Giske Municipality
Giske is an island municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality lies north-northwest of the town of Ålesund in the traditional district of Sunnmøre. The municipal centre is Valderhaugstrand. Other population centres include the villages of Roald and Alnes and Leitebakk. The municipality is part of the Ålesund Region.
The municipality is the 350th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Giske Municipality is the 126th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 8,808. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 12.3% over the previous 10-year period.
General information
Giske Municipality was established on 1 January 1908 when it was separated from the large Borgund Municipality. The initial population of the new municipality was 1,708 and it included the islands of Valderøya, Godøya, and Giske. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. Then on 1 January 1964, the neighbouring Vigra Municipality was merged into Giske Municipality. The newly enlarged municipality had a population of 4,644.Name
The municipality is named after the Giske farm located on the island of Giske, since the first Giske Church was built there. The name comes from the word gizki which means "tablecloth" or "rag".Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 14 June 1985, but it has old roots. The official blazon is "Azure, a lion rampant guardant Or". This means the arms have a blue field and the charge is a lion that is rampant and guardant. The lion 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 are based on the old seal of Erling Vidkunsson who was using the lion on his seal in 1355. His family was one of the most wealthy and influential families in the county, and had their origins and estate on Giske. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes within Giske Municipality. It is part of the Nordre [Sunnmøre prosti] in the Diocese of Møre.| Parish | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
| Giske | Giske Church | Giske | 1170 |
| Giske | Godøy Chapel | Geilevika on Godøya | 1953 |
| Valderøy | Valderøy Church | Nordstrand | 1961 |
| Vigra | Vigra Church | Vigra | 1894 |
Recording Studio
Giske Harbor Hall is an internationally renowned, purpose-built recording studio located on the shore of a former harbor on the island of Giske. It looks like an old boathouse and also operates as a concert hall. The British band New Model Army recorded its album "From Here" in this special recording studio.Government
Giske 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 Sunnmøre District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.Municipal council
The municipal council of Giske Municipality is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to four year terms. Interestingly, in the 2007 municipal elections, Giske recorded the highest vote for the Christian [Democratic Party |Christian Democratic Party] in all of Norway at 43.2 percent. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.Mayors
The mayor of Giske 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:- 1908–1916: O.E. Petersen
- 1917–1919: Knut E. Valderhaug
- 1919–1923: Nils Giskeødegard
- 1923–1934: Andreas O. Godøy
- 1934–1942: Peder Giske
- 1942–1944: Karl K. Giskegjerde
- 1945–1951: Karl K. Ytterland
- 1951–1963: Lars L. Godøy
- 1963–1967: Karl O. Blindheim
- 1967–1971: Jens Mulelid
- 1971–1975: Kjell Furnes
- 1975–1983: Noralf Støbakk
- 1983–1987: Elias Kaare Giske
- 1987–1995: Harald Hole
- 1995–1999: Karin Kalvø Giske
- 1999–2003: Ruth Roald
- 2003–2015: Knut Støbakk
- 2015–2023: Harry Valderhaug
- 2023–present: Kenneth Langvatn
Geography
The main islands are all connected to the mainland of Norway by a network of tunnels and bridges. Godøy Tunnel connects Godøya to the island of Giske. Giske Bridge connects the island of Giske and Valderøya. A causeway connects the island of Vigra and Valderøya. All islands are connected to Valderøya which is where the main Valderøy Tunnel connects the whole municipality to the island of Ellingsøya in Ålesund Municipality. Finally, the Ellingsøy Tunnel connects that island to the town of Ålesund.
Climate
Giske is situated at the coast and has a temperate oceanic climate with very mild winters for the latitude, sometimes with strong winds in winter and late autumn. All-time high is recorded 28 July 2018, while the all-time low is recorded January 2016. Winter lows rarely go below. Coldest month on record was February 1966 with mean, warmest month was August 2003 with mean. Ålesund Airport Vigra in Giske has been recording since July 1958.History
Giske is the site of , an ancient burial place dating from the Bronze Age. The site was the location of excavations in 1847, 1867 and 1878. Giske is also the place where, according to Snorre Sturlason, Harald Fairhair had his hair cut after uniting Norway. The historic Giske Church is also located on the island of Giske.Notable people
- Tora Torbergsdatter, a Norwegian royal consort and the mother of two kings of Norway
- Peggy Hessen Følsvik, a trade unionist
- Marianne Synnes, a medical laboratory scientist, molecular biologist, and politician