Kongsvinger Municipality Kongsvinger kommune | |
|---|---|
 View of the town (September 2009) | |
 Innlandet within Norway | |
 Kongsvinger within Innlandet | |
| Coordinates:60°14′35″N12°13′32″E / 60.24306°N 12.22556°E /60.24306; 12.22556 | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Innlandet |
| District | Glåmdal |
| Established | 7 February 1855 |
| • Preceded by | Vinger Municipality |
| Administrative centre | Kongsvinger |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2023) | Elin Såheim Bjørkli (Ap) |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,036.44 km2 (400.17 sq mi) |
| • Land | 952.83 km2 (367.89 sq mi) |
| • Water | 83.62 km2 (32.29 sq mi) 8.1% |
| • Rank | #111 in Norway |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | 17,966 |
| • Rank | #72 in Norway |
| • Density | 18.9/km2 (49/sq mi) |
| • Change(10 years) |  +1.9% |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Bokmål |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-3401[2] |
| Website | Official website |
Kongsvinger (pronunciationⓘ) is amunicipality inInnlandet county,Norway. It is located in thetraditional district ofGlåmdal. Theadministrative centre of the municipality is thetown of Kongsvinger. Other settlements in the municipality includeAustmarka,Brandval,Lundersæter, andRoverud.[3]
The 1,036-square-kilometre (400 sq mi) municipality is the 111th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Kongsvinger is the 72nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 17,966. The municipality'spopulation density is 18.9 inhabitants per square kilometre (49/sq mi) and its population has increased by 1.9% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5] Kongsvinger's eastern municipal boundary is theNorway–Sweden border.
In 1854, the King designated the market town of Kongsvinger as akjøpstad, which gave it special rights. The designation included a small patch of land on both sides of the riverGlomma with an area of approximately 5.2 square kilometres (2 sq mi). Because of this designation, on 7 February 1855, the town was separated from the municipality ofVinger to form a separate municipality. Initially, the town had 472 residents and this left Vinger municipality with 10,947 residents. On 1 January 1876, the town was enlarged when an area ofVinger (population: 209) was transferred into Kongsvinger. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of theSchei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the town of Kongsvinger (population: 2,345) and the surrounding municipalities ofVinger (population: 6,257) andBrandval (population: 4,384) were merged to form the newKongsvinger Municipality. The new municipality of Kongsvinger (briefly) lost its status as an urban municipality (Norwegian:bykommune) after thisamalgamation due to merging with rural municipalities. One year later, on 1 January 1965, the government redesignated Kongsvinger as an urban municipality. On 1 January 1974, the unpopulated Lystad area was transferred fromGrue Municipality to Kongsvinger Municipality. On 1 January 1986, the northern part of theÅbogen area (population: 14) was transferred from Kongsvinger to the neighboring municipality ofEidskog.[6]
The whole region where Kongsvinger is located was historically calledVinger (Old Norse:Vingr). This name could be related to the riverGlomma which flows through the region. One could compare this to the English wordswing (for the missings seeIndo-European s-mobile). The riverGlomma passes through the center of the district where the south-flowing river takes a sharp northwestward turn. This can be compared to the similarLithuanian wordvìngis which means "bend", "bow", or "turn". This old name used to represent this whole area. The first element of the name is the possessive form ofkong (meaning "the King's") was added after theKongsvinger Fortress was built in 1690. It was first applied only to the fortress (written asKönigs Winger in old documents). Then, it was later given to the town that grew up around the fortress.[7][3]
Thecoat of arms was granted on 25 June 1926. The design is a stylized representation ofKongsvinger Fortress towering high above the riverGlomma. The river is rendered as a wavy bar in the bottom half of the design. The river and fortress have atincture ofargent which means they are commonly colored white, but if the arms are made out of metal, then silver is used. The lower part of the arms represent the land and the mountain on which the fortress sits. This area has a background in black to represent the localconifer forest. The curved upper part of the background is colored red to symbolize the sky. The color is taken from the Norwegian flag to mark the national historical importance of the fortress. A mural crown is often shown above theescutcheon to indicate that the town of Kongsvinger is located in the municipality. The arms were designed by J. W. Oftedal.[8][9]
TheChurch of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Kongsvinger. It is part of theSolør, Vinger og Odal prosti (deanery) in theDiocese of Hamar.
| Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austmarka | Austmarka Church | Austmarka | 1858 |
| Brandval | Brandval Church | Brandval | 1651 |
| Lundersæter Church | Lundersæter | 1868 | |
| Roverud Church | Roverud | 1969 | |
| Vinger | Vinger Church | Kongsvinger | 1699 |
The area was historically a part of theprestegjeld ofVinger. The village that later became Kongsvinger already existed as atrading center by theMiddle Ages, due to the accessibility by natural waterways.Viking chieftains reachedSweden by boat from Kongsvinger.Kongsvinger Fortress was founded in 1669, and a star-shaped plan was laid out for the fortress. Work began in 1682 and it was finished in 1690 as part of a general upgrade toNorwegian fortresses.[10] The building of the fortress formed the foundations for what was to become thetown of Kongsvinger. The fortress was built as a defensive structure against the Swedes, and on numerous occasions there have been military engagements in the area around the fortress, but Kongsvinger fortress has never been taken in military combat. Below Kongsvinger fortress lies Øvrebyen, which literally translated means "upper town". This is the oldest part of the town of Kongsvinger, and one can still find a number of the original houses built after the establishment of the fortress. Kongsvinger Museum is located here, together with a museum of female emancipation in a building called "Rolighed", the home ofDagny Juel, the famous author once portrayed by Edvard Munch.
The rural, eastern parts of Kongsvinger and its neighboring municipalities to the north and south were populated at the end of the 17th century byFinnish emigrants who came across theSwedish border. The area is calledFinnskogen which means"The Finnish forest".
Kongsvinger played an important part in theNorwegian resistance force against theNazis being a gateway to Sweden. Norway's highest decorated citizen,Gunnar Sønsteby frequently passed through Kongsvinger in his work to sabotage the Nazis' installations in Norway. Some of the busiest escape routes for refugees also went through Kongsvinger to Sweden.
From 1983 to 1999, and again in 2010, Kongsvinger'sassociation football teamKIL Toppfotball held a position in theNorwegian Premier League. It made some notable merits participating in theUEFA Cup and winning asilver medal during the 1992 season.
Kongsvinger Municipality is responsible forprimary education (through 10th grade), outpatienthealth services,senior citizen services,welfare and othersocial services,zoning,economic development, and municipalroads and utilities. The municipality is governed by amunicipal council ofdirectly elected representatives. Themayor isindirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[11] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of theRomerike og Glåmdal District Court and theEidsivating Court of Appeal.
Themunicipal council(Kommunestyre) of Kongsvinger is made up of 33 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by politicalparty.
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 7 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Pensioners' Party(Pensjonistpartiet) | 4 | |
| Red Party(Rødt) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 33 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 2 | |
| Green Party(Miljøpartiet De Grønne) | 1 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Pensioners' Party(Pensjonistpartiet) | 3 | |
| Red Party(Rødt) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 8 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 33 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 16 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 3 | |
| Green Party(Miljøpartiet De Grønne) | 1 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Pensioners' Party(Pensjonistpartiet) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 33 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Pensioners' Party(Pensjonistpartiet) | 5 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 33 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 6 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Pensioners' Party(Pensjonistpartiet) | 5 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 33 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 6 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 33 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 11 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 5 | |
| Town and local list(By- og bygdelista) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 37 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 19 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 9 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 5 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Free Democrats(Fridemokratene) | 1 | |
| Kongsvinger town and local list(Kongsvinger by og bygdeliste) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 20 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 9 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Kongsvinger town and local list(Kongsvinger by og bygdeliste) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 27 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 28 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 27 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 8 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 28 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| New People's Party(Nye Folkepartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 31 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 4 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 1 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Socialist People's Party(Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 30 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 4 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 1 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Socialist People's Party(Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 32 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 4 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 45 | |
| Note: On 1 January 1964, thetown of Kongsvinger was merged withBrandval andVinger to make a much larger municipality. | ||
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 2 | |
| Joint list of theLiberal Party(Venstre) and theRadical People's Party(Radikale Folkepartiet) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 1 | |
| Joint list of theLiberal Party(Venstre) and theRadical People's Party(Radikale Folkepartiet) | 2 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 6 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 5 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 8 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Note: Due to theGerman occupation of Norway duringWorld War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945. | ||
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 5 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 8 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
Themayors (Norwegian:ordfører) of Kongsvinger:[33][34]
Kongsvinger is situated on both sides of the riverGlomma, where the south-flowing river takes a sharp northwestward turn. TheKongsvinger Fortress is the main landmark, situated on a hill west and north of the river. Kongsvinger is a regional center of theGlåmdal region, which is made up of the southern parts ofInnlandet county. Kongsvinger municipality is bordered to the west by the municipality ofSør-Odal, to the north byGrue, and to the south byEidskog. To the east it bordersEda andTorsby municipalities inSweden. Kongsvinger is about 110 kilometres (68 mi) fromOslo and 70 kilometres (43 mi) fromOslo Airport, Gardermoen.
The Holtbergmasta, a 163-metre (535 ft) tallguyed mast for FM-/TV-broadcasting on Holtberget at 60.167602 N 11.994356 E was built in 1967.
| Ancestry | Number |
|---|---|
 Sweden | 198 |
 Iraq | 186 |
 Poland | 186 |
 Afghanistan | 147 |
 Bosnia-Herzegovina | 142 |
 Vietnam | 123 |
 Iran | 94 |
 Eritrea | 80 |
 Syria | 71 |
 Thailand | 65 |
Travel to and from Kongsvinger:
The following are road distances to Kongsvinger from various locations:
| Starting location | Distance to Kongsvinger |
|---|---|
| Oslo | 94 km (58 mi) |
| Oslo Airport, Gardermoen | 74 km (46 mi) |
| Hamar | 100 km (62 mi) |
| Elverum | 95 km (59 mi) |
| Trondheim | 450 km (280 mi) |
| Bergen | 545 km (339 mi) |
| Tromsø | 1,600 km (990 mi) |
| Charlottenberg (Sweden) | 44 km (27 mi) |
| Arvika (Sweden) | 79 km (49 mi) |
| Karlstad (Sweden) | 150 km (93 mi) |
| Stockholm (Sweden) | 455 km (283 mi) |
| Copenhagen (Denmark) | 636 km (395 mi) |
There are 1,530 businesses includingforestry andfarming, and 245 of these are retail outlets. There are 25,000 square metres (269,098 sq ft) of mall situated in the downtown area. As well as downtown shopping streets, there are also glass domed pedestrian shopping streets. The governmental regionalKongsvinger Hospital is also situated in Kongsvinger.
| In thetown of Kongsvinger: | Elsewhere in the municipality |
|---|---|
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Kongsvinger hassister city agreements with the following places:[42]
Arvika,Värmland County,Sweden
Ebel es Saqi,Marjayoun,Lebanon
Skive, Denmark
Ylöjärvi,Länsi-Suomi,FinlandKongsvinger is referenced within the title (and indirectly within the lyrics) of the song "A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvinger" by the American rock bandOf Montreal on the 2007 albumHissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?.
Media related toKongsvinger at Wikimedia Commons
The dictionary definition ofKongsvinger at Wiktionary
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