Vibrandsøy
Encyclopedia
Vibrandsøy is an island which is part of the Haugesund
municipality in Rogaland
, Norway
. The island lies west of the densely built-up Hasseløy. The island is now used as a recreational area. The island was part of the Torvastad
municipality until 1965, and is the only part of the former municipality which was not incorporated into Karmøy
. As such, the island is the newest part of the Haugesund municipality.
The 300 decare property called "Vibrandsøy" includes the neighbouring islands of Gardsøya and Varøy in the north, and Trollholmen to the south-west. These islands are connected together by short bridges and fillings, but the islands have no land connection with the mainland.
left the island unpopulated until at least 1567. The island and its farm was sold by the church to the private person Isak Davidsson in 1652. The island became part of the Torvastad municipality in 1837. In 1872, the brothers John and Ole Andreas Knutsen purchased the island at auction. The island remained in the family's hands until ship-owner
Ole Andreas Knudsen died in 1993.
In 1875, the island had a population of 58. The shipping workshop Møllerodden was established in 1958, and upheld the island's activity for 30 years. Farming continued on the island until 1974.
In 2009, the beneficiaries to the Vibrandsøy estate accepted the municipality's bid for the property. The municipality pledged to renovate the deteriorated buildings on the island. The Norwegian government, through the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment
, gave a total of 7.5 million to support the purchase.
There were also earlier attempts to sell the area to the municipality. During the 1980s, the mayor attempted to purchase the island for 10 million, but it was not accepted. An offer to sell the island for the same price in 1991 was rejected due to the municipality's weak economy at the time.
bundled Vibrandsøy together with its nearby islands as circuit 0402 Vibrandsøy, with a population of 4. The 2009 population estimate set the island's population to 1.
The buildings are concentrated in the southernmost part of Vibrandsøy. Among the buildings are the industrial building "Møllerodden", and a number of seaside houses along the shoreline. North of the islands is Sørhaugøy, where the Tonjer lighthouse
is situated.
Haugesund
is a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
municipality in Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...
, 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...
. The island lies west of the densely built-up Hasseløy. The island is now used as a recreational area. The island was part of the Torvastad
Torvastad
-History:The parish of Torvestad was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . On 1 February 1855 the district Haugesund was separated from Torvastad to form a municipality of its own. The split left Torvastad with 3,242 inhabitants. Further division took place when Skåre broke out on 1...
municipality until 1965, and is the only part of the former municipality which was not incorporated into Karmøy
Karmøy
Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located southwest of the city of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland....
. As such, the island is the newest part of the Haugesund municipality.
The 300 decare property called "Vibrandsøy" includes the neighbouring islands of Gardsøya and Varøy in the north, and Trollholmen to the south-west. These islands are connected together by short bridges and fillings, but the islands have no land connection with the mainland.
History
Farming on Vibrandsøy is believed to have commenced already in the middle ages, but the Black DeathBlack Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
left the island unpopulated until at least 1567. The island and its farm was sold by the church to the private person Isak Davidsson in 1652. The island became part of the Torvastad municipality in 1837. In 1872, the brothers John and Ole Andreas Knutsen purchased the island at auction. The island remained in the family's hands until ship-owner
Ship-owner
A shipowner is the owner of a merchant vessel . In the commercial sense of the term, a shipowner is someone who equips and exploits a ship, usually for delivering cargo at a certain freight rate, either as a per freight rate or based on hire...
Ole Andreas Knudsen died in 1993.
In 1875, the island had a population of 58. The shipping workshop Møllerodden was established in 1958, and upheld the island's activity for 30 years. Farming continued on the island until 1974.
2009 sale and public ownership
After some legal disputes concerning the estate, the Haugaland district court ruled in 2008 that the property be sold. Several politicians, including Haugesund's mayor opined that the municipality and Norwegian government should purchase Vibrandsøy. There were concerns that the municipality, which administers zoning regulations, would zone large areas of the island for recreational purposes, thereby reducing its value, and possibly thwarting the sale.In 2009, the beneficiaries to the Vibrandsøy estate accepted the municipality's bid for the property. The municipality pledged to renovate the deteriorated buildings on the island. The Norwegian government, through the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment
Norwegian Ministry of the Environment
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of the Environment is a Norwegian ministry established in 1972. The ministry is responsible for environmental issues in Norway. It is led by the Minister of the Environment, Erik Solheim...
, gave a total of 7.5 million to support the purchase.
There were also earlier attempts to sell the area to the municipality. During the 1980s, the mayor attempted to purchase the island for 10 million, but it was not accepted. An offer to sell the island for the same price in 1991 was rejected due to the municipality's weak economy at the time.
Buildings and population
In the 2001 census, Statistics NorwayStatistics 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...
bundled Vibrandsøy together with its nearby islands as circuit 0402 Vibrandsøy, with a population of 4. The 2009 population estimate set the island's population to 1.
The buildings are concentrated in the southernmost part of Vibrandsøy. Among the buildings are the industrial building "Møllerodden", and a number of seaside houses along the shoreline. North of the islands is Sørhaugøy, where the Tonjer lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
is situated.