Skotselv
Encyclopedia
Øvre Eiker
Øvre Eiker is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Eiker. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hokksund. The old municipality of Eiker was divided into Øvre Eiker and Nedre Eiker on 1 July 1885.-Name:The Old Norse form of...
, 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...
. Its population (2005) is 684, of which 8 people live within the border of the neighbouring municipality of Modum
Modum
Modum is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vikersund. The municipality of Modum was established on 1 January 1838 .The area has a long tradition of skiing with several famous...
. It has a railway station on the Randsfjord Line.
History
Skotselv as a small village has existed since the time of the Vikings. By that time the main river, ow called DrammenselvaDrammenselva
Drammenselva is a river in Buskerud county, southeastern Norway.-Location:Drammenselva is one of the largest rivers in Norway, with a drainage basin of about 17,000 square kilometers and a flow rate of 300 cubic meters per second. The river has an average discharge of about 300 m3 / s...
, rose 4-5 meters higher than today’s level making transport and trade by ship highly accessible. The village first started to grow significantly during the first half of the 16th century when the powerful Ulleland family established several sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s along the river, using the river as a mean of transporting the goods to the region's capital, Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
.
Iron Mill period
In 1649, Hassel Ironworks (Hassel jernverk) started operation as the area's first iron mill, which was run by the Hassel family . They mainly produced ovens, but expanded into general ironware factory later on. It continued to be the biggest influence on the community until it was finally closed down in 1888.Cellulose Mill period
Established the same year as the iron mill shut down, the Skotselv Cellulose Mill (Skotselv Cellullosefabrikk) remained Skotselv's most important workplace. Several modernizations were made during the first part of the 20th century and the company was sold to Labor Union in 1913. The new ownership managed to turn the tide and the growth lasted all the time to 1978 when it was closed for good.Modern life in Skotselv
Skotselv is today one of the few places in Øvre Eiker where the population is decreasing. This despite strong efforts to create a modern and attractive village for families. Skotselv Power Station (Skotselv Kraftverk) is a hydroelectric dam on the Bingselva. It has installed a Kaplan turbine. The power plant utilizes the fall in the river. Owner is Øvre Eiker Energy AS.Attractions
- Dyvelgården - the main attraction in Skotselv is an old mansion representing the celluloid era
- Bingenselven - beautiful park suitable for camping and outdoor grilling.
Notable residents
- Nikolai EilertsenNikolai EilertsenNikolai Hængsle Eilertsen is a Norwegian bass guitarist. He is primarily known as a member of BigBang and The National Bank . Eilertsen also participates in the bands Lester, Needlepoint and Elephant9....
, musician - Christopher HornsrudChristopher HornsrudChristopher Andersen Hornsrud served as Prime Minister of Norway from January to February 1928. He combined the post of prime minister with that of minister of finance. Although his tenure as Prime Minister was brief, his list of political accomplishments is not...
(1859–1960), Prime Minister of Norway from January to February 1928