Vestre Toten

Vestre Toten is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Toten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Raufoss. Other villages in the municipality include Bøverbru, Eina, and Reinsvoll.

The 251 km2 municipality is the 287th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Vestre Toten is the 88th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 13,635. The municipality's population density is 58.7 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 4.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Vestre Toten was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1875, there was a border adjustment between Østre Toten Municipality and Vestre Toten Municipality. On 1 January 1908, the municipality was divided into three parts: Kolbu Municipality (population: 2,412) in the southeast, Eina Municipality (population: 1,173) in the southwest, and Vestre Toten Municipality (population: 4,027) in the north. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the following areas were merged to form a new, larger Vestre Toten Municipality:
 * all of the old Vestre Toten Municipality (population: 9,113)
 * the Sørligrenda area of Vardal Municipality (population: 87)
 * all of the old Eina Municipality (population: 1,591)
 * the area on the south end of the lake Einavatnet from Gran Municipality (population: 12)

Name
The municipality is named Vestre Toten after the district of Toten (Þótn). The name is identical with the word Þótn which has an uncertain meaning, but it might be from the word þóttr which means "the pleasant district" or "something one likes". The parish of Toten was divided into two parts (eastern and western) in 1825 and the first word, was added to signify that this was the "western" part, thus the name was Vestre Toten which means "(the) western (part of) Toten".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 3 May 1991. The official blazon is "Vert, two knives argent in bend sinister points to base dexter" (I grønt to sølv kniver skråstilt venstre-høyre). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is two knives that are lined up diagonally (specifically a special locally-produced knife known as a Toten knife). The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The green color in the field symbolizes the local forests and agriculture and the knife was chosen since the area has a long tradition of wood carving and knife making. The arms were designed by Inge Rotevatn. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Vestre Toten. It is part of the Toten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Geography
Vestre Toten is located along the large lake Mjøsa. The municipality is bordered by Østre Toten Municipality to the east, Gjøvik Municipality to the north, Søndre Land Municipality to the west, and Gran Municipality to the southwest.

The highest point in the municipality is Lauvhøgda with a height of 722 m. The Hunnselva river runs through the lake Einavatnet and flows through the whole municipality before going into Gjøvik where it empties into the large lake Mjøsa.

History
According to the sagas, Halfdan Hvitbeinn (Whiteleg) was the first Yngling in Norway. He conquered Romerike, part of Hedmark, part of Vestfold, and Toten. He was killed in Toten around the year 740.

In 1021, according to saga, King Olaf (reigned 1015–1028) converted Toten to Christianity. Also, King Håkon IV (reigned 1217–1263) came to Toten around the year 1226 to settle local unrest.

Christian II (1481–1559) was a Danish monarch and King of Denmark and Norway from 1513 to 1523 and also the King of Sweden from 1520 to 1521, under the Kalmar Union. Prior to becoming king, Duke Christian was sent to Norway in 1506 by John II (also called Hans), King of Norway (1483–1513) to take charge of the kingdom. In 1507, he became aware of a revolt in Hedmark. In early 1508, he took a force there, routing the rebellion. He then rowed across lake Mjøsa to Toten, capturing residents, imprisoning them in the vaulted cellar of the rectory in Østre Toten and torturing them there. As a result, he determined that Bishop Karl of Hamar had been behind the rebellion. With Bishop Karl as his captive, he was able to suppress the unrest.

Toten was a part of Akershus county until 1756, when it became part of Oppland county. Lauritz Weidemann, Corporal Peder Balke, and Nels Dyhren from Toten attended the 1814 constitutional convention at Eidsvold.

Government
Vestre Toten Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Vestre Toten is made up of 31 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Vestre Toten:


 * 1838-1843: Peder Tollefsen Hallingstad
 * 1844-1845: Johannes Johannessen Westrum
 * 1846-1847: Hans Lemmich Juell
 * 1848-1853: Wilhelm Christian Magelssen
 * 1854-1855: Christian Eilert Heyerdahl
 * 1856-1857: Johannes Johannessen Westrum
 * 1858-1865: Christian Grønland
 * 1866-1871: Lars Christiansen Blilie
 * 1872-1885: Ole Christian Præstesæter
 * 1886-1890: Peder Olsen Hohle
 * 1890-1891: L. A. Grefsrud
 * 1892-1893: Anton Jørgensen Røstøen
 * 1894-1895: Ole Christian Præstesæter
 * 1896-1901: Anton Jørgensen Røstøen
 * 1902-1907: Mathias Blilie (LL)
 * 1908-1916: Olav Larsson Gjørvad (AD)
 * 1917-1922: Peder Markus Hansen Nauf (AD)
 * 1923-1940: Severin Olsen (Ap)
 * 1940-1942: Hans Henrik Petersen (NS)
 * 1942-1945: Ole Thorsrud (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Severin Olsen (Ap)
 * 1946-1951: Helge Sunde (Ap)
 * 1952-1955: Hans J. Kjelsberg (Ap)
 * 1956-1979: Sigurd Østlien (Ap)
 * 1980-1995: Svein Erik Strandlie (Ap)
 * 1995-2011: Stein Knutsen (Ap)
 * 2011-2019: Leif Waarum (Ap)
 * 2019-2023: Stian Olafsen (Ap)
 * 2023-present: Tonje Bergum Jahr (Ap)

Economy
Farming and industry are important. Raufoss Aluminum is a major employer in the community. The Gjøvikbanen railway line passes through the community.

Notable people

 * Frøis Frøisland (1883 in Raufoss – 1930), a Norwegian newspaper correspondent and editor
 * Karsten Gaarder (1902 in Vestre Toten – 1980), a Justice of the Supreme Court of Norway
 * Halfdan Hegtun (1918–2012), a radio personality, comedian, writer, and former politician
 * Aud Blegen Svindland (1928 in Vestre Toten – 2019), a physician and women's rights activist
 * Ronni Le Tekrø (born 1963), a guitarist with hard rock band TNT who lives in Raufoss
 * Bente Nordby (born 1974 in Raufoss), a former Norwegian football goalkeeper with 172 caps for Norway women