Kvinnherad

Kvinnherad is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland, along the Hardangerfjorden. The municipality was the 5th in size in former Hordaland county.

The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rosendal. The largest village is Husnes, with about 6,000 people living in or near the village. Other villages include Ænes, Åkra, Dimmelsvik, Eidsvik, Hatlestrand, Herøysund, Høylandsbygd, Ølve, Sæbøvik, Sunndal, Sunde, Uskedal, and Valen.

The municipality is the 104th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Kvinnherad is the 93rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 13,058. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 1.9% over the previous 10-year period.

In the southern part of Kvinnherad you will find the typical fjord landscape of western Norway. The areas of Mauranger and Rosendal are said to have about the most beautiful fjord landscape of Hardanger as a whole: narrow fjords, wild water-falls, and the nearby Folgefonna, the third biggest glacier in Norway.

General information

File:Halsnoey-19-k6.jpg

View of the Sæbøvik area

File:Halsnøy Kloster.jpg

View of Halsnøy Abbey

File:Ænes kirke, Kvinnherad kommune, Hordaland.jpg

The 13th century Ænes Church

The parish of Qvindherred was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1907, a small area northwest of the villages of Ølve and Husa (population: 67) was transferred from neighboring Tysnes municipality to Kvinnherad. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the following areas were merged into one large municipality of Kvinnherad:

• All of Skånevik municipality located north of the Skånevikfjorden-Åkrafjorden and west of the Åkra area (population: 1,189)
• All of Fjelberg municipality (population: 2,308)
• All of the old Kvinnherad municipality (population: 5,831)
• All of Varaldsøy municipality, except for the Mundheim area, (population: 511)

On 1 January 2013, the southwestern part of the Folgefonna peninsula (south of Kysnesstranda) was transferred from Kvinnherad to the neighboring Jondal municipality. This removed forty residents and of land area from the municipality.

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old name for the area (Template:Langx). The first element may be derived from the word which means "double", likely referring to the two rivers running through Rosendal, the administrative centre of the municipality. The last element is Template:Wikt-lang which means "district" or "countryside". The municipal name has been spelled several ways throughout history. Before 1889, the name was written Quindherred, then in 1889 the spelling was "modernized" to Kvinnherred. At that time, all municipalities in Norway were titled Template:Wikt-lang (which was used similarly to the word "municipality"), so it was formally named Kvinnherred herred, which looked a little repetitive. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Kvinnherad.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 18 June 1982. The official blazon is "Argent, a pall wavy azure" (Template:Langx). This means the arms have a field (background) has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The ordinary is a pall with wavy edges. The design of the arms show the confluence of two blue rivers into one on a white or silver background. The rivers symbolize the many streams and rivers in the municipality, especially the Hattebergselvi and the Melselvi, that come together just before they run into the sea at Rosendal. The arms were designed by Truls Nygaard, after a proposal by Magnus Hardeland. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches

The Church of Norway has nine parishes () within the municipality of Kvinnherad. It is part of the Sunnhordland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

Churches in Kvinnherad

Parish ()	Church name	Location of the church	Year built
Fjelberg og Eid	Eid Church	Eidsvik	1824
	Fjelberg Church	Fjelbergøya	1722
Hatlestrand	Hatlestrand Church	Hatlestrand	1885
Husnes og Holmedal	Holmedal Church	Utåker	1815
	Husnes Church	Husnes	1874
	Valen Church	Valen	1978
Kvinnherad	Kvinnherad Church	Rosendal	c. 1250
Uskedalen	Uskedalen Church	Uskedal	1914
Varaldsøy	Varaldsøy Church	Varaldsøy	1885
Ænes	Ænes Church	Ænes	c. 1200
Ølve	Ølve Church	Ølve	1861
Åkra	Åkra Church	Åkra	1735

Economy

The economy of Kvinnherad is based on the rich water resources within its boundaries. This includes power production, aluminium production (Sør-Norge Aluminium), fish farming, shipbuilding (Eidsvik Skipsbyggeri, Hellesøy Verft, Bergen Group Halsnøy), and lifeboat production (Umoe Schat-Harding, Norsafe, Eide Marine Tech, Noreq). These industries are spread throughout the municipality.

Kvinnherad has two local newspapers, Kvinnheringen and Grenda, as well as a local TV channel, TV Sydvest.

Government

Kvinnherad Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council () of Kvinnherad is made up of 35 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 2023–2027   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	6
	Progress Party	3
	Green Party	1
	Conservative Party	9
	Industry and Business Party	5
	Christian Democratic Party	2
	Centre Party	5
	Socialist Left Party	3
	Liberal Party	1
Total number of members:		35

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 2019–2023   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	7
	Progress Party	3
	Green Party	2
	Conservative Party	9
	Christian Democratic Party	2
	Centre Party	8
	Liberal Party	1
	Joint list of the Red Party and the Socialist Left Party	3
Total number of members:		35

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 2015–2019   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	8
	Progress Party	3
	Green Party	1
	Conservative Party	12
	Christian Democratic Party	2
	Centre Party	6
	Liberal Party	1
	Joint list of the Red Party and the Socialist Left Party	2
Total number of members:		35

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 2011–2015   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	9
	Progress Party	5
	Conservative Party	11
	Christian Democratic Party	3
	Centre Party	3
	Socialist Left Party	1
	Liberal Party	2
	Population Party	1
Total number of members:		35

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 2007–2011   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	7
	Progress Party	5
	Conservative Party	4
	Christian Democratic Party	3
	Centre Party	4
	Socialist Left Party	1
	Liberal Party	5
	Population Party	1
	Cross-Party Common List	1
	Independent Centre	1
Total number of members:		35

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 2003–2007   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	8
	Progress Party	8
	Conservative Party	4
	Christian Democratic Party	3
	Red Electoral Alliance	1
	Centre Party	9
	Socialist Left Party	3
	Liberal Party	2
	Cross-Party Common List	7
Total number of members:		45

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 1999–2003   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	11
	Progress Party	5
	Conservative Party	4
	Christian Democratic Party	5
	Centre Party	8
	Socialist Left Party	3
	Liberal Party	2
	Cross-Party Common List	7
Total number of members:		45

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 1995–1999   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	11
	Progress Party	3
	Conservative Party	2
	Christian Democratic Party	4
	Centre Party	11
	Socialist Left Party	2
	Liberal Party	1
	Cross-party common list	11
Total number of members:		45

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 1991–1995   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	6
	Progress Party	2
	Conservative Party	3
	Christian Democratic Party	4
	Centre Party	13
	Socialist Left Party	3
	Liberal Party	1
	Cross-party common list	13
Total number of members:		45

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 1987–1991   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	11
	Progress Party	3
	Conservative Party	8
	Christian Democratic Party	6
	Centre Party	12
	Socialist Left Party	3
	Liberal Party	2
Total number of members:		45

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 1983–1987   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	11
	Progress Party	2
	Conservative Party	11
	Christian Democratic Party	7
	Centre Party	10
	Socialist Left Party	2
	Liberal Party	2
Total number of members:		45

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 1979–1983   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	9
	Conservative Party	12
	Christian Democratic Party	8
	New People's Party	1
	Centre Party	11
	Socialist Left Party	1
	Liberal Party	2
	Election list for Halsnøy and the Fjellberg islands	1
Total number of members:		45

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 1975–1979   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	11
	Conservative Party	6
	Christian Democratic Party	10
	Centre Party	12
	Socialist Left Party	1
	Joint list of the Liberal Party and New People's Party	3
	Hatlestrand's list	1
	Ølve's list	1
Total number of members:		45

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 1971–1975   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	13
	Conservative Party	4
	Christian Democratic Party	5
	Centre Party	11
	Liberal Party	6
	Local List(s)	6
Total number of members:		45

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 1967–1971   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	11
	Conservative Party	4
	Christian Democratic Party	6
	Centre Party	11
	Liberal Party	6
	Local List(s)	7
Total number of members:		45

Kvinnherad kommunestyre 1963–1967   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	11
	Conservative Party	3
	Christian Democratic Party	5
	Centre Party	12
	Liberal Party	6
Total number of members:		37

Kvinnherad heradsstyre 1959–1963   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	6
	Conservative Party	3
	Christian Democratic Party	6
	Centre Party	12
	Liberal Party	10
Total number of members:		37

Kvinnherad heradsstyre 1955–1959   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	2
	Christian Democratic Party	2
	Local List(s)	33
Total number of members:		37

Kvinnherad heradsstyre 1951–1955   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	4
	Christian Democratic Party	2
	Local List(s)	34
Total number of members:		40

Kvinnherad heradsstyre 1947–1951   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	5
	Christian Democratic Party	3
	Local List(s)	32
Total number of members:		40

Kvinnherad heradsstyre 1945–1947   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	8
	Local List(s)	32
Total number of members:		40

Kvinnherad heradsstyre 1937–1941*   

Party name (in Nynorsk)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party	4
	Conservative Party	2
	Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties	4
	Local List(s)	30
Total number of members:		40
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945.

Mayors

The mayors (Template:Langx) of Kvinnherad:

• 1838–1845: Elias Børge Unger
• 1846–1849: Christian Lerche Dahl
• 1850–1851: Gabriel Andreas Heiberg
• 1852–1855: Samson Torsen Stueland
• 1856–1857: Christian Lerche Dahl
• 1858–1861: Hans H. Helland
• 1862–1862: O. Matthiesen
• 1862–1865: Ole L. Berget
• 1866–1867: Lars Olsen Skeie
• 1868–1869: Hans H. Helland
• 1870–1873: Clemmet Gerhardsen Roalstveit
• 1874–1875: Michael L. Langballe
• 1876–1881: Ole Andreas Olsen (V)
• 1882–1885: Godskalk Knudsen Aarsand (V)
• 1886–1893: Andreas Lavik (MV)
• 1894–1898: Ivar Arnesen (V)
• 1899–1916: Axel Lea (V)
• 1917–1941: Ingemar Traavik (Bp)
• 1942–1945: Einar Tvedt (NS)
• 1945–1949: Ingemar Traavik (Bp)
• 1949–1955: Lars Eikeland (V)
• 1956–1959: Magnus Aksnes (V)
• 1960–1963: Knut Skaaluren (Sp)
• 1964–1971: Berge Sæberg (Sp)
• 1972–1975: Jens Arnesen (H)
• 1976–1979: Berge Sæberg (Sp)
• 1980–1985: Jens Arnesen (H)
• 1986–1993: Thorleif J. Hellesøy (Sp)
• 1994–1995: Eirik Meyer Eide (KrF)
• 1995–2003: Aksel Kloster (Ap)
• 2003–2007: Bjarne Berge (LL)
• 2007–2015: Synnøve Solbakken (Ap)
• 2015–2019: Peder Sjo Slettebø (H)
• 2019–2021: Hans Inge Myrvold (Sp)
• 2021–2023: Hilde Enstad (Ap)
• 2023-present: Vegard Bjørnevik (H)

Geography

The municipality is located along the large Hardangerfjorden, mostly on the southeast side of the fjord on the Folgefonna peninsula, but also a small part on the other side. It includes several notable islands in the fjord including Varaldsøy, Fjelbergøya, Borgundøya, and Halsnøya.

The large Folgefonna National Park, which surrounds the Folgefonna glacier, is partially located in Kvinnherad. The northern part of the municipality is often referred to as Mauranger. It is the area surrounding the Maurangsfjorden. The notable Bondhusbreen glacier is located just south of that fjord, near the village of Sunndal. The Jondal Tunnel and Folgefonna Tunnel both connect Mauranger with neighboring Odda and Jondal by cutting through the large mountains surrounding Mauranger.

The municipality has many large lakes including Blådalsvatnet, Juklavatnet, and Onarheimsvatnet. Many of these lakes are utilized for hydroelectric power generation.

Tourism and places of interest

Kvinnherad is a popular tourist location because of its natural landscape as well as several places of interest. The most notable of which include Kvinnherad Church, the Bondhusbreen glacier, the shipping mural in Høylandsbygd, and Radiohola. Rosendal, the administrative centre of the municipality, is the site of the greatest tourist attraction in Kvinnherad: the Barony Rosendal. The Barony is the only one of its kind in Norway. It is a museum, which offers valuable information about the Union with Denmark, an important period of Norwegian history. It was one of the locations of the 1958 film "The Vikings" starring Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh and Ernest Borgnine. Many of the citizens of Kvinnherad/Hardanger, Norway were used as extras.

Media gallery

• Kvinnherad Church in Rosendal
  Kvinnherad Church in Rosendal
• The Barony Rosendal
  The Barony Rosendal
• Husnes and the Hardangerfjord
  Husnes and the Hardangerfjord
• Bondhusbreen glacier
  Bondhusbreen glacier
• View from Gjermundshamn across the Hardangerfjord, with Varaldsøy island and Folgefonna glacier
  View from Gjermundshamn across the Hardangerfjord, with Varaldsøy island and Folgefonna glacier

Notable people

File:Jens Tvedt.jpg

Jens Tvedt, 1935

File:Hans Inge Myrvold - 33850405185.jpg

Hans Inge Myrvold, 2017

• Axel Gyntersberg (ca.1525 – 1588 in Kvinnherad), a Norwegian nobleman and feudal overlord
• Johannes Lauritsson (ca.1540 – ca.1620), a wealthy Norwegian landowner who lived Valen 1563–1578
• Axel Rosenkrantz (1670 in Kvinnherad – 1723), a landowner and baron who owned the Barony Rosendal
• Andreas Lavik (1854–1918), a revivalist, temperance advocate, magazine editor, farmer, headmaster, and politician who lived in Kvinnherad from 1885 where he was Mayor for eight years
• Jens Tvedt (1857 in Kvinnherad – 1935), a Norwegian novelist and writer of short stories
• Gisle Midttun (1881 in Kvinnherad – 1940), a Norwegian cultural historian and museologist
• Olav Midttun (1883 in Mauranger – 1972), a philologist, biographer, and magazine editor
• Ragnvald Vaage (1889 in Husnes – 1966), a Norwegian poet, novelist, and children's writer
• Sigurd Valvatne DSO DSC (born 1913 in Kvinnherad), a naval officer and submariner
• Frank Meidell Falch (1920 in Kvinnherad – 2013), a Norwegian media director and politician
• Egil Myklebust (born 1942 in Kvinnherad), a businessperson, lawyer, and CEO of SAS Group
• Lars Amund Vaage (born 1952 at Sunde), a novelist
• Endre Hellestveit (born 1976 in Rosendal), a Norwegian actor
• Hans Inge Myrvold (born 1985), a Norwegian politician and mayor of Kvinnherad in 2019
• Erlend Bratland (born 1991 in Husnes), a Norwegian singer who won Norske Talenter in 2008

External links

• Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway Template:In lang
• http://www.kvinnherad.kommune.no Template:In lang
• http://www.baroniet.uio.no Template:In lang
• Kvinnheradguiden.no Template:In lang
• Kvinnheringen.no Template:In lang
• Grenda.no Template:In lang
• Innsida.no Template:In lang
• Husnes Ungdomsskule Template:In lang