Rauland is a former municipality in

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,

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 1860 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of

Vinje Municipality Vinje is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Upper Telemark and Vest-Telemark. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Åmot. General inform ...

. The administrative centre was the village of

Raulandsgrend Raulandsgrend or simply Rauland is a village in Vinje Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located in a mountainous area along the north shore of the lake Totak, about to the northwest of the village of Krossen. Th ...

(also known as ''Rauland'') which is where

Rauland Church Rauland Church ( no, Rauland kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Vinje Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the village of Rauland on the shore of the lake Totak. It is one of the churches for th ...

is located. The municipality was a very mountainous, rural area, with about 90% of its area at elevations of above sea level or higher.

History

In 1860, the northern part of

(population: 745) was merged with the Øyfjell area in Laardal Municipality (population: 243), together they formed the new municipality of Rauland with a total population of 988. 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 1964, Rauland Municipality (population: 1,656) was merged with

(population: 2,565) to form a new, larger

Name

The municipality (originally 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 o ...

) is named after the old ''Rauland'' farm ( non, Rauðaland) since the first

was built there. The first element is which means "

bog iron Bog iron is a form of impure iron deposit that develops in bogs or swamps by the chemical or biochemical oxidation Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. O ...

". The last element is which means "land" or "farm". The many marshlands in the area are filled with bog iron and for centuries its production was an important local resource.

Government

While it existed, this municipality was 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. During its existence, this municipality was 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 ...

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 elected 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 ...

Municipal council

The

of Rauland was made up of 21 representatives that were 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:

Notable people

Sveinung Svalastoga Sveinung Bjørnson Svalastoga (1772–1809) was a Norwegian rose painter, poet and woodcarver. Biography Sveinung Bjørnson Svalastoga was born in the community of Vinje in Rauland, Telemark County. He was the son of Bjørn Bjørnson Gardsjord (17 ...

(1772–1809), Norwegian rose painter, poet and

woodcarver Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation ...

Rikard Berge Rikard Berge (7 November 1881 – 26 September 1969) was a Norwegian folklorist, museologist biographer and magazine editor. Biography Rikard Gjermundsen Berge was born in Rauland in Vinje, Telemark, Norway. He was the son of Geirmund ...

(1881–1969), Norwegian folklorist,

museologist Museology or museum studies is the study of museums. It explores the history of museums and their role in society, as well as the activities they engage in, including Curator, curating, Conservation-restoration of cultural heritage, preservation, ...

, and magazine editor *

Aslaug Vaa Aslaug Vaa (25 August 1889 – 28 November 1965) was a Norwegian poet and playwright. Her works contain elements from local tradition and landscape mixed with international influence. Personal life Aslaug Vaa was born on Nystog in Rauland, ...

(1889–1965), Norwegian

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

and playwright *

Olav Aslakson Versto Olav Aslakson Versto (22 June 1892 – 13 June 1977) was a Norwegian politician for the Norwegian Labour Party, Labour Party. He was born in Rauland. He was elected to the Stortinget, Norwegian Parliament from Telemark in 1928, and was re-el ...

(1892–1977), Norwegian

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

for the Norwegian Labour Party *

Dyre Vaa Dyre Vaa (19 January 1903 – 11 May 1980) was a Norwegian sculptor and painter. Background He was born in Kviteseid, Telemark, and later lived and worked in Rauland. He was the son of Tor Aanundsson Vaa (1864–1928) and Anne Marie Roholt ...

(1903–1980), Norwegian sculptor and painter

References

{{use dmy dates, date=January 2023 Vinje Former municipalities of Norway 1860 establishments in Norway 1964 disestablishments in Norway