Voss

Voss is a municipality and a traditional district in Vestland county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages include Bolstadøyri, Borstrondi, Evanger, Kvitheim, Mjølfjell, Oppheim, Stalheim, and Vinje.

The 2042 km2 municipality is the 35th largest by area of Norway's 356 municipalities. Voss is Norway's 76th most populous municipality, with a population of 16,144. Its population density is 8.2 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 7.9% over the last 10 years.

Municipal history
The parish of Voss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1867, a small area in northern Voss (population 28) was transferred to the municipality of Hosanger. On 1 January 1868, the municipality's northern district (population 2,009) was separated to form the new municipality of Vossestrand. This left 7,592 residents in Voss. On 21 August 1868, an unpopulated area of northern Voss was transferred to Vossestrand. On 1 January 1885, the western district of Voss (population 2,045) was separated to form the new municipality of Evanger. This left Voss with 5,403 residents.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the municipality of Voss (population 10,575), the municipality of Vossestrand (population 1,573), and most of the municipality of Evanger (population 1,075) were all merged into a new, larger municipality of Voss. (The rest of Evanger was merged into the new municipality of Vaksdal.)

On 1 January 2020, the neighboring municipality of Granvin merged with Voss, creating a larger Voss municipality. Before the merger, it was known as Voss kommune, but afterward it was called Voss herad, using the title herad which Granvin formerly had used.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the traditional district of Voss (Vǫrs). The name is likely derived from the word vǫrr which means "water" (likely the old district name was originally used as the name for the lake Vangsvatnet.

Coat of arms
The original coat of arms was granted on 8 July 1977 and was in use until 1 January 2020, when the municipality was enlarged. The official blazon is "Gules, a deer stag argent" (På raud grunn ein opprett kvit hjort). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a deer stag with antlers. 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 arms are based on the seal of Peter, who was the owner of the farm Finne in Voss, one of the largest farms in Western Norway during the Middle Ages. He used a silver deer on a red background as his personal coat of arms in 1303. His son also used a deer on his seals, as did most of their relatives until 1460. The shape and position of the deer varied, but it always was the main figure. The arms were designed by Hallvard Trætteberg. The municipal flag was nearly the same design as the coat of arms, the main difference was the placement of the deer legs.

A new coat of arms was granted in 2019 for use starting on 1 January 2020 after the merger of Voss and Granvin. The decision was made to blend the old municipalities' previous arms, so the design from Granvin and the colors from Voss were chosen for the new arms. The official blazon is "Gules, a fiddle argent in bend sinister" (På raud grunn ei sølv fele, skråstilt venstre-høgre). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a hardanger fiddle (Hardingfele), a Norwegian folk instrument. The fiddle has a tincture of argent. The area has an active folk-music tradition. The arms were designed by Øyvind Kvamme. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has seven parishes (sokn) in Voss. It is part of the Hardanger og Voss prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

History
After the German invasion of Norway on 9 April 1940, Voss was the main point of mobilisation for the Norwegian Army in the west, since the city of Bergen had already fallen on 9 April. From Bergen and the Hardangerfjord, the Nazis met stiff Norwegian resistance. In Hardanger, some of the Germans climbed up the mountains from Ålvik; the rest went through Granvin. To break down this resistance, the Luftwaffe bombed Vossevangen on 23 and 24 April, and the surrounding countryside on 25 April. Nine people died in the bombing, which completely destroyed the old wood-built town centre. German forces entered the municipality of Voss on 25 April and on 26 April, German forces entered Vossevangen, which remained occupied until 8 May 1945.

In 1964, Voss was enlarged with the incorporation of the neighbouring municipalities Vossestrand and Evanger, which had until then been separate municipalities within the traditional district also known as Voss.

Government
Voss 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 Hordaland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Heradsstyre) is made up of 43 representatives who are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordførar) of Voss:


 * 1838–1841: David L. Hustveit
 * 1842–1849: A. von Westen Sylow Koren
 * 1850–1857: David L. Hustveit
 * 1858–1877: Ole K. Litsheim
 * 1878–1889: Mathias G. Dugstad (MV)
 * 1890–1891: Ivar J. Rivenes (MV)
 * 1892–1893: Lars O. Kindem (V)
 * 1894–1907: Olaf Josefson Bjørgum (V)
 * 1908–1925: Nils J. Finne (V)
 * 1926–1928: Mads Haga (V)
 * 1929–1931: Lars L. Hustveit (Bp)
 * 1932–1934: Mads Haga (V)
 * 1935–1937: Lars L. Hustveit (Bp)
 * 1938–1938: Mads Haga (V)
 * 1939–1941: Isak Hjelle (Bp)
 * 1941–1941: Amund Gjersvik (NS)
 * 1942–1945: Halle N. Vinsand (NS)
 * 1945–1945: Mads Haga (V)
 * 1946–1954: Isak Hjelle (Bp)
 * 1955–1955: David Gjerme (V)
 * 1956–1957: Lars Leiro (Bp)
 * 1958–1959: David Gjerme (V)
 * 1960–1963: Arne Nilsen (Ap)
 * 1964–1971: Lars Nesheim Hovda (Sp)
 * 1972–1975: Nils Mugaas (Ap)
 * 1976–1983: Anders S. Ringheim (Sp)
 * 1984–1991: Peder Vangsnes (Ap)
 * 1992–1999: Ragnhild Skjerveggen (Sp)
 * 1999–2007: Bjørn Christensen (Ap)
 * 2007–2011: Gunn Berit Lunde Aarvik (Ap)
 * 2011–2023: Hans-Erik Ringkjøb (Ap)
 * 2023-present: Tonje Såkvitne (Sp)

Geography and climate
Voss is in the innermost part of Bolstadsfjorden and includes the valleys that head inland from there. Voss has several large lakes: Evangervatnet, Hamlagrøvatnet, Lønavatnet, Oppheimsvatnet, Torfinnsvatnet, and Vangsvatnet. In the north, Voss reaches to the Nærøydalen valley, which leads to the Nærøyfjorden. The Stalheimsfossen waterfall near Stalheim sits just above that valley. The Raundalen valley in the east is the main route of the Bergensbanen railway line, which connects eastern and western Norway.

Voss has a humid continental climate (Dfb in the Köppen climate classification if 0 °C is used as winter threshold. If the original -3 °C is used, then Voss will be classified as an oceanic climate (Cfb). The wettest time of year is October - January, and the driest season is April - July. The all-time high temperature is 34.1 °C recorded 24 July 2014; the all-time low is -30.4 °C recorded 8 January 2010.

Tourism


Voss is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, forests, lakes and fast-flowing whitewater rivers. This has led to its development as a notable center of skiing, water sports, skydiving, paragliding and other adventure sports. Every year in the last week of June the area hosts the Ekstremsportveko (Extreme Sports Week), which is regarded as the world's premier extreme sports festival. Bømoen, the local airstrip, is home to Skydive Voss, one of the largest dropzones in Norway, as well as a gliding club. The rivers provide various levels of white water, attracting kayaking, rafting and river boarding. Kite surfing and para-bungee may be seen on lake Vangsvatnet. The ski area, to the north of the town, is accessible via a cable car, Hangursbanen. There is also chair lift access from Bavallen, a short distance northeast of Voss.

The town's proximity to the Sognefjord and its position between Bergen and Flåm on the scenic railway have made it popular with tourists. One of the sights on the road to Flåm is the waterfall Tvindefossen.

The Voss Museum displays several old farmsteads, including a larger-than-life stone statue of Lars O. Kindem. Next to the open-air part, there is a museum with over 20,000 items from traditional farm life.

Bird life
Voss has a wide range of habitats, from high barren mountains to rich fertile valleys. The large areas of coniferous forests provide food and shelter for a host of species, while the many wetland areas are regarded as some of the most interesting birding habitats in the county. There is a bird reserve at Lønaøyane with marked paths and a tower hide. Over 155 species have been seen there. Many are common in Scandinavia, but the area has also produced such unexpected species as the great egret, European hobby, and woodlark.

The Arts

 * Christiane Schreiber (1822–1898), a portrait painter
 * Knud Bergslien (1827–1908), a painter, art teacher and master artist
 * Ola Mosafinn (1828–1912), a Hardanger fiddle player and composer
 * Brynjulf Bergslien (1830–1898), a sculptor
 * Nils Bergslien (1853–1928), an illustrator, painter, and sculptor
 * Sjur Helgeland (1858−1924), a Norwegian hardingfele fiddler and composer
 * Lars Tvinde (1886–1973), a stage and film actor
 * Lars Fletre (1904–1977), a Norwegian-American designer, sculptor, and painter
 * Liv Bernhoft Osa (born 1957), an actress
 * Olav Dale (1958–2014), a composer, orchestra leader, and jazz saxophonist
 * Kåre Kolve (born 1964) & Ivar Kolve (born 1967), a jazz musicians

Athletes

 * Jon Istad (1937–2012), a biathlete and sport shooter
 * Rune Hauge (born 1954), a football agent
 * Odd Lirhus (born 1956), a 1978 World Cup winner in biathlon
 * Gisle Fenne (born 1963) a former World Cup silver medalist in biathlon
 * Trond Egil Soltvedt (born 1967), a former footballer with 350 caps and 4 for Norway
 * Hilde Synnøve Lid (born 1971), a freestyle skier Olympic medallist
 * Astrid Lødemel (born 1971), a retired alpine skier and 1992 World Cup silver medalist
 * Gro Marit Istad Kristiansen (born 1978), a 2005 World champion in biathlon
 * Jori Mørkve (born 1980), a Norwegian former biathlete
 * Alexander Ødegaard (born 1980), a former footballer with 4 caps for Norway
 * Sjur Røthe (born 1988), a cross-country skier
 * Hilde Fenne (born 1993), a retired biathlete
 * Hedda Hosås (born 2001), a rallycross driver

Olympic champions
Voss is a winter sports center and has in recent times been the home of many world-class athletes in several winter sports, most prominently biathlon, but also alpine skiing, nordic skiing and freestyle skiing. In all, athletes from Voss have won 6 gold medals, 5 silver medals and 7 bronze medals at winter Olympic games. Athletes from Voss have been present, representing Norway, at every winter Olympic games except one since 1948 Winter Olympics, the exception being 1972.
 * Eirik Kvalfoss, 1984 Winter Olympics (biathlon, sprint)
 * Kristen Skjeldal, 1992 Winter Olympics (cross-country skiing, relay)
 * Hilde Synnøve Lid, 1994 Winter Olympics bronze medal winner in freestyle
 * Jan Einar Thorsen, 1994 Winter Olympics, bronze medal winner in downhill
 * Kari Traa, 2002 Winter Olympics (freestyle skiing, moguls)
 * Egil Gjelland, 2002 Winter Olympics (biathlon, relay)
 * Lars Bystøl, 2006 Winter Olympics (ski jumping, K90)

Public Servants & TV

 * Jens Gran Gleditsch (1860–1931), a theologian and Bishop of Nidaros
 * Johannes Lid (1886–1971), a Norwegian botanist
 * Lars Leiro (1914–2005), a Norwegian politician and former Transport Minister
 * Svein Blindheim (1916–2013), a military officer known for his resistance work
 * Jon Lilletun (1945–2006), a politician who was Minister of Education and Research from 1997-2001
 * Gunnstein Akselberg (born 1949), a linguist and academic
 * Ingvild Bryn (born 1961), a journalist and news anchor for NRK
 * Arne Hjeltnes (born 1963), a writer and presenter for TV2
 * Linda Eide (born 1969), a TV and radio presenter, comedian, actor, and chat-show host
 * Guri Solberg (born 1976), a TV host at TV2

Norwegian-Americans
Like the rest of Western Norway, Voss saw large-scale emigration, particularly to the United States, in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
 * Elling Eielsen (1804–1883), the first Lutheran Church leader in the USA
 * Iver Lawson (1821–1871), a real estate investor and newspaper publisher
 * John Anderson (1836–1910), the founder and publisher Skandinaven
 * Eli Pederson (1837–1909), a Wisconsin State Assemblyman
 * Knute Nelson (1843–1923), a US Senator and the 12th Governor of Minnesota 1893-1895
 * Canute R. Matson (1843–1903), the Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois
 * Aad J. Vinje (1857–1929), the Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
 * Thorstein Himle (1857–1925), a missionary with the Lutheran Hauge Synod
 * Ragnvald Nestos (1877–1942), the 13th Governor of North Dakota from 1921–1925.
 * Torkild Rieber (1882–1968), a chairman of Texaco
 * Knute Rockne (1888–1931), an American footballer and coach who was commemorated by a memorial in Vossevangen
 * Lars Fletre (1904–1977), a designer and sculptor

Science

 * Aad Knutsson Gjelle (1768–1840), a cartographer