Verdal is a

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

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 Denmar ...

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 t ...

. It is part of the Innherad

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 and t ...

. 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, L ...

of the municipality is the

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares ...

of Verdalsøra. Some villages in the municipality include Forbregd/Lein,

Lysthaugen Lysthaugen is a village in the municipality of Verdal in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the southern side of the river Verdalselva, about east of the town of Verdalsøra and about southwest of the village of Vuku. The mountain Ski ...

Stiklestad Stiklestad is a village and parish in the municipality of Verdal in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located east of the town of Verdalsøra and about southeast of the village of Forbregd/Lein. The village is mainly known as the site of the ...

, Trones,

Vera Vera may refer to: Names *Vera (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Vera (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) **Vera (), archbishop of the archdiocese of Tarrag ...

Vinne Vinne is a village in the municipality of Verdal in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located just south of the Verdalselva river, about southeast of the town of Verdalsøra and about the same distance to the west of the village of Lysthaugen. ...

, and

Vuku Vuku is a village in the municipality of Verdal in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Helgåa and Inna where they become the Verdalselva river. The village is about west of the village of Vera and about e ...

. The municipality is the 53rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Verdal is the 81st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 14,955. 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 ...

is and its population has increased by 3.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The municipality of ''Værdalen'' was established 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 Janua ...

law). It is one of very few municipalities in Norway with unchanged borders since that date, although the spelling of the name was modified to ''Verdal''. On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from the old

Nord-Trøndelag Nord-Trøndelag (; "North Trøndelag") was a county constituting the northern part of the present-day Trøndelag county in Norway. The county was established in 1804 when the old Trondhjems amt was divided into two: Nordre Trondhjems amt and S ...

county to the new

county.

Name

The

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

form of the name was ''Veradalr'' (from the word ''Verardalr''). 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 ...

of the river name ''Ver'' (now called Verdalselva) 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 over ...

" or "dale". The meaning of the river name is probably "the quiet one". The name was historically spelled Værdalen.

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 it ...

was granted on 15 December 1972. They show a gold

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a s ...

on a red background. The cross is taken from a large painting in the

Nidaros Cathedral Nidaros Cathedral ( no, Nidarosdomen / Nidaros Domkirke) is a Church of Norway cathedral located in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county. It is built over the burial site of King Olav II (c. 995–1030, reigned 1015–1028), who became the ...

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, an ...

, in which the death of King Olav Haraldsson (Saint Olaf) is shown. He died in the

Battle of Stiklestad The Battle of Stiklestad ( no, Slaget på Stiklestad, non, Stiklarstaðir) in 1030 is one of the most famous battles in the history of Norway. In this battle, King Olaf II of Norway () was killed. During the pontificate of Pope Alexander III, ...

, the site of which is in Verdal municipality. In the painting, he holds a shield with the typical cross. To commemorate the battle, the cross was taken as arms for the municipality.

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 Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. ...

has four parishes () within the municipality of Verdal. It is part of the Sør-Innherad prosti (

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 reside ...

) 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 Herborg ...

History

Battle of Stiklestad

The most famous battle in Norwegian history, the

, took place at

in Verdal in the year 1030. The

Stiklestad Church Stiklestad Church ( no, Stiklestad kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Verdal municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the village of Stiklestad. It is one of the churches for the Stiklestad parish which is part ...

was built afterwards at the place where King Olav Haraldsson, later redesigned as St. Olaf, died during the battle. Olavsstøtta, a memorial pillar dedicated to St. Olaf, was erected in 1807 to commemorate the Battle of Stiklestad.

Verdalsraset

Early on the night of 19 May 1893, the most deadly

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environments, ...

in modern Norwegian history, known as ''Verdalsraset'', took place in Verdal. It killed 116 people and at least 500 animals when approximately 100 farms were swept away. A wet winter and several spring floods in the river made the quick clay under the topsoil in a large area of the valley turn into a fluid. The slide moved about of clay, completely reshaping the topography of the area, including moving the course of the river.

Culture

Råning

This culture is known for young people interested in cars, spending most of their time improving, enhancing, and styling their cars, and then driving them for display on a particular route around the town centre. This is not only positive, as they do show some general disregard for common laws and regulations. People living in the town center are at times bothered by noise, usually music being played at high volumes from their cars.

Stiklestad

Verdal is the location of the Stiklestad National Cultural Centre.

The Saint Olav Drama ''Saint Olav Drama'' ( no, Spelet om Heilag Olav) is an outdoor theatre performance played every end of July in Stiklestad in Verdal, Norway. The play commemorates the Battle of Stiklestad that took place in the year 1030, and which resulted in ...

appears here on an open stage every year in July. The play centers on events leading up to the Battle of Stiklestad.

Geography

Verdal is centered on the Verdal valley. The river Verdalselva runs through the valley into the Trondheimsfjord at Verdalsøra. The rivers Helgåa and Inna join at

to form the Verdalselva. The lake

Veresvatnet Veresvatnet or Veressjøen is a lake in the municipality of Verdal in Trøndelag county, Norway. The lake lies in the eastern part of the municipality, just west of the border with Sweden and just south of Blåfjella–Skjækerfjella National Par ...

flows into the river Helgåa and the lake

Innsvatnet Innsvatnet is a lake in the municipality of Verdal in Trøndelag county, Norway. The lake lies in the eastern part of the municipality, just west of the border with Sweden. The lake is the headwaters for the river Inna, which later flows into th ...

flows into the river Inna. The large lake Leksdalsvatnet lies on the Verdal- Steinkjer border. The southern tip of the large Blåfjella–Skjækerfjella National Park lies in the northeastern part of Verdal. Rinnleiret is a beach area along the Levanger-Verdal border in the west.

Climate

Verdal is situated along the innermost part of Trondheimsfjord and 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 freez ...

(Dfb) with mild winters for this climate. Using the winter threshold as in the original

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

, Verdal has an oceanic climate (Cfb). The all-time high was recorded in July 2018. The all-time low was set in January 1987. The average date for first overnight freeze (below ) in autumn is October 6 (1981-2010 average).

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Verdal, are responsible for primary education (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 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 usag ...

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 refer ...

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 adminis ...

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 s ...

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 a ...

, 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 coun ...

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 as ...

. The municipality falls under the Trøndelag District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The

() of Verdal 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 feature ...

breakdown of the council is as follows:

Mayor

The mayors of Verdal (incomplete list): *2019–present: Pål Sverre Fikse ( Sp) *2005-2019:

Bjørn Iversen Bjørn Iversen (born 18 March 1953) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. From 1989 to 1990, during the cabinet Syse, Iversen was appointed State Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture. He served as a deputy representative to the ...

( Ap) *1999-2005:

Gerd Janne Kristoffersen Gerd Janne Kristoffersen (born 18 November 1952 in Verdal) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Nord-Trøndelag in 2005. She had previously served as a deputy representative during the ...

(Ap) *1995-1999: Knut Einar Steinsli (Sp)

Economy

Offshore industry ( Aker Verdal) and

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 peop ...

are two of the most important parts of Verdal's economy. Despite its small size, Verdal is a municipality with great personality and cultural integrity. After several

lottery A lottery is a form of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers at random for a prize. Some governments outlaw lotteries, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree o ...

grand prizes were received by some lucky inhabitants of Verdal, it is also known as one of the great ''"Lotto-bygds"'' of Norway (Small places with high a concentration of lottery wins in the national game of Lotto).

Transportation

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 ...

runs north and south through Verdalsøra, connecting the municipality with Steinkjer to the north and Levanger to the south. The

Nordland Line The Nordland Line ( no, Nordlandsbanen, ) is a railway line between Trondheim and Bodø, Norway. It is the longest in Norway and lacks electrification. The route runs through the counties of Trøndelag (formerly Sør-Trøndelag and Nord-Trøndel ...

also runs north and south through the municipality. There are two stations in Verdal:

Verdal Station Verdal Station ( no, Verdal stasjon) is a railway station located in the town of Verdalsøra in the municipality of Verdal in Trøndelag county, Norway. History The station was opened on 1 November 1904 on the Hell–Sunnan Line as the section ...

in Verdalsøra and Bergsgrav Station in

Notable people

Ingrid Storholmen @ Oslo bokfestival 2011

Johannes Brun Johannes Finne Brun (10 March 1832 – 7 March 1890) was a Norwegian stage actor. Brun was born in Verdal. He made his stage debut as the character "Henrik" in Holberg's comedy ''Den Vægelsindede'' on 2 January 1850, at the first ordinary ...

(1832 in Verdal – 1890) a Norwegian stage actor * Oluf Rygh (1833 in Verdal – 1899) a noted archaeologist, philologist and historian *

Olav Braarud Olav Braarud (2 February 1885 – 4 April 1969) was a Norwegian director and engineer. Born in Verdal, Nordre Trondhjems Amt, he travelled to Darmstadt, Germany, where he graduated as an engineer in 1910. In 1912, he became operational engineer of ...

(1885 in Verdal – 1969) operational engineer of Holmenkolbanen *

Sig Haugdahl Sigurd Olson "Sig" Haugdahl (January 10, 1891 – February 4, 1970) was an IMCA "Big Car" (now sprint car) champion 1927 – 1932 and an early promoter of stock car racing in the United States. Background Sig Haugdahl was born on the Til ...

(1891 in Verdal – 1970) an IMCA "Big Car" champion 1927–1932, promoted stock car racing in the USA * Trygve Braarud (1903 in Verdal – 1985) a Norwegian botanist and academic * Knut Getz Wold (1915 in Verdal – 1987) an economist, civil servant and governor of the Central Bank of Norway 1970–1985. *

Arnold Haukeland Arnold Haukeland (28 March 1920 – 18 June 1983) was a Norwegian sculptor. Biography He was born at Verdal in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway. He was the son of Arnold Martin Haukeland (1891–1977) and Lilly Karoline Wallem (1896–1969). He att ...

(1920 in Verdal – 1983) a Norwegian sculptor *

Asmund Bjørken Asmund Bjørken (19 August 1933 – 29 January 2018) was a Norwegian musician who played the accordion and saxophone in the genres of jazz and folk. He was self-taught. Career Bjørken was part of ''Harry Waagens Orchestra'', a central band on ...

(1933 in Verdal – 2018) a Norwegian musician who played the jazz and folk accordion and saxophone * Vigdis Ystad (1942 in Verdal – 2019) a Norwegian literary historian and academic *

Nils Nordberg Nils Nordberg (born 26 March 1942, in Verdal) is a Norwegian crime writer, anthology editor and audio play director. He has worked for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation since 1969, and for Radioteatret Radioteatret is a department of the Nor ...

(born 1942 in Verdal) a crime writer, anthology editor and audio play director *

Hans Rotmo Hans Per Rotmo (born 10 March 1948) is a Norwegian singer and songwriter, known by most Norwegians as the leading figure of 1970s folk-rock band Vømmøl Spellmannslag, and also known as the writer of hit songs like "Fire fine lænestola" and ...

(born 1948), musician, published the first album sung in a Norwegian dialect

Børre Haugstad Børre is a Norwegian given name, and may refer to: *Børre Dalhaug (born 1974), Norwegian musician and arranger *Børre Falkum-Hansen (1919–2006), Norwegian sailor and Olympic medalist *Egil Børre Johnsen (born 1936), Norwegian writer *Børre ...

. 2 November 2020. "''Du'' kunne nominert Rotmo!". Klassekampen. P. 20. "forfatter av boken Vinylens historie 2 - Norge 1970-1990" *

(born 1953) a Norwegian politician, Mayor of Verdal since 2005 * Rune Rebellion (born 1965 in Verdal) stage name of ''Rune Grønn'', a guitarist * Ingrid Storholmen (born 1976 in Verdal) a Norwegian poet, novelist and literary critic * Gjermund Larsen (born 1981 in Verdal) a traditional folk musician (violin) and composer

Sport

Pål Benum Pål Sverre Benum (3 August 1935 – 23 September 2021) was a Norwegian long-distance runner. He specialized in the longest track distances, 5000 and 10,000 metres, eventually competing at the 1964 Olympic Games. He also competed in cross-coun ...

(born 1935 in Verdal) an orthopediatrician and former long-distance runner, competed at 1964 Olympic Games *

Trond Viggo Toresen Trond Viggo Toresen (born 22 February 1978) is a Norwegian football midfielder who currently plays for Verdal. He joined the team from Levanger in 2011. Before he went back to his home towns of Verdal and Levanger he played in Norwegian Tippeli ...

(born 1978 in Verdal) a footballer with over 250 club caps * Even Barli (born 1991 in Verdal) a Norwegian goalkeeper for Ranheim with 234 caps. * Jonas Svensson (born 1993 in Verdal) a footballer with over 270 club caps and 18 for

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 ye ...

Stiklestad National Culture Centre Official WebsiteBattle of Stiklestad
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Trøndelag 1838 establishments in Norway