Feiring
Encyclopedia
History
Feiring has around 1000 inhabitants. Feiring lies on the west side of the lake MjøsaMjøsa
Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe as a whole, after Hornindalsvatnet. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about 100 km north of Oslo...
. In 1870 the area became a municipality in its own right when it was split from Hurdal
Hurdal
Hurdal is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Romerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hurdal....
. Feiring had an area of 102.45 km². It then merged into the municipality Eidsvoll
Eidsvoll
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sundet.-Name:...
in 1964. Norwegian National Road 33, the state road between Minnesund
Minnesund
Minnesund is a village in the municipality of Eidsvoll, Norway. It is located at the southern end of lake Mjøsa. As of 2005, its population is 488....
and Østre Toten
Østre Toten
Østre Toten is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Toten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lena.-Name:...
, which runs through Feiring, was built in the 1890s.
Feiring church (Feiring Kirke) was built in 1870. The original plan had been to restore the old church from 1693, but after debate in the local council it was decided to build a new church. All the same, much of the material which was used to build the new church was borrowed from the old church, which was made of timber.
In the 17th century about 20 copper-mines were set up to the north and north-west of the church, with the smelting works by Flesvikelva. From 1806 to 1818 Carsten Anker ran the Feiring Iron Works by Skreikampen
Skreikampen
Skreikampen is a mountain of Akershus, in southeastern Norway....
. Feiring Ironworks is one of the best preserved post-Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
ironworks in Norway. The housing stands almost completely untouched to this day. The ironworks sites and the remains of the smelter have been restored and Eidsvoll Historical Society has erected information-posts around the work area. In recent years an annual historical play has been performed in the grounds of the ironworks. Ironworks Weekend (Jernverkshelga) is held in August.
The treatment and rehabilitation centre for heart disease, Feiringklinikken (The Feiring clinic), run by the Norwegian Heart and Lung Patient Organization lies in the centre of Kirkebygda, down towards Lake Mjøsa
Mjøsa
Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe as a whole, after Hornindalsvatnet. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about 100 km north of Oslo...
.
One can still see the mile-marker by Norwegian National Road 33, which indicates the border between Østre Toten and Eidsvoll municipalities. The border signpost between Feiring and Eidsvoll has been removed, so that visitors no longer know when they are driving into the heartlands of Romerike
Romerike
Romerike is a traditional district located north-east of Oslo, in what is today south-eastern Norway. It consists of the Akershus municipalities Fet, Lørenskog, Nittedal, Rælingen, Skedsmo, Sørum and Aurskog-Høland in the southern end , and Ullensaker, Gjerdrum, Nannestad, Nes, Eidsvoll and Hurdal...
.
The name
The NorseOld 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....
form of the name was Fegringar. The name is derived from fagr 'fair; beautiful', and the meaning is 'the beautiful district'.