Vevring Municipality


Vevring is a former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now divided between Kinn Municipality, Askvoll Municipality, and Sunnfjord Municipality in the traditional district of Sunnfjord in Vestland county. The administrative centre was the village of Vevring which is on the north side of the Førdefjorden where Vevring Church is located. The village of Kvammen was the main village on the south side of the fjord.
Prior to its dissolution in 1964, the municipality was the 470th largest by area out of the 689 municipalities in Norway. Vevring Municipality was the 632nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about. The municipality's population density was and its population had decreased by 8.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The parish of Vevring was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the municipality was dissolved and split between three surrounding municipalities:
  • the Steindalen valley north of the Førdefjorden was incorporated into the newly created Flora Municipality
  • the rest of the land area north of the Førdefjorden was incorporated into Naustdal Municipality
  • the area south of the Førdefjorden was incorporated into Askvoll Municipality

    Name

The municipality is named after the old Vevring farm since the first Vevring Church was built there. The name of the farm comes from the name of a local stream. The stream's original name was derived from the word which means "to roam" or "to wander", likely describing the path of the stream.

Churches

The Church of Norway had one parish within Vevring Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Førde prestegjeld and the Sunnfjord prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.
Parish Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
VevringVevring ChurchVevring1846

Geography

Vevring Municipality was centered along the Førdefjorden in the Sunnfjord region. Bru Municipality was located to the west and north, Eikefjord Municipality was located to the northeast, Naustdal Municipality was located to the east, Gaular Municipality was located to the southeast, and Fjaler Municipality was located to the south.
Vevring Municipality stretched from the Ålasundet strait in the east to the mouth of the fjord in the west and from the in the north to the mountains south of the fjord. The highest point in the municipality was the tall mountain Blægja.

Government

While it existed, Vevring Municipality was 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 was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Vevring Municipality was made up of 15 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors

The mayor of Vevring Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:
  • 1838–1858: Johannes Skorven
  • 1858–1863: Anders A. Redal
  • 1864–1868: Johannes Skorven
  • 1869–1900: Karl Vefring
  • 1901–1910: Andreas Hegrenes
  • 1911–1925: Gjert Hegrenes
  • 1926–1932: Johannes Osland
  • 1933–1937: Johannes Kvammen
  • 1938–1942: Johannes Thingnes
  • 1942–1943: Anders Øye
  • 1943–1945: Sigvald Gjelsvik
  • 1945–1945: Johannes Thingnes
  • 1946–1955: Bertel Hundvebakke
  • 1956–1964: Audun Hegrenes