Granvin
Encyclopedia
Granvin is a municipality in the county of Hordaland
, Norway. The population is 964. About half of these, 444 people, live in the village of Granvin, situated at the end of a side arm of the Hardangerfjord
.
', the last element is vin f 'meadow, pasture'. Granvin is one of few parishes in Vestlandet
with forests made of spruce.
The name of the parish was written "Graven" before 1858 - and in the period 1892-1898.
is from modern times. They were granted on 13 May 1988. The arms show a hardanger-fiddle
(Hardingfele), which is a Norwegian folk instrument. Granvin is situated in the Hardanger
region, and has an active folk-music tradition
.
), which also included two annexes, Ulvik
and Eidfjord
. In 1858, Ulvik became the main parish, so that Granvin and Eidfjord became annexes to Ulvik, and the name of municipality was changed accordingly. Granvin and Eidfjord were separated from Ulvik as municipalities of their own on 1 May 1891.
In April 1940, during the German invasion of Norway
during World War II
, there was some fighting between German and Norwegian forces in Granvin. German forces landed in the village of Granvin and advanced along the road towards Voss
. They were halted for a brief time at Skjervefossen, but quickly broke down the Norwegian defence.
The population of Granvin has been dropping in recent years. In 1951, the population was 1158. Since then, it has dropped by 16.8 % to 964 in 2008. This development is common in many smaller, rural municipalities in Norway.
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
, Norway. The population is 964. About half of these, 444 people, live in the village of Granvin, situated at the end of a side arm of the Hardangerfjord
Hardangerfjord
With a length of , the Hardangerfjord in the county of Hordaland in Norway is the third largest fjord in the world and the second largest in Norway. The surrounding district is called Hardanger....
.
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the farm Granvin (Norse Grǫnvin), since the first church was built there. The first element is grǫn f which means 'spruceSpruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
', the last element is vin f 'meadow, pasture'. Granvin is one of few parishes in Vestlandet
Vestlandet
Western Norway is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the counties Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane, and Møre og Romsdal and the region has a population of approximately 1.3 million people. The largest city is Bergen, second largest is Stavanger...
with forests made of spruce.
The name of the parish was written "Graven" before 1858 - and in the period 1892-1898.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted on 13 May 1988. The arms show a hardanger-fiddle
Hardingfele
A Hardanger fiddle is a traditional stringed instrument used originally to play the music of Norway. In modern designs, the instruments are very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings and thinner wood...
(Hardingfele), which is a Norwegian folk instrument. Granvin is situated in the Hardanger
Hardanger
Hardanger is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, dominated by the Hardangerfjord. It consists of the municipalities of Odda, Ullensvang, Eidfjord, Ulvik, Granvin, Kvam and Jondal, and is located inside the county of Hordaland....
region, and has an active folk-music tradition
Music of Norway
Music based on traditional Norwegian form usually includes minor or modal scales , making a sober and haunting sound. Pure major key dance music forms also exist. Prior to the 18th century, there is scant written record of what kind of music was played in Norway, but there is a large aural tradition...
.
History
The parish of Graven was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
), which also included two annexes, Ulvik
Ulvik
Ulvik is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality stretches from the Hardangerfjord to 1,800 metres above sea level, and borders the municipalities of Granvin, Eidfjord, Ullensvang, Voss, Aurland, and Hol. It takes around two hours to drive from Bergen to Ulvik. The nearest...
and Eidfjord
Eidfjord
Eidfjord is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Eidfjord was separated from Ulvik May 1, 1891....
. In 1858, Ulvik became the main parish, so that Granvin and Eidfjord became annexes to Ulvik, and the name of municipality was changed accordingly. Granvin and Eidfjord were separated from Ulvik as municipalities of their own on 1 May 1891.
In April 1940, during the German invasion of Norway
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, there was some fighting between German and Norwegian forces in Granvin. German forces landed in the village of Granvin and advanced along the road towards Voss
Voss
is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Voss. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen....
. They were halted for a brief time at Skjervefossen, but quickly broke down the Norwegian defence.
The population of Granvin has been dropping in recent years. In 1951, the population was 1158. Since then, it has dropped by 16.8 % to 964 in 2008. This development is common in many smaller, rural municipalities in Norway.
Notable residents
- Lars Jonson HaukanessLars Jonson HaukanessLars Jonson Haukaness was a Norwegian born American-Canadian impressionist painter and art instructor who was particularly noted for his landscapes.-Background:...
(1863-1929) - Impressionist painter - Hans DahlHans DahlHans Dahl was a Norwegian painter. Hans Dahl was famous for his paintings of Norwegian fjords and surrounding landscapes.-Background:...
(1849-1937) - RomanticismRomanticismRomanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
painterPaintingPainting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...