Rauland is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The 1,830-square-kilometre (710 sq mi) municipality existed from 1860 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Vinje Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Raulandsgrend (also known as Rauland) which is where Rauland Church is located. The municipality was a very mountainous, rural area, with about 90% of its area at elevations of 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level or higher.[4]

Rauland Municipality
Rauland herad
Rural area in Rauland
Rural area in Rauland
Telemark within Norway
Telemark within Norway
Rauland within Telemark
Rauland within Telemark
Coordinates: 59°42′59″N 7°59′18″E / 59.71631°N 7.98844°E / 59.71631; 7.98844
CountryNorway
CountyTelemark
DistrictVest-Telemark
Established1860
 • Preceded byVinje and Lårdal
Disestablished1 Jan 1964
 • Succeeded byVinje Municipality
Administrative centreRaulandsgrend
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total
1,830 km2 (710 sq mi)
Population
 (1964)
 • Total
1,656
 • Density0.90/km2 (2.3/sq mi)
DemonymRaulending[1]
Official language
 • Norwegian formNynorsk
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-0835[3]

History

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In 1860, the northern part of Vinje Municipality (population: 745) was merged with the Øyfjell area in Laardal Municipality (population: 243), together they formed the new municipality of Rauland with a total population of 988. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Rauland Municipality (population: 1,656) was merged with Vinje Municipality (population: 2,565) to form a new, larger Vinje Municipality.[5]

Name

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The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Rauland farm (Old Norse: Rauðaland) since the first Rauland Church was built there. The first element is rauði which means "bog iron". The last element is land which means "land" or "district". The many marshlands in the area are filled with bog iron and for centuries its production was an important local resource.[4][6]

Government

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While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elected a mayor.[7]

Municipal council

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The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Rauland was made up of 21 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Rauland heradsstyre 1960–1963 [8]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 13
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgarlege Felleslister) 4
Total number of members:21
Rauland heradsstyre 1956–1959 [9]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 13
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgarlege Felleslister) 8
Total number of members:21
Rauland heradsstyre 1952–1955 [10]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 12
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgarlege Felleslister) 8
Total number of members:20
Rauland heradsstyre 1948–1951 [11]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 8
  Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and the Radical People's Party (Radikale Folkepartiet) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 11
Total number of members:20
Rauland heradsstyre 1945–1947 [12]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 9
  Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and the Radical People's Party (Radikale Folkepartiet) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 10
Total number of members:20
Rauland heradsstyre 1938–1941* [13]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 20
Total number of members:20
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945.

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. ^ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  3. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (26 January 2023). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
  4. ^ a b Lundbo, Sten; Mæhlum, Lars, eds. (8 November 2021). "Rauland". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  5. ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  6. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1914). Norske gaardnavne: Bratsbergs amt (in Norwegian) (7 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 465.
  7. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norge: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960.
  9. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norge: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957.
  10. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952.
  11. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948.
  12. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947.
  13. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938.