Os Municipality (Innlandet)


Os is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Os i Østerdalen. Other villages in the municipality include Dalsbygda, Narbuvoll, and Tufsingdalen.
The municipality is the 110th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Os Municipality is the 289th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,895. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 6.1% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The parish of Os was historically part of Tolga Municipality. On 1 July 1926, the parish of Os was separated from Tolga Municipality to become a separate municipality. In 1927, a small area of Tolga Municipality was transferred to Os Municipality. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1966, Os Municipality was merged with Tolga Municipality to form the new Tolga-Os Municipality. This arrangement was not well-liked by the local residents so after a few years, the municipalities began to ask to undo the merger. On 1 January 1976, the merger was reversed and Os Municipality and Tolga Municipality were re-established using their old boundaries.
Historically, the municipality was part of Hedmark county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed Innlandet county.

Name

The municipality is named after the old Os farm since the first Os Church was built there in 1703. The name is identical with the word which means "mouth of a river".

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 9 July 1993. The official blazon is "Vert, three bells Or". This means the arms have a green field and the charge is three cowbells. The charge 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 design symbolizes both traditional and modern business life in the mountain municipality of Os. At the same time, the design is intended to signal hope for the future. The three bells are an image of unity and cooperation between the three main parts of the municipality. The arms were designed by Kjell Akeren. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms, although the bells are slightly off centre, closer to the flagpole.

Churches

The Church of Norway has three parishes within Os Municipality. It is part of the Nord-Østerdal prosti in the Diocese of Hamar.
Parish Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
DalsbygdaDalsbygda ChurchDalsbygda1960
NarbuvollNarbuvoll ChurchNarbuvoll1862
NarbuvollTufsingdalen ChurchTufsingdalen1920
OsOs ChurchOs i Østerdalen1862

Government

Os 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 Hedmarken og Østerdal District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Os 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 Os 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:
  • 1926–1931: Hans Narjord
  • 1932–1934: Sigvart Odden
  • 1935–1937: Hans Narjord
  • 1938–1940: Sigvart Odden
  • 1941–1945: Jørgen Øian
  • 1945–1955: Olav Hummelvold
  • 1956–1959: John Holm
  • 1960–1965: Olav Hummelvold
  • 1976–1985: Tore Christoffersen
  • 1986–1993: Inge Kroken
  • 1995–2007: Arnfinn Nergård
  • 2007–2011: Arne Grue
  • 2011–2015: Arnfinn Nergård
  • 2015–2023: Runa Finborud
  • 2023–present: Ivar Midtdal

    Geography

Lakes in the region include Flensjøen, Femunden, and Siksjøen. The large river Glomma runs through the northern part of the municipality. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Nordre Sålekinna, on the border with Tolga Municipality. Other mountains in the municipality include Forollhogna and Håmmålsfjellet.
The municipality is located to the northeastern part of the county, along the border with Trøndelag county. Røros Municipality is to the east, Midtre Gauldal Municipality and Holtålen Municipality are to the north, and Tolga Municipality is to the west, and Engerdal Municipality is to the south.

Notable people