Modum
Encyclopedia
Modum is a municipality
in Buskerud
county
, Norway
. It is part of the traditional region
of Hallingdal
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vikersund
. The municipality of Modum was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
).
The area has a long tradition of skiing
with several famous skiers. Modum is home to one of the largest ski jumping hills in the world, Vikersundbakken
. The hill record, established in 2004 is an amazing jump of 219 metres (718.5 ft).
) is named after the old Modum farm (Old Norse
: Móðheimr), since the first church was built here. The first element is móða which means "river
" (here the Drammenselva
river) and the last element is heimr which means "home
", "homestead", or "farm
". The name of the farm was later changed to Buskerud
.
is from modern times. They were granted on 15 March 1985. The arms show three wavy silver lines “party per bend sinister
” on a blue background. They represent the three main rivers in the municipality: Drammenselva
, Snarumselva, and Simoa
and the colour blue
represents Blaafarveværket
.
and Ringerike
, in the east by Hole
and Lier
, in the south by Øvre Eiker
, and in the west by Sigdal
.
The municipality has three main villages: Åmot
, Geithus
, and the municipality administrative center of Vikersund
. Åmot is the starting point for the Kunstnerdal. Here is where the Blaafarveværket
is located. That includes a cobalt
museum, art institutions, and a children’s barn yard.
with Modum: Laukaa
, Western Finland
, Finland
Stevns, Region Sjælland
, Denmark
Östra Göinge
, Skåne County
, Sweden
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Buskerud
Buskerud
is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is part of the traditional region
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
of Hallingdal
Hallingdal
Hallingdal is a valley and traditional district in Buskerud county in Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol.-History:Ancient routes went to Vestlandet through Valdres and Hallingdal and down Røldal to Odda...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vikersund
Vikersund
Vikersund is a town of 2,448 inhabitants in the municipality capital of Modum, in the county of Buskerud, Norway.Vikersund is located 30 kilometers south of Hønefoss and 40 kilometers northwest of Drammen. The village is located at the southwestern arm of Tyrifjorden. The Drammen river enters...
. The municipality of Modum was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
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...
).
The area has a long tradition of skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
with several famous skiers. Modum is home to one of the largest ski jumping hills in the world, Vikersundbakken
Vikersundbakken
Vikersundbakken is the only ski flying hill in the Nordic countries. With a hill and world record of 246,5 meters, Vikersundbakken is the world's largest ski jumping hill....
. The hill record, established in 2004 is an amazing jump of 219 metres (718.5 ft).
Name
The municipality (originally the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
) is named after the old Modum farm (Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Móðheimr), since the first church was built here. The first element is móða which means "river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
" (here the Drammenselva
Drammenselva
Drammenselva is a river in Buskerud county, southeastern Norway.-Location:Drammenselva is one of the largest rivers in Norway, with a drainage basin of about 17,000 square kilometers and a flow rate of 300 cubic meters per second. The river has an average discharge of about 300 m3 / s...
river) and the last element is heimr which means "home
Home
A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...
", "homestead", or "farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
". The name of the farm was later changed to Buskerud
Buskerud
is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
.
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 15 March 1985. The arms show three wavy silver lines “party per bend sinister
Division of the field
In heraldry, the field of a shield can be divided into more than one area of different tinctures, usually following the lines of one of the ordinaries and carrying its name...
” on a blue background. They represent the three main rivers in the municipality: Drammenselva
Drammenselva
Drammenselva is a river in Buskerud county, southeastern Norway.-Location:Drammenselva is one of the largest rivers in Norway, with a drainage basin of about 17,000 square kilometers and a flow rate of 300 cubic meters per second. The river has an average discharge of about 300 m3 / s...
, Snarumselva, and Simoa
Simoa
Simoa is the name of a river which flows through the municipalities of Sigdal and Modum in Buskerud County, Norway.-Location:The Simoa river runs from Lake Soneren through the municipality of Sigdal in a south-easterly course until it flows into Drammenselva at Åmot in Modum...
and the colour blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
represents Blaafarveværket
Blaafarveværket
Blaafarveværket in Modum, Norway, founded by King Christian VII of Denmark-Norway in the 1770s, became the largest industrial company of the country in the mid-19th century. The works mined cobalt ore and manufactured by smelting blue cobalt glass and cobalt blue pigment...
.
Geography
The municipality is bordered in the north by KrødsheradKrødsherad
Krødsherad is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Noresund. The municipality of Krødsherad was established when it was separated from the municipality of Sigdal on 1 January 1901.-Name:The Old Norse form of the name was...
and Ringerike
Ringerike
oskar er kjempe kulRingerike is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Ringerike...
, in the east by Hole
Hole, Norway
Hole is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Ringerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vik. Hole is located around lake Tyrifjorden and extends to the woodland around Oslo...
and Lier
Lier
Lier may refer to:* Lier, Belgium* Lier, Norway* De Lier, a town in the Netherlands* Li Er, also known as Laozi, a Chinese philosopher- See also :* Liar...
, in the south by Øvre Eiker
Øvre Eiker
Øvre Eiker is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Eiker. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hokksund. The old municipality of Eiker was divided into Øvre Eiker and Nedre Eiker on 1 July 1885.-Name:The Old Norse form of...
, and in the west by Sigdal
Sigdal
Sigdal is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Prestfoss. -Background:...
.
The municipality has three main villages: Åmot
Åmot, Buskerud
Åmot is a village in Modum municipality, Norway. Located just south of Geithus, the two villages have grown closer to each other. They have a combined population of 5.694 .-References:...
, Geithus
Geithus
Geithus is a village in Modum municipality, Norway....
, and the municipality administrative center of Vikersund
Vikersund
Vikersund is a town of 2,448 inhabitants in the municipality capital of Modum, in the county of Buskerud, Norway.Vikersund is located 30 kilometers south of Hønefoss and 40 kilometers northwest of Drammen. The village is located at the southwestern arm of Tyrifjorden. The Drammen river enters...
. Åmot is the starting point for the Kunstnerdal. Here is where the Blaafarveværket
Blaafarveværket
Blaafarveværket in Modum, Norway, founded by King Christian VII of Denmark-Norway in the 1770s, became the largest industrial company of the country in the mid-19th century. The works mined cobalt ore and manufactured by smelting blue cobalt glass and cobalt blue pigment...
is located. That includes a cobalt
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
museum, art institutions, and a children’s barn yard.
Notable residents
- Ole Einar BjørndalenOle Einar BjørndalenOle Einar Bjørndalen is a Norwegian professional biathlete. He is often regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. In 1992, he won his first career medal at the junior world championships. A year later In 1993, after winning a record three junior world championship titles, Bjørndalen...
, skiSkiA ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
biathleteBiathlonBiathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting... - Ole Gunnar FidjestølOle Gunnar FidjestølOle Gunnar Fidjestøl is a Norwegian ski jumper who competed from 1983 to 1992 representing Vikersund IF...
, ski jumperSki jumpingSki jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long... - Hans Andersen FossHans Andersen FossHans Andersen Foss was an American author, newspaper editor and temperance leader. Born the son of a small tenant farmer in 1851 in Modum, Buskerud county, Norway, Foss immigrated to the United States in 1887.-Biography:...
(1851-1929) Norwegian-American author and newspaper editor - Maurits HansenMaurits HansenMaurits Christopher Hansen was a Norwegian writer recognized for his contribution to a diversity of genres and the introduction of the novel in Norway. He was a major contributor to the Norwegian Romantic Movement...
(1774-1843), authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:... - Nils P. HaugenNils P. HaugenNils Pederson Haugen was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin. He was a leading member of the Progressive Movement and a national expert on tax reform.-Background:...
, member of the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... - Christopher HornsrudChristopher HornsrudChristopher Andersen Hornsrud served as Prime Minister of Norway from January to February 1928. He combined the post of prime minister with that of minister of finance. Although his tenure as Prime Minister was brief, his list of political accomplishments is not...
(1859-1960), Norwegian Prime Minister from January to February 1928 - Thure Erik LundThure Erik LundThure Erik Lund is a Norwegian author and cabinet maker. He debuted in 1992 with the novel Tanger, for which he won Tarjei Vesaas' debutantpris.- Bibliography :*Tanger – novel...
, author
Sister cities
The following cities are twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Modum: Laukaa
Laukaa
Laukaa is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Western Finland, next to Jyväskylä and is part of the Central Finland region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
, Western Finland
Western Finland
Western Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Oulu, Eastern Finland and Southern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Bothnia towards Åland.- History :...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Stevns, Region Sjælland
Region Sjælland
Region Zealand is an administrative region of Denmark established on January 1, 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which replaced the traditional counties with five larger regions. At the same time, smaller municipalities were merged into larger units, cutting the number of...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Östra Göinge
Östra Göinge Municipality
Östra Göinge Municipality is a municipality in Skåne County in southern Sweden. Its seat is located in the town Broby....
, Skåne County
Skåne County
Skåne County is the southernmost administrative county or län, of Sweden, basically corresponding to the historical province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Kronoberg and Blekinge. The seat of residence for the Skåne Governor is the town of Malmö...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
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...
- Blaafarveværket CobaltCobaltCobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
mines - Culture in Modum on the map from Kulturnett.no