Gjerstad is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in Agder

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. It is located in the traditional region of

Sørlandet Southern Norway ( no, Sørlandet; lit. "The Southland") is the geographical List of regions of Norway, region (''landsdel'') along the Skagerrak coast of southern Norway. The region is an informal description since it does not have any govern ...

, in the southeastern part of the county, along the border with

Telemark 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 ...

county. The

administrative centre An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

of the municipality is the village of

Gjerstad Gjerstad is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional region of Sørlandet, in the southeastern part of the county, along the border with Telemark county. The administrative centre of the municipality is the villa ...

. Other villages in the municipality include Ausland,

Eikeland Eikeland is a village in southeastern part of the municipality of Gjerstad in Agder, Norway. It is located about southeast of the municipal center of Gjerstad and about north of the village of Søndeled. The Norwegian County Road 418 runs throug ...

, Fiane,

Gryting Gryting is a small village in Gjerstad municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the Norwegian County Road 417 and the Sørlandsbanen railway line. The village of Sundebru Sundebru is a village in Gjerstad municipality ...

Østerholt Østerholt is a village in Gjerstad municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the European route E18 highway, just northeast of the village of Sundebru. References

Villages in Agder Gjerstad {{Agder-geo-stub ...

, Rød,

Sundebru Sundebru is a village in Gjerstad municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located on the west side of the southern end of the lake Gjerstadvatnet. The village lies north of Fiane and Eikeland, east of Gryting, and west of Østerho ...

, and Vestøl. The municipality is the 256th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Gjerstad is the 258th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,427. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

is and its population has decreased by 2.1% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

of Gjerstad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see

formannskapsdistrikt () is the name for Norwegian local self-government districts that were legally enacted on 1 January 1838. This system of municipalities was created in a bill approved by the Parliament of Norway and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January ...

law). The borders have not changed since that time.

Name

The municipality (originally the

) is named after the old ''

'' farm ( non, Geirreksstaðir), since the

Gjerstad Church Gjerstad Church ( no, Gjerstad kirke, locally: ''Gjerstad kjørke'') is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Gjerstad Municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the village of Gjerstad. It is the church for the Gjerstad parish ...

was built there. One explanation of the name says that the first element is the

genitive case In grammar, the genitive case (abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can al ...

of the male name ''Geirrekr'' and the last element is ''staðir'' which means "homestead" or "

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

". Another possibly explanation of the first part of the name says that it comes from the word ''geirr'' which means "spear". Historically, the name has been spelled Gerikstadum (c. 1400), Gierestat (c. 1567), Gierrestad, and Gjerrestad.

Coat of arms

The

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 latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

was granted on 18 April 1986. The arms show three white or silver knives on a red background. The knife was chosen as a symbol for the smithies and knife makers in the municipality. Knife making has long been a local tradition for which the village is well known.

Churches

The

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...

has one parish () within the municipality of Gjerstad. It is part of the

Aust-Nedenes prosti This list of churches in Agder og Telemark is a list of the Church of Norway churches in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark in Agder and Vestfold og Telemark counties in southern Norway. The diocese is based at the Kristiansand Cathedral in the cit ...

(

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

) in the

Diocese of Agder og Telemark The Diocese of Agder og Telemark ( no, Agder og Telemark bispedømme) is a diocese of the Church of Norway, covering all of Agder county and most of Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. The cathedral city is Kristiansand, Norway's fifth larges ...

History

Until about 1650, the

prestegjeld A ''prestegjeld'' was a geographic and administrative area within the Church of Norway (''Den Norske Kirke'') roughly equivalent to a parish. This traditional designation was in use for centuries to divide the kingdom into ecclesiastical areas tha ...

of Gjerstad (the precursor to today's municipality) was named ''Vissedal'' (from ''vidr-ser-dalr'' meaning "wood-sea-dale"), a very proper description of the area. Gjerstad has been inhabited from the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...

and

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 and the Ger ...

through modern times.

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

has long been important, and until only decades ago the more marginal outfields in Upper Gjerstad were still utilized.

Forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

also provided an important historic economic contribution, and logs were driven on rivers and streams in the municipality. To aid log transport by floating, numerous

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

s were constructed.

Ironworks were a significant contribution to the economy as well.

Geography

Gjerstad municipality has numerous glacially formed features, including a U-shaped valley, tarns, and lakes, most notably the large lake Gjerstadvatnet. It located in Agder county and it is bordered to the north by Nissedal and

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 ...

municipalities (both in

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 ...

county); to the east by

Kragerø Kragerø () is a List of cities in Norway, town and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold og Telemark Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional regions of Grenland and the smaller Vestmar. ...

municipality (also in Telemark); to the south by Risør municipality; and to the southwest by Vegårshei municipality. There are several larger roads that traverse Gjerstad:

European route E18 European route E18 runs from Craigavon in Northern Ireland to Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is about in length. Although the designation implies the possibility of a through jour ...

Norwegian County Road 417 Norwegian county road 417 (Fv417) is a Norwegian county road in Agder county, Norway. The long road begins at the Norwegian County Road 416 near the Bråten farm in Vegårshei municipality and it ends at the junction of the Norwegian County Ro ...

, and

Norwegian County Road 418 Norwegian county road 418 (Fv418) is a Norwegian county road in Agder county, Norway. The long road runs between the junction of Norwegian County Road 416 at the Aspelund farm in Risør municipality and the junction with Norwegian County Road ...

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Gjerstad, are responsible for

primary education Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first ...

(through 10th grade), outpatient

health services Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wiktionary:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physical and menta ...

, senior citizen services,

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for Work (human activity), w ...

and other

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...

zoning Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...

, and municipal

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

s. The municipality is governed by a

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counci ...

of elected representatives, which in turn elect a

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

. The municipality falls under the

Agder District Court Agder District Court ( no, Agder tingrett) is a district court located in Agder county, Norway. This court is based at three different courthouses which are located in Farsund, Kristiansand, and Arendal. The court serves most of Agder county and ...

and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The

() of Gjerstad is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. Currently, the

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...

breakdown is as follows:

Attractions

* The remains of

Ironworks An ironworks or iron works is an industrial plant where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e. the singular of ''ironworks'' is ''ironworks''. Ironworks succeeded bloomeri ...

can still be seen in the upper valley. Gjerstad was known for its handmade knives and the coat-of-arms recognizes this heritage. * Horga was a former

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...

place of sacrifice which was destroyed by

Olav Trygvason Olaf Tryggvason (960s – 9 September 1000) was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. He was the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, king of Viken (Vingulmark, and Rånrike), and, according to later sagas, the great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, first King of N ...

, during the introduction of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

to Gjerstad. It lies from ''Holmen Gård''. *
Holmen Gård
' in Gjerstad ( no, Holmen Gård i Gjerstad) is the site of a former farm. It was a Norwegian national center for folk art and handicraft until it was sold into private ownership in 2013. The site has been awarded the St. Olaf's Rose (''Olavsrosa''), a hallmark for Norwegian Heritage which designates especially distinguished places. Eikeland Verk.JPG, Eikeland verk building Eikelands verk, Egelandsverk, Gata, Aust-Agder - Riksantikvaren-T179 01 0163.jpg, Road with houses at the Eikeland verk in 1939 Holmen Gård026.jpg, View of the buildings at Holmen Gård, Photo: ©Torgrim Landsverk Holmengard-040.jpg, Main house at Holmen Gård, Photo: ©Torgrim Landsverk

Notable residents

* Hans Mathias Abel (1738–1803) the priest at

1785 to 1804 *

Søren Georg Abel Søren Georg Abel (3 January 1772 – 5 May 1820) was a Norwegian priest and politician, also known as the father of mathematician Niels Henrik Abel. Personal life Søren Georg Abel was born on 3 January 1772 in Mo, Telemark as the son of Hans Ma ...

(1772–1820) a Norwegian priest and politician, the priest at Gjerstad from 1804 to 1821 * Niels Henrik Abel (1802–1829), a distinguished Norwegian

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

spent his boyhood in the

rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...

at Gjerstad, died young of TB *

Svenum Jensen Vævestad Svenum Jensen Vævestad (6 April 1849 – 21 June 1898) was a Norwegian farmer and politician for the Liberal Party. Vævestad was born and raised on Vevestad, a family farm in the parish of Gjerstad in Aust-Agder, Norway. He was a member of t ...

(1849 in Gjerstad – 1898) a farmer and politician *

Morten Ansgar Kveim Morten Ansgar Kveim (27 December 1892 – 24 March 1966) was a Norwegian pathologist most remembered for describing the Kveim test. Kveim was born at Gjerstad in Aust-Agder, Norway. First starting in philology, he completed his medical trai ...

(1892 in Gjerstad – 1966) a pathologist, described the

Kveim test The Kveim test, Nickerson-Kveim or Kveim-Siltzbach test is a skin test used to detect sarcoidosis, where part of a spleen from a patient with known sarcoidosis is injected into the skin of a patient suspected to have the disease. If non caseating ...

Magnhild Hagelia Magnhild Hagelia (6 May 1904 – 4 July 1996) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. Biography Hagelia was born at Gjerstad in Aust-Agder, Norway. She was the eldest of eight children born to Peder Jakobsen Hagelia (1874–1941) and ...

(1904 in Gjerstad – 1996) a Norwegian politician *

Jan Olav Olsen Jan Olav Olsen (born 29 September 1950 in Arendal) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Aust-Agder in 2001, but was not re-elected in 2005. Olsen held various positions in Gjerst ...

(born 1950) a politician, Mayor of Gjerstad, 1991 to 1999 *

Inger Løite Inger Haldis Løite (born 27 October 1958 in Gjerstad) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Aust-Agder in 2005. On the local level she was a member of Gjerstad municipal council from 1 ...

(born 1958 in Gjerstad) a Norwegian politician *

Knut Magne Valle Knut Magne Valle (born 5 August 1974 in Gjerstad) is a Norwegian heavy metal guitarist, songwriter, composer, recording studio owner, record producer and music arranger. Valle is best known as an Arcturus and Ulver (1998) band member. Musical ...

(born 1974 in Gjerstad) a heavy metal guitarist, songwriter, composer, recording studio owner, record producer and music arranger *

Torbjørn Urfjell Torbjørn Urfjell (born 3 November 1977) is a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party. Hailing from Gjerstad, Urfjell took his secondary education in Risør and Vågsbygd, finishing in 1996. He became county leader in Socialist Youth ...

(born 1977) a Norwegian politician

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from

Statistics Norway Statistics Norway ( no, Statistisk sentralbyrå, abbreviated to ''SSB'') is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876. Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every yea ...

*
Welcome to Holmen Gård in GjerstadGjerstad.org

Culture in Gjerstad on the map
{{use dmy dates, date=December 2020 Municipalities of Agder 1838 establishments in Norway