Telemark

Last updated
Telemark County
Telemark fylke
County
Tinn gaustatoppen rjukan IMG 0057.JPG
Scenery of Rjukan and Gaustatoppen in Upper Telemark district
Flag of Telemark.svg
Flag
Telemark vapen 2024.svg
Coat of arms
Norway Counties Telemark Position.svg
Telemark within Norway
Coordinates: 59°30′00″N8°42′00″E / 59.500°N 8.700°E / 59.500; 8.700
Country Norway
County Telemark
District Østlandet
Established1662
Disestablished1 Jan 2020
 • Succeeded by Vestfold og Telemark
Re-established1 Jan 2024
 • Preceded by Vestfold og Telemark
Administrative centre Skien
Government
 • Body Telemark County Municipality
 •  Governor Fred-Ivar Syrstad (Ap)
 •  County mayor
   (2023)		Sven Tore Løkslid (Ap)
Area
 • Total15,298.2 km2 (5,906.7 sq mi)
 • Land13,832.4 km2 (5,340.7 sq mi)
 • Water1,465.7 km2 (565.9 sq mi)  9.6%
 • Rank#8 in Norway
Population
 (2023)
 • Total175,546
 • Rank#13 in Norway
 • Density12.7/km2 (33/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Increase2.svg +2.7%
Demonyms Teledøl
Telemarking [1]
Official language
[2]
 •  Norwegian form Neutral
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code NO-40 [3]
Income (per capita)139,900  kr
GDP (per capita)219,404  kr (2001)
GDP national rank#12 in Norway
(2.38% of country)
Website Official website
Data from Statistics Norway

Telemark (pronounced [ˈtêːləmɑrk] ⓘ ) is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Telemark borders the counties of Vestfold, Buskerud, Vestland, Rogaland and Agder. [4] In 2020, Telemark merged with the county of Vestfold to form the county of Vestfold og Telemark. [5] [6] On 1 January 2024, the county of Telemark was re-established after Vestfold og Telemark was divided again.

Contents

The name Telemark means the "mark of the Thelir", the ancient North Germanic tribe that inhabited what is now known as Upper Telemark in the Migration Period and the Viking Age.

In the Middle Ages, the agricultural society of Upper Telemark was considered the most violent region of Norway. [7] Today, half of the buildings from medieval times in Norway are located here. [8] The dialects spoken in Upper Telemark also retain more elements of Old Norse than those spoken elsewhere in the country. [9] Upper Telemark is also known as the birthplace of skiing. [9]

The southern part of Telemark, Grenland, is more urban and influenced by trade with the Low Countries, northern Germany, Denmark and the British Isles.

Telemark has been one of Norway's most important industrial regions for centuries, marked in particular by the Norske Skog Union paper mills in Grenland and the Norsk Hydro heavy water and fertilizer production in Upper Telemark. [10]

Telemark county was re-established on 1 January 2024, following a vote of the county council of Vestfold og Telemark on 15 February 2022 to split the newly established county into its respective counties that existed before the merger took place; Telemark and Vestfold.

History

The 13th century Eidsborg Stave Church in Tokke, Upper Telemark Eidsborg stavkirke i Tokke.jpg
The 13th century Eidsborg Stave Church in Tokke, Upper Telemark

Telemark county was established as the fief Bratsberg in the late Middle Ages, during Norway's union with Denmark. With the introduction of absolute monarchy in 1662 it became a county, and it was renamed Telemark in 1919 and was a county until 2020. The county administration was in the port town Skien, which was in the early modern period Norway's most important city, ahead of Christiania.

Telemark consists of several distinct historical regions. It takes its name from the largest of them, which is now called Upper Telemark, but which was historically simply called Telemark. Telemark is named for the Thelir (Þilir in Old Norse), the ancient North Germanic tribe that inhabited what is now known as Upper Telemark since the Migration Period and during the Viking Age. The Norse form of the name was Þelamǫrk. The first element is the genitive plural case of Þilir while the last element is mǫrk "woodland, borderland, march".

Traditional Telemark, i.e. Upper Telemark, is located in the inland and comprises more than two thirds of it according to its traditional definition. Both in medieval times and later (Upper) Telemark was the region of Norway with the most self-owning farmers. [11] It retained Norse culture to a larger degree than any other region in Norway, with respect to its more egalitarian organisation of society, religion, traditional values and language. Thus the people of Telemark were often described during the Middle Ages and early modern era as the most violent in Norway. [12] The dialects of Upper Telemark are also the dialects of Norwegian that are closest to Old Norse. The farmers of Telemark were marked by a strong-willed conservatism and belief in their traditional values that often defied the central authorities of Denmark-Norway; for example they held on to aspects of both Old Norse religion and later of Catholicism longer than other regions in Norway. (Upper) Telemark traditionally lacks cities entirely.

Grenland and the Skien fjord are flatter regions located closer to or at the coast. Historically Grenland referred to what is now called Midt-Telemark, but over time the name Grenland has come to refer to the Skien fjord area. The latter is traditionally characterized by its cities and its involvement in seafaring and trade. It also includes several larger agricultural properties and estates, as well as industry. The culture and social structure are more urban, far less traditional, more influenced by contact with continental Europe and far less egalitarian. The most important city of the region, Skien, was historically one of Norway's most important cities, although its importance declined after the Napoleonic Wars. The playwright Henrik Ibsen was a native of Skien, and many of his plays are set in places reminiscent of the city and area.

During the Dano-Norwegian union the traditional regions of Telemark and Grenland/the Skien fjord became the fief (len) and later county ( amt ) of Bratsberg (Bradsberg). The fief and county was named after the farm Bratsberg, since this was the seat of the governor. In 1919 Bratsberg county was renamed Telemark. Despite this, Grenland retains a separate identity that is distinct from Telemark proper; the minority in the Storting voted for the name Grenland–Telemark in 1918.

Upper Telemark, particularly Kviteseid, is known as the birthplace of skiing as a modern sport. Telemark lent its name to Telemark skiing, a style invented by Sondre Norheim, and the characteristic Telemark landing of ski jumping. Telemark is also known as the centre of the Bunad movement. Telemark has more buildings from medieval times than any other Norwegian region.

Geography

Mountain landscape in Vinje, Upper Telemark Summer landscape Telemark (2690578882).jpg
Mountain landscape in Vinje, Upper Telemark
Coastal landscape in Langesund, Lower Telemark Langesund og Langoya 01.jpg
Coastal landscape in Langesund, Lower Telemark

Telemark is located in southeastern Norway, extending from the Hardangervidda mountain plateau in the North to the Skagerrak coast in the South. Telemark has a varied and scenic landscape, including a rugged coastline, valleys, lakes, hills mountains, and mountain plateaus. [9]

Southern Telemark is the location of the Gea Norvegica UNESCO Global Geopark (UGG), established in 2006. [13] The UGG carries significance to Norway with an abundance of larvikite along the Oslo Rift, Paleozoic fossils, geological artifacts of glacial retreat from the last glacial maximum, and rocks from the Sveconorwegian Orogeny. It it the first UGG in Scandinavia.

Infrastructure

The international road E18 goes through the southern parts of Telemark, namely Grenland and the municipality of Kragerø. E134, another important motorway and the fastest route between Oslo and Bergen, goes through the municipalities of Vinje, Tokke, Kviteseid, Seljord, Hjartdal and Notodden. RV36, stretching from Porsgrunn to Seljord, links the E18 and E134 motorways.

Telemark is well served by railways. The Sørlandet Line runs through the traditional districts of Vestmar and Midt-Telemark, serving the municipalities of Drangedal, Nome, Bø and Sauherad. Grenland is primarily served by the Vestfold Line, but also has connections through the Bratsberg Line which runs between Skien and Notodden.

From Langesund, Fjordline operates ferry services to Sweden and Denmark.

The main bus lines in the region are operated by Telemark Bilruter, serving western and middle parts of the region, and Nettbuss which serves the middle, eastern and southern parts of the region. Drangedal Bilruter serves the Vestmar region.

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1951136,519—    
1961149,943+9.8%
1971156,778+4.6%
1981162,050+3.4%
1991162,869+0.5%
2001165,595+1.7%
2011169,185+2.2%
2020173,355+2.5%
Source: Statistics Norway. [14]
Religion in Telemark [15] [16]
religionpercent
Christianity
 
86.60%
Islam
 
1.50%
Buddhism
 
0.24%
Other
 
11.66%

The largest population centres are Skien, Porsgrunn, Notodden, Rjukan and Kragerø. Other important places are Bø, Seljord, Fyresdal and Vinje.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Telemark is from modern times (1970). It shows an old type of battle axe, significant for the county.

The county coat of arms valid from 1 January 2024 is a redesigned version of the county coat of arms for Telemark county from 1970 until the county merger in 2020.

Notable telemarkinger/teledølar

Districts

Telemark county with Upper Telemark (traditional Telemark) in red Ovre Telemark prosti.svg
Telemark county with Upper Telemark (traditional Telemark) in red

The county is conventionally divided into traditional districts. Traditionally the county is mainly divided into Upper Telemark (historically called simply Telemark or more recently Telemark proper) and Grenland. Upper Telemark is sometimes subdivided into Vest-Telemark and Aust-Telemark. The name Lower Telemark traditionally refers to Grenland and Midt-Telemark, but was more of an administrative region than a cultural one. Regardless of definition, Upper Telemark constitutes the largest part by far. For example, the modern provostship of Upper Telemark comprises 12 municipalities and more than 80% of Telemark, also including Midt-Telemark.

An additional district, Vestmar is disputed. The district borders of this county are highly overlapping and to a certain extent undefined and/or disputed.

Municipalities

RankNameInhabitants [19] Area km2District
1 Skien komm.svg Skien 54,942722Grenland
2 Porsgrunn komm.svg Porsgrunn 36,397161Grenland
3 Bamble komm.svg Bamble 14,061282Grenland
4 Notodden komm.svg Notodden 13,049856Aust-Telemark
5 Bo Telemark komm.svg Midt-Telemark 10,444518Midt-Telemark
6 Kragero komm.svg Kragerø 10,380289Vestmar
7 Nome komm.svg Nome 6,515389Midt-Telemark
8 Tinn komm.svg Tinn 5,6911,858Aust-Telemark
9 Drangedal komm.svg Drangedal 4,060998Vestmar
10 Vinje komm.svg Vinje 3,6762,740Vest-Telemark
11 Seljord komm.svg Seljord 2,888672Vest-Telemark
12 Kviteseid komm.svg Kviteseid 2,403626Vest-Telemark
13 Siljan komm.svg Siljan 2,340203Grenland
14 Tokke komm.svg Tokke 2,201907Vest-Telemark
15 Hjartdal komm.svg Hjartdal 1,573741Aust-Telemark
16 Nissedal komm.svg Nissedal 1,448789Vest-Telemark
17 Fyresdal komm.svg Fyresdal 1,2871,110Vest-Telemark
Total Telemark vapen 2024.svg Telemark173,35513,173

Cities

Parishes

Villages

Former municipalities

Main article: list of former municipalities of Norway

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsgrunn</span> Municipality in Telemark, Norway

is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Porsgrunn. Some other notable settlements in Porsgrunn include the town of Brevik and the villages of Langangen and Heistad.

Grenland is a traditional district in Telemark county, in the south-east of Norway. "Grenland" has referred to varying locations throughout history. In modern times, Grenland refers to the areas of the municipalities of Skien, Porsgrunn, Bamble, and Siljan. Sometimes the municipalities Kragerø and Drangedal are also considered to be part of the area. The region encompasses 1,794 square kilometres (693 sq mi) and has 122,978 inhabitants (2004), which translates as 12% of the area and 64% of the population of Telemark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestfold Line</span> Railway line in Norway

The Vestfold Line is a 137.79-kilometer (85.62 mi) railway line which runs between Drammen and Eidanger in Norway. The line connects to the Drammen Line at the northern terminus at Drammen Station and continues as the Bratsberg Line past Skien Station. The line is exclusively used for passenger trains, which are provided by Vy, which connect northwards to Oslo and south-westwards to Grenland. The 13-kilometer (8.1 mi) section from Eidanger to Skien is often colloquially included in the Vestfold Line.The standard gauge line is electrified at 15 kV  16.7 Hz AC and has twelve remaining stations. The Vestfold Line runs through the coastal region of Vestfold and serves major towns including Holmestrand, Tønsberg, Sandefjord and Larvik, as well as Sandefjord Airport, Torp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vest-Telemark</span> District in Telemark, Norway

Vest-Telemark is a traditional district in Norway. The 7,699-square-kilometre (2,973 sq mi) area comprises the western areas of the larger region known as Upper Telemark in Vestfold og Telemark county. The region consists of six municipalities: Fyresdal, Tokke, Vinje, Nissedal, Kviteseid, and Seljord. In 2020, there were 13,903 residents in the region. The area of Vest-Telemark was historically called Øvre Telemark vestfjelske.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aust-Telemark</span> District in Telemark, Norway

Aust-Telemark is a traditional district in Telemark county in Norway. The district comprises five municipalities: Hjartdal, Midt-Telemark, Nome, Notodden, and Tinn. The largest population centres in the region are the cities Notodden and Rjukan, of which Notodden is by far the largest with about 9,000 inhabitants. Hjartdal is scarcely populated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bratsberg Line</span> Railway line in Telemark, Norway

The Bratsberg Line is a 74-kilometre long (46 mi) railway line between Eidanger and Notodden in Telemark county, Norway. It opened in 1917, connecting the Tinnos Line, the Sørland Line and the Vestfold Line; allowing Norsk Hydro to transport fertilizer from their plant at Rjukan to the port in Skien. Since 1991 only passenger trains are operated, using Class 69 stock by Vy.

<i>Telemarksavisa</i> Norwegian newspaper

Telemarksavisa is a Norwegian newspaper, published in Skien in Telemark county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tinnoset Line</span> Norwegian railway line

The Tinnoset Line was a 30-kilometer (19 mi) long Norwegian railway line that went from Tinnoset to Notodden in Telemark county. The railway was part of the transport chain used to transport fertilizer from Norsk Hydro's factory in Rjukan to the port in Skien. The railway opened in 1909 and was closed when the plant closed in 1991. The railway is sometimes mistakenly believed to be part of the Rjukan Line.

The Market towns of Telemark and Aust-Agder counties was an electoral district for parliamentary elections in Norway. It comprised the market towns of Brevik, Kragerø, Notodden, Porsgrunn and Skien in Telemark county and Arendal, Grimstad and Risør in Aust-Agder county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brevik Line</span> Railway line in Norway

The Brevik Line is a 10-kilometer (6.2 mi) railway which runs from Eidanger to Brevik in Porsgrunn, Norway. The single track and electrified branch line of the Vestfold Line is exclusively used for freight traffic to Norcem Brevik hauled by CargoNet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydro Transport</span>

Hydro Transport AS was a railway- and shipping company responsible for the transport of chemicals from Norsk Hydro Rjukan. A subsidiary of Norsk Hydro, the company was founded in 1907, operations ceased in 1991, while the company became defunct at the end of 2009.

<i>Varden</i> (newspaper) Norwegian newspaper

Varden is a regional newspaper published in Skien, Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telemark County Municipality</span> Former County in Norway

Telemark County Municipality was the regional governing administration of the old Telemark county in Norway. The county municipality was established in its current form on 1 January 1976 when the law was changed to allow elected county councils in Norway. The county municipality was dissolved on 1 January 2020, when Telemark was merged with the neighboring Vestfold county, creating the new Vestfold og Telemark county which is led by the Vestfold og Telemark County Municipality.

Breviks Dagblad was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Brevik in Telemark county. It was named Bratsberg Blad from 1891 to 1924.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port of Grenland</span>

Port of Grenland is the port authority serving the Grenland region of Telemark, Norway, consisting of the municipalities of Skien, Porsgrunn and Bamble. It operates four ports, at Skien, Porsgrunn, Grenland Terminal at Brevik and Langesund. The agency is owned as an inter-municipal company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Telemark</span> District in Telemark, Norway

Upper Telemark is a traditional district in Telemark county in Norway. The area includes the inland areas of Telemark. More than two-thirds of the total area of Telemark—more than 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi)—belong to the traditional region of Upper Telemark. Conversely, the area of "Lower" Telemark refers to the more densely populated, flatter coastal area of Grenland and traditionally also includes Central Telemark. Upper Telemark has a varied and often scenic landscape, with many hills, mountains, valleys and lakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestfold og Telemark</span> Former county of Norway (2020-2024)

Vestfold og Telemark was a county in Norway, which existed from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2023. The county was the southernmost one of Eastern Norway and consisted of two distinct and separate traditional regions: the former counties of Telemark and Vestfold. The capital was located in the town of Skien, which was also the county's largest city. While Skien was the seat of the county municipality, the seat of the County Governor was Tønsberg. It bordered the counties of Viken, Vestland, Rogaland and Agder until its dissolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grenland Line</span> Proposed railway line in Norway

The Grenland Line is a proposed high-speed railway line that would connect Grenland and Gjerstad in Norway. Specifically, the line would connect the Sørlandet Line at Skorstøl to the Vestfold Line at either Porsgrunn or Skien, allowing passenger trains from Stavanger and Kristiansand to be routed on the Vestfold Line through Grenland and Vestfold. The Grenland Line is proposed built with double track and with a speed of 250 km/h (160 mph). Three routes have been proposed, varying in length between 64 and 70 kilometers. A prerequisite is that the Vestfold Line be upgraded to double track and high-speed, a process that started in the mid-1990s and which is scheduled for completion in 2032. A completion of the upgraded Vestfold Line and the Grenland Line would reduce travel time for passenger trains between Gjerstad and Oslo by about 70 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telemark District Court</span>

Telemark District Court is a district court located in Telemark county, Norway. This court is based at three different courthouses which are located in Skien, Notodden, and Kviteseid. The court serves the 17 municipalities in Telemark. The court in Skien accepts cases from the municipalities of Bamble, Drangedal, Kragerø, Nome, Porsgrunn, Siljan, and Skien. The court in Kviteseid accepts cases from the municipalities of Fyresdal, Kviteseid, Nissedal, Tokke, Seljord, and Vinje. The court in Notodden accepts cases from the municipalities of Hjartdal, Notodden, Tinn, and Midt-Telemark. The court is subordinate to the Agder Court of Appeal.

References

  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. (2023-01-26). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
  4. ↑ Nikel, David (2019-04-30). "This Is Telemark, Norway". Life in Norway. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  5. ↑ Selland, Svein-Gunnar; Lundbo, Sten (8 June 2018). "Telemark" – via Store norske leksikon.
  6. ↑ "Nå er Telemark og Vestfold slått sammen". ta.no. 8 June 2017.
  7. ↑ Norgeshistorie, Om; Institutt for arkeologi, konservering og historie (IAKH) ved UiO. "De voldelige telemarksbøndene - Norgeshistorie". www.norgeshistorie.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  8. ↑ "Best på gamle teknikker". www.telen.no (in Norwegian). 1999-01-20. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  9. 1 2 3 "Telemark". www.visitnorway.com. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
  10. ↑ Selland, Svein-Gunnar; Lundbo, Sten; Nilsen, Jan Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir (2020-01-29), "Telemark – tidligere fylke", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian Bokmål), retrieved 2020-06-04
  11. ↑ Hans Jacob Orning, "Et lokalt maktspill", Norgeshistorie.no, 28 November 2016
  12. ↑ Hans Jacob Orning, "De voldelige telemarksbøndene", Norgeshistorie.no, 28 November 2016
  13. ↑ "GEA NORVEGICA UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK -Global Network of National Geoparks". www.globalgeopark.org.
  14. ↑ "Statistikkbanken". ssb.no. 26 May 2012. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013.
  15. ↑ Statistics Norway - Church of Norway. Archived 2012-07-16 at archive.today
  16. ↑ "Statistics Norway - Members of religious and life stance communities outside the Church of Norway, by religion/life stance. County. 2006-2010". ssb.no.
  17. ↑ "History – Snowshoe Thompson". snowshoethompson.org. 21 September 2011.
  18. ↑ "John "Snowshoe" Thompson". postalmuseum.si.edu. Archived from the original on 2014-10-09.
  19. ↑ "01222: Endringar i befolkninga i løpet av kvartalet, for kommunar, fylke og heile landet (K) 1997K4 - 2020K1". PX-Web SSB. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
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