Øverbygd
Encyclopedia
Øverbygd is a former municipality
in Troms
county
in Norway
. It is located in the present-day municipality of Målselv
from the Lille Rostavatn
lake along the Målselva
river through the Målselvdalen
valley. The village of Skjold
is home to a large garrison
for the Norwegian Army
. The Øvre Dividal National Park
is also located here.
. It had an initial population of 566 inhabitants. On 1 January 1964, Øverbygd was merged back into a newly enlarged Målselv municipality. Prior to the merger, Øverbygd had a population of 1,232.
, the German army
created a military base
at Øverbygd. The base was initially a supply point for the German forces attack on Murmansk
. German soldiers on retreat at the end of the war came through Øverbygd. Maukstadmoen and Holmen were undeveloped pine
forests,but virtually all of the commercial forest was cut down to provide German troops land and building materials.
Large barracks for the officer's quarters were established on Maukstadmoen. They also built large stock barracks, a cold storage plant, and a German military hospital. A Prisoner-of-war camp
for Russia
n prisoners of war
and medical camp was built near Holmen.
Former municipalities of Norway
This is a list of former municipalities of Norway, i.e. municipalities that no longer exist.When the local council system was introduced in Norway in 1837-38, the country had 392 municipalities. In 1958 the number had grown to a total of 744 rural municipalities, 64 city municipalities as well as a...
in Troms
Troms
or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea...
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...
in 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 Målselv
Målselv
Målselv is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Moen. Some other villages include Andslimoen, Bardufoss, Alappmoen, Holmen, Fossmoen, and Heggelia...
from the Lille Rostavatn
Lille Rostavatn
Lille Rostavatn is a lake in the municipality of Målselv in Troms county, Norway. It is part of the Rostaelva river system which empties into the great Målselva river. It is located about east of the village of Skjold....
lake along the Målselva
Målselva
The Målselva river in Troms county, Norway has given name to Målselv municipality and the Målselvdalen valley. The river empties into the in Målselvfjorden, an arm of the Malangen fjord, north of Olsborg. The rivers Divielva, Tamokelva, and Rostaelva converge near the Lille Rostavatn lake to form...
river through the Målselvdalen
Målselvdalen
Målselvdalen is the largest valley in Troms county, Norway. The river Målselva runs through the valley, ending in the Målselvfjorden. With a landscape reminiscent of that of Østerdalen, the valley was settled in the late eighteenth century by farmers from Østerdalen and Gudbrandsdalen. The bailiff...
valley. The village of Skjold
Skjold, Troms
Skjold is a village in the municipality of Målselv in Troms county, Norway. Its population is 212. Skjold is located east of Andselv at the confluence of the Målselva and Fjellfrøselva rivers....
is home to a large garrison
Skjold (garrison)
Skjold is an army camp in the small village Øverbygd in the municipality of Målselv in Troms county, Norway. This camp is part of the Northern Brigade of the Norwegian Army and is where the 2nd Battalion Mechanized Infantry and Combat and Construction Engineers are based....
for the Norwegian Army
Norwegian Army
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
. The Øvre Dividal National Park
Øvre Dividal National Park
Øvre Dividal National Park lies in Målselv in Troms county, Norway. The park was opened in 1971 and has an area of . The original intention was to preserve a very little disturbed inland valley and mountain area. The hiking trail Nordkalottruta passes through the national park.-Name:The first...
is also located here.
History
The municipality of Øverbygd was established on 1 July 1925 when it was separated from the municipality of MålselvMålselv
Målselv is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Moen. Some other villages include Andslimoen, Bardufoss, Alappmoen, Holmen, Fossmoen, and Heggelia...
. It had an initial population of 566 inhabitants. On 1 January 1964, Øverbygd was merged back into a newly enlarged Målselv municipality. Prior to the merger, Øverbygd had a population of 1,232.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the German army
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
created a military base
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
at Øverbygd. The base was initially a supply point for the German forces attack on Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
. German soldiers on retreat at the end of the war came through Øverbygd. Maukstadmoen and Holmen were undeveloped pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
forests,but virtually all of the commercial forest was cut down to provide German troops land and building materials.
Large barracks for the officer's quarters were established on Maukstadmoen. They also built large stock barracks, a cold storage plant, and a German military hospital. A Prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
for Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
and medical camp was built near Holmen.