Telemark is a traditional region, a former

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 ...

, and a current electoral district in southern

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 ...

. In 2020, Telemark merged with the former county of

Vestfold Vestfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in Eastern Norway. In 2020 the county became part of the much larger county of Vestfold og Telemark. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it bordered t ...

to form the county of

Vestfold og Telemark Vestfold og Telemark (; ) is a county under disestablishment in Norway. The county is the southernmost one of Eastern Norway and consists of two distinct and separate traditional regions: the former counties of Telemark and (most of) Vestfold. T ...

. Telemark borders the traditional regions and former counties of

Buskerud Buskerud () is a former county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Har ...

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 Municipal ...

Rogaland Rogaland () is a county in Western Norway, bordering the North Sea to the west and the counties of Vestland to the north, Vestfold og Telemark to the east and Agder to the east and southeast. In 2020, it had a population of 479,892. The admin ...

and

Aust-Agder Aust-Agder (, en, "East Agder") was a county (''fylke'') in Norway until 1 January 2020, when it was merged with Vest-Agder to form Agder county. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which was 2.2% of Norway's population. Its area was . The ...

. The name ''Telemark'' means the "

mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * F ...

of the Thelir", the ancient North Germanic tribe that inhabited what is now known as

Upper Telemark Upper Telemark ( no, Øvre Telemark) is a Norwegian region comprising the inland of the traditional district Telemark in Vestfold og Telemark county. More than two thirds of the total area of Telemark, or above 10,000 square kilometres, belong to ...

in the

Migration Period The Migration Period was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories by various tribes, and the establishment of the post-Roma ...

and the

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period The ...

. In the Middle Ages, the agricultural society of Upper Telemark was considered the most violent region of Norway. Today, half of the buildings from medieval times in Norway are located here. The dialects spoken in Upper Telemark also retain more elements of

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is 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 of Scandinavia and t ...

than those spoken elsewhere in the country. Upper Telemark is also known as the birthplace of

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ...

. The southern part of Telemark,

Grenland Grenland is a traditional district in the county of Vestfold og Telemark, in the south-east of Norway. Located in the southeastern part of the county, Grenland is composed of the municipalities Skien, Porsgrunn, Bamble, and Siljan. Sometimes ...

, is more urban and influenced by trade with the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

northern Germany Northern Germany (german: link=no, Norddeutschland) is a linguistic, geographic, socio-cultural and historic region in the northern part of Germany which includes the coastal states of Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Lower Saxony an ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...

and the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles (O ...

. Telemark has been one of Norway's most important industrial regions for centuries, marked in particular by the

Norske Skog Union Norske Skog Union was a paper mill located in Skien in Norway. The mill was part of the Norske Skog Corporation and opened in 1873 with the name Union Co. The mill had two paper machines that produced 240,000 tonnes of newsprint and book paper. ...

paper mills in

and the

Norsk Hydro Norsk Hydro ASA (often referred to as just ''Hydro'') is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. It is one of the largest aluminium companies worldwide. It has operations in some 50 countries around the world ...

heavy water and fertilizer production in

. Telemark as a county is expected to be re-established by 1 January 2024, following a vote of the county council of Vestfold og Telemark on 15 February 2022 to split the newly established county into its respective counties that existed before the merger took place; Telemark and Vestfold.

History

Telemark county was established as the fief Bratsberg in the late Middle Ages, during Norway's union with Denmark. With the introduction of absolute monarchy in 1662 it became a county, and it was renamed Telemark in 1919 and was a county until 2020. The county administration was in the port town

Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the ...

, which was in the early modern period Norway's most important city, ahead of Christiania. Telemark consists of several distinct historical regions. It takes its name from the largest of them, which is now called

, but which was historically simply called Telemark. Telemark is named for the Thelir (Þilir in Old Norse), the ancient North Germanic tribe that inhabited what is now known as Upper Telemark since the

and during the

. The Norse form of the name was ''Þelamǫrk''. The first element is the genitive plural case of ''Þilir'' while the last element is ''mǫrk'' "woodland, borderland,

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March ...

". Traditional Telemark, i.e. Upper Telemark, is located in the inland and comprises more than two thirds of it according to its traditional definition. Both in medieval times and later (Upper) Telemark was the region of Norway with the most self-owning farmers. It retained

Norse Norse is a demonym for Norsemen, a medieval North Germanic ethnolinguistic group ancestral to modern Scandinavians, defined as speakers of Old Norse from about the 9th to the 13th centuries. Norse may also refer to: Culture and religion * Nor ...

culture to a larger degree than any other region in Norway, with respect to its more egalitarian organisation of society, religion, traditional values and language. Thus the people of Telemark were often described during the Middle Ages and early modern era as the most violent in Norway. The dialects of Upper Telemark are also the dialects of Norwegian that are closest to

. The farmers of Telemark were marked by a strong-willed conservatism and belief in their traditional values that often defied the central authorities of Denmark-Norway; for example they held on to aspects of both

Old Norse religion Old Norse religion, also known as Norse paganism, is the most common name for a branch of Germanic religion which developed during the Proto-Norse period, when the North Germanic peoples separated into a distinct branch of the Germanic peop ...

and later of

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

longer than other regions in Norway. (Upper) Telemark traditionally lacks cities entirely.

and the Skien fjord are flatter regions located closer to or at the coast. Historically Grenland referred to what is now called

Midt-Telemark Midt-Telemark is a traditional district of Norway situated in Vestfold og Telemark county. It comprises three municipalities: Bø, Sauherad and Nome. The largest population centres in the region are Bø, Ulefoss, Bjervamoen and Gvarv, of which ...

, but over time the name Grenland has come to refer to the Skien fjord area. The latter is traditionally characterized by its cities and its involvement in seafaring and trade. It also includes several larger agricultural properties and estates, as well as industry. The culture and social structure are more urban, far less traditional, more influenced by contact with continental Europe and far less egalitarian. The most important city of the region,

, was historically one of Norway's most important cities, although its importance declined after the Napoleonic Wars. The playwright

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...

was a native of Skien, and many of his plays are set in places reminiscent of the city and area. During the Dano-Norwegian union the traditional regions of Telemark and Grenland/the Skien fjord became the fief (''len'') and later county (''

amt Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...

'') of Bratsberg (Bradsberg). The fief and county was named after the farm Bratsberg, since this was the seat of the governor. In 1919 Bratsberg county was renamed Telemark. Despite this, Grenland retains a separate identity that is distinct from Telemark proper; the minority in the Storting voted for the name Grenland–Telemark in 1918. (Upper) Telemark, particularly

Kviteseid Kviteseid is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Upper Telemark and Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kviteseid. The parish ...

, is known as the birthplace of

as a modern sport. Telemark lent its name to

Telemark skiing Telemark skiing is a skiing technique that combines elements of Alpine and Nordic skiing, using the rear foot to keep balance while pushing on the front foot to create a carving turn on downhill skis with toe-only bindings. Telemark skiing is n ...

, a style invented by

Sondre Norheim Sondre Norheim, born Sondre Auverson, (10 June 1825 – 9 March 1897) was a Norwegian skier and pioneer of modern skiing. Sondre Norheim is known as the father of Telemark skiing. Background Sondre Auverson was born at Øverbø, a little ...

, and the characteristic

Telemark landing Telemark is a traditional region, a former county, and a current electoral district in southern Norway. In 2020, Telemark merged with the former county of Vestfold to form the county of Vestfold og Telemark. Telemark borders the traditional ...

ski jumping Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the fin ...

. Telemark is also known as the centre of the ''

Bunad ''Bunad'' (, plural: ''bunader''/''bunadar'') is a Norwegian umbrella term encompassing, in its broadest sense, a range of both traditional rural clothes (mostly dating to the 18th and 19th centuries) as well as modern 20th-century folk costume ...

'' movement. Telemark has more buildings from medieval times than any other Norwegian region.

Geography

Telemark is located in southeastern Norway, extending from the

Hardangervidda Hardangervidda ( en, Hardanger Plateau) is a mountain plateau ( Norwegian: ''vidde'') in central southern Norway, covering parts of Vestland, Vestfold og Telemark, and Viken counties. It is the largest plateau of its kind in Europe, with a cold ...

mountain plateau in the North to the

Skagerrak The Skagerrak (, , ) is a strait running between the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, the southeast coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area through the Danish Straits to the Baltic Sea. T ...

coast in the South. Telemark has a varied and scenic landscape, including a rugged coastline, valleys, lakes, hills mountains, and mountain plateaus.

Infrastructure

The international road E18 goes through the southern parts of Telemark, namely

and the municipality of

Kragerø Kragerø () is a town and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Grenland and the smaller Vestmar. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kragerø. The city of Kragerø ...

. E134, another important motorway and the fastest route between

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

and

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

, goes through the municipalities of

Vinje Vinje is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Upper Telemark and Vest-Telemark. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Åmot. General in ...

Tokke Tokke is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dalen. The municipality of Tokke was c ...

Seljord Seljord is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Upper Telemark and Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Seljord. The parish ...

Hjartdal Hjartdal is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Upper Telemark and Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sauland. The mu ...

and

Notodden Notodden () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Notodden. Notodden was separated from the munici ...

. RV36, stretching from

Porsgrunn is a city and municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Porsgrunn. The municipality of Porsgrunn wa ...

to Seljord, links the E18 and E134 motorways. Telemark is well served by railways. The

Sørlandet Line The Sørlandet Line ( no, Sørlandsbanen) is a railway line between Drammen (though this is connected to Oslo by means of the Drammen Line) via Kristiansand to Stavanger. The line is long between Oslo and Stavanger. History The railway was cons ...

runs through the traditional districts of Vestmar and Midt-Telemark, serving the municipalities of

Drangedal Drangedal is a municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Prestestranda. The municipality of Drangedal was established ...

, Nome, Bø and

Sauherad Sauherad is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Midt-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Akkerhaugen. The municipality borders Kongsberg, Skien, Nom ...

. Grenland is primarily served by the

Vestfold Line The Vestfold Line ( no, Vestfoldbanen) is a railway line which runs between Drammen and Eidanger in Norway. The line connects to the Drammen Line at the northern terminus at Drammen Station and continues as the Bratsberg Line past Skien Statio ...

, but also has connections through the

Bratsberg Line The Bratsberg Line ( no, Bratsbergbanen) is a railway line between Eidanger and Notodden in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It opened in 1917, connecting the Tinnos Line, the Sørland Line and the Vestfold Line; allowing Norsk Hydro ...

which runs between

and

. From Langesund, Fjordline operates ferry services to Sweden and

. The main bus lines in the region are operated by

Telemark Bilruter Telemark Bilruter AS is a Norwegian bus company based in Vestfold og Telemark with headquarters in Seljord. The company operates regional and express buses, and through subsidiaries also trucks. They operate routes in the municipalities of Vinje, ...

, serving western and middle parts of the region, and

Nettbuss Vy Buss, formerly branded as Nettbuss, is the largest bus company in Norway, owned by Vy (transport operator), Vy. It was established on 10 February 2000 as the continuation of the bus operations from former NSB Biltrafikk. In addition to bus serv ...

which serves the middle, eastern and southern parts of the region.

Drangedal Bilruter Drangedal is a municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Prestestranda. The municipality of Drangedal was established ...

serves the

Vestmar Grenland is a traditional district in the county of Vestfold og Telemark, in the south-east of Norway. Located in the southeastern part of the county, Grenland is composed of the municipalities Skien, Porsgrunn, Bamble, and Siljan. Sometime ...

region.

Population

The largest population centres are

Rjukan Rjukan () is a town and the administrative centre of Tinn municipality in Telemark, Norway. It is situated in Vestfjorddalen, between Møsvatn and Lake Tinn, and got its name after Rjukan Falls west of the town. The Tinn municipality council gr ...

and

. Other important places are Bø,

Fyresdal Fyresdal is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Moland. The municipality of ''Moland' ...

and

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1970). It shows an old type of

battle axe A battle axe (also battle-axe, battle ax, or battle-ax) is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were specialized versions of utility axes. Many were suitable for use in one hand, while others were larger and were deployed two-h ...

, significant for the county.

Notable people from Telemark

Myllarguten Targjei Augundsson (1801 – 21 November 1872), better known as Myllarguten (meaning ''the Millerboy''), is arguably the most acknowledged Norwegian folk musician to this day, and by far the most legendary. Childhood Targjei was born in Sauhera ...

(1801–1872), legendary fiddler born in

Aasmund Olavsson Vinje Aasmund Olavsson Vinje (6 April 1818 – 30 July 1870) was a Norwegian poet and journalist who is remembered for poetry, travel writing, and his pioneering use of Landsmål (now known as Nynorsk). Background Vinje was born into a poor but w ...

(1818–1870), author born in

(1825–1897), father of

born in

Morgedal Morgedal is a village in the municipality of Kviteseid, Telemark, Norway. The village gas been described as the "cradle of skiing". Morgedal, Norway is a village whose most famous residents were Sondre Norheim, known to be the father of modern sk ...

August Cappelen Hermann August Cappelen (1 May 1827 – 8 March 1852) was a Norwegian painter. Cappelen was best known for his melancholic, dramatic and romantic landscape compositions. Background Hermann August Cappelen was born in Skien, Norway. He was the ...

(1827–1852), national romantic painter born in

Snowshoe Thompson John Albert Thompson (born Jon Torsteinsson Rue; April 30, 1827 – May 15, 1876), nicknamed Snowshoe Thompson, an early resident of the Sierra Nevada of Nevada and California, was a Norwegian-American considered to be the father of California s ...

(Jon Torsteinson-Rue) (1827–1876),

American pioneer American pioneers were European American and African American settlers who migrated westward from the Thirteen Colonies and later United States to settle in and develop areas of North America that had previously been inhabited or used by Nat ...

and father of

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

(1828–1906), author born in

John Anders Johnson John Anders Johnson (April 15, 1832November 10, 1901) was a Norwegian American immigrant, businessman, and Republican politician. He served in the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly, representing eastern Dane County. Biography Johnson was bor ...

(1832–1901), American politician *

Thorbjorn N. Mohn Thorbjorn Nelson Mohn, born Torbjørn Nilsen Moen (July 15, 1844 - November 18, 1899) was an American Lutheran church leader and the first president of St. Olaf College. Background Torbjørn Nilsen Moen was born in Saude, Norway on July 15, 184 ...

(1844–1899), American Lutheran church leader and first president of

St. Olaf College St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American pastors and farmers led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after the King and the Patron Saint Ola ...

Brynild Anundsen Brynild Anundsen (December 29, 1844 – March 25, 1913) was a Norwegian-American newspaper editor and publisher. He was the founder and publisher of ''Decorah Posten'', a Norwegian language newspaper. Background Brynild Anundsen was born at Skie ...

(1844–1913), founder of ''

Decorah Posten ''Decorah-Posten'' was a notable Norwegian language newspaper published in Decorah, Iowa. It was founded in 1874 by Brynild Anundsen, a native of Skien, Norway, and widely read by Scandinavian immigrants in several states. History Its origin m ...

'' *

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

(1849–1942), Norwegian-American Lutheran theologian *

Herbjørn Gausta Herbjørn Nilson Gaustå also Herbjorn Gausta (June 16, 1854 – May 22, 1924) was an American artist who is best known for his landscapes, portraits, and scenes from rural settings. He left an early record of immigrant life in his portraits and ...

(1854–1924), American artist. Born in Vestfjørddalen *

Theodor Kittelsen Theodor Severin Kittelsen (27 April 1857 – 21 January 1914) was a Norwegian artist. He is one of the most popular artists in Norway. Kittelsen became famous for his nature paintings, as well as for his illustrations of fairy tales and legen ...

(1857–1914), artist born in

George Awsumb George Awsumb (20 July 1880 – 24 November 1959) was a prominent Norwegian-American architect in the first half of the 20th century. Awsumb defined architecture as “frozen music” designed for the “man on the street.” He was influenced by ...

(1880–1959), architect born in

Vidkun Quisling Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling (, ; 18 July 1887 – 24 October 1945) was a Norwegian military officer, politician and Nazi collaborator who nominally headed the government of Norway during the country's occupation by Nazi Germ ...

(1887–1945), politician, collaborationist leader during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Executed as a traitor, born in

Aslaug Vaa Aslaug Vaa (25 August 1889 – 28 November 1965) was a Norwegian poet and playwright. Her works contain elements from local tradition and landscape mixed with international influence. Personal life Aslaug Vaa was born on Nystog in Rauland, ...

(1889–1965), author born in

Rauland 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 was the village of Raulandsgrend (also kno ...

Tarjei Vesaas Tarjei Vesaas (20 August 1897 – 15 March 1970) was a Norwegian poet and novelist. Vesaas is widely considered to be one of Norway's greatest writers of the twentieth century and perhaps its most important since World War II. Biography Vesaas ...

(1897–1970), author born in

Anne Grimdalen Anne Grimdalen (1 November 1899 – 3 October 1961) was a Norwegian sculptor. She was born on the mountain farm Grimdalen in Skafså, Telemark, and later also lived and worked in the so-called ''Kunstnerdalen'' in Asker. She worked mainly wit ...

(1899–1961), sculptor born in Skafså,

Eivind Groven Eivind Groven (8 October 1901 – 8 February 1977) was a Norwegian composer and music-theorist. He was from traditional region of Vest-Telemark and had a background in the folk music of the area. Biography Groven was born in the village of Lå ...

(1901–1977), composer born in

Lårdal Lårdal is a village in Tokke Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located on the north shore of the lake Bandak and about south of the village of Høydalsmo and the European route E134 highway. The village is ...

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), sculptor born in

Klaus Egge Klaus Egge (July 19, 1906 – March 7, 1979) was a Norwegian composer and music critic. Background Egge was born in Gransherad, Telemark, Norway. He was the son Rasmus Klausen Egge (1874-1962) and Rakel Abrahamsdatter Iversen (1877-1986). He ...

(1906–1979), composer born in

Gransherad Gransherad is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway, located north-west of the city Notodden. ''Grandsherred'' was created in 1859 by the merger of the parishes Hovin in Tinn and Gransherad in Hjartdal. On January 1, 1886 Hovin was se ...

Gunnar Sønsteby Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann Sønsteby DSO ( 1918 – 10 May 2012) was a member of the Norwegian resistance movement during the German occupation of Norway in World War II. Known by the nickname "Kjakan" ("The Chin") and as "Agent No. 24", ...

, (1918–2012), war hero born in

Tinn Tinn is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Upper Telemark and Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Rjukan. The parish of ' ...

Hans Herbjørnsrud Hans Herbjørnsrud (born 2 January 1938) is a Norwegian author of short stories. His works frequently play with the differences between Norwegian languages Bokmål and Nynorsk and the various Norwegian dialects. His stories' characters sometimes ...

(1938–), author born in

Heddal Heddal is a village and parish in Notodden municipality in Telemark County, Norway. History The parish of ''Hitterdal'' was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). Notodden was separated from Heddal both as ...

Tor Åge Bringsværd Tor Åge Bringsværd (born 16 November 1939 in Skien, Norway) is an author, playwright, editor and translator. He is perhaps best known for his speculative fiction. Together with long-time partner Jon Bing, he is also considered as the first No ...

(1939–), author born in

Agnes Buen Garnås Agnes Buen Garnås (born 23 October 1946) is a Norwegian folk singer from the county of Telemark. She comes from a famous musical family from the town of Jondal, and is known particularly for her singing of ancient unaccompanied Norwegian ballads, ...

(1946–), musician born in

Jondal Jondal is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1863 until its dissolution in 2020 when it became part of Ullensvang Municipality in Vestland county. It was located on the Folgefonna peninsu ...

Kåre Nordstoga Kåre Nordstoga (born 18 December 1954) is a Norwegian organist. Nordstoga had his early studies under Harald Aune and Odd Jacob Unhammer in Notodden where he grew up. He went on to study at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, where his tea ...

(1954–), musician born in

Bugge Wesseltoft Jens Christian Bugge Wesseltoft (born 1 February 1964) is a Norwegian jazz pianist, composer, and producer, son of jazz guitarist Erik Wesseltoft. Career In 1989, Wesseltoft collaborated with the Knut Riisnæs Quartet and was soon after ...

(1964-), musician born in

Gisle Kverndokk Gisle Kverndokk (born 3 February 1967 in Trondheim, raised in Skien) is a Norwegian contemporary composer. Education In his teens, Kverndokk studied composition with Ragnar Søderlind. After having completed high school, Kverndokk enrolled at ...

(1967–), composer born in

Jørn Lande Jørn Marumsrud Lande (born May 31, 1968) is a Norwegian hard rock and heavy metal singer and songwriter. He is known for his work with the bands Ark, Beyond Twilight, Millenium, Vagabond, The Snakes, and most notably with power metal band ...

(1968–), hard rock / heavy metal singer born in

Bård Tufte Johansen Bård Tufte Johansen (born 19 June 1969 in Skien) is a Norwegian comedian. Together with Harald Eia, he has authored and participated in several successful NRK TV series, such as ''U:Natt'' (1994), starring with Monotelevision, ''Lille Lørdag' ...

(1969–), comedian born in

* Odd Nordstoga (1972–), musician born in

Frode Johnsen Frode Johnsen (born 17 March 1974) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played for Odd and Rosenborg in the Tippeligaen and for Nagoya Grampus and Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan. He played in several positions, but was preferred as a ...

(1974–), footballer born in

Terje Haakonsen Terje may refer to: * Terje (name), a form of the Scandinavian name Torgeir *Tria ( hu, Terje), a village in the commune of Derna, Bihor Derna ( hu, Felsőderna) is a commune in northeastern Bihor County, Crișana, Romania, 50 km from the co ...

(1974–), snowboarder born in

Ihsahn Vegard Sverre Tveitan (born 10 October 1975), better known by his stage name Ihsahn (), is a Norwegian multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer, best known for his work with black metal band Emperor. Tveitan is also a founding member of Th ...

(Vegard Sverre Tveitan) (1975–), black/extreme metal musician born in

Districts

The county is conventionally divided into traditional districts. Traditionally the county is mainly divided into

(historically called simply Telemark or more recently Telemark proper) and

. Upper Telemark is sometimes subdivided into

Vest-Telemark The Vest-Telemark traditional district of Norway comprises the upper and western areas of the larger region of Upper Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark. The region consists of six municipalities: Fyresdal, Tokke, Vinje, Nissedal ...

and

Aust-Telemark Aust-Telemark is a traditional district in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It comprises three municipalities: Hjartdal, Notodden and Tinn. The largest population centres in the region are the cities Notodden and Rjukan, of which Noto ...

. The name

Lower Telemark Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Gloucestershire, England See also *Nizhny Nizhny (russian: Ни́жний; masculine), Nizhnyaya (; feminine), or Nizhneye (russian: Ни́� ...

traditionally refers to Grenland and

, but was more of an administrative region than a cultural one. Regardless of definition, Upper Telemark constitutes the largest part by far. For example, the modern provostship of Upper Telemark comprises 12 municipalities and more than 80% of Telemark, also including Midt-Telemark. An additional district,

is disputed. The district borders of this county are highly overlapping and to a certain extent undefined and/or disputed.

Municipalities

Cities

* Brevik *

Langesund is the administrative centre of the municipality of Bamble, Norway. The town of Langesund was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was merged with Bamble 1 January 1964. In the early days, Langesund was ...

Stathelle Stathelle is a town in Norway in the municipality of Bamble in the county of Telemark, Norway. History Stathelle was a former municipality in Telemark. It was separated from Bamble as a municipality of its own in 1851. In 1964, the municipalities ...

Parishes

* Atrå * Austbygdi *

Bamble Bamble is a municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Langesund. General information Name The Old Norse form of the nam ...

* Brevik * Brunkeberg * Bø * Dal * Drangedal * Eidanger *

Eidsborg Eidsborg is a village and parish in the municipality of Tokke Tokke is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the munici ...

* Flatdal * Fyresdal *

Gjerpen Gjerpen is a former township which is now part of the municipality of Skien, in Telemark county, Norway. Location The parish of Gjerpen was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). According to the 1835 census t ...

* Gransherad * Grungedal *

* Helgen * Herre * Hitterdal, see Heddal * Hjartdal * Holla (Hollen) * Hovin * Hægland * Høydalsmo * Kilebygda * Kragerø * Kroken, see Drangedal * Kviteseid (Hvidesøe) * Old Kviteseid (Hvidesøe) * Langesund * Lisleherad (Lilleherred) * Lunde * Lårdal * Mo * Moland * Mæl * Mælum * Møsstrand * Nes * Nesland * Nissedal * Notodden *

Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Porsgrunn Our Lady of Good Counsel Church ( no, Vår Frue av det Gode Råds Kirke) is a Roman Catholic parish church in the city of Porsgrunn in Vestfold og Telemark, Norway. The church is located in the center of town just south of Porsgrunn River, at t ...

* Porsgrunn * Rauland * Rjukan * Sannidal (Sannikedal) * Saude * Sauherad (Saude) * Sauland * Seljord * Siljan * Skafså *

Skåtøy ''Skåtøy is the largest island in Kragerø municipality in Telemark county, Norway. Skåtøy was formerly a municipality. Skåtøy was separated from Sannidal January 1, 1882. It was merged with Kragerø January 1, 1960. Skåtøy is the bi ...

* Slemdal, see Siljan * Solum * Stathelle * Tinn * Treungen * Tuddal * Tørdal (Tørrisdal) * Vestre Porsgrunn * Veum * Vinje * Vrådal * Ytre Flåbygd * Østre Porsgrunn * Øyfjell * Åmotsdal * Brevik Branch (LDS, 1852–1864) * Langesund Branch (LDS, 1852–1907) * Skien (Frie Apostoliske, 1856–1892) * Porsgrunn and Skien (Great Britain Consulate Birth Register, 1876–1891) * Kragerø (Great Britain Death Register), 1895

Villages

Akkerhaugen Akkerhaugen is the administrative centre of Sauherad municipality, Norway. Its population (SSB SSB may refer to: Organizations * Scandinavian School of Brussels * Social Security Board (disambiguation) * , the Society of Saint Bridget * Socie ...

Arabygdi Arabygdi is a village in Vinje Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located in the Rauland area at the western end of the lake Totak. The Norwegian County Road 362 passes through the village, connecting it to the v ...

* Austbygdi *

Bjervamoen Bjervamoen is part of Lunde in Nome municipality, Norway. It is located west of the municipality centre Ulefoss Ulefoss is the administrative centre of Nome municipality in Telemark, Norway, located near the border of Grenland. Its population i ...

Bolkesjø Bolkesjø is a lake, village and resort in Notodden municipality in Vestfold og Telemark, Norway. It is located in Gransherad by Norwegian National Road 37 Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, ...

Bostrak Bostrak is a village in the Tørdal district of Drangedal municipality, Norway. It is located near the western shore of Bjorvatnet lake. Country music singer Sputnik Sputnik 1 (; see § Etymology) was the first artificial Earth satellite. ...

* Brevik * Brunkeberg * Bø *

Dalen Dalen (Dutch Low Saxon: ''Daoln'') is a village and a former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands, in the province of Drenthe. Since 1998, Dalen has been part of the municipality of Coevorden. The village was first mentioned in the 12th ...

Edland Edland is a village in Vinje Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located where the rivers Bora and Kjela meet, just to the east of the village of Haukeli. The European route E134 highway runs through the village. ...

Eidanger Eidanger is a rural parish and former municipality of Porsgrunn, in Telemark County, Norway. History Eidanger was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was merged with Porsgrunn on 1 January 1964. The mai ...

Eidstod Eidstod is the centre of the village Vrådal in Kviteseid municipality, Telemark county, Norway. It is located at the northern end of the Nisser Nisser is a lake in Nissedal, Norway. It is the 13th-largest lake in the nation by area with a surfa ...

Flatdal Flatdal (lit. "Flat valley") is a village, parish and valley in the municipality of Seljord in Vestfold og Telemark, Norway. The lake Flatsjå has been partly drained to gain more land for agriculture. Among notable people from Flatdal are painte ...

* Folkestad *

Gautefall Gautefall (also known as Gautefallheia) is a mountain hamlet (Norwegian: ''fjellgrend'') in Drangedal municipality in Telemark County, Norway. It is situated in-between Bostrak in Drangedal and Treungen in Nissedal. It is home to a ski center, to ...

Gvarv Gvarv is a village in Sauherad, Telemark, Norway. Gvarv is famous for its apples, sweet cherries and sour cherries (as is the whole Sauherad municipality). Also (unusually for Norway) grapes and wine! The Norwegian painter Erik Were ...

Haukeli Haukeli (or historically ''Haukeligrend'') is a village in Vinje Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located up in the Haukelifjell mountains, just south of the Hardangervidda National Park and immediately west o ...

Helle Helle may refer to: People * Alternate spelling of George de La Hèle, Renaissance composer Places Belgium * Helle (stream), a 25-km-long stream in Belgium that rises in the Eifel mountains Denmark * Helle Municipality, a former municipality ...

Henneseid Henseid or Henneseid is a village in Drangedal Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located on the north shore of the lake Toke, about to the southeast of the village of Prestestranda Prestestranda is the adminis ...

* Herre *

Hjuksebø Hjuksebø is a village in Sauherad municipality, Norway. It is located between Notodden and Nordagutu, just south of Hjuksevelta. Hjuksebø used to have a train station on the Sørlandet Line. The Hjuksebø train disaster occurred between Hju ...

Hjuksevelta Hjuksevelta (also called Hjukse) is a village in the municipality of Sauherad, Norway, located between Nordagutu and Notodden. Its population (SSB SSB may refer to: Organizations * Scandinavian School of Brussels * Social Security Board (disamb ...

Holtsås Holtsås is a village in Sauherad municipality, Norway. It is located between Hjuksebø and Nordagutu. Holtsås used to have a train station on the Sørlandet Line. The Hjuksebø train disaster Hjuksebø is a village in Sauherad municipality, ...

Hoppestad Hoppestad is a village in Skien municipality, 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 ...

* Hovin *

Høydalsmo Høydalsmo is a village in Tokke municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It has about 300 permanent residents. Høydalsmo is known for its skiing facilities. Høydalsmo hosted the Norwegian cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a for ...

Jomfruland Jomfruland is a small elongated Norwegian island located off the coast of mainland Kragerø in the county of Vestfold og Telemark, about 2 km south of the island of Stråholmen. It measures about 7.5 km by 1 km. Jomfruland provides ...

* Kil * Klovholt *

Landsverk :''This is about the origin of the family name Landsverk. For the Swedish heavy industry manufacturer, see AB Landsverk.'' Landsverk is the name of two forest farms located in the village of Lisleherad, in the municipality of Notodden, Norway ...

Langangen Langangen is a village in Porsgrunn Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The village is located in the far eastern part of the municipality, just before the border with neighboring Larvik Municipality, about to the southeast of the Porsgrunn ...

Lunde Lunde may refer to: People Politics *Gulbrand Lunde (1901–1942), Norwegian councillor of state in the Nasjonal Samling government *Heidi Nordby Lunde (born 1973), Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party *Jens Lunde (1884–1974), Norweg ...

Miland Miland is a village in Tinn Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located in the Vestfjorddalen valley, near the western shore of the large lake Tinnsjå, about east of the town of Rjukan, about south of the villa ...

Neslandsvatn Neslandsvatn is a village in Drangedal Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located along the small lake Neslandsvatnet, about to the southeast of the village of Prestestranda. The village of Henseid is located ab ...

Nissedal Nissedal is a rural municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Upper Telemark and Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Treungen. ...

Nordagutu Nordagutu is a village in the municipality of Midt-Telemark, Norway. Its population (SSB 2005) is 367. Nordagutu train station is a part of the Bratsberg Line, and it serves as a junction between the Vestfold Line and Sørlandet Line The Sørl ...

Portør Portør is a village and port on the south coast line of Kragerø in Telemark, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northe ...

Prestestranda Prestestranda is the administrative centre of Drangedal municipality, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost porti ...

Rudsgrendi Rudsgrendi or Rugsgrend is a village in Notodden Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located on the western shore of the large lake Tinnsjå, halfway between the village of Gransherad and the town of Rjukan. On the ...

Sannidal Sannidal is a former municipality which is now located in the municipality of Kragerø in Telemark county, Norway. History Sannidal is situated at the end of the Kil fjord. For this reason it was one of the earliest settlements in the area, bein ...

Sauland Sauland is a village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically rangin ...

Skotfoss Skotfoss is a village in Skien municipality, Norway, located where lake Norsjø feeds into the Skien Watershed. The village has a population of 1,700 people. Skotfoss was a part of Solum municipality until the municipalities of Solum and Skie ...

Sneltvedt Sneltvedt is a village located in the municipality of Skien, 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 ...

Snurråsen Snurråsen is a village in Siljan municipality, 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 Scandinavia ...

Tinnoset Tinnoset is a village in the municipality of Notodden in Telemark, Norway. It is located at the southernmost end of Lake Tinn (''Tinnsjå''). Tinnoset Station is the terminus of the Tinnoset Line, a 30-kilometer (19 mi) long railway line t ...

Treungen Treungen is a village in, and the administrative centre of Nissedal municipality, Telemark county in Norway. Located just east of the village Tveitsund, it is a part of the urban area of the same name, which has a population of 361 as of 1 Januar ...

Tuddal Tuddal is a village in Hjartdal municipality, 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 ...

Tveitsund Tveitsund is a village in Nissedal municipality, Norway. The urban area Tveitsund, which consists of Tveitsund and Treungen, has a population of 361. References Villages in Vestfold og Telemark {{telemark-geo-stub ...

Tørdal Tørdal is a district in Drangedal municipality, in the county Vestfold og Telemark, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and n ...

Ulefoss Ulefoss is the administrative centre of Nome municipality in Telemark, Norway, located near the border of Grenland. Its population is 2,699. It occupies both sides of Ulefoss falls on the river Eidselva. Ulefoss is one of Norway's oldest industr ...

* Vadfoss *

Valebø Valebø is a village in the municipality of Skien, Norway. It is located on the eastern shore of Norsjø. On the opposite side of the lake lies Ulefoss. From 1837 Valebø was administratively a part of Holla. On 1 January 1964, Valebø becam ...

Vinjesvingen Vinje is a village in Vinje Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located near the northwest end of the lake Vinjevatn. The European route E134 highway runs through the village, right past Vinje Church on its way to ...

Vrådal Vrådal, formerly spelled Wraadahl, is a village in Kviteseid municipality, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost ...

Yli Yli is a village in Notodden Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The village is located about to the west of the notodden (town), town of Notodden and about to the southeast of the village of Heddal (village), Heddal. The river Heddøla f ...

Øyane Øyane is a neighborhood (''delområde'') in the city of Stavanger which lies in the southwestern part of the large municipality of Stavanger in Rogaland county, Norway. It includes many of the islands located to the east of the mainland portion o ...

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 Øyfje ...

Åfoss Åfoss is a village in Skien municipality, 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 P ...

Åmdals Verk Åmdals Verk is a small village in Tokke Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The village is located about south of the municipal center of Dalen. The village is the site of a former copper mine. The mines were operational between 1691 and 1 ...

Åmotsdal Åmotsdal is a valley and small village in the municipality of Seljord in Telemark, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and nor ...

Former municipalities

* Brevik * Bø *

Holla Holla may refer to: Places * Holla, Telemark, a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway * Holla, Trøndelag, a village in Hemne municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway Music * "Holla", a song by EXID * "Holla", a 2001 song from ''G ...

* Hovin *

* Mo *

Solum The solum (plural, sola) in soil science consists of the surface and subsoil layers that have undergone the same soil forming conditions. The base of the solum is the relatively unweathered parent material. Solum and soils are not synonymous. Som ...

References

External links

Telemark countyDestination Marketing Organization for TelemarkVestfold og Telemark county
{{Authority control Former counties of Norway 2020 disestablishments in Norway Petty kingdoms of Norway States and territories disestablished in 2020

History

Geography

Infrastructure

Population

Coat-of-arms

Notable people from Telemark

Districts

Municipalities

Cities

Parishes

Villages

Former municipalities

Further reading

References

External links