Tolga 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' ...

Innlandet Innlandet is a Counties of Norway, county in Norway. It was created on 1 January 2020 with the merger of the old counties of Oppland and Hedmark (Jevnaker Municipality and Lunner Municipality were transferred to the neighboring county of Viken ( ...

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 ...

. It is located in the traditional district of

Østerdalen Østerdalen () is a valley and Districts of Norway, traditional district in Innlandet county, in Eastern Norway. This area typically is described as the large Glåma river valley as well as all its tributary valleys. Østerdalen is often subdivide ...

. 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 ...

of the municipality is the village of Tolga. Other villages in the municipality include

Hodalen Hodalen is a village in Tolga Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located about southeast of the village of Tolga, along County Road 26 which runs between Tolga and the village of Drevsjø. Hodalen Church has been located ...

Øversjødalen Øversjødalen is a village in Tolga Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located at the northern end of the lake Langsjøen. The village of Tolga lies about to the southeast of Øversjødalen. The village of Hodalen lies about hal ...

, and Vingelen. The municipality is the 99th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Tolga Municipality is the 301st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,606. 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 ...

is and its population has decreased by 3.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The parish of ''Tolgen'' 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). On 1 January 1911, the new

Engerdal Municipality Engerdal is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of E ...

was established by merging the southeastern portion of Tolga Municipality (population: 201) and portions of neighboring

Øvre Rendal Municipality Øvre Rendal is a former municipality in the old Hedmark county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1880 until its dissolution in 1965. The area is now part of Rendalen Municipality in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administr ...

Ytre Rendal Municipality Ytre Rendal is a former municipality in the old Hedmark county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1880 until its dissolution in 1965. The area is now part of Rendalen Municipality in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administra ...

, and

Trysil Municipality Trysil is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Inn ...

. On 1 July 1926, the northern parish of Os (population: 1,936) was separated to become the new

Os Municipality Os is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Os i Ø ...

. This left Tolga Municipality with 1,917 residents. In 1927, a small part of Tolga Municipality (population: 18) was transferred to the neighboring Os Municipality. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the

Schei Committee The Schei Committee () was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post-World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a ...

. On 1 January 1966, Tolga Municipality (population: 1,944) and

(population: 2,015) were merged to form the new

Tolga-Os Municipality Tolga-Os is a former municipality in the old Hedmark county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1966 until its dissolution in 1976. The area is now part of Tolga Municipality and Os Municipality in the traditional district of Østerdalen. T ...

. This merger was not well received by the residents and soon after the merger, they began working towards separating once again. On 1 January 1976,

was divided into Tolga Municipality (population: 1,865) and

(population: 1,859), using their historic borders from before 1966. Historically, the municipality was part of

Hedmark Hedmark () was a Counties of Norway, county in Norway from 1 January 1919 to 31 December 2019, bordering Trøndelag to the north, Oppland to the west, Akershus to the south, and Sweden to the east. The county administration is in Hamar. Hedmar ...

county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed

county (after

and

Oppland Oppland is a former county in Norway which existed from 1781 until its dissolution on 1 January 2020. The old Oppland county bordered the counties of Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The ...

counties were merged).

Name

The municipality (originally 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 ...

) is named after the old '' Tolga'' farm since the first

Tolga Church Tolga Church () is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Tolga Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the village of Tolga. It is the church for the Tolga parish which is part of the Nord-Østerdal prosti (deanery) in th ...

was built there (in 1688). The name comes from the small river which flows through the area (now known as the river ''Tolja''). The name of the river may come from the word ( which means "young

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

tree". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled ''Tolgen''. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to ''Tolga''.

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 14 July 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 ''"

Gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatch ...

, a bell Or"'' (). This means the arms have a red

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

bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...

. The bell 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 ...

of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. Tolga was home to the (a smelting hut) from 1666 to 1871. The bell represents the old bell from Amsterdam that was in a building in the village square since 1708. The smeltery was important because of the prevalence of

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

in the area. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth. 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 ...

has four parishes () within Tolga Municipality. It is part of the

Nord-Østerdal prosti The list of churches in Hamar is a list of the Church of Norway churches in the Diocese of Hamar in Norway. It includes all of the parishes in Innlandet county plus the parishes in Lunner Municipality in Akershus county. The diocese is based at th ...

(

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 Hamar The Diocese of Hamar () 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 Municipality in Akershus county. Administratively, the diocese is divided into 1 ...

Government

Tolga Municipality is 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,

welfare Welfare may refer to: Philosophy *Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group * Utility in utilitarianism * Value in value theory Economics * Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...

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. 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 and utilities. 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, 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 ...

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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Østre Innlandet District Court and the

Eidsivating Court of Appeal The Eidsivating Court of Appeal () is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Hamar, with jurisdiction over the Eidsivating judicial district (), comprising the counties of Innlandet, Østfold, a ...

Municipal council

The

of Tolga Municipality is made up of 15 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

() of Tolga is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position: * 1838–1839: Svend Stenersen * 1840–1843: John Simensen Grue * 1843–1847: Thore N. Røe * 1847–1855: John Simensen Grue * 1855–1859: Thore N. Røe * 1859–1863: John Simensen Grue * 1863–1867: Thore N. Røe * 1867–1879: J. Estensen * 1879–1893: O.I. Strand * 1893–1896: Elias Gjelten * 1896–1899: Martinus Gjelten * 1899–1902: Iver O. Sagbakken * 1902–1908: Anders Urset * 1908–1914: Iver O. Sagbakken * 1914–1926: Tore Hummelvoll * 1926–1931: Per Aaseng * 1932–1934: O.I. Sagbakken * 1935–1937: Embret Nygård * 1938–1941: Nils Bakken * 1941–1944: Lars Eide ( NS) * 1945–1945: Esten P. Moen * 1946–1948: Erling Aas-Eng, Sr. ( Bp) * 1949–1951: Jon Hulbækdal * 1952-1965: Erling Aas-Eng, Sr. ( Bp) * ''(1966–1975: Part of

)'' * 1976–1985: Anders Johnsgård ( Sp) * 1985–1986: Jon Vingelen ( Sp) * 1986–1999: Lars Buttingsrud ( Sp) * 1999–2007: Marit Gilleberg ( Ap) * 2007–2011: Erling Aas-Eng ( Sp) * 2011–2019: Ragnhild Aashaug ( Sp) * 2019–present: Bjørnar Tollan Jordet ( SV)

Geography

Tolga lies in the northeastern part of

county. The river

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

runs through the municipality. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain

Elgspiggen Elgspiggen is a mountain located on the border of Tolga Municipality and Rendalen Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is part of the Holøydalen mountain area. The mountain is easily recognizable due to its shape like a pyramid. The mo ...

, located on the border with

Rendalen Municipality Rendalen is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bergset. Other villages in the municipality include Hanestad, Otne ...

. The mountain Håmmålsfjellet lies on the border with

. The lake

Langsjøen Langsjøen is a lake in Innlandet county, Norway. The lake lies in the Sømådalen valley on the border of Tolga Municipality and Engerdal Municipality, just west of the large lake Femunden. The village of Øversjødalen lies at the north end o ...

is located just south of the village of

in the southeastern part of the municipality. The municipality is bordered in the east by

Tynset Municipality Tynset is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tynset (town), ...

, in the south by

, and in the east by

and

, all in

county.

Notable people

* Kaleb Nytrøen (1905 in Tolga – 1994), a police officer who helped develop the

Norwegian Police Security Service The Norwegian Police Security Service (, ) is the police security agency of Norway. The agency was previously known as ''POT'' (' or Police Surveillance Agency), the name change was decided by the Parliament of Norway on 2 June 2001. History an ...

Egil Storbekken Egil Storbekken (24 May 1911 – 19 March 2002) was a Norwegian folk musician, composer and instrument maker. Life and career Born in Tolga Municipality, Hedmark on 24 May 1911, Storbekken is particularly known for his development of the '' ...

(1911 in Tolga – 2002), a folk musician and composer * Arnljot Eggen (1923 in Tolga – 2009), a journalist and teacher who wrote poetry, plays and children's books *

Olav Jordet Olav Jordet (born 27 December 1939) is a former Norwegian biathlete who was born in Tolga. He became Norway's first individual biathlon world champion in 1965, has world championship relay gold medals in 1966 and 1967. He won a bronze medal in ...

(born 1939 in Tolga), a former biathlete, bronze medallist at the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subseq ...

, and team silver medallist in the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...

Hans Fredrik Jacobsen Hans Fredrik Jacobsen (born 8 September 1954) is a Norwegian musician and composer, best known for his work with his wife, the traditional folk singer Tone Hulbækmo, and with the medieval music group Kalenda Maya, as well as his concert and studi ...

(born 1954), a musician and composer who is based in Tolga *

Tone Hulbækmo Tone Hulbækmo (born 27 September 1957) is a Norwegian singer and musician, married to the traditional folk flutist Hans Fredrik Jacobsen, and the mother of jazz drummer and vibraphonist Hans Hulbækmo (b. 1989) and pianist Alf Hulbækmo (b. ...

(born 1957 in Tolga), a singer and musician * Olav Viksmo-Slettan (born 1965 in Tolga), a radio and TV reporter for the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

Hans Hulbækmo Hans Hulbækmo (born 1989) is a Norwegian musician (drums, percussion, saw, Jew's harp and vibraphone) and composer, son of the traditional folk musicians Tone Hulbækmo and Hans Fredrik Jacobsen, brother of pianist Alf Hulbækmo, and known ...

(born 1989 in Tolga), a composer and musician on drums and percussion * Alf Hulbækmo (born 1992 in Tolga), a composer, singer, and musician on piano, keyboards, harmonica and saxophone

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from

Statistics Norway Statistics Norway (, 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 year on its web site. All rele ...

Weather forecast for Haugan in Tolga
{{Authority control Municipalities of Innlandet 1838 establishments in Norway 1966 disestablishments in Norway 1976 establishments in Norway Populated places established in 1838 Populated places disestablished in 1966 Populated places established in 1976