Herefoss
Encyclopedia
Herefoss is a village and former municipality in Aust-Agder
county
, Norway
. It is located in the present-day municipality of Birkenes
in the Sørlandet region
.
Herefoss used to have a train station on the Sørlandsbanen. It was opened on 22 June 1938, but the use was discontinued in 1989, however, the station building is still standing. Norwegian national road 404
(Rv404) runs from Herefoss to Grimstad
.
form of the name must then have been Hegrafors. The first element is the genitive case
of the bird name hegri (Grey Heron
) (same as the local river name, Hegra), and the last element is fors which means "waterfall
".
) of Heirefos was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
). On 1 January 1967, Herefoss was incorporated into the neighboring municipality of Birkenes
along with Vegusdal
. Prior to the merger, Herefoss had a population of 585. In 1900, 610 people lived in the municipality on 67 different farms.
Herefoss was the seat of public officials in the district. The fogd
resided here from 1680 to 1820, and the sorenskriver (district judge) also lived here from 1724 to 1852. Herefoss was established as a prestegjeld
in 1875. Herefoss church was consecrated
by bishop Jacob von der Lippe
in 1865.
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...
. It is located in the present-day municipality of Birkenes
Birkenes
Birkenes is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The village of Birkeland is the administrative center and about half of the municipality's residents live there...
in the Sørlandet region
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
.
Herefoss used to have a train station on the Sørlandsbanen. It was opened on 22 June 1938, but the use was discontinued in 1989, however, the station building is still standing. Norwegian national road 404
Norwegian national road 404
Norwegian national road 404 is a national road which runs between Frivoll in Grimstad and Herefoss in Birkenes. The stretch is 27.8 km.- External links : at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration...
(Rv404) runs from Herefoss to 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...
.
Name
The first documented occurrence of the name Hegrafoss stems from 1487, and the Old 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 must then have been Hegrafors. The first element is the genitive case
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of the bird name hegri (Grey Heron
Grey Heron
The Grey Heron , is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions...
) (same as the local river name, Hegra), and the last element is fors which means "waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
".
History
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 Heirefos was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). On 1 January 1967, Herefoss was incorporated into the neighboring municipality of Birkenes
Birkenes
Birkenes is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The village of Birkeland is the administrative center and about half of the municipality's residents live there...
along with Vegusdal
Vegusdal
Vegusdal is a former municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located within the present-day municipality of Birkenes in the Sørlandet region. Norwegian national road 405 runs from Vegusdal to Mosby.-Name:...
. Prior to the merger, Herefoss had a population of 585. In 1900, 610 people lived in the municipality on 67 different farms.
Herefoss was the seat of public officials in the district. The fogd
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
resided here from 1680 to 1820, and the sorenskriver (district judge) also lived here from 1724 to 1852. Herefoss was established as a prestegjeld
Prestegjeld
A Prestegjeld is a geographic and administrative area of the Church of Norway roughly equivalent to a parish. A prestegjeld can consist of one or many congregations...
in 1875. Herefoss church was consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
by bishop Jacob von der Lippe
Von der Lippe (Norwegian family)
von der Lippe is the surname of a prominent Norwegian family.In Norway, the surname is most frequently associated with the descendants Jacob von der Lippe , who immigrated from Bremen, Germany and became a citizen of Bergen, Norway in 1655. In Bergen, family members were merchants and business...
in 1865.
Notable residents
- Øyvind BjorvatnØyvind BjorvatnØyvind Bjorvatn was a Norwegian politician for the Liberal Party and later the Liberal People's Party.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Aust-Agder in 1965, and was re-elected on one occasion...
, local politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making... - Nils Pedersen IglandNils Pedersen IglandNils Pedersen Igland was a Norwegian farmer and politician for the Conservative Party.He was born in Herefoss municipality. In 1856 he married Åse Terjesdatter Helleland, and the couple had several children...
, local politician