Orkdal is a
former municipality in
Trøndelag
Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denma ...
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 ...
,
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 the ...
. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020 when it joined
Orkland Municipality
Orkland is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Orkdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Orkanger. Other notable population centres in the municipality include ...
. It was part of the
Orkdalen region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
. The
administrative centre of the municipality was the city of
Orkanger
Orkanger is a town and the administrative centre of Orkland municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The town is also a former municipality which existed from 1920 until 1963. The town sits at the end of the Orkdal Fjord, an arm of the Trondhe ...
. Some of the notable villages in the municipality included
Kjøra
Kjøra is a village in the municipality of Orkland in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located along the Trondheimsfjord in the Geitastrand area of the municipality. The village is located about southeast of the village of Selbekken in ...
,
Geitastrand
Geitastrand is a former municipality in the old Sør-Trøndelag county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1905 until 1963 in what is now part of the municipality of Orkland in Trøndelag county. It encompassed the coastal area along the T ...
,
Gjølme,
Thamshavn
Thamshavn or Thamshamn is a small port village in the municipality of Orkland in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is the site of the port for the town of Orkanger and the ferrosilicon plant Elkem Thamshavn. It is located right along European route ...
,
Fannrem
Fannrem is a village in the municipality of Orkland in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located along the Orkla River about south of the urban area of Orkanger, Thamshavn, and Råbygda, and about north of the village of Vormstad.
Due ...
,
Vormstad,
Svorkmo
Svorkmo is a village in the municipality of Orkland in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is situated in the Orkdalen valley along the river Orkla about west-southwest of the city of Trondheim. Svorkmo is located about south of the village of Vormsta ...
, and
Hoston.
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 t ...
plays a significant role in the municipality. The
Thamshavnbanen was used to transport ore from
Løkken Verk
Løkken Verk (sometimes just called Løkken) is a village in the municipality of Orkland in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located south of the village of Svorkmo, east of the village of Bjørnli, and north of the municipal center of Mel ...
to the port of
Thamshavn
Thamshavn or Thamshamn is a small port village in the municipality of Orkland in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is the site of the port for the town of Orkanger and the ferrosilicon plant Elkem Thamshavn. It is located right along European route ...
, and is now a vintage
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
. The
Fannrem concentration camp was located in
Fannrem
Fannrem is a village in the municipality of Orkland in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located along the Orkla River about south of the urban area of Orkanger, Thamshavn, and Råbygda, and about north of the village of Vormstad.
Due ...
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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Orkanger is one of the main industrial hubs in central Norway. The industry is mainly located around Grønøra Industrial park. The largest companies are
Technip Offshore Norge AS,
Reinertsen
Reinertsen is a civil engineering, construction, and petroleum industry supply company based in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1946 and remains family-owned. Its CEO is Erik Reinertsen and
chairman is Torkil R. Reinertsen. In 2011, ...
, Washington Mills and Elkem Thamshavn AS.
![Orkanger](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Orkanger.jpg)
At the time of its dissolution in 2020, the municipality was the 188th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Orkdal was the 97th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 11,933. The municipality's
population density
Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...
was and its population had increased by 8.3% over the last decade.
General information
The
prestegjeld
A ''prestegjeld'' was a geographic and administrative area within the Church of Norway (''Den Norske Kirke'') roughly equivalent to a parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a di ...
of Orkdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see
formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 July 1920, the port of
Orkanger
Orkanger is a town and the administrative centre of Orkland municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The town is also a former municipality which existed from 1920 until 1963. The town sits at the end of the Orkdal Fjord, an arm of the Trondhe ...
(population: 1,715) and the southern district of
Orkland
Orkland is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Orkdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Orkanger. Other notable population centres in the municipality include ...
(population: 1,760) were separated from Orkdal to form separate municipalities. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the
Schei Committee The Schei Committee ( no, Schei-komitéen) was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post-World War II.
It convened in 1946, and its formal name was (The 1946 Committee on Municip ...
. On 1 January 1963, the municipalities of
Orkanger
Orkanger is a town and the administrative centre of Orkland municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The town is also a former municipality which existed from 1920 until 1963. The town sits at the end of the Orkdal Fjord, an arm of the Trondhe ...
,
Orkland
Orkland is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Orkdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Orkanger. Other notable population centres in the municipality include ...
, and
Geitastrand
Geitastrand is a former municipality in the old Sør-Trøndelag county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1905 until 1963 in what is now part of the municipality of Orkland in Trøndelag county. It encompassed the coastal area along the T ...
were merged with Orkdal to form a new, larger municipality of Orkdal.
On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from the old
Sør-Trøndelag county to the new
Trøndelag
Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denma ...
county.
On 1 January 2020, the municipalities of
Agdenes
Agdenes is a former municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1896 until its dissolution in 2020 when it became part of Orkland Municipality. It was part of the Fosen region. The administrative centre was the vi ...
, Orkdal, and
Meldal
Meldal is a former municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020 when it joined Orkland Municipality. It was part of the Orkdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipali ...
along with the majority of
Snillfjord
Snillfjord is a former municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1924 until its dissolution in 2020 when it was split between the municipalities of Hitra, Heim, and Orkland. It was part of the Fosen region. The a ...
merged to form the new municipality of
Orkland
Orkland is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Orkdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Orkanger. Other notable population centres in the municipality include ...
.
Name
The
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...
form of the name was ''Orkardalr''. The first element is the
genitive case of the name of the river ''Ork'' (now
Orklaelva) and the last element is ''dalr'' which means "
valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...
" or "dale". Historically, the name was spelled ''Orkedalen''.
Coat of arms
The
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
was granted on 25 April 1986. They show a silver line on a green background, representing the
Orklaelva which runs through fertile
Orkdalen valley throughout the municipality. It is also a
canting
' (IPA: , VOS Spelling: ''tjanting'', jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦛꦶꦁ, Tjanting) is a pen-like tool used to apply liquid hot wax ( jv, ) in the batik-making process in Indonesia, more precisely ''batik tulis'' (lit. "written batik"). Traditional '' ...
because the name of the municipality is derived from the name of the river.
Churches
The
Church of Norway had four parishes () within the municipality of Orkdal. It is part of the
Orkdal prosti (
deanery) in the
Diocese of Nidaros
Nidaros is a diocese in the Lutheran Church of Norway. It covers Trøndelag county in Central Norway and its cathedral city is Trondheim, which houses the well-known Nidaros Cathedral. Since 10 September 2017, the Bishop of Nidaros is Herbor ...
.
Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Orkdal, are responsible for
primary education (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 during the refere ...
and other
social services,
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 ...
, 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 counc ...
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 ...
.
The municipality falls under the
Trøndelag District Court
Trøndelag District Court ( no, Trøndelag tingrett) is a district court located in Trøndelag county, Norway. This court is based at four different courthouses which are located in Brekstad, Namsos, Steinkjer, and Trondheim. The court serves the ...
and the
Frostating Court of Appeal
The Frostating Court of Appeal ( no, Frostating lagmannsrett) is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Trondheim. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal. ...
.
Municipal council
The
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 counc ...
() of Orkdal is made up of 35 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 featur ...
breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:
Geography
A large part of the population was concentrated in the
Orkanger
Orkanger is a town and the administrative centre of Orkland municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The town is also a former municipality which existed from 1920 until 1963. The town sits at the end of the Orkdal Fjord, an arm of the Trondhe ...
/
Fannrem
Fannrem is a village in the municipality of Orkland in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located along the Orkla River about south of the urban area of Orkanger, Thamshavn, and Råbygda, and about north of the village of Vormstad.
Due ...
area, which is situated at the head of the Orkdalsfjord, a branch of the large
Trondheimsfjord
The Trondheim Fjord or Trondheimsfjorden (), an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third-longest fjord at long. It is located in the west-central part of the country in Trøndelag county, and it stretches from the municipality of Ørland i ...
. The
Orkla River Orkla may refer to:
Places
* Orkla (river), a river in Trøndelag county, Norway
Business
* Orkla Group (or ''Orkla ASA''), a large Norwegian company
* Orkla Mining Company, a historic company in Norway
* Orkla Metall, a former smelting company in ...
, one of the better
salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...
s in Norway, meets the sea at Orkanger.
The
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
s
Hostovatnet,
Gangåsvatnet,
Våvatnet and
Svorksjøen
Svorksjøen is a lake in Trøndelag county, Norway. The lake lies on the border of the municipalities of Melhus and Orkland. The lake lies about east of the village of Svorkmo and about southwest of the village of Korsvegen.
The water flows ou ...
were located around the municipality.
The municipalities of
Agdenes
Agdenes is a former municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1896 until its dissolution in 2020 when it became part of Orkland Municipality. It was part of the Fosen region. The administrative centre was the vi ...
,
Snillfjord
Snillfjord is a former municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1924 until its dissolution in 2020 when it was split between the municipalities of Hitra, Heim, and Orkland. It was part of the Fosen region. The a ...
and
Hemne
Hemne is a former municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020 when it was incorporated into Heim Municipality. It was part of the Fosen region. The administrative centre of the mun ...
were located to the northwest,
Rindal
Rindal is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Orkdalen region. The administrative centre is the village of Rindal. Other villages in the municipality include Tiset and Romundstad. The municipality centres on agricult ...
and
Meldal
Meldal is a former municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020 when it joined Orkland Municipality. It was part of the Orkdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipali ...
to the south, and
Melhus
Melhus is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Gauldalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Melhus. Other villages include Gåsbakken, Hovin, Korsvegen, Kvål, Ler, Lundamo, S ...
and
Skaun
Skaun is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Orkdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Børsa. Other villages include Buvika, Eggkleiva, Melby, Skaun, and Viggja.
Skaun is ...
to the east, and
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 ...
and
Indre Fosen
Indre Fosen is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Fosen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Årnset. Other villages in Indre Fosen include Askjem, Dalbygda, Ha ...
were to the northeast across the
Trondheimsfjord
The Trondheim Fjord or Trondheimsfjorden (), an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third-longest fjord at long. It is located in the west-central part of the country in Trøndelag county, and it stretches from the municipality of Ørland i ...
.
Notable residents
*
Johan Bojer,
author
An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states:
"''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...
*
Nils Arne Eggen
Nils Arne Eggen (17 September 1941 – 19 January 2022) was a Norwegian footballer, manager and teacher from Orkdal. Eggen was closely tied to Rosenborg, the club he managed for 23 years between 1970 and 2010. He is Norway's most successful clu ...
, the former coach of
Rosenborg BK
*
Roar Ljøkelsøy
Roar Ljøkelsøy (born 31 May 1976) is a Norwegian former ski jumper who competed from 1993 to 2010, and twice finished runner up in the World Cup.
Career
He won his first individual World Cup event on 25 January 2003 and was a very consistent ...
,
ski jumper
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 fina ...
*
Gunnhild Sundli, singer of the
Norwegian folk music
Much has been learned about early music in Norway from physical artifacts found during archaeological digs. These include instruments such as the lur. Viking and medieval sagas also describe musical activity, as do the accounts of priests and pil ...
band
Gåte
Gåte ( en, riddle) is a band from Trøndelag, Norway playing Norwegian folk music bred with metal and electronica. Their style has been referred to as progressive folk-rock. The band was put together by Sveinung Sundli (violin, keyboards) in ...
*
Sveinung Sundli,
fiddle and
keyboard
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
player of Gåte
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Orkdal is
twinned with:
*
Mostar
, settlement_type = City
, image_skyline = Mostar (collage image).jpg
, image_caption = From top, left to right: A panoramic view of the heritage town site and the Neretva river from Lučki Bridge, Koski Mehmed Pasha ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
See also
*
List of former municipalities of Norway
References
External links
*
Municipal fact sheetfrom
Statistics Norway
{{authority control
Orkland
Former municipalities of Norway
1838 establishments in Norway
2020 disestablishments in Norway
Populated places disestablished in 2020