Vadheim
Encyclopedia
Vadheim is a village in the municipality of Høyanger
in Sogn og Fjordane
county, Norway
. It is located on the north shore of the Sognefjord
, along the highway . It is about 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) northeast of the village of Lavik
, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) northwest of Kyrkjebø
, and 13.5 kilometres (8.4 mi) northwest of Austreim
. The population (2003) of Vadheim was 222, but since 2004, Vadheim is no longer considered an "urban" settlement by Statistics Norway
, and so its population data is no longer recorded.
. During that conflict, Germany
converted a number of merchant ships in armed surface raiders. These ships cruised the world's shipping lanes and captured/sank Allied
shipping. The most famous and successful of these was the SMS Möwe
. One of the ships she sank was the Mount Temple
which carried dinosaur skeletons destined for the British Museum
in London
, England. The Möwe survived the war and was renamed several times over the next several decades. During World War II
, she was renamed Oldenburg, and used in support of the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
. On 7 April 1945 Bristol Beaufighter
aircraft from No. 114 Squadron RAF
, No. 455 Squadron RAAF
, and No. 489 Squadron RNZAF sank the Oldenburg at her moorings following an intense strafing and rocket attack.
During World War II
, the pre-war criminal and wartime resistance fighter Johannes S. Andersen
broke into the German barracks in Vadheim and killed two German prisoners-of-war. The incident caused a controversy in Norway after the war when Andersen was charged in court with killing them. It was decided in 1947 that his indictment would be withdrawn.
Near Vadheim is an 18th century stone bridge called the Ytredal Bridge. It is a popular tourist attraction.
Høyanger
is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center is the village of Høyanger, which has 2177 inhabitants . Other villages in Høyanger include Lavik, Kyrkjebø, Austreim, and Vadheim...
in Sogn og Fjordane
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
county, 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 located on the north shore of the Sognefjord
Sognefjord
The Sognefjord is the largest fjord in Norway, and the second longest in the world. Located in Sogn og Fjordane county, it stretches inland to the small village of Skjolden...
, along the highway . It is about 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) northeast of the village of Lavik
Lavik
Lavik is a village and former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county in Norway. It is located in the eastern part of the present-day municipality of Høyanger...
, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) northwest of Kyrkjebø
Kyrkjebø
Kyrkjebø is a village and a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county in Norway. It is located in the northwestern part of the present-day municipality of Høyanger...
, and 13.5 kilometres (8.4 mi) northwest of Austreim
Austreim
Austreim is a village in the municipality of Høyanger in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located on the north shore of the Sognefjord, about southwest of the municipal center of Høyanger, about east of Kyrkjebø, and about southeast of Vadheim and the highway . The village has a...
. The population (2003) of Vadheim was 222, but since 2004, Vadheim is no longer considered an "urban" settlement by Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway
Statistics 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...
, and so its population data is no longer recorded.
History
Vadheim is the resting place for one of the most famous warships of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. During that conflict, Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
converted a number of merchant ships in armed surface raiders. These ships cruised the world's shipping lanes and captured/sank Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
shipping. The most famous and successful of these was the SMS Möwe
SMS Möwe
SMS Möwe was an merchant raider of the Imperial German Navy which operated against Allied shipping during World War I....
. One of the ships she sank was the Mount Temple
SS Mount Temple
The SS Mount Temple was a Canadian Pacific Lines cargo ship that was sunk during the First World War by the German commerce raider SMS Möwe.Originally a Beaver Line ship, it was purchased by Canadian Pacific in 1903....
which carried dinosaur skeletons destined for the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England. The Möwe survived the war and was renamed several times over the next several decades. 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...
, she was renamed Oldenburg, and used in support of the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
. On 7 April 1945 Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
aircraft from No. 114 Squadron RAF
No. 114 Squadron RAF
-Formation and World War I:No. 114 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed In Lahore, India on 27 Sep 1917. It was equipped with the B.E.2 and Bristol F2B and operated on the North-West Frontier...
, No. 455 Squadron RAAF
No. 455 Squadron RAAF
No. 455 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force torpedo bomber squadron during World War II and became famous as part of the so-called ANZAC Strike Wing.-History:No. 455 Squadron was formed at Williamtown, New South Wales on 23 May 1941...
, and No. 489 Squadron RNZAF sank the Oldenburg at her moorings following an intense strafing and rocket attack.
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...
, the pre-war criminal and wartime resistance fighter Johannes S. Andersen
Johannes S. Andersen
Johannes Sigfred Andersen was a Norwegian resistance fighter during the Second World War, a member of the Norwegian Independent Company 1 . He was nicknamed "Gulosten"; 'The Yellow Cheese'. He also used the surname Ostein during the war...
broke into the German barracks in Vadheim and killed two German prisoners-of-war. The incident caused a controversy in Norway after the war when Andersen was charged in court with killing them. It was decided in 1947 that his indictment would be withdrawn.
Near Vadheim is an 18th century stone bridge called the Ytredal Bridge. It is a popular tourist attraction.
Notable residents
- Vegar GjermundstadVegar GjermundstadVegar Hegggenes Gjermundstad is a Norwegian football defender who currently plays for Sogndal IL.He hails from Vadheim. He started his career in Vadheim IL and IL Høyang, but moved in 2006 to attend the school Norsk Toppidrettsgymnas as well as to play for FC Lyn Oslo. In the summer of 2008 he...
(born 1990) — association footballer - Karl Friedrich KurzKarl Friedrich KurzKarl Friedrich Kurz was a Swiss/German/Norwegian novelist.Kurz was born near Freiburg, Bremgarten, Markgräflerland in Germany. As a child he moved with his parents to Basel in Switzerland. He wanted to be a painter and entered the academy in Karlsruhe.Coincidences made him a writer...
(1878–1962) — novelNovelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
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