Tjøme () is a former municipality in

Vestfold Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. The island municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2018. The area is now part of

Færder Municipality Færder is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Borgheim. Other villages in the municipality include Årøysund, Bj ...

. The

administrative centre An administrative centre 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 the administrative language, such as Belgi ...

was the village of Tjøme. Other villages in Tjøme included Bjørnevåg, Grimestad, Hulebakk, Ormelet, Solvang,

Sundene Sundene is a village in Færder Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The village is located on the island of Tjøme, about to the north of the village of Tjøme, about to the north of the village of Svelvik, and about to the northwest of ...

, and

Svelvik is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town in Drammen Municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The town is located along the west shore of the Drammensfjorden, about to the southeast of the Drammen (town), town of Drammen and about north ...

. At the time of its dissolution in 2017, the municipality was the 417th largest by area out of the 426 municipalities in Norway. Tjøme was the 212th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,928. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was and its population had increased by 9.7% over the previous 10-year period. The whole municipality was made up of a group of islands located to the south of

Nøtterøy Municipality Nøtterøy is a former municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The island municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution on 1 January 2018. The area is now part of Færder Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Borgh ...

. The municipality included all of the island of Tjøme plus the smaller islands of Hvasser, Brøtsø, Hui, and Sandø. In addition to this, there were also about 475 smaller islands and

skerries A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. Skerry, skerries, or The Skerries may also refer to: Geography Northern Ireland *Skerries, County Armagh, a List of townlands in County Armagh#S, townland in Coun ...

. The main island of Tjøme is the second-largest island in

County. Tjøme was the childhood holiday destination for writer

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...

General information

The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

of ''Tjømø'' (later spelled ''Tjøme'') was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see

formannskapsdistrikt () was the name of a Norwegian self-governing municipality. The name was used from the establishment these municipalities in 1838 until the name fell out of use in 1863. The municipalities had their legal basis from two laws enacted on 14 Jan ...

law). The borders of the municipality were never changed. On 1 January 2018, Tjøme municipality (population: 4,928) and

(population: 21,748) were merged to form the new

Name

The municipality (originally the

) is named after the island of Tjøme () since the first

Tjøme Church Tjøme Church () is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Færder Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Tjøme (village), village of Tjøme. It is the church for the Tjøme parish which is part of the Tønsberg dompro ...

was built there. The name is very old and its meaning is not certain. The name may be derived from the word which means "

bridle A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the "bridle" includes both the that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit. It prov ...

" or "rope", likely referring to the shape of the island. Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled ''Tjømø''. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to ''Tjøme''.

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

was granted on 17 February 1989. The official

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

is ''" Azure, three

oarlock A rowlock (), sometimes spur (due to the similarity in shape and size), oarlock (American English) or gate, is a brace that attaches an oar to a boat. When a boat is rowed, the rowlock acts as a fulcrum for the oar. On ordinary rowing craft, ...

argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...

, 2 over 1"'' (). This means the arms have a blue

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

(background) and the

charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...

is a set of three

s. The charge has a

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of the sea for this island community. The oarlock was chosen as a symbol for the importance of fishing and trading for the municipality. There are three oarlocks to represent the three main islands: Tjøme, Hvasser, and Brøtsø. The arms were designed by Even Jarl Skoglund after winning a public competition to design the arms. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches

The

Church of Norway The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...

had two parishes () within the municipality of Tjøme. It was part of the Tønsberg domprosti (

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the 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 residence of ...

) in the

Diocese of Tunsberg Tunsberg is a diocese of the Church of Norway. It includes all of the parishes located within the counties of Vestfold and Buskerud, with the cathedral located in the city of Tønsberg. The Diocese of Tunsberg consists of the cathedral deanery and ...

Geography

Tjøme municipality was completely located on islands between the Tønsbergfjorden and the

Ytre Oslofjord Ytre Oslofjord () is part of a fjord in eastern Norway. The Ytre Oslofjord is the outer part of the Oslofjord which is south of point where the Hurumlandet peninsula splits the fjord between the Drøbak Sound (the strait where the fjord narrows ...

. The main island being the island of Tjøme, where the municipal centre Kirkebygda is located. This village was also were the shops, schools, and restaurants were located. There are a few other central areas on the islands such as Hvasser, with active

fishermen A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishermen may be professional or recr ...

as well as the

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity on ...

industry for the travelers passing through. Hvasser has an icebar, shops,

petrol station A filling station (also known as a gas station [] or petrol station []) is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold are gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Fuel dispensers are used to ...

, and a number of places to buy food and supplies. There were approximately 4,600 permanent residents in Tjøme, but in the summer months that number rose to around 40,000 inhabitants, including the

Norwegian royal family Members of the Norwegian royal family are people related to King Harald V of Norway or former Norwegian monarchs who are royals and who hold royal titles. The term does not include non-royal relatives. The current family who holds the throne a ...

who have a summer house on Tjøme. The reason for the extreme increase is mainly the sea sports available in the area and the remarkably good weather. Summers in Tjøme are both warm and sunny, and the

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

es are filled with locals and tourists. Tjøme has been nicknamed ''Sommerøya'' () because so many tourists, particularly from the

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

area, visit the municipality.

Verdens Ende Verdens Ende ( or ; historic: ''Helgerodtangen'') is located at the southernmost tip of the island of Tjøme in Færder Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The point is composed of various islets and rocks and is one of the most popular s ...

() lies at the southern tip of Tjøme Island, and has for years been visited by tourists. Tjøme is also a great place for

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

, even though they are limited by the size of the island. The spectacular seaside scenery can be seen all year round. Færder Lighthouse and the Store Færder Lighthouse were both located in Tjøme municipality.

Government

While it existed, this municipality was responsible for

primary education Primary education is the first stage of Education, formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle s ...

(through 10th grade), outpatient

health services Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

senior citizen Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...

services,

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work du ...

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...

zoning In urban planning, zoning is a method in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into land-use "zones", each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for ...

economic development In economics, economic development (or 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 object ...

, and municipal

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

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, borough cou ...

of directly elected representatives. The

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

was

indirectly elected An indirect election or ''hierarchical voting,'' is an election in which voters do not choose directly among candidates or parties for an office ( direct voting system), but elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties. It is one of the o ...

by a vote of the municipal council.

Municipal council

The

of Tjøme is made up of representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, 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 oft ...

Mayors

The

mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

() of Tjøme: *1838-1839: Hans L. Bache *1840-1843: Lars O. Bockelie *1844-1845: Christen Torbjørnsen *1846-1847: Anders Torbjørnsen *1848-1851: Lars O. Bockelie *1852-1853: Johannes O. Rød *1854-1857: Torger J. Bache *1858-1859: Arnt C. Jacobsen *1860-1863: Thomas Reiersen *1864-1867: Torger J. Bache *1868-1869: A. Munthe Kaas *1870-1871: P.S. Norstrøm *1872-1873: Thore J. Ness *1874-1875: P. A. Poulsen *1876-1877: Lars H. Bache *1878-1885: O.L. Røed *1886-1893: Johannes von der Lippe *1894-1897: L.S. Guttormsen *1898-1898: Oscar Bjørnskaug *1899-1910: B.S. Iversen *1911-1916: Hans Larsen Bache ( H) *1917-1920: E.M. Olsen *1921-1923: Lars Iversen *1923-1930: Hans Larsen Bache ( H) *1930-1937: Wilhelm Sundene ( H) *1938-1941: Christen R. Granøe ( H) *1941-1941: Håkon Sverre Olsen Holme *1941-1945: Brynjulf Wiese ( NS) *1945-1947: Christen R. Granøe ( H) *1948-1951: Carl Aarø ( H) *1952-1960: Alf Lysgaard ( H) *1960-1962: Carl Aarø ( H) *1962-1971: Arne Stenli ( H) *1972-1975: Julie Caspersen ( H) *1975-1983: Egil Jahre ( H) *1983-1991: Ola Ingar Gjertsen ( H) *1991-2003: Roar Tandberg ( Ap) *2003-2007: Per Hotvedt Nielsen ( FrP) *2007-2011: Bente Kleppe Bjerke ( Ap) *2011-2015: John Marthiniussen ( H) *2015-2017: Bente Kleppe Bjerke ( Ap)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tjome Færder Former municipalities of Norway 1838 establishments in Norway 2018 disestablishments in Norway