Vennesla
Encyclopedia
Vennesla is a municipality
in Vest-Agder
county
, Norway
. Vennesla was separated from Øvrebø
in 1861. Øvrebø and Hægeland
were merged with Vennesla again on 1 January 1964. It lies about 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) north of Kristiansand
and it is the third-largest municipality of the county.
Vendilslá), since the first church was built there. The first element is the genitive case
of vendill which means "small twig" (maybe used as a name of an arm of Venneslafjorden) and the last element is lá which means "swamp".
is from modern times. They were granted on 15 May 1971. The wavy bend in the arms symbolises the Otra
river, which runs through the municipality. The trees symbolize forestry
and the cogwheel
s symbolize industry
.
and Songdalen
, in the east by Birkenes
and Iveland
. In the northeast by Evje og Hornnes
, and in the south by Kristiansand
.
In 2011 Hunsfos Fabrikker AS will celebrate their 125 years as a paper mill.
www.hunsfos.com
and have their stadium
at Moseidmoen.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Vest-Agder
Vest-Agder
In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding...
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...
. Vennesla was separated from Øvrebø
Øvrebø
Øvrebø is a rural district, a village, and a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Vennesla, situated about north-northwest of Kristiansand....
in 1861. Øvrebø and Hægeland
Hægeland
Hægeland is a village and a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Vennesla, just west of the Kilefjorden.-Name:...
were merged with Vennesla again on 1 January 1964. It lies about 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) north of Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
and it is the third-largest municipality of the county.
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Vennesla farm (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....
Vendilslá), since the first church was built there. 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 vendill which means "small twig" (maybe used as a name of an arm of Venneslafjorden) and the last element is lá which means "swamp".
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted on 15 May 1971. The wavy bend in the arms symbolises the Otra
Otra
The Otra river is the largest river in the Sørlandet region of Norway. It flows from the Setesdalsheiene mountains in Bykle municipality in Aust-Agder county in the north, down to the municipality of Kristiansand in the south, where it flows into the Skagerrak.The Otra is long, making it Norway’s...
river, which runs through the municipality. The trees symbolize forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
and the cogwheel
Gear
A gear is a rotating machine part having cut teeth, or cogs, which mesh with another toothed part in order to transmit torque. Two or more gears working in tandem are called a transmission and can produce a mechanical advantage through a gear ratio and thus may be considered a simple machine....
s symbolize industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
.
Geography
Vennesla is bordered in the west by the municipalities of MarnardalMarnardal
Marnardal is a municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. Marnardal was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1964 through the merger of the former municipalities of Bjelland, Laudal, and Øyslebø....
and Songdalen
Songdalen
Songdalen is a municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. Songdalen was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1964 through the merger of the former municipalities of Finsland, Greipstad and a small part of Øvrebø. The administrative center is the village of Nodeland. The central market area...
, in the east by 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...
and Iveland
Iveland
Iveland is a village and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Birketveit.-General information:...
. In the northeast by Evje og Hornnes
Evje og Hornnes
Evje og Hornnes is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional region of Setesdal. Evje og Hornnes was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1960 after the merger of the two older municipalities of Evje and Hornnes....
, and in the south by Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
.
Economy
Vennesla has mainly been considered an industrial small town, with Hunsfos Fabrikker AS, a paper mill, as the cornerstone of the community. During recent decades, however, the number of employees has drastically declined from around 1,200 in the 1970s, to 200 in 2005 and 120 in 2007.In 2010 there is 135 employees at the paper mill.In 2011 Hunsfos Fabrikker AS will celebrate their 125 years as a paper mill.
www.hunsfos.com
Vikeland hovedgård
There is a mansion in Vennesla, Vikeland hovedgård, which is said to be haunted by a ghost known as "the Blue Lady" (den Blå Dama). Mari, the Blue Lady, was a worker on the farm located there, and fell in love with the farm owner's son. They were not allowed to marry, so it is said Mari committed suicide by hanging herself in the "blue room", hence the title "the Blue Lady". Today, when weddings are held in the mansion, the owners of the property allow the Blue Lady's ghost to join the wedding festivities by setting an extra place for her at the table.Vindbjart Football club
The local team in Vennesla is Vindbjart FK. They are currently playing in the Norwegian Second DivisionNorwegian Second Division
The Norwegian Second Division is the third highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2009, the official name of the league has been Fair Play-ligaen....
and have their stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
at Moseidmoen.
Twin Towns - Sister Cities
- OdderOdderOdder is a town in the Odder municipality just south of Aarhus, located in Region Midtjylland. Odder is more or less a satellite town of Aarhus today and with a population of 11,375...
Denmark - KatrineholmKatrineholmKatrineholm is a locality and the seat of Katrineholm Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 21,386 inhabitants in 2005.-Early history:The name Katrineholm comes from a ducal residence with this name, after Catherina Gyllenhorn who lived there...
Sweden - SaloSalo, FinlandSalo is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Finland Proper region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
Finland
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...
- Welcome to Vennesla - Tourist information