Åsnes 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 ...

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). ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, 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 ...

. It is located in the traditional district of

Solør Solør is a Norwegian traditional district consisting of the valley between Elverum in the north and Kongsvinger in the south. It is part of Innlandet county and it includes the municipalities Våler, Åsnes, and Grue. Glomma valley Glommada ...

. 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 village of

Flisa Flisa is the administrative centre of Åsnes Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village lies at the confluence of the rivers Flisa and Glomma. The Norwegian National Road 2 and the Solørbanen railway line both pass through the vil ...

, which is also the largest village in the municipality with around 1,700 people. Other villages in the municipality include

Gjesåsen Gjesåsen is a largely agricultural village area located in the municipality of Åsnes in Innlandet county, Norway. The village area lies at the east end of the lake Gjesåssjøen. Gjesåsen Church is located here. The village of Kjellmyra Kj ...

, Hof, and

Kjellmyra Kjellmyra is a village in Åsnes Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located along the river Flisa, about north of the village of Flisa and about south of the village of Gjesåsen. The village has a population (2021) of 4 ...

. The municipality is the 108th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Åsnes is the 137th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 7,211. 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 RosenberPopu ...

is and its population has decreased by 5.2% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

When municipal government was established in Norway on 1 January 1838, the Åsnes area was part of Hof Municipality. In 1849, Hof municipality was divided into two: Hof (population: 2,913) and ''

Åsnes og Våler Åsnes og Våler is a former municipality in the old Hedmark county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1849 until 1854 when it was divided into the present-day municipalities of Åsnes and Våler. The administrative centre of the municipal ...

'' (population: 7,087). A short time later, in 1854, the municipality of Åsnes og Våler was divided into the two current municipalities of Våler (population: 3,410) and Åsnes (population: 3,677). 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 Munici ...

. On 1 January 1963, Hof Municipality (population: 3,222) was merged into Åsnes Municipality (population: 6,750). On 1 January 1969, the Rotberget farm area (population: 23) in the

Finnskogen Finnskogen ("Forest of the Finns") is an area of Norway and Sweden situated in the counties of Innlandet and Värmland respectively, so named because of immigration of Finnish people in the 17th century, the so-called '' Skogfinner/"Forest Finns"' ...

part of the municipality was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Grue. In the 2010s, there had been talk of further municipal mergers but the neighboring municipalities of Grue and Våler both rejected merging with Åsnes.

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 or ...

) is named after the old farm ( non, Ásnes), since the first

Åsnes Church Åsnes Church ( no, Åsnes kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Åsnes Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the village of Flisa. It is the church for the Åsnes parish which is part of the Solør, Vinger og O ...

was built there. The first element is which means "

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...

ridge A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...

" and the last element is which means "

headland A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, J ...

". (The headland is made by the river

Glomma The Glomma, or Glåma, is Norway's longest and most voluminous river. With a total length of , it has a drainage basin that covers fully 13% of Norway's surface area, all in the southern part of the country. Geography At its fullest length, the ...

, and the farm is lying beneath a hill.) Historically, the name was spelled ''Aasnes''.

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 9 December 2001. The arms show three black hooks for

log driving Log driving is a means of moving logs (sawn tree trunks) from a forest to sawmills and pulp mills downstream using the current of a river. It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America. Histor ...

on a gold background. This was chosen to represent the importance of

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply cha ...

and

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 municipality throughout history.

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 ...

has six parishes () within the municipality of Åsnes. It is part of the

Solør, Vinger og Odal prosti 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 ...

(

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 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 divid ...

Geography

The municipality is located in the southern part of

county in the traditional region of

. Åsnes is bordered to the north by the municipality of Våler, to the south by Grue, to the west by

Nord-Odal Nord-Odal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Odalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sand. Other villages in the municipality include Knapper and Mo. The ...

and

Stange 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, Ils ...

, and to the east it borders

Torsby Municipality Torsby Municipality (''Torsby kommun'') is a municipality in Värmland County in west central Sweden, bordering Norway. Its seat is located in the town of Torsby. The name ''Torsby'' means Thor's village. The present municipality consists of ...

Värmland County Värmland County (''Värmlands län'') is a county or ''län'' in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Viken and Innlandet to the west. Prince Car ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

or ''the forest of the

Finns Finns or Finnish people ( fi, suomalaiset, ) are a Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland. Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these ...

'' is a belt about wide which runs continuously northwards along the border between Norway and Sweden through six Norwegian municipalities, including Åsnes. Åsnes has several lakes and rivers throughout the forested municipality which sits in the southern

Glåmdal Glåmdalen or Glommadal is a valley in Innlandet county (formerly Hedmark County) in Eastern Norway. The valley was formed by the river Glomma (also called Glåma), one of the major rivers for the region. The name "Glåmdalen" is also a newer de ...

valley. It includes the lakes Gjesåssjøen, Hukusjøen, and Vermunden. The rivers

, Rotna, and

all flow through the municipality.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Åsnes, 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 ...

(through 10th grade), outpatient

health services Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

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 refe ...

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 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 o ...

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 ...

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 ...

. 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. Thes ...

Municipal council

The

of Åsnes is made up of 23 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 featu ...

breakdown of the council is as follows:

Mayors

The mayors of Åsnes (incomplete list): *2003-2007: Frank Willy Bjørneseth ( Ap) *2007-2011: Lars Petter Heggelund ( V) *2011-2019: Ørjan Bue ( Sp) *2019–present: Kari Heggelund ( Sp)

Notable people

Wilhelm Holter - Portrett av Johannes Bergh - 1914 (etter foto fra ca

* Hans Jacob Grøgaard (1764 in Åsnes – 1836) a parish priest and writer, rep. at the

Norwegian Constituent Assembly The Norwegian Constituent Assembly (in Norwegian ''Grunnlovsforsamlingen'', also known as ''Riksforsamlingen'') is the name given to the 1814 constitutional assembly at Eidsvoll in Norway, that adopted the Norwegian Constitution and formalised t ...

* Johannes Bergh (1837 in Åsnes – 1906) a barrister, Attorney General of Norway 1893-1904 * Jacob Sparre Schneider (1853 in Åsnes – 1918) a Norwegian zoologist and entomologist * Adolf Gundersen (1865 in Åsnes – 1938) an American physician, founded

Gundersen Health System Gundersen Health System (Gundersen Health) is a comprehensive non-profit health system based in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The system includes multi-specialty group medical practices, a teaching hospital, regional community clinics, affiliate hospita ...

La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census wa ...

* Per Aasness (1875 at Flaen – 1959) a military officer and politician, Mayor of Asnes, 1919-1922 * Ole Bjerke (1881 in Åsnes – 1959) a sport shooter, competed at the

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, b ...

* Arne Løfsgaard (1887 at Løfsgaard – 1974) a farmer and politician. Mayor of Åsnes 1925-1928 * Birger Lie (1891 in Åsnes – 1970) a sport shooter, competed at the

* Jon Gudbjørn Dybendal (1904 in Åsnes – 1985) a politician, Mayor of Åsnes, 1945-1963 * Rolf Jacobsen (1907–1994) an author and

modernist Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

writer, twice lived in Åsnes *

Kai Grjotheim Kai Gudbrand Grjotheim (13 July 1919 – 17 April 2003) was a Norwegian chemist. He was born in Åsnes as a son of school manager Erland Gudbrandson Grjotheim (1887–1969) and domestic science teacher Kaya Johanne Haarbye (1882–1963). He was ma ...

(1919 in Åsnes – 2003) a chemist and academic, solved problems within thermodynamics of salt smelters * Gunnar Gundersen (born 1956 in Åsnes) a politician, also competed in the swimming at the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

* Tom Stræte Lagergren (born 1991 in Åsnes) stage name ''Matoma'', a DJ and record producer *

Emilie Enger Mehl Emilie Enger Mehl (born 8 August 1993) is a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party. She has served as minister of justice since 2021 and Member of parliament for Hedmark since 2017. Personal life and education Mehl was born in Lørenskog on ...

(born 1993 in

Lørenskog is a municipality in Akershus in Viken county, Norway. A suburb of Oslo, it is part of the Oslo urban area and the traditional region of Romerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lørenskog. Lørenskog was separ ...

) politician for the Centre Party. She has served as minister of justice since 2021 and

Member of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

since 2017.

Sister cities

Åsnes has

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

agreements with the following places: *

Ballerup Ballerup is a Danish town, seat of the Ballerup Municipality, in the Region Hovedstaden. There are approximately 25 schools in Ballerup Municipality. Ballerup has its own educational institution specialized in the study, training and research of ...

Region Hovedstaden The Capital Region of Denmark ( da, Region Hovedstaden, ) is the easternmost administrative region of Denmark. The Capital Region has 29 municipalities and a regional council consisting of 41 elected members. As of 1 August 2021 the chairperso ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

* Fagersta,

Västmanland County Västmanland County ( sv, Västmanlands län) is a county or ''län'' in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Södermanland, Örebro, Gävleborg, Dalarna and Uppsala. The county also has a stretch of shoreline towards Mälaren (Sweden's ...

Jämsä Jämsä () is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the Central Finland region, about southwest of Jyväskylä. The municipality has a population of (), which make it the second largest town of the Central Finland after Jyväsk ...

, Länsi-Suomi,

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

Myjava Myjava (; historically also Miava, german: Miawa, hu, Miava) is a town in Trenčín Region, Slovakia. Geography It is located in the Myjava Hills at the foothills of the White Carpathians and nearby the Little Carpathians. The river Myjava flo ...

Trenčín Region The Trenčín Region ( sk, Trenčiansky kraj, ; cs, Trenčínský kraj; hu, Trencséni kerület) is one of the eight Regions of Slovakia, Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 9 districts (''Districts of Slovakia, okresy''). The region ...

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

* Vasanello,

Viterbo Viterbo (; Viterbese: ; lat-med, Viterbium) is a city and ''comune'' in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in its early history ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Gallery

Flisa stasjon.jpg, Flisa station on the Solørbanen railway Tjærebrenning med Åsnes historielag i Åsnes kommune.jpg, Bjerkely Folkehøyskole.jpg, Bjerkely Folkehøyskole (school)

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 ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aasnes Municipalities of Innlandet 1854 establishments in Norway