Voss () 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' ...

and a traditional district in

Vestland Vestland is a Counties of Norway, county in Norway. The county is located in Western Norway, and its administrative centre is Bergen, where the executive and political leadership is based. The County governor (Norway), County Governor is based in ...

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 ...

. The

administrative center 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 Belgiu ...

of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages include Bolstadøyri,

Borstrondi Borstrondi or Skulestadmoen is a village in Voss municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located about north of the municipal centre, Vossevangen. The village has a population (2019) of 1,456 and a population density Population densit ...

, Evanger, Kvitheim, Mjølfjell, Oppheim,

Stalheim Stalheim is a village in the municipality Voss in Vestland county, Norway. The small village lies along the European route E16 highway in the northeastern part of the municipality. The village sits at a high point in the inner part of the Næ ...

, and Vinje. Vestland

The municipality is the 35th largest by area of Norway's 356 municipalities. Voss is Norway's 76th most populous municipality, with a population of 16,144. Its

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 7.9% over the last 10 years.

Municipal history

The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

of Voss 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). On 1 January 1867, a small area in northern Voss (population 28) was transferred to the municipality of

Hosanger Hosanger is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. The municipality was located in what is now parts of Alver Municipality and Osterøy Municipality in Ves ...

. On 1 January 1868, the municipality's northern district (population 2,009) was separated to form the new municipality of Vossestrand. This left 7,592 residents in Voss. On 21 August 1868, an unpopulated area of northern Voss was transferred to Vossestrand. On 1 January 1885, the western district of Voss (population 2,045) was separated to form the new municipality of Evanger. This left Voss with 5,403 residents. 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 1964, the municipality of Voss (population 10,575), the municipality of Vossestrand (population 1,573), and most of the municipality of Evanger (population 1,075) were all merged into a new, larger municipality of Voss. (The rest of Evanger was merged into the new municipality of Vaksdal.) On 1 January 2020, the neighboring municipality of Granvin merged with Voss, creating a larger Voss municipality. Before the merger, it was known as ''Voss kommune'', but afterward it was called ''Voss herad'', using the title ''herad'' which Granvin formerly had used.

Name

The municipality (originally the

) is named after the traditional district of ''Voss'' (). The name is likely derived from the word which means "water" (likely the old district name was originally used as the name for the lake Vangsvatnet.

Coat of arms

The original

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 8 July 1977 and was in use until 1 January 2020, when the municipality was enlarged. 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 deer stag

argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...

"'' (). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a deer stag with antlers. The charge 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 ...

which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The arms are based on the seal of Peter, who was the owner of the farm ''Finne'' in Voss, one of the largest farms in

Western Norway Western Norway (; ) is the Regions of Norway, region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the Counties of Norway, counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrative fu ...

during 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 ...

. He used a silver deer on a red background as his personal coat of arms in 1303. His son also used a deer on his seals, as did most of their relatives until 1460. The shape and position of the deer varied, but it always was the main figure. The arms were designed by Hallvard Trætteberg. The municipal flag was nearly the same design as the coat of arms, the main difference was the placement of the deer legs. A new

was granted in 2019 for use starting on 1 January 2020 after the merger of Voss and Granvin. The decision was made to blend the old municipalities' previous arms, so the design from Granvin and the colors from Voss were chosen for the new arms. The official

is ''"

, a fiddle

in bend sinister"'' (). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a

hardanger fiddle A hardanger fiddle () is a traditional stringed instrument considered the national instrument of Norway. In modern designs, this type of fiddle is very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings (rather than four as on a standard v ...

(), a Norwegian folk instrument. The fiddle has a tincture of argent. The area has an active folk-music tradition. The arms were designed by Øyvind Kvamme. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches

The

Church of Norway The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...

has seven parishes () in Voss. It is part of the Hardanger og Voss prosti (

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...

) in the

Diocese of Bjørgvin The Diocese of Bjørgvin () is one of the 11 dioceses that make up the Church of Norway. It includes all of the churches located in the county of Vestland in Western Norway, and those outside of Norway in the Seamen's Church. The cathedral cit ...

History

Voss kyrkje.jpg, View of Voss Church Children's Brass Band (2), Voss.jpg, alt=Local youth perform at the Voss Kulturhus, Local youth perform at th

Voss Kulturhus Voss-girl-photochrom-1900.jpeg, alt=A girl with auburn hair in pigtails poses next to a rude wooden fence. She wears a white ruffled shirt and a long brown dress., A girl of Voss, c. 1900 1940_Bombing_of_Voss,_02.jpg, alt=Fire in Voss after April 1940 bombing., Fire in Voss after April 1940 bombing (Voss church is at far left) After the Operation Weserübung, German invasion of Norway on 9 April 1940, Voss was the main point of mobilisation for the

Norwegian Army The Norwegian Army () is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway in 1628. The ...

in the west, since the city of

Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...

had already fallen on 9 April. From Bergen and the

Hardangerfjord The Hardangerfjord () is the fifth longest fjord in the world, and the second longest fjord in Norway. It is located in Vestland county in the Hardanger region. The fjord stretches from the Atlantic Ocean into the mountainous interior of No ...

, the Nazis met stiff Norwegian resistance. In Hardanger, some of the Germans climbed up the mountains from Ålvik; the rest went through Granvin. To break down this resistance, the

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

bombed Vossevangen on 23 and 24 April, and the surrounding countryside on 25 April. Nine people died in the bombing, which completely destroyed the old wood-built town centre. German forces entered the municipality of Voss on 25 April and on 26 April, German forces entered Vossevangen, which remained occupied until 8 May 1945. In 1964, Voss was enlarged with the incorporation of the neighbouring municipalities Vossestrand and Evanger, which had until then been separate municipalities within the traditional district also known as Voss.

Population

Government

Voss 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 ...

is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Hordaland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The

is made up of 43 representatives who are elected to four-year terms. 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

mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

() of Voss: * 1838–1841: David L. Hustveit * 1842–1849: A. von Westen Sylow Koren * 1850–1857: David L. Hustveit * 1858–1877: Ole K. Litsheim * 1878–1889: Mathias G. Dugstad ( MV) * 1890–1891: Ivar J. Rivenes ( MV) * 1892–1893: Lars O. Kindem ( V) * 1894–1907: Olaf Josefson Bjørgum ( V) * 1908–1925: Nils J. Finne ( V) * 1926–1928: Mads Haga ( V) * 1929–1931: Lars L. Hustveit ( Bp) * 1932–1934: Mads Haga ( V) * 1935–1937: Lars L. Hustveit ( Bp) * 1938–1938: Mads Haga ( V) * 1939–1941: Isak Hjelle ( Bp) * 1941–1941: Amund Gjersvik ( NS) * 1942–1945: Halle N. Vinsand ( NS) * 1945–1945: Mads Haga ( V) * 1946–1954: Isak Hjelle ( Bp) * 1955–1955: David Gjerme ( V) * 1956–1957: Lars Leiro ( Bp) * 1958–1959: David Gjerme ( V) * 1960–1963: Arne Nilsen ( Ap) * 1964–1971: Lars Nesheim Hovda ( Sp) * 1972–1975: Nils Mugaas ( Ap) * 1976–1983: Anders S. Ringheim ( Sp) * 1984–1991: Peder Vangsnes ( Ap) * 1992–1999: Ragnhild Skjerveggen ( Sp) * 1999–2007: Bjørn Christensen ( Ap) * 2007–2011: Gunn Berit Lunde Aarvik ( Ap) * 2011–2023: Hans-Erik Ringkjøb ( Ap) * 2023-present: Tonje Såkvitne ( Sp)

Geography and climate

Voss is in the innermost part of Bolstadsfjorden and includes the valleys that head inland from there. Voss has several large lakes: Evangervatnet, Hamlagrøvatnet, Lønavatnet,

Oppheimsvatnet Oppheimsvatnet is a lake in the municipality of Voss in Vestland county, Norway. The lake lies in the northern part of the municipality, about east of the village of Vinje. The European route E16 highway runs along the northern side of the ...

, Torfinnsvatnet, and Vangsvatnet. In the north, Voss reaches to the Nærøydalen valley, which leads to the Nærøyfjorden. The

Stalheimsfossen Stalheimsfossen is a waterfall located in the village of Stalheim in Voss Municipality in Vestland county, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Nor ...

waterfall near

sits just above that valley. The

Raundalen Raundalen () is a valley in Vestland county, Norway. The long valley stretches from Uppsetedalen in the northwest corner of Ulvik municipality all the way to Urdland in central Voss municipality. The Bergen Line and Norwegian County Road 307, C ...

valley in the east is the main route of the Bergensbanen railway line, which connects eastern and western Norway. Voss has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(Dfb in the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

if is used as winter threshold. If the original is used, then Voss will be classified as an oceanic climate (Cfb). The wettest time of year is October - January, and the driest season is April - July. The all-time high temperature is recorded 24 July 2014; the all-time low is recorded 8 January 2010.

Tourism

Voss is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, forests, lakes and fast-flowing whitewater rivers. This has led to its development as a notable center of skiing,

water sports Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms ...

skydiving Parachuting and skydiving are methods of descending from a high point in an atmosphere to the ground or ocean surface with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or multiple parachutes. For hu ...

paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or in a cocoon-like 'pod' suspended be ...

and other adventure sports. Every year in the last week of June the area hosts the Ekstremsportveko (Extreme Sports Week), which is regarded as the world's premier

extreme sports Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk of injury or death. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extre ...

festival. Bømoen, the local airstrip, is home to Skydive Voss, one of the largest dropzones in Norway, as well as a gliding club. The rivers provide various levels of white water, attracting kayaking, rafting and river boarding. Kite surfing and para-bungee may be seen on lake Vangsvatnet. The ski area, to the north of the town, is accessible via a cable car,

Hangursbanen Hangursbanen was a cableway in Voss, 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 ...

. There is also chair lift access from Bavallen, a short distance northeast of Voss. The town's proximity to the

Sognefjord The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (, ), nicknamed the King of the Fjords (), is the list of Norwegian fjords, longest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches inland from the ocean to the small village ...

and its position between Bergen and Flåm on the scenic railway have made it popular with tourists. One of the sights on the road to Flåm is the waterfall Tvindefossen. The Voss Museum displays several old farmsteads, including a larger-than-life stone statue of Lars O. Kindem. Next to the open-air part, there is a museum with over 20,000 items from traditional farm life.

Bird life

Voss has a wide range of habitats, from high barren mountains to rich fertile valleys. The large areas of coniferous forests provide food and shelter for a host of species, while the many wetland areas are regarded as some of the most interesting birding habitats in the county. There is a bird reserve at Lønaøyane with marked paths and a tower hide. Over 155 species have been seen there. Many are common in Scandinavia, but the area has also produced such unexpected species as the

great egret The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, great white egret, or great white heron, is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. R ...

, European hobby, and woodlark.

Notable people

The Arts

* Christiane Schreiber (1822–1898), a portrait painter * Knud Bergslien (1827–1908), a painter, art teacher and master artist * Ola Mosafinn (1828–1912), a

Hardanger fiddle A hardanger fiddle () is a traditional stringed instrument considered the national instrument of Norway. In modern designs, this type of fiddle is very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings (rather than four as on a standard v ...

player and composer * Brynjulf Bergslien (1830–1898), a sculptor * Nils Bergslien (1853–1928), an illustrator, painter, and sculptor * Brita Bjørgum (1858–1906), a writer, teacher and women's rights activist * Sjur Helgeland (1858−1924), a Norwegian hardingfele fiddler and composer * Lars Tvinde (1886–1973), a stage and film actor * Lars Fletre (1904–1977), a Norwegian-American designer, sculptor, and painter * Liv Bernhoft Osa (born 1957), an actress. Retrieved 06 September 2020. * Olav Dale (1958–2014), a composer, orchestra leader, and jazz saxophonist * Kåre Kolve (born 1964) & Ivar Kolve (born 1967), a jazz musicians

Athletes

Jon Istad Jon Istad (29 July 1937 – 17 May 2012) was a Norway, Norwegian biathlon, biathlete and sport shooter. He was born in Voss and represented the club Voss IL. He was the father of Sverre Istad and uncle of Gro Marit Istad Kristiansen, Gro Marit I ...

(1937–2012), a biathlete and sport shooter * Rune Hauge (born 1954), a football agent * Odd Lirhus (born 1956), a 1978 World Cup winner in biathlon * Gisle Fenne (born 1963) a former World Cup silver medalist in biathlon * Trond Egil Soltvedt (born 1967), a former footballer with 350 caps and 4 for

* Hilde Synnøve Lid (born 1971), a freestyle skier Olympic medallist * Astrid Lødemel (born 1971), a retired alpine skier and 1992 World Cup silver medalist * Gro Marit Istad Kristiansen (born 1978), a 2005 World champion in biathlon * Jori Mørkve (born 1980), a Norwegian former biathlete * Alexander Ødegaard (born 1980), a former footballer with 4 caps for

* Sjur Røthe (born 1988), a cross-country skier * Hilde Fenne (born 1993), a retired biathlete * Hedda Hosås (born 2001), a rallycross driver

Olympic champions

Voss is a winter sports center and has in recent times been the home of many world-class athletes in several winter sports, most prominently

biathlon The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not ti ...

, but also

alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping) ...

nordic skiing Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the 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 to heel. Re ...

and

freestyle skiing Freestyle skiing is a skiing discipline comprising aerials, Mogul Skiing, moguls, Ski Cross, cross, Half-pipe skiing, half-pipe, slopestyle and big air as part of the Freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics. It can consist of a ...

. In all, athletes from Voss have won 6 gold medals, 5 silver medals and 7 bronze medals at winter Olympic games. Athletes from Voss have been present, representing Norway, at every winter Olympic games except one since

1948 Winter Olympics The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games (; ; ; ) and commonly known as St. Moritz 1948 (; ), were a winter multi-sport event held from 30 January to 8 February 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the ...

, the exception being

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

. * Eirik Kvalfoss,

1984 Winter Olympics The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian language, Serbo-Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: ; ) and commonly known as Sarajevo '84 (Serbian Cy ...

(

, sprint) * Kristen Skjeldal,

1992 Winter Olympics The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Albertville '92 (Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Arbèrtvile '92''), were a winter multi-sport event held from 8 to 23 February 1992 in and aroun ...

(

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

, relay) * Hilde Synnøve Lid,

1994 Winter Olympics The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, were an international winter multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Hav ...

bronze medal winner in freestyle * Jan Einar Thorsen,

, bronze medal winner in downhill * Kari Traa,

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...

(

, moguls) * Egil Gjelland,

(

, relay) * Lars Bystøl,

2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...

(

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 final ...

, K90)

Public Servants & TV

* Jens Gran Gleditsch (1860–1931), a theologian and Bishop of Nidaros * Johannes Lid (1886–1971), a Norwegian botanist * Lars Leiro (1914–2005), a Norwegian politician and former Transport Minister * Svein Blindheim (1916–2013), a military officer known for his resistance work * Jon Lilletun (1945–2006), a politician who was Minister of Education and Research from 1997-2001 * Gunnstein Akselberg (born 1949), a linguist and academic * Ingvild Bryn (born 1961), a journalist and news anchor for NRK * Arne Hjeltnes (born 1963), a writer and presenter for TV2 * Linda Eide (born 1969), a TV and radio presenter, comedian, actor, and chat-show host * Guri Solberg (born 1976), a TV host at TV2

Norwegian-Americans

Like the rest of

, Voss saw large-scale emigration, particularly to the United States, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. *

Elling Eielsen Elling Eielsen (September 19, 1804 – January 10, 1883) was a Norwegian-American minister and Lutheran Church leader. He was the first Norwegian Lutheran minister in the United States. Background Eielsen was born and raised on the farm of Sundve ...

(1804–1883), the first Lutheran Church leader in the USA * Iver Lawson (1821–1871), a real estate investor and newspaper publisher * John Anderson (1836–1910), the founder and publisher '' Skandinaven'' * Eli Pederson (1837–1909), a

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

man *

Knute Nelson Knute Nelson (born Knud Evanger; February 2, 1843 – April 28, 1923) was a Norway, Norwegian-born United States, American attorney and politician active in Wisconsin and Minnesota. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he served in sta ...

(1843–1923), a US Senator and the 12th

Governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory ...

1893-1895 * Canute R. Matson (1843–1903), the Sheriff of

Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the List of counties in Illinois, most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the List of the most populous counties in the United States, second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, C ...

* Aad J. Vinje (1857–1929), the Chief Justice of the

Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the state judicial system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. In addition to hearing appeals of lower Wisconsin court decisions, the Wisconsin Supreme Court also ...

* Thorstein Himle (1857–1925), a missionary with the Lutheran Hauge Synod *

Ragnvald Nestos Ragnvald Anderson Nestos (April 12, 1877July 15, 1942) was a Norwegian Americans, Norwegian-American politician who served as the 13th governor of North Dakota from 1921 to 1925. Early life Ragnvold Anderson Nestos was a native of Voss, Norway. ...

(1877–1942), the 13th

Governor of North Dakota The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of North Dakota and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's North Dakota National Guard, military forces. The Constitution of North Dakota specifies that "the executive power is ves ...

from 1921–1925. * Torkild Rieber (1882–1968), a chairman of

Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American Petroleum, oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its Gasoline, fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an Independ ...

Knute Rockne Knute Kenneth Rockne (; March 4, 1888 – March 31, 1931) was an American football player and coach at the University of Notre Dame. Leading Notre Dame for 13 seasons, Rockne accumulated over 100 wins and three national championships. Rockne is ...

(1888–1931), an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

er and coach who was commemorated by a memorial in Vossevangen * Lars Fletre (1904–1977), a designer and sculptor

Science

* Aad Knutsson Gjelle (1768–1840), a cartographer

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 ...

The Norwegian Birding Route
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Vestland 1838 establishments in Norway Petty kingdoms of Norway