextensive with the Trøndelag region (also known as ''Midt-Norge'' or ''Midt-Noreg,'' "Mid-Norway") in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County (); in 1804 the county was ...

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

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 part of the district of

Innherred or is a traditional district in Trøndelag county in the central part of Norway. It consists of the areas around the inner part of the Trondheimsfjord in the central-east part of the county. The district includes the municipalities of Levange ...

. 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 Levanger. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include

Alstadhaug Alstadhaug is small village in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located northeast of the village of Skogn, south of the village of Nesset, and west of the village of Momarka. The area is also a Church of Norway parish ...

Ekne Ekne is a village in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located west of the village of Skogn and about southwest of the town of Levanger. The lakes Sønningen and Byavatnet lie south of the village. Ekne Church is loc ...

Hokstad Hokstad is a small village and ferry quay on the island of Ytterøya in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The Levanger–Hokstad Ferry connects Hokstad on the island to the town of Levanger on the mainland. Ytterøy Church Y ...

Markabygda Markabygda is a village in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the northeast side of the lake Movatnet, about south of the town of Levanger. Markabygda Church is located here, and there is also a private Monte ...

Momarka Momarka is a village in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located just south of the town of Levanger. The Nordlandsbanen railway line and the European route E6 highway both run through the village. The village had a po ...

Mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey, and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two ...

, Nesset, Okkenhaug,

Ronglan Ronglan is a village in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located southwest of the village of Skogn and southeast of the village of Ekne. The European route E6 European route E6 (, , or simply E6) is the main north� ...

Skogn Skogn is a village in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located on the eastern shore of the Trondheimsfjorden, about southwest of the town of Levanger. The European route E06 highway runs through the village ...

, and

Åsen Åsen is a village in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located between the lakes Hammervatnet and Hoklingen. The European route E06 highway and the Nordlandsbanen railway line both pass through the village. The ...

. The town of Levanger lies at the mouth of the

Levangselva Levangselva is a river that flows through Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It flows into the Trondheimsfjord in the town of Levanger. The area through which the river flows was once part of the old Frol Municipality. The ri ...

river along the

Trondheimsfjord The Trondheim Fjord or Trondheimsfjorden (), an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's List of Norwegian fjords, third-longest fjord at long. It is located in the west-central part of the country in Trøndelag county, and it stretches from Ørl ...

. One of the main roads through the town is Kirkegata. The town has a population (2024) of 10,813, meaning about half the municipal residents live in the town. The town has held "town status" as of 1997 and houses a campus of the

Nord University Nord University (; ; ) is a state university in Nordland and Trøndelag counties of Norway. As of 2024, it is the second-largest research and educational institution in Northern Norway with more than 11,000 students at study locations in Northe ...

as of 2016. The municipality is the 174th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Levanger is the 64th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 20,574. 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 7.1% over the previous 10-year period. Levanger is a member of the Italian initiative,

Cittaslow Cittaslow is an organisation founded in Italy and inspired by the slow food movement. Cittaslow's goals include improving the quality of life in towns by slowing down its overall pace, especially in a city's use of spaces and the flow of life ...

, for ''slow towns'' that don't adopt a "fast-lane" approach that is so common in most modern towns.

General information

The town of Levanger () 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). Under the law, the town and the surrounding rural areas were supposed to be separate municipalities, but due to the low population of the town, this did not happen right away. In 1856, the town of Levanger (population: 1,017) and the rural areas surrounding the town (population: 2,290) were separated and the rural area became the rural municipality of

Levanger landsogn Frol is a former municipality in the old Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1856 until its dissolution in 1962. The municipality was first known as ''Levanger landsogn'' and then in 1911 the name was changed to ''Frol ...

(the name was later changed to ''

Frol Municipality Frol is a former municipality in the old Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1856 until its dissolution in 1962. The municipality was first known as ''Levanger landsogn'' and then in 1911 the name was changed to ''Frol ...

''). On 13 November 1951, a small area of

(population: 51) was transferred to the town of Levanger. 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 1962, the town of Levanger (population: 1,669) was merged with the neighboring

(population: 3,774),

Åsen Municipality Åsen is a List of former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in the old Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1962. The municipality was located to the southwestern part of what is ...

(population: 1,939), and

Skogn Municipality Skogn is a List of former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in the old Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1962. The municipality was located to the south and southwest of the L ...

(population: 4,756) to form a new, larger Levanger Municipality. *Then, on 1 January 1964,

Ytterøy Municipality Ytterøy is a former municipality in the old Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. Originally, it was a large municipality that encompassed the island of Ytterøya and parts of the main ...

(population: 772), a neighboring island municipality, was merged with the recently enlarged Levanger Municipality (population: 12,281) to form an even larger Levanger Municipality with 13,053 residents. On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from the old

Nord-Trøndelag Nord-Trøndelag (; "North Trøndelag") was a counties of Norway, county constituting the northern part of the present-day Trøndelag county in Norway. It bordered the old Sør-Trøndelag ("South Trøndelag") county as well as the county of Nordl ...

county to the new

county.

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 ''Levanger'' farm () since the first

Levanger Church Levanger Church () is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The church is located in the town of Levanger, along the road Kirkegata. It is the main church for the Levanger parish which is ...

was built there. The first element is which means "sheltered". The last element is which means "

fjord In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...

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 25 November 1960 as the arms of the town of Levanger. In 1962, the town was enlarged when three neighboring municipalities were merged with the town, creating a new, larger municipality of Levanger. The old arms of the town were adopted as the arms of the new municipality on 26 March 1965 (the old arms were chosen since none of the other municipalities had their own coats of arms). 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 ''"

Gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatch ...

, a horse

at bay ''At Bay'' is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Florence Reed. It is based on a 1913 Broadway play, ''At Bay'', by George Scarborough and produced by the Shuberts. On stage, Reed's starring part was ...

Or"'' (). This means the arms have a red

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

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

. The horse 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 horse is a symbol for the town as a major trading center between

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 ...

and Norway for many centuries. The arms were designed by

Hallvard Trætteberg Hallvard Trætteberg (21 April 1898 in Løten Municipality – 21 November 1987 in Oslo) was the leading Norwegian heraldic artist and the expert adviser on heraldry to the Government of Norway and the Norwegian royal family for much of the 2 ...

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 seven parishes () within Levanger Municipality. It is part of the

Sør-Innherad prosti This list of churches in Nidaros is a list of the Church of Norway churches in the Diocese of Nidaros in Norway. It includes all of the parishes in Trøndelag county. The diocese is based at the Nidaros Cathedral in the city of Trondheim in Trondh ...

(

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 Nidaros Nidaros is a diocese in the Lutheran Church of Norway. It covers Trøndelag county in Central Norway and its cathedral city is Trondheim, which houses the well-known Nidaros Cathedral. Since 10 September 2017, the Bishop of Nidaros is Herborg ...

History

Levanger can probably be traced back to the

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

, and with certainty back to the

Viking Age The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...

. Alvshaugen (from the

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

word ''haugr'' meaning mound) is a large burial mound located in the middle of the cemetery at

Alstadhaug Church Alstadhaug Church () is a parish church of the Church of Norway in the village of Alstadhaug in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county. It is the church for the Alstadhaug parish, which is part of the Stiklestad prosti (deanery) in the Dioc ...

. The burial mound has been dated to 300–600 CE. It is about in diameter, and about tall. The name "Levanger" is listed in

Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu ''Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu'' () or the ''Saga of Gunnlaugur Serpent-Tongue'' is one of the sagas of Icelanders. Composed at the end of the 13th century, it is preserved complete in a slightly younger manuscript. It contains 25 verses of skald ...

. The historic town site was located in a place somewhat different from the current town center, probably in relation to the ''Halsstein bygdeborg'' (

hill fort A hillfort is a type of fortification, fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late Bronze Age Europe, European Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe, Iron Age. So ...

). In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, the area now part of the municipality of Levanger was part of the county of Skeyna in the traditional district of

. The county was ruled by

earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the Peerages in the United Kingdom, peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ...

s who resided at the manor of Geite, situated on a hill nearby the present town. The county was divided into six parishes:

, Levanger, Frol, Ytterøy, and

Leksvik Leksvik may refer to: Places *Leksvik (village), a village in Indre Fosen Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway *Leksvik Church, a church in Indre Fosen Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway *Leksvik Municipality Leksvik is a List of for ...

. The county church was

, which also contained the '' fylking'', while Levanger was the main port and

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

. Not much is known about the earls of Skeyna, as few documents still exist that document their existence. The

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

and the Danish occupation of Norway in 1537 caused the

Norwegian nobility The aristocracy of Norway is the modern and medieval aristocracy in Norway. Additionally, there have been economical, political, and military elites thatrelating to the main lines of Norway's historyare generally accepted as nominal predecessor ...

to disintegrate, and the last earl was most likely executed during the Reformation. The Danish rulers united Skeyna with four other counties in Innherred, creating the county of Steinvikholm. Later, the Levanger area was part of '' Trondhjems amt'' which was later divided in '' Nordre Trondhjems amt''. That was later renamed

fylke. On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from the old

county to the new

county.

Town

Sverres gate i Levanger mot jernbanestasjonen

The

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

of Levanger was founded by King

Charles XIV John of Sweden Charles XIV John (; 26 January 1763 – 8 March 1844) was King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 until his death in 1844 and the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty. In Norway, he is known as Charles III John () and before he became royalty in ...

on 18 May 1836 as a

kjøpstad A (historically ''kjøbstad'', ''kjöbstad'', or ''kaupstad'', from ) is an old Scandinavian term for a "market town" in Denmark–Norway for several hundred years. Kjøpstads were places of trade and exporting materials (e.g. timber, flour, iron ...

, on the site where the village of Levanger already existed. The village had expanded from the traditional winter

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...

, known as the ''marsimartnan'' (lit. ''the St. Marcus Market of Levanger''), dating back to the 13th century. In October 1836, as the town's borders set,

Commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to incl ...

Mons Lie Mons Lie (15 February 1757 – 2 August 1827) was a Norwegian police chief and writer. He was born as Mons Jonasen Storli, in the parish of Ålen in Søndre Trondhjem county, Norway. He was one of seven children born to Jonas Monssen Gjersvo ...

proposed that "the town shall bear the name of ''Carlslevanger'', so the name of this ancient soil can be united with that of the new town's glorious founder". Despite the suggestion's being refused, the town protocols spoke of ''Carlslevanger Stad'' instead of ''Kjøpstaden Levanger'' until 1838. In 1838, the

law classified this town as a '' ladested'' or port town. The inhabitants of Levanger were not prepared for becoming a town, and so it took a long time before the town was constituted. In these early days the town was ruled by the Foged (Royal rural administrator). At that time there were already established a trade organization, "Levangerpatrisiatet", from 1695, based on the market. But only citizens of

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...

could be members, until Levanger became a town in its own right. In 1839, the first

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...

of the town was established, and in the following years several new trades and craftsmen settled in the town. In 1841, the first official elections were held, and Hans Nicolai Grønn was elected the first mayor of the town. Two years later, the town got its first water-pipe system, its first two primitive street lamps and a town hall. The fire-security report of 1844 clearly confirmed the great risk of disastrous fire in the town's narrow lanes; all houses were wooden houses. Therefore, the mayor hired Major Johannes Mathias Sejersted (1797–1886) to make a general report and draw up a new regulation plan, showing Levanger as a more "continental" town. And already in 1846, two years later the town was nearly totally ruined by a great fire. Sejersted's regulation plan was used when the town was rebuilt. Levanger was damaged by two great fires after that time, in 1877 and 1897, but each time the town has been rebuilt as a wooden town, and still today most houses are wooden houses. Throughout the 19th century, the famous market's economical importance faded out, and the ancient arrangement was reduced to a tradition without much content. That was the end of Levanger as an important port of foreign trade between Sweden and Norway. However, in the early 20th century, the town of Levanger was pleased by new establishments such as county hospital and college of education. The German occupation in 1940 was the beginning of a 40-year-long "

interregnum An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of revolutionary breach of legal continuity, discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one m ...

" of the traditional "Marsimartnan". In 1961, the town of Levanger decided to merge with its neighbors. On 1 January 1962,

, and

were merged with Levanger, and at the same time, it lost its "town status". The neighboring

was merged with Levanger two years later. Over thirty years later, in 1997, as a result of the resurrection of the "Marsimartnan" in 1989, the town of Levanger was re-established, though the town still is part of Levanger municipality. But the center of administration is to be found in the town of Levanger, which is also, in historical terms, the administrative basis for the municipality. And Levanger's town traditions and culture go way back. The town is laid out according to an urban and regulated plot with proper streets such as Kirkegata. It's more than just a town hall and a city square. In fact, Levanger's always been a town, though not always officially, and every inhabitant in the town area carries this piece of knowledge with pride. Thus there does exist a sense of distinction between town people and the people from the countryside. In 2002, Levanger joined the

movement, although there have been some violations of the Cittaslow charter, of which can be mentioned the construction of the unharmonic new mini mall in Sjøgata, down by the seaside. This mini mall includes two grocery stores and several electrical appliances stores .

Government

Levanger Municipality is 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

Trøndelag District Court Trøndelag District Court () is a district court located in Trøndelag county, Norway. This court is based at four different courthouses which are located in Brekstad, Namsos, Steinkjer, and Trondheim. The court is subordinate to the Frostating C ...

and the

Frostating Court of Appeal The Frostating Court of Appeal () is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Trondheim. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal. These areas constitute the ...

Municipal council

The

() of Levanger is made up of 35 representatives that are elected every four years. 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

() of Levanger 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: * 1841–1841: Hans Nicolai Grønn * 1841–1842: Magnus Henrich Linde * 1843–1845: Andreas Krogness * 1846–1848: Hans J. Engelsen * 1849–1849: Christian Hauan * 1850–1853: Hans J. Engelsen * 1854–1854: Ole Eide * 1855–1855: Ulrich L. Elsæther * 1856–1856: Hans J. Engelsen * 1857–1857: Tobias Müller * 1858–1861: Ingvald Marillus Emil Smith * 1862–1863: Andreas Kjølstad * 1864–1867: Andreas Hansen * 1868–1870: Albert Lassen * 1871–1871: Rascanus Tonning * 1872–1872: Anton Christian Aas * 1873–1873: Rascanus Tonning * 1874–1874: Ole E. Stendahl * 1875–1875: Johannes Bye * 1876–1876: Johan Christian Grønn * 1877–1877: Ole E. Stendahl * 1878–1879: Rascanus Tonning * 1880–1880: Johan Christian Grønn * 1881–1881: Bertram Martinus Bratsberg * 1882–1883: Johan Christian Grønn ( V) * 1884–1887: Peter Følling ( V) * 1888–1888: Johan Christian Grønn ( V) * 1889–1889: Paul Edvart Støre ( H) * 1890–1890: Johan Christian Grønn ( V) * 1891–1891: Paul Edvart Støre ( H) * 1892–1892: Peter Følling ( V) * 1893–1893: Emanuel Aagaard ( H) * 1894–1894: Peter Følling ( V) * 1895–1895: Paul Edvart Støre ( H) * 1896–1896: Peter Følling ( V) * 1897–1897: Paul Edvart Støre ( H) * 1898–1899: Peter Følling ( V) * 1900–1900: Paul Edvart Støre ( H) * 1901–1901: Otto Christian Hiorth ( H) * 1902–1902: Peder Martin Bragstad ( V) * 1903–1906: Otto Christian Hiorth ( H) * 1906–1908: Hans Svebak ( AvH) * 1909–1910: Peder Martin Bragstad ( V) * 1911–1911: Hans Svebak ( AvH) * 1912–1914: Hans Buck ( H) * 1915–1918: Halfdan Harnoll ( H) * 1918–1919: Richard Ausen ( V) * 1920–1922: Anton Salberg ( H) * 1923–1923: Peder Martin Bragstad ( V) * 1924–1924: Ola Karlgård ( V) * 1925–1925: Ingvald Bleken ( H) * 1926–1926: Paul Holthe ( Ap) * 1927–1927: Svein O. Øraker ( Ap) * 1928–1928: Samuel Thomassen ( V) * 1929–1930: Svein O. Øraker ( Ap) * 1931–1932:

Arne Falstad Arne Falstad (1 May 1874 – 27 November 1958) was a Norwegian attorney, banker and politician for the Conservative Party (Norway), Conservative Party. He was born at Skjerpengen in Skogn Municipality as a son of banker Peder Falstad (1842–1921 ...

( H) * 1933–1933: Lauritz Øyen ( FV) * 1934–1934: Samuel Thomassen ( V) * 1935–1935:

( H) * 1936–1937: Valentin Rosenlund ( FV) * 1938–1939: Jardar Wold ( Ap) * 1940–1940:

( H) * 1941–1941: Kaare Landfald ( H) * 1941–1943: Almar Næss ( NS) * 1943–1945: Arne Seljelid ( NS) * 1945–1945:

( H) * 1946–1946: Svein O. Øraker ( Ap) * 1947–1947: Jardar Wold ( Ap) * 1948–1949: Kaare Landfald ( H) * 1950–1951: Jardar Wold ( Ap) * 1952–1953: Valentin Rosenlund ( H) * 1954–1954: Jardar Wold ( Ap) * 1955–1955: Valentin Rosenlund ( H) * 1956–1961: Reidar Strømsøe ( H) * 1962–1967: Einar Fostad ( Sp) * 1967–1971:

Reidar Due Reidar Due (4 November 1922 – 29 October 2021) was a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Nord-Trøndelag in 1977, and was re-elected on three occasions. He had previously served as a deput ...

( Sp) * 1972–1975: Jarle Haugan ( V) * 1976–1979: Jon Ramstad ( Sp) * 1980–1991: Jarle Haugan ( V) * 1992–1999: Martin Stavrum ( Sp) * 1999–2007: Odd-Eiliv Thraning ( Ap) * 2007–2019: Robert Svarva ( Ap) * 2019–present: Anita Ravlo Sand ( Sp)

Economy

The world's largest paper-producing company,

Norske Skog Norske Skog ASA, formerly Norske Skogindustrier ASA, which translates as ''Norwegian Forest Industries'', is a Norwegian pulp and paper company established in 1962. The company has long been one of the world's leading manufacturers of newsprint ...

, built its first ever factory in

, south of the town of Levanger. This factory started production in 1966, is working today, and it provides 530 jobs at the plant, and an additional 1,900 jobs in transportation and

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

. Levanger encompasses some of the best agricultural areas in

. The

Fiborgtangen Fiborgtangen is a peninsula and industrial site located along Trondheimsfjord in the northwest part of the village of Skogn in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The site hosts the paper mill Norske Skog Skogn and the associated ...

industrial area is located in

and has freight access to the

Nordland Line The Nordland Line (, ) is a railway line between Trondheim and Bodø, Norway. It is the longest in Norway and lacks electrification. The route runs through Trøndelag and Nordland counties, carrying a combination of commuter, long-haul passenge ...

. Most of the town's commercial area is concentrated around the main street, called Kirkegata (Church Street), and in more recent years around the shopping mall Magneten, located at the suburban area of Moan. Magneten has since its beginning faced rapid growth, and several stores earlier located in Kirkegata have now moved to Moan and/or Magneten. The

Inntrøndelag District Court Inntrøndelag District Court () was a district court (Norway), district court in the Inntrøndelag region in Trøndelag county, Norway. The court was based in Steinkjer (town), Steinkjer. The court existed until 2021. It had jurisdiction over the ...

is also located in the town. The

Levanger Hospital Levanger Hospital () is a hospital located in the town of Levanger in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The hospital is located along the road Kirkegata on the west side of the town of Levanger. Along with Namsos Hospital, this ...

and the

also are major employers in the municipality.

Transportation

The main street of the town of Levanger has roads connecting to the E6 highway at both ends and the Norwegian County Road 774 at the north end which connects to the

Levanger–Hokstad Ferry The Levanger–Hokstad Ferry is an automobile ferry on Norwegian County Road 774 that connects the island of Ytterøya to the town of Levanger on the mainland of Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The long passage on Trondhei ...

, which regularly runs between the town of Levanger and the island of

Ytterøya Ytterøya is an island in the Trondheimsfjord in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The long island has an area of has about 600 residents (as of 2018). The highest point is the tall Sanstadkammen. The island has good agricul ...

in the

. The

runs to the north through the municipality. It stops at the following stations:

Åsen Station Åsen Station () is a railway station located in the village of Åsen in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the Nordland Line. The station is served hourly by SJ Norge's Trøndelag Commuter Rail service to ...

, HiNT Station,

Ronglan Station Ronglan Station () is a railway station located in the village of Ronglan in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the Nordland Line. The station is served irregularly by the Trøndelag Commuter Rail service to Ste ...

Skogn Station Skogn Station () is a railway station located in the village of Skogn in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the Nordland Line railway line. The station is served hourly by the Trøndelag Commuter Rail service to ...

, and

Levanger Station Levanger Station () is a railway station located in the centre of the town of Levanger in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The station is located along the Nordland Line. The station serves both local and express trains north ...

. The train used to stop at

at the Innherred Sykehus Station, but that station is now closed.

Geography

The municipality is located in the

region of

county. It lies on the eastern shore of the

and it includes the island of

. There are many lakes in the municipality, including

Byavatnet Byavatnet is a lake in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located about south of the village of Ekne and about west of the village of Ronglan. The lake Hammervatnet lies about south of Byavatnet and the lake Sønninge ...

Feren Feren is a lake in Meråker Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. A small part in the northwestern corner of the lake extends into the municipalities of Stjørdal, Levanger, and Verdal at the outlet into the river Forra. The lake lies abou ...

Hammervatnet Hammervatnet is a lake in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The lake lies on the north side of the village of Åsen. The European route E6 highway runs along the eastern tip of the lake. The nearby lake Hoklingen flows into t ...

Hoklingen Hoklingen is a lake in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The lake lies just to the east of the village of Åsen and about south of the village of Skogn. The lake Movatnet is the main inflow of water into Hoklingen. There is ...

Movatnet Movatnet is a lake in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The lake lies immediately to the east of the lake Hoklingen and just to the west of the village of Markabygd. See also *List of lakes in Norway This is a list of ...

, and

Sønningen Sønningen is a lake in Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The lake lies about southwest of the village of Ekne, about west of the lake Byavatnet, and about southeast of the shore of the Trondheimsfjorden. See also *List o ...

. The

river runs through the municipality. The

Rinnleiret Rinnleiret is an area on the border of Levanger Municipality and Verdal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is partially a nature reserve and it contains one of the county's largest beaches. Also located in the area is a former Royal No ...

beach area lies on the Levanger–

Verdal Verdal may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places *Verdal Municipality Verdal is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad Districts of Norway, region. The administrative cen ...

border. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Hårskallen.

Attractions

* Alvshaugen

burial mound Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

at Alstadhaug * Alstadhaug Medieval church (next to Alvshaugen burial mound) * Brusve Museum * Falstad Center *

Falstad concentration camp Falstad concentration camp ( or ) was situated in the village of Ekne in what was Skogn Municipality (now part of Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag county) in Norway. It was used mostly for political prisoners from Nazism, Nazi-occupied territor ...

* Fenka art gallery * Hveding Auto Museum * Munkeby Abbey ruins * Halsteinen hillfort * The Iron to Viking Age gravemounds at Gjeite

Notable people

Public service and public thinking

* Frederik Heidmann (1777 in Skogn – 1850), a military officer, civil servant, and politician *

Oluf Christian Dietrichson Oluf Christian Dietrichson (3 May 1856 – 20 February 1942) was a Norwegian explorer and military officer. He was a member of the Greenland expedition of 1888 led by Fridtjof Nansen, the first documented crossing of Greenland. Oluf Dietric ...

(1856 in Skogn – 1942), a polar explorer and military officer *

Peter August Poppe Peter August Poppe (17 August 1870 – 13 February 1933) was a Norwegian-born engineer, designer and developer of engines and complete motor vehicles for the British motor industry. He was a co-founder of the engine manufacturer White and Poppe. ...

(1870 in Skogn – 1933), an engineer, designer, and developer of engines and complete motor vehicles for the British motor industry *

(1874 at Skjerpengen – 1958), an attorney, banker, and Mayor of Levanger in the 1930s *

Albert Fredrik Eggen Albert Fredrik Eggen (29 September 1878 – Levanger, 6 April 1966) was a Norwegian farmer and politician for the Liberal Party. He was born at Østborg in Levanger landsogn as a son of farmer and petty officer Martin Gunerius Eggen (1839–1917) ...

(1878 at Østborg – 1966), a farmer, politician, and pre-WWII Mayor of Stod *

Helge Klæstad Helge Klæstad (6 December 1885 – 23 May 1965) was a Norwegian judge. He was born in Levanger. He took the dr.juris degree in 1921, and was a Supreme Court Justice from 1929 to 1946, except for the period between December 1940 and May 1945, dur ...

(1885–1965), a Norwegian judge and

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

Justice from 1929-1946 * Bjarne Skard (1896 in Levanger – 1961), the Bishop of Tunsberg * Erling Gjone (1898 in Levanger – 1990), an architectural historian and antiquarian * Henry Rinnan (1915 in Levanger – 1947), a Gestapo agent and Nazi collaborator * Martin Stavrum (born 1938), a politician and Mayor of Levanger from 1996-1999 *

Erling Folkvord Erling Folkvord (15 June 1949 – 1 March 2024) was a Norwegian politician for the Red Party and a member of the Parliament of Norway. A revolutionary socialist, he was one of the leading members of the Workers' Communist Party and the Red El ...

(born 1949 in Levanger), a left wing politician and writer * Per Erik Bergsjø (born 1958 in Levanger), a

Justice from March 2012 *

Per Sandberg Per Sandberg (born 6 February 1960) is a Norwegian politician for the Capitalist Party and formerly the Progress Party who served as the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries from 2015 to 2018. Sandberg was a member of the Norwegian parliament from ...

(born 1960 in Levanger), a politician

The Arts

* Martin Aagaard (1863 in Levanger – 1913), a Norwegian painter of marine paintings *

Benny Motzfeldt Benny Anette Motzfeldt (née Berg Nilssen; 26 June 190924 November 1995) was a Norwegian visual artist and glass designer and sculptor. Biography Benny Anette Berg Motzfeldt was born at Levanger Municipality in Trøndelag, Norway. She was a da ...

(1909 in Levanger – 1995), a visual artist, glass designer, and sculptor *

Jens Bolling Jens Bolling (23 June 1915 – 13 December 1992) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He was among the founders of Studioteatret, and a well-known interpreter of Norwegian fairy-tales. Early and personal life Bolling was born in Lev ...

(1915 in Levanger – 1992), a Norwegian actor and theatre director * Sverre Valen (born 1925 in Levanger – 2023), a Norwegian choir conductor *

Eli Rygg Eli Rygg (born 22 September 1955) is a Norwegian television personality and children's writer. She grew up in Veblungsnes and moved to Levanger at the age of 12. She attended folk high school in Skogn Municipality and Inderøy Municipality. Sh ...

(born 1955), a TV personality and children's writer who was brought up in Levanger *

Frode Haltli Frode Haltli (born 15 May 1975 in Levanger Municipality), is a Norwegian accordion player. Biography Haltli started to play the accordion at the age of seven and over the following few years he won several national competitions and scholarship ...

(born 1975 in Levanger), a Norwegian accordion player

Sport

* Einar Jørum (1924 in Åsen – 1997), a footballer and president of the

Football Association of Norway The Norwegian Football Federation (, ; NFF) is the governing body of football (soccer), football in Norway. It was formed in 1902 and organises the Norway national football team, men's and Norway women's national football team, women's national te ...

from 1970-1980 *

Knut Knudsen Knut Knudsen (born 12 October 1950) is a retired Norway, Norwegian road and track cyclist. As an amateur, he placed fifth in the 4000m individual pursuit at the 1968 Olympics before becoming Olympic champion in the same discipline in 1972. He wo ...

(born 1950), a retired track-cyclist and gold medallist at the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...

* Sturla Voll, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1954), a Norwegian soccer coach *

Marit Breivik Marit Breivik (born 10 April 1955) is a Norwegian former handball player and coach. She is one of the most decorated national team coaches in handball history and won thirteen championship medals with the Norwegian women's national handball te ...

(born 1955 in Levanger), a former handballer and head coach for the

national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...

Tina Svensson Tina Svensson Grønlund (born 16 November 1966, in Levanger Municipality) is a former Norwegian footballer, world champion and Olympic medalist. She debuted for the Norwegian national team in 1990, and played 57 matches for the national ...

(born 1966 in Levanger), a footballer and team bronze medallist at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

* Stein Berg Johansen (born 1969 in Levanger), a retired Norwegian football striker and coach *

Jon Olav Hjelde Jon Olav Hjelde (born 30 July 1972) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a central defender. Career Born in Levanger Municipality, Hjelde began his career at his local team Vuku, which competed in the Norwegian Third Divi ...

(born 1972 in Levanger), a former footballer with over 250 club caps * Trond Viggo Toresen (born 1978 in Levanger), a footballer with over 250 club caps *

Eldar Rønning Eldar Rønning (born 11 June 1982 in Levanger Municipality) is a Norwegian former cross-country skier. He skis with the Skogn IL club, in Nord-Trøndelag. Career In 2004/05, he achieved three podium finishes in World Cup Sprint events, includi ...

(born 1982 in Levanger), a cross-country skier, competed in two

Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...

Per Verner Rønning Per Verner Vågan Rønning (born 9 January 1983) is a former Norwegian footballer. He has previously played for Kongsvinger, AIK, Bodø/Glimt, Rosenborg and Levanger. Career Rønning made his debut for AIK on 17 April against IFK Göteborg ...

(born 1983 in Levanger), a former footballer with 380 club caps *

Johan Kjølstad Johan Kjølstad (born 9 March 1983) is a Norwegian Cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skier who has competed since 2002. Born in Levanger Municipality, he represents the sports club Skogn IL. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he earne ...

(born 1983 in Levanger), a cross-country skier, competed in two

Birgit Skarstein Birgit Lovise Røkkum Skarstein (born 10 February 1989) is a Norwegian former Paralympic athlete and social entrepreneur who competed in para rowing and para cross-country skiing. She is a Paralympic champion and silver medallist, six-time w ...

(born 1989), a paraplegic competitive rower and cross-country skier * Dardan Dreshaj (born 1992 in Levanger), a football striker with over 250 club caps

Expatriates

* Zakarias Toftezen (1821 in Levanger - 1901), an early settler in the

State of Washington Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

Bernt Julius Muus Bernt Julius Muus (March 15, 1832 – May 25, 1900) was a Norwegian-American Lutheran minister and church leader. He helped found St. Olaf College, a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. Biography Early life and education M ...

(1832 in Levanger – 1900), a Lutheran minister and church leader in

Northfield, Minnesota Northfield is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, Dakota and Rice County, Minnesota, Rice counties in the U.S. state, state of Minnesota. It is mostly in Rice County, with a small portion in Dakota County. The population was 20,790 at the 2020 U ...

* Bernt B. Haugan (1862 in Skogn – 1931), a Lutheran minister, politician, and temperance leader * Edin Cornelius Alfsen (1896 in Skogn – 1966), a Lutheran missionary who founded the Norwegian Tibet Mission

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 ...

Levanger seen from the airAlvshaugen
{{authority control Municipalities of Trøndelag 1838 establishments in Norway Populated places established in 1838