Hamar Municipality ( no, Hamar kommune; ) 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 ...

Innlandet Innlandet is a county in Norway. It was created on 1 January 2020 with the merger of the old counties of Oppland and Hedmark (the municipalities of Jevnaker and Lunner were transferred to the neighboring county of Viken on the same date). The ...

county,

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 district of

Hedemarken Hedmarken (, ; known as ''Hedemarken'' until 2003) is a traditional district in Innlandet county in Eastern Norway. Hedmarken consists of the municipalities Stange, Hamar, Løten, and Ringsaker. In the past, it also contained the municipalities ...

. 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 town of

Hamar Hamar is a List of cities in Norway, town in Hamar Municipality in Innlandet Counties of Norway, county, Norway. Hamar is the administrative centre of Hamar Municipality. It is located in the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Hedmarken. ...

. Other settlements in Hamar include Hjellum,

Slemsrud Slemsrud or Vangsås is a village in Hamar Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located about northeast of the town of Hamar. This village is the site of the Øvre Vang Church. Prior to 1992, this area was part of the munici ...

Ridabu Ridabu is a village in Hamar Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located at the intersection of the European route E6 highway and the Norwegian National Road 3. Vang Church is located in the village which lies about east of ...

, Ingeberg, and

Ilseng Ilseng is a village in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located mostly in Stange Municipality, however, part of the village extends across the border into Hamar Municipality. The Rørosbanen railway line passes through the village, stopp ...

. The municipality is the 250th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Hamar is the 32nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 31,999. 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 increased by 10.2% over the previous 10-year period. Among the municipality's responsibilities, it the operation of nine primary and three lower secondary school, with a combined 3,115 pupils. The municipality also owns the power company Hamar Energi, and the sports venues

Briskeby Arena Briskeby Stadion, previously known as Briskeby gressbane, is an all-seater football stadium located at Briskebyen in Hamar, Norway. It is home to the Norwegian First Division side Hamarkameratene (Ham-Kam) and is owned by Hamar Municipality. T ...

Vikingskipet Vikingskipet ("The Viking Ship"), officially known as Hamar Olympic Hall ( no, Hamar olympiahall), is an indoor multi-use sport and event venue in Hamar, Norway. It was built as the speed skating rink for the 1994 Winter Olympics, and has sinc ...

and

Hamar Olympic Amphitheatre CC Amfi, also known as Nordlyshallen ("The Northern Light Hall"), is an indoor sports arena in Hamar, Norway. It is mostly used for ice hockey and is the home arena of Storhamar Hockey. It has also been used for short track speed skating, figure ...

General information

In 1848, the village of

was granted

kjøpstad A (historically: ''kjøbstad'', ''kjöbstad'', or ''kaupstad'') is an old Scandinavian term for a "market town" that was used in the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway for several hundred years. The name comes from the on, kaupstaðr. Kjøpstads were ...

status for a land area of about . This newly designated "town" (population: 1,025) was separated from the municipality of Vang to and established as a separate municipality in 1849. On 1 January 1878, the town/municipality of

was enlarged by annexing about of land and 138 people from Vang to Hamar. In 1946, a large area in Vang that surrounded the town of Hamar (population: 4,087) was transferred out of Vang and into Hamar. The next year in 1947, part of the municipality of Furnes (population: 821) was transferred into Hamar. On 1 January 1965, a part of Ringsaker (population: 100) was transferred to Hamar. On 1 January 1992, the municipality of Vang (population: 9,103) was merged with the town of

(population: 16,351) and parts of the Stensby, Hanstad, Viker, and Stammerud areas of

Ringsaker is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Hedemarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Brumunddal. Other settlements in Ringsaker include the town of Moelv and the v ...

(population: 224) to form a new, larger Hamar Municipality.

Name

The municipality (originally the town) is named after the old farm ( non, Hamarr). The

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

market was first built on this farm and that market eventually became a

which in turn became a self-governing municipality. The name is identical with the word ''hamarr'' which means "rocky hill".

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 ...

were granted on 2 June 1896. The arms show a

Black Grouse The black grouse (''Lyrurus tetrix''), also known as northern black grouse, Eurasian black grouse, blackgame or blackcock, is a large game bird in the grouse family. It is a sedentary species, spanning across the Palearctic in moorland and step ...

sitting in the top of a

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...

tree on a white background. An older version of the arms had been used for a long time. The old version was first described in the anonymous

Hamar Chronicle The Hamar Chronicle ( no, Hamarkrøniken) is a book written in the 1500s by an unknown author. It describes life in the town of Hamar during the Catholic era (until 1537). The book is an important source for the study of Hamar's history because it ...

, written in 1553.

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 two parishes () within the municipality of Hamar. It is part of the

Hamar domprosti The list of churches in Hamar is a list of the Church of Norway churches in the Diocese of Hamar which includes all of Innlandet county (plus two municipalities in Viken county) in Norway. The list is divided into several sections, one for each d ...

(arch-

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 Hamar The Diocese of Hamar ( no, Hamar Bispedømme) is a diocese within the Church of Norway. The Diocese of Hamar includes all of the churches in Innlandet county plus the churches in Lunner in Viken county. Administratively, the diocese is divided ...

Geography

The municipality of Hamar lies along the eastern shore of the large lake

Mjøsa Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe. It is the fourth-deepest lake in Norway. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about north of the city of Oslo. Its main tributary is the rive ...

. The rivers

Flakstadelva Flakstadelva is a river in Innlandet county, Norway. The river begins in the Lavsjømyrene bog areas in northern Løten. From there it runs in a southerly direction and forms the lake Nybusjøen which discharges into the Lundsbekken river. The ...

Lageråa Lageråa is a small river in Innlandet county, Norway. The long river flows from a marshy area in the Vang Almenning in Hamar Municipality southwards. For a time, the river forms the border between Hamar and Løten municipalities. When the river ...

, and

Svartelva Svartelva ( en, The Black River) is a river in Innlandet county, Norway. The long river flows from the lake Gjetholsmjøen on the border of Løten and Stange at Byenga and it heads westward into Romedal. The river passes very close to the lake R ...

run through the municipality. The municipality lies to the east of

Ringsaker Municipality is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Hedemarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Brumunddal. Other settlements in Ringsaker include the town of Moelv and the ...

, to the south of

Åmot Municipality Åmot is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rena. Other villages in the municipality include Åsta, Osneset, a ...

, to the west of

Løten Municipality Løten is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Hedemarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Løten. Other villages in the municipality include Ådalsbruk, Heimd ...

, and to the north of

Stange Municipality is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Hedemarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Stangebyen. Other villages include Bekkelaget, Espa, Bottenfjellet, Ilsen ...

Climate

Hamar 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 freezing ...

(Dfb) with fairly dry and cold winters, and comfortably warm summers. The Hamar II weather station, at an elevation of , started recording in 1968. The all-time high was recorded in July 2018, which was the warmest month on record with average daily high and mean . The all-time low is from in December 2010, which was a very cold month with mean and average daily low . A previous weather station (Hamar I, at an elevation of 139 m) recorded the coldest month on record with mean in January 1917. In August 1975, the weather station "Staur Forsøksgård" in nearby Stange recorded .

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Hamar, 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,

senior citizen Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...

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 ...

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...

representatives, which in turn elects 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 Østre Innlandet District Court and the

Eidsivating Court of Appeal The Eidsivating Court of Appeal ( no, Eidsivating lagmannsrett) is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Hamar. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Innlandet and eastern Viken. These ...

Municipal council

The

of Hamar is made up of 39 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The

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

breakdown of the council is as follows:

Mayors

The mayors of Hamar (incomplete list): *1946-1967: Erling Audensen ( Ap) *1968-1975:

Kristian Birger Gundersen Kristian Birger Gundersen (19 October 1907 – 27 May 1977) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. From 1967 to 1975 Gundersen was the mayor of Hamar. He had been a member of Hamar county council since 1952, and became deputy mayor ...

( Ap) *1975-1991: Egil Oddvar Larsen ( Ap) *1992-1999: Odd Aspeli ( Ap) *1999-2011: Einar Busterud ( LL) *2011-2015: Morten Aspeli ( Ap) *2015–present: Einar Busterud ( LL)

Transportation

The town of

is an important railway junction between two different railway lines going to

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

. The Rørosbanen railway line (the older line) leaves Hamar and heads northeast towards

Røros Røros ( sma, Plaassja, ) is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Røros. Some of the villages in Røros include Brekken, Glåmos, Feragen, Galåa, and Hitterdalen. The minin ...

. The main

Dovrebanen The Dovre Line ( no, Dovrebanen) is a Norwegian railway line with three slightly different lines which all lead to the historic city of Trondheim. Definition *Dovre Line is the current name of the 548 km main line of the Norwegian railway s ...

railway line also heads north, but further west of the other line. Both lines stop at

Hamar Station Hamar Station ( no, Hamar stasjon) is a railway station of the Dovre Line and the Røros Line located in downtown Hamar, Norway. Located from Oslo Central Station, it is served by long-distance and regional trains on the Dovre Line, as the term ...

. The

Norwegian Railway Museum The Norwegian Railway Museum ( no, Norsk Jernbanemuseum) is located at Hamar in Innlandet county, Norway. It is Norway's national railway museum. History Established in 1896, until 1912 the collection was housed on the second floor of the Hama ...

(''Norsk Jernbanemuseum'') is also in Hamar.

Hamar Airport, Stafsberg Hamar Airport, Stafsberg ( no, Hamar flyplass, Stafsberg; ) is a general aviation airport located at Stafsberg in Hamar, Norway. It features a runway aligned 15–33 and is owned by Hamar Municipality. The airport is located in an area with very ...

serves general aviation out of Hamar. The

European route E6 European route E6 ( no, Europavei 6, sv, Europaväg 6, or simply E6) is the main north-south thoroughfare through Norway as well as the west coast of Sweden. It is long and runs from the southern tip of Sweden at Trelleborg, into Norway and t ...

highway and the

Norwegian National Road 3 Norwegian National Road 3 ( no, Riksvei 3, Rv3) is a Norwegian national road that is the main route through the Østerdalen district in Eastern Norway. It has been dubbed which means 'the green shortcut' by the old Hedmark County Municipality. T ...

both cross through the municipality.

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 ...

* {{use dmy dates, date=March 2022 Municipalities of Innlandet 1849 establishments in Norway