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Fedje is an island municipality in the Nordhordland region of Vestland county, Norway. 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 Fedje. The traditional economic activity of the inhabitants is fishing. The municipality is the 354th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Fedje is the 350th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 502. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 12.8% over the previous 10-year period. The municipality consists of the main island of Fedje which is also surrounded by about 125 smaller islands and rocks mostly north of the main island. The name ''Fedje'' applies both to the main island, the main village, and to all the islands and rocks as a whole municipality. In 2016, the chief of police for
Vestlandet Western Norway ( nb, Vestlandet, Vest-Norge; nn, Vest-Noreg) is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrative ...
formally suggested a reconfiguration of police districts and stations. He proposed that the police station in Fedje be closed.


General information

Historically, the islands of Fedje belonged to the
prestegjeld A ''prestegjeld'' was a geographic and administrative area within the Church of Norway (''Den Norske Kirke'') roughly equivalent to a parish. This traditional designation was in use for centuries to divide the kingdom into ecclesiastical areas tha ...
of
Lindås Lindås is a former municipality in the Nordhordland district in the old Hordaland county, Norway. It existed from 1838 until its dissolution on 1 January 2020 when it was merged into the new Alver Municipality. The administrative centre of the ...
. In 1910, the northwestern part of Lindås was separated to become the new
Austrheim Municipality Austrheim is a municipality in the Nordhordland region of Vestland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Årås. Other villages in the municipality include Austrheim and Kaland. The Mongstad industrial ...
(which included Fedje). On 1 January 1947, all of Austrheim located west of the
Fedjefjorden Fedjefjorden is a fjord in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the municipalities of Fedje, Austrheim, and Øygarden. The fjord has a width of about and extends about from Holmengrå Lighthouse (at the northern end) to the island of Sel ...
(population: 920) was separated to become the new municipality of Fedje.


Name

The Old Norse form of the name was ''Feðjar'', closely related to
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
word ''"faþa"'' which means "fence" or "wall". The meaning here refers to a row of islands or archipelago, separating the inshore waters (now called the
Fedjefjorden Fedjefjorden is a fjord in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the municipalities of Fedje, Austrheim, and Øygarden. The fjord has a width of about and extends about from Holmengrå Lighthouse (at the northern end) to the island of Sel ...
) from the ocean.


Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 13 July 1990. The arms show two silver or white oars on a blue background. This symbolizes the rich boating history of this island 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 evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...
has one parish () within the municipality of Fedje. It is part of the Nordhordland 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 residenc ...
) in the
Diocese of Bjørgvin The Diocese of Bjørgvin ( no, Bjørgvin bispedømme) is one of the 11 dioceses that make up the Church of Norway. It includes all of the churches located in the county of Vestland in Western Norway. The cathedral city is Bergen, Norway's second ...
.


Education

Fedje has an
elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
, and a
junior high school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school ...
, both of which are situated in the center of the island, and in the same building. The school is also used as a
movie theater A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...
twice a week.


History

There are traces of human activity on
Fedje Fedje is an island municipality in the Nordhordland region of Vestland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fedje. The traditional economic activity of the inhabitants is fishing. The municipality is ...
from as long as 4,000 years ago. In the 18th century, the village of Fedje was an important trading place, with the small island of
Kræmmerholmen Kræmmerholmen is an old trading post on the island of Fedje. The trading post is now in the village of Fedje which is the main village on the island of Fedje in Fedje Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The main building of Kræmmerholmen w ...
being the location where the trading took place. Kræmmerholmen was reopened in 1991, and was a restaurant/hotel/museum area, but closed in September 2008. Fedje was previously a substantial producer of peat. The peat led to the construction of a railway. The railway was given up together with the peat industry in 1920. During the Second World War Fedje was occupied by over 300
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
soldiers. There are still remains of the German cannons and bunkers all over the island, especially in the western part close to the traffic station, which is actually built on the remains of a German radar station. In February 1945, the German U-boat ''
U-864 German submarine ''U-864'' was a Type IXD2 U-boat of Nazi Germany's ''Kriegsmarine'' in World War II. On 9 February 1945, it became the only submarine in history to be sunk by an enemy submarine while both were submerged. ''U-864'' was sunk by ...
'' was sunk by the Royal Navy submarine outside western Fedj, the only instance in history of a submarine being sunk by another submarine while both were submerged. The wreck of the U-boat was discovered in 2003 lying in of water, west of Fedje. Its cargo included 67 short tons (61 t) of
mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...
which was being shipped to
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. Contained in 1,857 rusting steel bottles in the vessel's keel, the mercury was discovered to be leaking out and currently poses a severe environmental threat. The rusting mercury bottles, the delicate condition of the wreck, and the presence of live torpedoes aboard it make the raising or salvage of ''U-864'' extremely hazardous, and it has instead been proposed that the wreck be entombed. On 12 January 2007, M/V Server sunk outside Fedje. The ship leaked oil and caused major environmental damage. But due to intensive efforts to clean the coves and beaches, very few traces can be found today.


Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Fedje, 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 first ...
(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 services, unemployment 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 administe ...
, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor. The municipality falls under the Hordaland District Court and the
Gulating Court of Appeal The Gulating Court of Appeal ( no, Gulating lagmannsrett) is one of six Court of appeal (Norway), courts of appeal in the Norway, Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Bergen (city), Bergen. The court has jurisdiction over the cou ...
.


Municipal council

The municipal council () of Fedje is made up of 15 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:


Mayor

The mayors of Fedje (incomplete list): *2015–present: Stian Herøy ( H) *2007-2015: Kristin Handeland ( Ap) *2003-2007: Erling Walderhaug (H) *1995-2003: Vilgjerd Storset Husa ( KrF) *1992-1995: Erling Walderhaug (H) *1990-1991: Ove Villanger (KrF) *1980-1989: Erling Walderhaug (H) *1976-1979: Karl Storhaug ( DNF) *1948-1975: Oskar Tangen ( V)


Geography

The highest point on Fedje is the high hill called
Fedjebjørnen Fedjebjørnen is the highest point on the island of Fedje which is located in Fedje Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The hill is located on the southeastern part of the island, about halfway between the two villages on the island: Fedje ...
. The largest lake is Storevatnet.


Islands

Other than the main island of
Fedje Fedje is an island municipality in the Nordhordland region of Vestland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fedje. The traditional economic activity of the inhabitants is fishing. The municipality is ...
, the best known smaller island is called '' Holmengrå''. Holmengrå is the site of the tall
Holmengrå Lighthouse Holmengrå Lighthouse ( no, Holmengrå fyr) is a coastal lighthouse located in the municipality of Fedje in Vestland county, Norway. It sits on a tiny island in the mouth of the Fensfjorden and Fedjefjorden, near a busy shipping lane headed to the ...
. In the southern part of Fedje which is called ''Stormark'', there is a lighthouse called
Hellisøy Lighthouse Hellisøy Lighthouse ( no, Hellisøy fyr) is a coastal lighthouse in Fedje municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The lighthouse lies on the small island of Hellisøy, just off the southwest coast of the larger island of Fedje. History This ...
, maybe the most famous feature of Fedje. Hellisøy Lighthouse was built in 1855. The tall tower is painted red and white. The islands of Fedje are all located on the western side of the
Fedjefjorden Fedjefjorden is a fjord in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the municipalities of Fedje, Austrheim, and Øygarden. The fjord has a width of about and extends about from Holmengrå Lighthouse (at the northern end) to the island of Sel ...
.


People

The population of the island community is decreasing due to the high percentage of people over 60 years (25% as of 1 January 2003), and because many people decide to move from the island, many because of the lack of work. Most of the people live on the lagoon-like northern part of the island in the village of
Fedje Fedje is an island municipality in the Nordhordland region of Vestland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fedje. The traditional economic activity of the inhabitants is fishing. The municipality is ...
where there is a grocery store,
Fedje Church Fedje Church ( no, Fedje kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Fedje Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Fedje on the northern coast of the island of Fedje. It is the church for the Fedje par ...
, and the ferry quay. Fedje used to be inhabited by fishermen and whalers. These days many are working on commercial ships or in the oil industry. By doing so they can still live on the island without having to work there.


Sports

The main sporting activity on Fedje is
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
, which can be played on the football grounds in the eastern part of the island. The football ground is also the home ground of the local football team calle
Fedje A-lag
The club is currently playing in the Norwegian 6th division. Swimming is also popular, as there is a beautiful beach located on Fedje, which is to be found in the centre of the island on the shoreline of Lake Husavatnet. The water is clean and brackish, as it has a small opening to the sea which makes the tide flush it with sea water from time to time.


Infrastructure

Fedje Vessel Traffic Service Centre Fedje Vessel Traffic Service Centre ( no, Fedje trafikksentral), commonly abbreviated Fedje VTS, is a vessel traffic service and pilot station situated on the island of Fedje (island), Fedje in Fedje, Norway. Its main responsibility is handling tr ...
has been operating since 1 September 1992. It surveys the coast to allow safe passage to
Mongstad Mongstad is an industrial site in Vestland county, Norway. The site sits on the border of the municipalities of Alver and Austrheim, with most of the site in Alver. The site features an oil refinery for Equinor and other oil companies, including ...
and Sture. It also serves as a pilot station. Next to the station is
Fedje Heliport, Høgden Fedje Heliport, Høgden ( no, Fedje helikopterplass, Høgden; ) is a municipal heliport situated on the island of Fedje in Fedje, Norway. It is predominantly used to fly maritime pilots out of the pilot station at Fedje Vessel Traffic Service ...
. The island is supplied with power, telephone, and internet cables from an underwater cordless router to the mainland. A
ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
, crossing 20 times a day, connects Fedje to the mainland. The voyage lasts for about 30 minutes. Fedje is about a 1-hour 40 minute drive (including a 30-minute ferry voyage) from the city of Bergen.


Notable people

*
Gisle Handeland Gisle Handeland (born 1943) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. From 1990 to 1995, during the third cabinet Brundtland, Handeland was private secretary (today known as political advisor) / state secretary in the Ministry of Transpor ...
(born 1943 in Fedje) a Norwegian politician, county mayor of Hordaland 1993-2003 *
Vidar Kleppe Vidar Sveinung Kleppe (born 16 September 1963) is a Norwegian politician. He was a member of parliament and deputy leader of the Progress Party until he was suspended and left the party in 2001. He was the leader of the Democrats party from 200 ...
(born 1963) a somewhat controversial Norwegian politician, brought up in Fedje


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 yea ...
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Vestland 1947 establishments in Norway