Fjære
Encyclopedia
Fjære is a former municipality in Aust-Agder
county
, Norway
. Fjære municipality was located to the north of the town of Grimstad, and the name is still used to refer to that area, which is now a part of Grimstad.
) of Fjære was named after the old Fjære farm (Old Norse
: Fjǫrðr or Fjarðar), where the first church was built. The name is identical with the word fjǫrðr which means "fjord
".
in 1846. At that time, Fjære had a population of 2,806. Part of Fjære with a population of 948 was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Grimstad
on 1 January 1878. Again on 1 January 1960, another part of Fjære (population: 344) was transferred to Grimstad.
On 1 January 1971, the remainder of the municipality of Fjære was merged into the municipality of Grimstad along with the municipality of Landvik
. Prior to the merger, Fjære had a population of 6,189.
until the present day. The oldest and most valuable individual cultural monuments in and around Fjære church are the finely sculpted head of a man in stone over the south door, dating from before 1150.
The church's unique and beautiful baptismal font
, in the High Gothic style
from the Middle Ages. Olavskilden, a fountain associated with St. Olav the Holy
. The Terje Vigen
stone monument in memory of the brave men of the 1807–1814 war. The stone monument was erected in 1906 by the friends of Terje Vigen. The altarpiece
, pulpit
with panelled ceiling and pews with the names of farms painted on them are consldered valuable. They were made in the period 1500–1700. The well preserved church is located approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north of Grimstad.
Aust-Agder
is a county in Norway, bordering Telemark, Rogaland, and Vest-Agder. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is . The administrative center of the county is in Arendal....
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, 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...
. Fjære municipality was located to the north of the town of Grimstad, and the name is still used to refer to that area, which is now a part of Grimstad.
Name
The municipality (originally the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
) of Fjære was named after the old Fjære farm (Old Norse
Old 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....
: Fjǫrðr or Fjarðar), where the first church was built. The name is identical with the word fjǫrðr which means "fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
".
History
The municipality of Fjære was created by a split from the neighboring municipality of ØyestadØyestad
Øyestad is a former municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Arendal in the Sørlandet region...
in 1846. At that time, Fjære had a population of 2,806. Part of Fjære with a population of 948 was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Grimstad
Grimstad
is a town and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It belongs to the geographical region of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Grimstad. Other notable places in Grimstad include Eide, Fevik, Fjære, Landvik, Prestegårdskogen, Reddal, and Roresanden.It is...
on 1 January 1878. Again on 1 January 1960, another part of Fjære (population: 344) was transferred to Grimstad.
On 1 January 1971, the remainder of the municipality of Fjære was merged into the municipality of Grimstad along with the municipality of Landvik
Landvik
Landvik is a former municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It was located to the west of the town of Grimstad in southern Norway. Today, the name Landvik is still used to designate the westernmost part of the town of Grimstad, near the Prestegårdskogen housing development.-Name:The...
. Prior to the merger, Fjære had a population of 6,189.
Fjære church
This church is made of stone and dates back to the middle of the 12th century. Despite being 850 years old, it is a living congregational church. It was not completed in one generation, but was created gradually over the centuries. The church grew together with the village and the people, and became the centre of Fjære's history from the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
until the present day. The oldest and most valuable individual cultural monuments in and around Fjære church are the finely sculpted head of a man in stone over the south door, dating from before 1150.
The church's unique and beautiful baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
, in the High Gothic style
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
from the Middle Ages. Olavskilden, a fountain associated with St. Olav the Holy
Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...
. The Terje Vigen
Terje Vigen
Terje Vigen is a poem written by Henrik Ibsen, published in 1862. Much of the story and setting is from the area around the town of Grimstad in southern Norway where Ibsen lived for a few years in his youth...
stone monument in memory of the brave men of the 1807–1814 war. The stone monument was erected in 1906 by the friends of Terje Vigen. The altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
, pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
with panelled ceiling and pews with the names of farms painted on them are consldered valuable. They were made in the period 1500–1700. The well preserved church is located approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north of Grimstad.