Vennesla 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 ...

Agder Agder is a county (''fylke'') and traditional region in the southern part of Norway. The county was established on 1 January 2020, when the old Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder counties were merged. Since the early 1900s, the term Sørlandet ("south ...

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 ...

. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of

Vennesla Vennesla is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vennesla. Other villages in Vennesla include Grovane, Hægeland, Hom ...

. Other villages in Vennesla include

Grovane Grovane is a village in Vennesla municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the shores of the river Otra, about north of the large village of Vennesla. Railway The Sørlandsbanen railway line runs through the village sto ...

Hægeland Hægeland or Hægelandskrossen is a village in Vennesla municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the northeastern shore of the lake Hægelandsvatnet, a short distance south of the Kilefjorden. The Norwegian National Roa ...

Homstean Homstean or Slettebrotane is a village in Vennesla municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the Norwegian National Road 9, about south of the village of Skarpengland, just about north of the border with Kristiansand mun ...

Mushom Mushom is a small farm in Vennesla municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. The farm is located about west of the village of Homstean. The so-called "Øvrebø-ski" was found in a marsh at Mushom. For many years it was considered Norway's olde ...

, Øvre Eikeland,

Øvrebø Øvrebø is a rural district and village in Vennesla municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located about north-northwest of the city of Kristiansand. The village of Skarpengland lies about east of Øvrebø. The district of Øvre ...

Røyknes Røyknes is a village in Vennesla municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the west side of the river Otra, about northeast of the village of Skarpengland. The municipal border between Vennesla and Iveland is the river w ...

, and

Skarpengland Skarpengland is a village in Vennesla municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the Norwegian National Road 9 about east of the village of Øvrebø and about north of Homstean. The large village of Vennesla lies about ...

. Vennesla lies about north of the city of

Kristiansand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporati ...

in the

Otra The Otra is the largest river in the Sørlandet region of Norway. It begins in Setesdalsheiene mountains at the lake Breidvatnet in Bykle municipality in Agder county, just south of the border with Vinje municipality in Vestfold og Telemark cou ...

river valley. The municipality is the 242nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Vennesla is the 78th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 15,123. 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 11.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The parish of Vennesla was established as a municipality in 1864 when it was separated from the larger municipality of

. Initially, Vennesla had 1,103 residents. 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, Vennesla (population: 7,321) was merged with most of the neighboring municipality of

(population: 925) and with all of another neighboring municipality,

(population: 849) which created a new, much larger municipality of Vennesla. On 1 January 1978, a small area of Vennesla (population: 10) was transferred to neighboring

Songdalen Songdalen is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1964 until 2020 when it was merged with Søgne and Kristiansand municipalities to form a new, much larger Kristiansand municipality in what i ...

municipality. Then again on 1 January 1984, the unpopulated Hauglandsvatnet area was transferred from Vennesla to Songdalen municipality. On 1 January 1990, the unpopulated Røssebrekka area, just east of the village of

was transferred from

municipality to Vennesla.

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old ''

'' farm ( non, Vendilslá), since the first

Vennesla Church Vennesla Church ( no, Vennesla kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Vennesla Municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the village of Vennesla. It is the church for the Vennesla parish which is part of the Otredal p ...

was built there. The first element is the genitive case of ''vendill'' which means "small twig" (maybe used as a name of an arm of

Venneslafjorden Venneslafjorden is a lake in the municipality of Vennesla in Agder county, Norway. The lake is locate along the river Otra. There are several islands and islets located in the northern part of the lake, the largest of which is Drivenesøya. The ...

) and the last element is ''lá'' which means "swamp".

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 15 May 1971. The arms have a red background. There are three wavy lines diagonally crossing the arms which symbolises the river

, which runs through the municipality. Above the lines are golden outlines of six trees which symbolize the importance of

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. ...

to the local economy. Below the river are two gold colored cogwheels which symbolize the local

industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...

. There is a three-pointed crown on top of the arms which represent the three municipalities that were merged in 1964 to form the present municipality: Vennesla, Øvrebø, and Hægeland.

Churches

The Church of Norway has three parishes () within the municipality of Vennesla. It is part of the Otredal deanery in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Vennesla, 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 Agder District Court and the

Agder Court of Appeal The Agder Court of Appeal ( no, Agder lagmannsrett) is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the town of Skien. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Vestfold og Telemark and Agder (except for Si ...

Municipal council

The

() of Vennesla is made up of 27 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 featur ...

breakdown is as follows:

Geography

Vennesla municipality is situated in

county,

, about north of the city of

. The neighboring municipalities are

Evje og Hornnes Evje og Hornnes is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Setesdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Evje. Other villages in the municipality include Åneland, Dåsnes ...

(to the north), Birkenes and

Iveland Iveland is a municipality in Agder County, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Setesdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Birketveit. Other villages in the municipality include Bakken, Skaiå, and ...

(to the east), and

(to the south and west), and

Lindesnes Lindesnes ( en, the Naze) is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Mandal. Other villages in Lindesnes include Åvik, Hølle ...

(to the west). The river

runs through the municipality from north to south. Both of the lakes

Kilefjorden Kilefjorden is a lake on in Agder county, Norway. The lake is located on the border of the municipalities of Evje og Hornnes, Iveland, and Vennesla. The lake is part of the river Otra. The lake is located about west of the village of Birketve ...

and

are located along the river. The river Songdalselva runs through the western part of the municipality.

Climate

Economy

Vennesla (mostly the village of

) has a small industrial base, primarily with Hunsfos Fabrikker AS, a paper mill, as the cornerstone of the community. During recent decades, however, the number of employees has drastically declined from around 1,200 in the 1970s, to 200 in 2005 and 120 in 2007. In 2010 there was only 135 employees at the paper mill. In 2011, Hunsfos Fabrikker AS celebrated 125 years as a paper mill. During Q4 2022, "one hundred plus" workers at Huntonit, a cornerstone of the community, were scheduled for a temporary Layoff (from work); that's a large part of the company's work force; there is no fixed schedule for returning to work.

Media

The newspaper '' Vennesla Tidende'' has been published in Vennesla since 1989.

Attractions

Vikeland Hovedgård

Vikeland Hovedgård is a manor house located along the

River in the village of

. Vigeland Manor was completed in 1847. The building was constructed of wood in both Empire and Swiss style. It was built as part of Vigeland Brug, then one of the largest sawmills in the area. Vigeland Manor was built by Caspar Wild who bought the farm and adjacent sawmill in 1833. In 1894, the farm was sold to John Clarke Hawkshaw whose family retained the manor until around 1960. The current annex was built around 1900. During the 1980s, there was restoration with the main building subsequently used as lodging, corporate, and meeting facilities. The manor house has been said to be haunted by a ghost known as "the Blue Lady" ''(den Blå Dama)''. Mari was a farm worker who fell in love with the owner's son. They were not allowed to marry, so it is said Mari committed suicide in the "blue room", hence the title "the Blue Lady".

Vennesla Church

(''Vennesla Kirke'') serves Vennesla parish in Otredal deanery (''Otredal prosti''). The church was completed in 1829 and consecrated the following year. The church was built of stone and brick, while the west tower with side buildings are wooden. The church replaced a church from the first half of the 1600s. The tower was made higher in 1886, and the interior was restored in 1925.

Vindbjart Football Club

The football club of Vennesla is

Vindbjart FK Vindbjart Fotballklubb is a football club situated in Vennesla, Norway. They play in the 3. divisjon, the fourth tier in Norwegian football. History In 1995 Vindbjart won all their matches in the 3. divisjon. They won promotion to the 2. divi ...

, founded in 1896. Vindbjart is currently playing in the Norwegian Second Division and the stadium is Moseidmoen gress in the village of

Notable residents

* Gabriel Moseid (1882 in Vennesla – 1961) a politician, Mayor of Vennesla, 1922 * Ole Jørgensen (1897–1966) a Norwegian politician, Mayor of Vennesla, 1940's & 1950's * Sigurd Aalefjær (1917–1991) engineer and director of hydropower plants, grew up in Vennesla * Engly Lie (1919 in Vennesla - 2001) a carpenter and politician, Mayor of Vennesla, 1959 *

Børre Knudsen Børre Arnold Knudsen (1937–2014) was a Norwegian Lutheran priest noted for his anti-abortion activism. Together with Ludvig Nessa, he staged protests at abortion clinics as well as other public stunts starting in the late 1980s, and he spent ti ...

(1937 in Vennesla - 2014) a Lutheran priest and anti-abortion activist *

Kristen Gislefoss Kristen Gislefoss (born 2 May 1954) is a Norwegian meteorologist and weather presenter. He was born in Vennesla, took his secondary education at Kristiansand Cathedral School and the cand.real. degree at the University of Bergen in 1980. He then t ...

(born 1954 in Vennesla) a meteorologist, prime time

weather presenter A weather presenter (also known colloquially in North America as a weatherman or weather broadcaster) is a person who presents the weather forecast daily on radio, television or internet news broadcasts. Using diverse tools, such as projected weath ...

for

NRK NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the largest ...

* Kjetil Nordhus (born 1975 in Vennesla) a Norwegian singer, composer and music producer * Jorun Stiansen (born 1984) a Norwegian pop singer and artist, grew up in Vennesla *

Maria Arredondo Maria Sødal Arredondo (born 6 July 1985 in Vennesla, Norway) is a Norwegian pop singer. Her surname Arredondo comes from her Chilean stepfather. Career In March 2003, Arredondo released her first album, the self-titled '' Maria Arredondo'' ...

(born 1985 in Vennesla) a pop singer

Twin towns – sister cities

Vennesla is twinned with: * Katrineholm, Sweden *

Odder Odder is a town in Jutland, Denmark. The town is the seat of Odder municipality, and is the biggest town in the municipality. It is located 20 km south of Aarhus and 16 km south-east of Skanderborg. Odder is part of Business Region Aarhus, and ...

, Denmark *

Salo Salo or Salò may refer to: Places Finland *Salo, Finland, a town in Western Finland ** Salo sub-region, a subdivision of Finland Proper and one of the Sub-regions of Finland since 2009 *An old name of Saloinen, a former municipality in Ostrobot ...

, Finland

References

External links

* * *
Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway
Welcome to Vennesla - Tourist informationVigeland Hovedgård
{{use dmy dates, date=November 2022 Kristiansand region Municipalities of Agder 1864 establishments in Norway