- Sør-Aurdal
Infobox_Kommune
name=Sør-Aurdal
idnumber=0540
county=Oppland
landscape=Valdres
capital=Bagn
governor=Knut Torgersen (Ap)
governor_as_of=2003
arearank=93
area=1109
arealand=1071
areapercent=0.34
population_as_of=2004
populationrank=260
population=3,251
populationpercent=0.07
populationdensity=3
populationincrease=-8.4
language=Neutral
lat_deg=60| lat_min=41| lat_sec=47| lon_deg=9| lon_min=39| lon_sec=32
utm_zone=32V| utm_northing=6729168 |utm_easting=0535977| geo_cat=adm2nd
munwebpage=www.sor-aurdal.kommune.noSør-Aurdal is a municipality in the county of
Oppland , Norway.The parish of "Søndre Aurdal" was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see
formannskapsdistrikt ). The area ofBruflat was transferred from Sør-Aurdal toEtnedal January 1, 1894.The name
The name "Sør-Aurdal" means '(the) southern (part of) Aurdal'. (The parish of Aurdal was divided in 1805.)
See >
Nord-Aurdal Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1990). It shows a Middle Age
reliquary (still standing inHedal stave church ).Geography
Sør-Aurdal is bordered on the north by
Nord-Aurdal andEtnedal , on the northeast byNordre Land , on the east bySøndre Land , on the south byRingerike andFlå , and on the west by Nes and Gol.Sør-Aurdal is part of the traditional district of
Valdres in central, southernNorway , situated betweenGudbrandsdal andHallingdal .History
Reinli stave church (built1190 -1250 ) is the third church on the same location in Reinli. A new tower was added in 1685 and the building was reconditioned by the Society for Preservation of Ancient Buildings in 1885.Olaf Haraldsson traveled throughValdres in1023 , and also visited Reinli. It is assumed there was a pagan temple at the same location before the first church, some time before1000 .Hedal stave church was built after1160 and in1699 rebuilt and changed. An old legend says the valley was abandoned during the black death and the church later discovered by a bear hunter. A hide is hanging in the church, although now there is only a small part left as visitors have cut away pieces over the years.What to see
Bagn Bygdesamling , associated withValdres Folkemuseum is located 8 km south ofBagn . It consists of twelve log houses, and a building for permanent displays. A part of the museum is Sandviken and the farm Bagnsbergatn.Bautahaugen Samlinger , associated withValdres Folkemuseum is located in the middle of Hedalen. It consists of a collection of houses and items from Hedalen. Close by isHedal stave church .Famous residents
*
Mikkjel Fønhus (1874-1973), author, most famous for his books about animals in the wilderness
*Hans Jacob Stabel , priest and member of the constitutional assembly to draft and sign theNorwegian Constitution atEidsvoll onMay 17 ,1814 References
"East Norway and its Frontier" by
Frank Noel Stagg , George Allen & Unwin, Ltd. 1956External links
* [http://www.kulturnett.no/geografisknavigering/geografisknavigering_visning.jsp?fylke=T946673&kommune=T906621 Map of Sør-Aurdal municipality] in
Kulturnett.no (Norwegian)
* [http://www.dagbladet.no/forfatter/mikkjel_fonhus.html Mikkjel Fønhus biography] fromDagbladet (Norwegian)
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.