Vossevangen Voss | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Vossevangen | |
  Vossevangen Location of the village Show map of Vestland Vossevangen Vossevangen (Norway) Show map of Norway | |
| Coordinates:60°37′40″N06°25′05″E / 60.62778°N 6.41806°E /60.62778; 6.41806 | |
| Country | Norway |
| Region | Western Norway |
| County | Vestland |
| District | Voss |
| Municipality | Voss |
| Area | |
• Total | 4 km2 (2 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 54 m (177 ft) |
| Population (2019)[1] | |
• Total | 6,745 |
| • Density | 1,686/km2 (4,370/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Post Code | 5700 Voss |
Vossevangen orVoss is theadministrative centre ofVoss municipality inVestland county,Norway.
The village lies on the northeastern shore of the lakeVangsvatnet in the central part of the municipality, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) east of the city ofBergen. The villages ofBorstrondi andKvitheim are both small suburbs located just north of Vossevangen. The 4-square-kilometre (990-acre) village has a population (2019) of 6,745 and apopulation density of 1,686 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,370/sq mi).[1]
TheEuropean route E16 highway and theBergensbanen railway line both run through the village. The railway line stops atVoss Station in the centre of the village. This is the main road and main railway line between the cities ofOslo andBergen. TheNorwegian National Road 13 also runs through the village.
Vossevangen takes its name from the Old Norwegian word"vang" (Old Norse:Vangr) which means "field" or "meadow", and refers to the large grass field lying betweenVoss Church and the lakeVangsvatnet.[3]
According to legend, the people of Voss were forcibly converted toChristianity byKing Olav, who later became St. Olav. A stone cross situated in Vossevangen is said to have been erected at this time. The town contains the stoneVoss Church from 1277, with a 16th-century eccentric, octagonal steeple. Just outside the village isFinnesloftet, a woodenguildhall believed to be the oldestprofane (non-sacred) wooden building inNorthern Europe.[4][5]
After theGerman invasion of Norway on 9 April 1940, Voss was the main point of mobilisation for theNorwegian Army in the west, as the city ofBergen had already fallen on the first day of the invasion. Although most of the troops mobilised here were transferred by railway to the fighting in the east of the country, the German forces, advancing towards Voss along the railway line from Bergen and from theHardangerfjord, were met with stiff resistance. InHardanger (to the south), some of the Germans climbed up the mountains fromÅlvik while the rest went throughGranvin.
To break down this resistance, the village of Vossevangen was bombed by theLuftwaffe on 24 and 25 April 1940. About a dozen civilians lost their lives in the bombing which completely destroyed the old wood-built town centre. On 26 April, the German forces entered the village, which remained occupied until 8 May 1945.
