Rauland is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1860 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Vinje Municipality. The

administrative centre An administrative center 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 administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

was the village of Raulandsgrend (also known as ''Rauland'') which is where

Rauland Church Rauland Church ( no, Rauland kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Vinje Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the village of Rauland on the shore of the lake Totak. It is one of the churches for t ...

is located. The municipality was a very mountainous, rural area, with about 90% of its area at elevations of above sea level or higher.

History

In 1860, the northern part of Vinje Municipality (population: 745) was merged with the

Øyfjell Øyfjell is a village in Vinje Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located in the southeastern part of the municipality, along the river Vikåi, about to the east of the village of Åmot. Øyfjell Church is locat ...

area in Laardal Municipality (population: 243), together they formed the new municipality of Rauland with a total population of 988. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Rauland Municipality (population: 1,656) was merged with Vinje Municipality (population: 2,565) to form a new, larger Vinje Municipality.

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old ''Rauland'' farm ( non, Rauðaland) since the first

was built there. The first element is which means " bog iron". The last element is which means "land" or "farm". The many marshlands in the area are filled with bog iron and for centuries its production was an important local resource.

Government

While it existed, this municipality was responsible for

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(through 10th grade), outpatient

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, senior citizen services, unemployment 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. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...

, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elected a mayor.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Rauland was made up of 21 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

Notable people

Sveinung Svalastoga Sveinung Bjørnson Svalastoga (1772–1809) was a Norwegian rose painter, poet and woodcarver. Biography Sveinung Bjørnson Svalastoga was born in the community of Vinje in Rauland, Telemark County. He was the son of Bjørn Bjørnson Gardsjord (1 ...

(1772–1809), Norwegian rose painter, poet and woodcarver * Rikard Berge (1881–1969), Norwegian

folklorist Folklore studies, less often known as folkloristics, and occasionally tradition studies or folk life studies in the United Kingdom, is the branch of anthropology devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currenc ...

, museologist, and

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editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

* Aslaug Vaa (1889–1965), Norwegian poet and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

Olav Aslakson Versto Olav Aslakson Versto (22 June 1892 – 13 June 1977) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was born in Rauland. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Telemark Telemark is a traditional region, a former count ...

(1892–1977), Norwegian politician for the

Norwegian Labour Party The Labour Party ( nb, Arbeiderpartiet; nn, Arbeidarpartiet; A/Ap; se, Bargiidbellodat), formerly The Norwegian Labour Party ( no, Det norske Arbeiderparti, DNA), is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is positioned on the centr ...

Dyre Vaa Dyre Vaa (19 January 1903 – 11 May 1980) was a Norwegian sculptor and painter. Background He was born in Kviteseid, Telemark, and later lived and worked in Rauland. He was the son of Tor Aanundsson Vaa (1864–1928) and Anne Marie Roholt ...

(1903–1980), Norwegian sculptor and painter

References