Rindal 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 ...
in
Trøndelag
Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denmar ...
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. It is part of the
Orkdalen
Orkdalen or Orkladalen ( en, Orkla Valley) is a valley and a traditional Norwegian district in Trøndelag county, Norway. In the early Viking Age, before King Harald Fairhair, the Orkla Valley was also a petty kingdom.
The valley begins in the h ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
. 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, L ...
is the
village of Rindal. Other villages in the municipality include
Tiset
Tiset is a small village area in Rindal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village lies along the river Tiåa, a tributary of the large Surna river. The village sits about northeast of the municipal center of Rindal
Rindal is ...
and
Romundstad. The municipality centres on
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peop ...
and
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...
services.
The municipality is the 185th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Rindal is the 281st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,980. The municipality's
population density
Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...
is and its population has decreased by 5.2% over the previous 10-year period.
General information

The
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
of Rindal was established as a municipality in 1858 when it was separated from
Surnadal Municipality
Surnadal () is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Skei. Other villages in Surnadal include Glærem, Mo, Stangvik, Surnadalsøra, Sylte, Todalsøra, ...
. It was originally located within
Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal (; en, Møre and Romsdal) is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Trøndelag, Innlandet, and Vestland. The county administration is located in the town of Molde, while Ålesund is t ...
county. The initial population of Rindal was 2,684. On 1 January 2008, the Fossdalen farm (population: 4) was transferred from Rindal (in
Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal (; en, Møre and Romsdal) is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Trøndelag, Innlandet, and Vestland. The county administration is located in the town of Molde, while Ålesund is t ...
county) to
Hemne Municipality
Hemne is a List of former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020 when it was incorporated into Heim Municipality. It was part ...
(in
Sør-Trøndelag
Sør-Trøndelag () was a county comprising the southern portion of the present-day Trøndelag county in Norway. It bordered the old Nord-Trøndelag county as well as the counties of Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, and Hedmark. To the west is the No ...
county). On 1 January 2019, the municipality of Rindal was transferred from
Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal (; en, Møre and Romsdal) is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Trøndelag, Innlandet, and Vestland. The county administration is located in the town of Molde, while Ålesund is t ...
county to
Trøndelag
Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denmar ...
county.
Name
The municipality (originally the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
) is named after the old ''Rindal'' farm ( non, Rindudalr), since the first
Rindal Church was built there. The first element is the
genitive case
In grammar, the genitive case ( abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can ...
of the river name ''Rinda'' and the last element is ''dalr'' which means "
valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...
" or "dale". The river name is derived from the verb ''rinna'' which means to "run" or "flow". Before 1918, the name was written ''Rindalen''.
Coat of arms
The
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...
was granted on 20 January 1989. The arms show a yellow
gavel
A gavel is a small ceremonial mallet commonly made of hardwood, typically fashioned with a handle. It can be used to call for attention or to punctuate rulings and proclamations and is a symbol of the authority and right to act officially in the ...
on a green background. The gavel is meant to represent
John Neergaard, who is considered the father of municipal governments in Norway, (), who was from Rindal. He was responsible for pushing for local government reform which led to the
Formannskapsdistrikt
() is the name for Norwegian local self-government districts that were legally enacted on 1 January 1838. This system of municipalities was created in a bill approved by the Parliament of Norway and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 Janua ...
law in 1837.
Churches
The
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. ...
has one parish () within the municipality of Rindal. It is part of the
Indre Nordmøre prosti (
deanery
A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman 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 reside ...
) in the
Diocese of Møre
The Diocese of Møre ( no, Møre bispedømme) is a diocese in the Church of Norway which geographically consists of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Its bishop is seated at the Molde Cathedral which is located in the county administrative cent ...
. On 1 January 2020, the parish of Rindal will be transferred to the
Orkdal prosti (deanery) 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 ...
. This transfer is a result of the municipality of Rindal being transferred from
Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal (; en, Møre and Romsdal) is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Trøndelag, Innlandet, and Vestland. The county administration is located in the town of Molde, while Ålesund is t ...
county to
Trøndelag
Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denmar ...
county.
Geography

The municipality lies in the southwestern part of Trøndelag county, along the border with
Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal (; en, Møre and Romsdal) is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Trøndelag, Innlandet, and Vestland. The county administration is located in the town of Molde, while Ålesund is t ...
county. Rindal formerly was part of Møre og Romsdal and at that time, it was the only
landlocked
A landlocked country is a country that does not have territory connected to an ocean or whose coastlines lie on endorheic basins. There are currently 44 landlocked countries and 4 landlocked de facto states. Kazakhstan is the world's largest ...
municipality in that county. The lakes
Foldsjøen
Foldsjøen is a reservoir located on the border of Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag counties in Norway. It is located in the municipalities of Surnadal and Rindal. The lake is dammed from the Folda River and the water is used in the Trollheim po ...
and
Gråsjøen lie along the border with
Surnadal
Surnadal () is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Skei. Other villages in Surnadal include Glærem, Mo, Stangvik, Surnadalsøra, Sylte, Todalsø ...
to the southwest. The large river
Surna begins in Rindal at the
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river ( main stem); ...
of the rivers
Tiåa and
Lomunda. The
Trollheimen
Trollheimen is a mountain range in Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag counties in central Norway. The mountain range is part of the Scandinavian Mountains.
Etymology
The name ('the home of the trolls') was proposed by Håkon Løken and used by T ...
mountain range runs through southern Rindal. The
Grønkjølen Nature Reserve
The Grønkjølen Nature Reserve ( no, Grønkjølen naturreservat) is located in Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag counties in Norway. The reserve is located in the municipalities of Surnadal (in Møre og Romsdal) and Rindal
Rindal is a municip ...
lies in the extreme northwest of the municipality.
The municipality of
Surnadal
Surnadal () is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Skei. Other villages in Surnadal include Glærem, Mo, Stangvik, Surnadalsøra, Sylte, Todalsø ...
lies to the west in Møre og Romsdal county. Rindal shares a border with five other municipalities to the north, east, and south:
Hemne
Hemne is a former municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020 when it was incorporated into Heim Municipality. It was part of the Fosen region. The administrative centre of the ...
,
Orkdal
Orkdal is a former municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020 when it joined Orkland Municipality. It was part of the Orkdalen region. The administrative centre of the munici ...
,
Meldal,
Rennebu, and
Oppdal
is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Dovre region and the traditional district of Orkdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Oppdal. Other villages in the municipality include Løn ...
.
Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Rindal, are responsible for
primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient
health services
Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wiktionary:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physical and menta ...
,
senior citizen
Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usag ...
services,
unemployment
Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refer ...
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 adminis ...
,
zoning
Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a s ...
,
economic development
In the economics study of the public sector, 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 a ...
, and municipal
road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
s. 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, rural coun ...
of elected representatives, which in turn elect a
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a 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 responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
.
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, rural coun ...
() of Rindal is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The
party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a 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 often feature ...
breakdown of the council is as follows:
List of mayors
*2019–present: Vibeke Langli (
Sp)
*2011-2019:
Ola T. Heggem
Ola T. Heggem (born 13 May 1952) is a Norwegian farmer and politician for the Centre Party.
He was born in Rindal as a son of farmers. After finishing commerce school in 1969, he attended Skjetlein Agricultural School from 1969 to 1971 and 1973 ...
(Sp)
*2007-2011:
John Ole Aspli
John Ole Aspli (born 7 May 1956) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.
He served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Møre og Romsdal during the term 2005–2009.
On the local level, he was mayor of Rindal ...
(
Ap)
*2005-2007: Hanne Tove Baalsrud (Sp)
*1992-2005:
Ola T. Heggem
Ola T. Heggem (born 13 May 1952) is a Norwegian farmer and politician for the Centre Party.
He was born in Rindal as a son of farmers. After finishing commerce school in 1969, he attended Skjetlein Agricultural School from 1969 to 1971 and 1973 ...
(Sp)
*1988-1991: Paul Haugen (Sp)
*1963-1967:
Arne Sæter
Arne Sæter (21 August 1913 in Surnadal – 14 September 1973) was a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party.
He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Møre og Romsdal in 1969. Shortly before the end of his term, he di ...
(
CDP)
Notable residents
*
Ola T. Heggem
Ola T. Heggem (born 13 May 1952) is a Norwegian farmer and politician for the Centre Party.
He was born in Rindal as a son of farmers. After finishing commerce school in 1969, he attended Skjetlein Agricultural School from 1969 to 1971 and 1973 ...
(born 1952 in Rindal) a Norwegian politician, Mayor of Rindal 1992-2005 & 2011-2019
Sport

*
Einar Ræder (1896 in Rindal – 1976) a long jumper, competed at the
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...
*
Thorvald Heggem
Thorvald Heggem (November 13, 1907 – June 30, 1976) was a Norwegians, Norwegian Nordic combined skier and Cross-country skiing (sport), cross country skier. He won the bronze medal in Nordic combined skiing in the Norway Cup national skiing cham ...
(1907 in Rindal - 1976) Nordic combined skier and cross country skier
*
Sigurd Røen
Sigurd Røen (12 February 1909 in Rindal – 17 September 1992) was a Norwegian nordic skier who competed in the 1930s.
He won two gold medals at the 1937 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1 ...
(1909 in Rindal - 1992)
Nordic skier
Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the Ski binding, binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski, unlike alpine skiing, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe ...
who competed in the 1930s
*
Mikal Kirkholt (1920 in Rindal – 2012) a cross-country skier, team silver medallist at the
1952 Winter Olympics
The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games ( no, De 6. olympiske vinterleker; nn, Dei 6. olympiske vinterleikane) and commonly known as Oslo 1952, was a winter multi-sport event held from 14 to 25 February 195 ...
*
Magnar Ingebrigtsli Magnar Ingebrigtsli (11 November 1932 – 10 September 2001) was a Norwegian cross-country skier and biathlete.
He was born in Rindal, and represented IK Rindals-Troll. He competed at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina ...
(1932 in Rindal – 2001) a cross-country skier and biathlete, competed at the
1956 Winter Olympics
The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games ( it, VII Giochi Olimpici invernali) and commonly known as Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 ( lld, Anpezo 1956 or ), was a multi-sport event held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from ...
*
Eli Landsem (born 1962 in Rindal) a former footballer and coach of the
Norway women's national football team
The Norway women's national football team is controlled by the Football Association of Norway. The team is former European, World and Olympic champions and thus one of the most successful national teams. The team has had less success since the ...
, 2009-2012
References
External links
*
*
Municipal fact sheetfrom
Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway ( no, Statistisk sentralbyrå, 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 ye ...
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022
Municipalities of Trøndelag
1858 establishments in Norway