Jølster

Infobox_Kommune
name = Jølster
idnumber = 1431
county = Sogn og Fjordane
landscape = Sunnfjord


capital = Skei
language = Nynorsk
demonym = Jølstring


munwebpage = www.jolster.kommune.no
governor = Gerd Dvergsdal (Sp)
governor_as_of = 2003
arearank = 166
area = 671
arealand = 620
areapercent = 0.21
population_as_of = 2006
populationrank = 275
population = 2,918
populationpercent = 0.06
populationdensity = 5
populationincrease = -3.2
lat_deg = 61 | lat_min = 32 | lat_sec = 30 | lon_deg = 6 | lon_min = 24 | lon_sec = 32
utm_zone = 32V | utm_northing = 6825889 | utm_easting = 0362290 | geo_cat = adm2nd

Jølster is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre is the village of Skei.

Jølster lies at the centre of Sogn og Fjordane county and is known for its rich cultural traditions in home crafts, folk music, song, dancing and creative arts. Agriculture is the largest and most important industry. The principal attractions being the beautiful scenery, easy access to the glaciers. Jølster is home to part of the largest glacier of continental Europe, the Jostedalsbreen as well as a clear green lake named Jølstravatn. The trout caught in Jølstravatn are renowned throughout Norway and beyond.

General information

Name

The name "Jølster" originates from the Old Norse "jolmster" which is a word that describes the noise and rumble from the river "Jølstra" that runs through the lower parts of the municipality.

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 22 July 1983. The arms are derived from the arms of Audun Hugleiksson from Hegranes in the present municipality, who died in 1302. He was a Middle Ages nobleman who lived in Jølster and built Audunborg, one of only two private stone castles in Norway. On his seals, he used a shield with a rose, surrounded with a bordure of fleur-de-lis. The arms of Jølster are derived from this bordure. [cite web|url=http://www.ngw.nl/int/nor/j/jolster.htm|author=Norske Kommunevåpen|date=1990|title=Nye kommunevåbener i Norden|accessdaymonth=3 August|accessyear=2008]

Background

Jølster was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The original municipality was identical to the Jølster parish "(prestegjeld)" with the sub-parishes "(sokn)" of Ålhus and Helgheim.cite web|url=http://www.sf-f.kommune.no/sff/emigration3.nsf/enduser?readform|title=Some historical data on the 26 Kommunes|date=9 Feb 2005|last=Natvik|first=Oddvar]

On 1 January 1964, the farm area of Førde in Breim (population: 38) was transferred to Jølster.cite web|first=Dag|last=Jukvam|publisher=Statistics Norway|title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen|date=1999|url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf no icon]

Churches

The Church of Norway has three churches within the municipality of Jølster. It is part of the Diocese of Bjørgvin and the Rural Deanery "(Prosti)" of Sunnfjord.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Jølster, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor.

Municipal council

The municipal council "(Kommunestyre)" of Jølster is made up of 25 representatives that are elected to every four years. For 2007–2011, the party breakdown is as follows: [cite web|publisher=Statistics Norway|url=http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/01/20/kommvalgform_en/tab-2008-01-29-15-en.html|title=Members of the local councils|accessdaymonth=6 August|accessyear=2008|date=2007] Infobox_Kommunestyre
name = Jølster
start = 2007
end = 2011
Total = 25
Arbeiderpartiet = 5
Fremskrittspartiet = 2
Høyre = 2
Kristelig_Folkeparti = 2
Senterpartiet = 9
Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1
Venstre = 4
Rødt =
Local_Lists = |

Mayor

The mayor "(ordførar)" of a municipality in Norway is a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. Gerd Dvergsdal of the Centre Party "(Senterpartiet)" was elected mayor for the 2007-2011 term. [cite web|publisher= [http://www.nrk.no NRK.no] |title=Gerd Dvergsdal|url=http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nrk_sogn_og_fjordane/fylkesleksikon/5775373.html|date=18 September 2006|accessdaymonth=6 August|accessyear=2008 no icon]

Geography

The Jølstravatn lake splits the municipality in half--creating two centres of population at each end: Skei in the eastern end of the lake and Vassenden (English: "the water-end") in the western part, where the river Jølstra starts. Lake Breimsvatn is also partially located in Jølster.

Jølster is bordered to the north by the municipalities of Stryn and Gloppen, to the east by Luster, to the southeast by Sogndal, and to the south and west by Førde.

Economy

Tourism is one of the largest industries in Jølster, and there are hotels, campsites and a number of tourist facilities in each centre of the municipality. In addition to tourism, agriculture and construction are the other most important industries.

Attractions

Astruptunet

Astruptunet was the home of the painter Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928) for the last fourteen years of his life. The Astrup Farm "(Astruptunet)" was the artist´s home and small farm, but today it is a museum and art gallery, kept as it was in Astrup´s days, nestled among the steep but fertile slopes on the south side of Jølstravatn. The barn was torn down and rebuilt as a gallery, but in the same style as the old barn. The gallery has permanent exhibitions of Astrup's work such as paintings, graphics, wood-engraving plates and sketches. Most of his scenes have been taken from Jølster and Nikolai Astrup has since remained one of the most Norwegian of our national artists.

Nikolai Astrup lived most of his life in Jølster. Astrup often is regarded as the artist of Western Norway, as he found virtually all of his motives in his home surroundings. He's considered the "most Norwegian" of all the national artists of Norway.cite web|url=http://www.gonorway.com/norway/counties/sogn%20and%20fjordane/jølster/7637a9c127afc80/index.html|title=Jølster Municipality in Norway|publisher=GoNorway.no|accessdaymonth=11 August|accessyear=2008]

Eikaas Gallery

Another famous Norwegian painter and graphic artist, Ludvig Eikaas, also is closely connected to Jølster. The artist grew up in Jølster, but later moved to Oslo. He is among other things famous for his non-figurative art and portraits/self-portraits.

The Eikaas Gallery was originally an old dairy farm in Ålhus that was purchased by the municipality of Jølster and converted to a modern art gallery. The collection contains about 300 works of art by Ludvig Eikaas. Since the opening of the Eikaas Gallery in 1994, many tourists have stopped to enjoy the "humorous madness" and other varieties of the art of Ludvig Eikaas.

Jølstra Museum

The Jølstra museum is a private village green with many original Jølstra buildings and a collection of around 3,000 artifacts. There are also exhibitions of paintings by Ludvig Eikaas and Oddvar Torsheim and of Jølster textiles.

Jølster Alpine Ski Centre

Jølster can offer you several alternatives for skiing enthusiasts. Jølster alpine ski centre lies at Vassenden. Here you can enjoy yourself on the slopes or you can take the lift to the top and crosscountry ski through the valley. There are lighted ski trails in Årdal and in Dvergsdalen. Jølster also has many wild and beautiful mountains just right for Telemark skiing enthusiasts.

References