Etnedal Municipality


Etnedal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruflat.
The municipality is the 215th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Etnedal Municipality is the 318th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,254. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

Etnedal Municipality was established on 1 January 1894 after the eastern Nordre Etnedal valley area from Nord-Aurdal Municipality and the Søndre Etnedal valley area from Sør-Aurdal Municipality were merged. On 1 January 1979, there was a border adjustment in an unpopulated area where part of Etnedal Municipality was transferred to Nord-Aurdal Municipality and another unpopulated part of Nord-Aurdal Municipality was transferred to Etnedal Municipality.
Historically, this municipality was part of the old Oppland county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed Innlandet county.

Name

The municipality is named after the Etnedalen valley since it was a central geographic feature of the municipality. The first element is the genitive case of local Etna river Etn. The meaning of the river name is uncertain but it is possibly derived from which means to "push forward" or from which means to "eat". The last element is which means "valley" or "dale". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Etnedalen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Etnedal, removing the definite form ending -en.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted by royal decree on 14 July 1989. The official blazon is "Azure, an arched bridge Or". This means the arms have a blue field and the charge is an arched bridge. The bridge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The arms were designed to symbolize the old Lunde bridge which is one of the best preserved stone bridges in Norway. The bridge is now a national monument. It is also Northern Europe's largest dry stone-arch bridge. The bridge was built in 1829 on the Old King's Road connecting the cities of Oslo and Bergen. A portion of the king's road was refurbished and turned into a footpath in 1992 and is now a natural and cultural walking path. The arms were designed by Ivar Aars. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches

The Church of Norway has two parishes within Etnedal Municipality. It is part of the Valdres prosti in the Diocese of Hamar.
Parish Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
EtnedalBruflat ChurchBruflat1750
Nord-EtnedalNord-Etnedal ChurchBrøtahaugen1866

Geography

Etnedal Municipality is part of the traditional district of Valdres in central, southern Norway, situated between the Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal valleys. Valdres also includes the municipalities of Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, and Vang.
Etnedal Municipality is bordered to the east by Nordre Land Municipality, to the south by Sør-Aurdal Municipality, and on the west and north by Nord-Aurdal Municipality. The river Etna flows through the municipality, then into Nordre Land Municipality and then down into Randsfjorden. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Spåtind, in the northern part of the municipality.

Government

Etnedal Municipality is responsible for primary education, 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 Vestoppland og Valdres District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Etnedal 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.

Mayors

The mayor of Etnedal Municipality 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:
  • 1894–1900: Arild Huitfeldt Siewers
  • 1900–1901: Nils Hagaseth
  • 1901–1904: Erik Thon
  • 1904–1907: Aslak E. Bruflat
  • 1907–1913: Engebret Espelien
  • 1913–1919: Nils Nielsen
  • 1919–1922: Carl Christian Wishman
  • 1922–1925: Ole E. Bruflat
  • 1925–1928: Martin Lundstein
  • 1928–1931: Ole E. Bruflat
  • 1931–1934: Engebret Haug
  • 1934–1937: Ole E. Bruflat
  • 1937–1940: Torleiv Hodne
  • 1940–1945:
  • 1946–1959: Iver K. Haug
  • 1960–1967: Nicolai Hestekind
  • 1968–1974: Ole Fløgum
  • 1975–1975: Kristian Midthus
  • 1976–1979: Alfred Steinset
  • 1980–1983: Knut Engelien
  • 1984–1999: Odd Byfuglien
  • 1999–2014: Jan Arild Berg
  • 2014–2019: Toril Grønbrekk
  • 2019–present: Linda Mæhlum Robøle

    Economy

Occupations in the municipality include animal husbandry and logging, but there is also some industry and tourism.

Notable people