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Mandal (municipality)

Coordinates: 58°02′45″N 07°29′44″E / 58.04583°N 7.49556°E / 58.04583; 7.49556
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This article is about the former municipality in Norway. For the town in Norway, see Mandal, Norway. For other uses of "Mandal" as a local government area, see Tehsil and Mandal (disambiguation).
Mandal Municipality
Mandal kommune
Former municipality
View of Sjøsanden, a beach in Mandal
View of Sjøsanden, a beach in Mandal
Flag of Mandal Municipality
Flag
Coat of arms of Mandal Municipality
Coat of arms
Vest-Agder within Norway
Vest-Agder within Norway
Mandal within Vest-Agder
Mandal within Vest-Agder
Coordinates: 58°02′45″N 07°29′44″E / 58.04583°N 7.49556°E / 58.04583; 7.49556
CountryNorway
CountyVest-Agder
DistrictSørlandet
Established1 Jan 1964
 • Preceded byMandal, Halse og Harkmark, Holum municipalities
Disestablished1 Jan 2020
 • Succeeded byLindesnes Municipality
Administrative centreMandal
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total
222.83 km2 (86.04 sq mi)
 • Land210.61 km2 (81.32 sq mi)
 • Water12.22 km2 (4.72 sq mi)
 • Rank#321 in Norway
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
15,600
 • Rank#77 in Norway
 • Density74.1/km2 (192/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Increase +9.9%
DemonymMandalitt[1]
Official language
[2]
 • Norwegian formBokmål
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1002[3]
WebsiteOfficial website
Data from Statistics Norway

Mandal (pronunciationⓘ) is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. It was located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The municipality existed from 1964 until 1 January 2020 when the municipalities of Mandal, Lindesnes, and Marnardal were merged to form a new, larger municipality of Lindesnes in what is now Agder county. Mandal was the southernmost municipality in all of Norway, with the tiny skerry of Pysen being the southernmost point of land in Norway.

The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Mandal. The town of Mandal was the second largest town by population in the old Vest-Agder county after the nearby town of Kristiansand and it is also the fourth largest city in all of the Sørlandet/Agder region. Besides the town of Mandal, the municipality also includes the villages of Bykjernen, Skjebstad, Sånum-Lundevik, Skogsfjord-Hesland, Krossen, Harkmark, Skinsnes-Ime, and Tregde-Skjernøy.

At the time of its dissolution in 2020, the 223-square-kilometre (86 sq mi) municipality is the 321st largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Mandal is the 77th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 15,600. The municipality's population density is 74.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (192/sq mi) and its population has increased by 9.9% over the last decade.[4]

The river Mandalselva is a salmon river that flows through the municipality with its river mouth just outside the town. Mandal has many small, white-painted wooden houses, which is typical of towns at the South Coast of Norway (Sørlandet). The European route E39 highway connecting Kristiansand and Stavanger is the main road through Mandal. There are connecting airplane flights and ferries to Europe from Kristiansand.

General information

[edit]
Part of Mandal town center
Marina in Mandal
View of the Tregde area

The town of Mandal was established as a ladested municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 July 1921, a part of the neighboring municipality of Halse og Harkmark (population: 221) that was next to the town of Mandal was merged with the town. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the town of Mandal (population: 5,446) was merged with the rural municipalities of Halse og Harkmark (population: 3,676) and Holum (population: 1,127) to form a new, large municipality of Mandal. On 1 January 1965, an unpopulated area of Mandal called Svalemyren was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Søgne.[5]

On 1 January 2020, the three neighboring municipalities of Mandal, Marnardal, and Lindesnes will be merged into one large municipality called Lindesnes with its administrative centre being the town of Mandal.[6]

Name

[edit]

The municipality is named after the town of Mandal (Old Norse: Marnardalr), which in turn is named after the Mandalen river valley in which it is located. The first element is the genitive case of the river name Mǫrn which is now called Mandalselva. The meaning of this old river name is uncertain, but it may be derived from the word marr which means "sea". The last element is dalr which means "valley" or "dale".[7]

Prior to 1653, the town of Mandal was named Vesterrisør (meaning "western Risør"). The name was originally referring to the island Risøya outside the town, and the first element was added in the 16th century to distinguish it from the town of Østerrisør (meaning "eastern Risør"), which is now simply called Risør.

See also: the names of Marnardal and Risør

Coat of arms

[edit]

The coat of arms was granted on 2 July 1921, just after Mandal became a town, and it was in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was dissolved. The official blazon is "Azure, three salmon naiant argent" (Norwegian: I blått tre hvite lakser, 1-1-1). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is three salmon shown swimming horizontally and stacked vertically. The salmon have a tincture of argent which means they are commonly colored white, but if the arms are made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field and the salmon were chosen to symbolize the importance of salmon fishing on the river Mandalselva. Mandal is the southernmost municipality in Norway that has a large salmon population, so therefore, salmon fishing also played a major role in the economic development of the village and its trade with the rest of southern Norway. The municipality usually added a mural crown to the top of the arms to show that the municipality included the town of Mandal. The arms were designed by Hallvard Trætteberg. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[8][9][10]

See also: Coats of arms for the municipalities of Grane, Kvalsund, and Nordreisa

Churches

[edit]

The Church of Norway has two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Mandal. It is part of the Mandal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Churches in Mandal
Parish (sokn) Church name Location of the church Year built
Holum Holum Church Krossen 1825
Mandal Harkmark Church Harkmark 1613
Mandal Church Mandal 1821

Government

[edit]

While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[11] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Kristiansand District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

[edit]

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Mandal was made up of 35 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Mandal kommunestyre 2016–2019 [12][13]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 11
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 8
  Green Party (Miljøpartiet De Grønne) 1
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 7
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 4
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 1
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:35
Mandal kommunestyre 2012–2015 [14]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 10
  Green Party (Miljøpartiet De Grønne) 1
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 6
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 5
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 1
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:35
Mandal kommunestyre 2008–2011 [13]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 11
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 7
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 1
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:35
Mandal kommunestyre 2004–2007 [13]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 10
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 6
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 6
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 1
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 3
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:35
Mandal kommunestyre 2000–2003 [13]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 8
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 11
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 9
  Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 2
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:45
Mandal kommunestyre 1996–1999 [15]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 10
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 5
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 11
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 8
  Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:45
Mandal kommunestyre 1992–1995 [16]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 6
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 10
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 7
  Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 4
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:45
Mandal kommunestyre 1988–1991 [17]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 10
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 7
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 9
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 9
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 3
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
Total number of members:45
Mandal kommunestyre 1984–1987 [18]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 13
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 14
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 9
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:45
Mandal kommunestyre 1980–1983 [19]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 10
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 15
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 7
  Liberal People's Party (Liberale Folkepartiet) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
 Cross-party list (Tverrpolitisk liste)2
Total number of members:45
Mandal kommunestyre 1976–1979 [20]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 11
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 10
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 8
  New People's Party (Nye Folkepartiet) 4
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
 Cross-party list (Tverrpolitisk Liste)3
Total number of members:45
Mandal kommunestyre 1972–1975 [21]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 13
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 7
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 5
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
  Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 9
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 5
Total number of members:45
Mandal kommunestyre 1968–1971 [22]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 14
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 8
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 4
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 12
Total number of members:45
Mandal kommunestyre 1964–1967 [23]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 14
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 8
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 14
Total number of members:45

Mayors

[edit]

The mayors (Norwegian: ordfører) of Mandal:[24]

Geography

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Mandal bordered the North Sea to the south, the municipality of Lindesnes to the west and northwest, the municipality of Marnardal to the north, and the municipality of Søgne to the east. The municipality included many islands and skerries along the coast including Hille, Pysen, Skjernøy, and Skogsøy. The Hatholmen Lighthouse and Ryvingen Lighthouse marked the sides of the Mannefjorden which leads north into the town of Mandal. The majority of the municipality was located in the southern Mandalen valley which follows the river Mandalselva.

Climate

[edit]

Mandal had an oceanic climate (Cfb) with short, cool summers and long, moderately cold and wet winters.

Climate data for Mandal
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 1.3
(34.3) 		1.4
(34.5) 		3.5
(38.3) 		7.8
(46.0) 		12.9
(55.2) 		16.9
(62.4) 		18.1
(64.6) 		17.5
(63.5) 		13.9
(57.0) 		10.1
(50.2) 		5.7
(42.3) 		3.9
(39.0) 		9.3
(48.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.5
(31.1) 		−0.8
(30.6) 		1.2
(34.2) 		4.6
(40.3) 		9.6
(49.3) 		13.4
(56.1) 		14.8
(58.6) 		14.4
(57.9) 		11.2
(52.2) 		8.0
(46.4) 		3.8
(38.8) 		1.1
(34.0) 		6.7
(44.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −2.6
(27.3) 		−2.9
(26.8) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		1.8
(35.2) 		6.4
(43.5) 		9.9
(49.8) 		11.4
(52.5) 		11.3
(52.3) 		8.7
(47.7) 		5.9
(42.6) 		1.7
(35.1) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		4.1
(39.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 152
(6.0) 		99
(3.9) 		111
(4.4) 		72
(2.8) 		92
(3.6) 		86
(3.4) 		98
(3.9) 		135
(5.3) 		166
(6.5) 		190
(7.5) 		187
(7.4) 		146
(5.7) 		1,534
(60.4)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 15.8 11.1 12.6 9.7 10.3 9.7 9.6 11.9 14.4 15.7 17.5 15.2 153.5
Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute[25]

Attractions

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Sjøsanden a warm summer day.
Buen

Mandal is a very popular holiday resort, with its mild and refreshing summer climate. It is famous for its long-stretching beaches surrounding the town. Sjøsanden (The Sea Sand) is the most famous beach, as it stretches for almost a kilometre just outside the town centre. It is frequently ranked as one of Norway's most popular beaches.

The city center is known for its charming concentration of old, white, wooden houses and the Mandalselva river running through it. Another attraction is the city's church: Mandal Church. It is the largest wooden church in Norway, with 1,800 seats and a pulpit on the wall behind the altar. Also, the library, art gallery, cinema, concert hall, and theater is located in the Buen kulturhus (culture house) which was built in 2012.[26]

The artists Gustav Vigeland, Adolph Tidemand, Amaldus Nielsen, and Olaf Isaachsen are all from Mandal, so the town is sometimes called "The Little Town with the Great Artists".

Hogganvik, in the Sånum-Lundevik area of Mandal, is the site of discovery of the Hogganvik runestone in 2009.[27][28]

Economy

[edit]
Umoe Mandal is the municipality's new cornerstone, with the production of mostly military vessels, like these Skjold class patrol boats.

Mandal is famous for its shipbuilding and engineering industries. There was much trade in sailing ships, where the natural harbor of Kleven at Gismerøya was used. Large yard providing ships and marine equipment in Norway and abroad are Westermoen Hydrofoil and Båtservice yard at Skogfjorden, the later Umoe Mandal.

Moreover, the textile industry has been substantial, with several manufacturing companies that had at most 200-300 employees.

Mandal is also famous for its annual Shellfish festival (Skalldyrfestivalen) the second weekend of August when many people gather in downtown to eat Norwegian seafood.[29]

Twin towns – sister cities

[edit]

Mandal has sister city agreements with the following places:

Notable people

[edit]
  • The sculptor Gustav Vigeland (1869–1943) was born in Mandal, and has a museum dedicated to him here. Vigeland's main achievement is the Vigeland Sculpture Park (Vigelandsparken) in Oslo.
  • The painter Adolph Tidemand (1814–1876) was also born in Mandal. His most famous painting is the national romantic image of a traditional wedding on the Hardangerfjorden, which he made together with Hans Gude.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. ^ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  3. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (26 January 2023). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
  4. ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå (2017). "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  5. ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  6. ^ "Nye Lindesnes" (in Norwegian). Lindesnes kommune. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  7. ^ Store norske leksikon. "Mandal" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  8. ^ "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Mandal, Vest-Agder". Flags of the World. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Godkjenning av flagg". Lovdata.no (in Norwegian). Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet. 30 April 1995. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  11. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2015 - Vest-Agder". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  13. ^ a b c d "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
  14. ^ "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Vest-Agder". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  16. ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  20. ^ "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  21. ^ "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  22. ^ "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  23. ^ "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  24. ^ Slettan, Bjørn (2006). Mandal bys historie (in Norwegian). Vol. 3. Mandal, Norge: Mandal kommune. ISBN 8299025621.
  25. ^ "eKlima Web Portal". Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Archived from the original on 14 June 2004.
  26. ^ "Buen kulturhus" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  27. ^ Sellevold, Terje (29 September 2009). "Fant runestein i hagen". NRK (in Norwegian). Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  28. ^ Kippernes, Geir Arne (28 September 2009). "Kan ha funnet til nå ukjent runestein". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  29. ^ "Shellfishfestival in Mandal". VisitNorway.com. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  30. ^ "Ystävyyskuntatoiminta" (in Finnish). Korsholm kommun. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  31. ^ Runge, Benjamin. "Venskabsbyer" (in Danish). Middelfart kommune. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  32. ^ Lindquist, Ted. "Internationella frågor och vänorter/partnerskap" (in Swedish). Oskarshamn Municipality. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
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