Sandnessjøen or Stamnes is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The 45-square-kilometre (17 sq mi) municipality existed from 1899 until its dissolution in 1965. The municipality encompassed the northern part of the island of Alsten in what is now Alstahaug Municipality. Originally, it (briefly) also included all of what is now Leirfjord Municipality as well. The administrative centre of the municipality was the town of Sandnessjøen.[3][4][5]

Sandnessjøen Municipality
Sandnessjøen herred
Stamnes
Nordland within Norway
Nordland within Norway
Sandnessjøen within Nordland
Sandnessjøen within Nordland
Coordinates: 66°01′05″N 12°36′57″E / 66.0181°N 12.6159°E / 66.0181; 12.6159
CountryNorway
CountyNordland
DistrictHelgeland
Established1 July 1899
 • Preceded byAlstahaug Municipality
Disestablished1 Jan 1965
 • Succeeded byAlstahaug Municipality
Administrative centreSandnessjøen
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total45 km2 (17 sq mi)
Population
 (1965)
 • Total3,856
 • Density86/km2 (220/sq mi)
DemonymSandnessjøværing[1]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1821[2]

History edit

 
View of Sandnessjøen in the early 20th century
 
View of Sandnessjøen in 1935

The municipality of Stamnes was established on 1 July 1899 when it was split off from Alstahaug Municipality. Originally, it consisted of the northern part of the island of Alsta and the mainland area around the Leirfjorden. Initially, Stamnes had 2,673 residents. On 1 July 1915, the mainland district of Stamnes (population: 2,003) was separated to form the new Leirfjord Municipality. This left Stamnes with 1,059 residents.[6]

In 1948, the municipality of Stamnes was renamed Sandnessjøen after the main town in the small municipality. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the municipality of Sandnessjøen (population: 3,856) was merged with most of Alstahaug Municipality (population: 970) and most of Tjøtta Municipality (population: 1,477) to form a new, larger Alstahaug Municipality.[6]

Name edit

The municipality is named after the old Stamnes farm (Old Norse: Stafnnes) since the first Stamnes Church was built there. The first element is stafn which is the word for the "mast/stem of a ship". The last element is nes which means "headland". Thus it is referring to the large mast-like peninsula on which the village of Stamnes was located.[7]

On 1 July 1948, a royal resolution changed the name of the municipality to Sandnessjøen, after the main town in the municipality.[8] The town was named after the old Sandnes farm (Old Norse: Sandnes) since the town grew up on the grounds of the old farm. The first element is sand which means "sand". The second element is nes which means "headland". The last element (-sjøen) was added on after the name of the farm. This word sjøen which means "the sea", thus it is the "sandy peninsula along the sea".[7]

Government edit

While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elected a mayor.[9]

Municipal council edit

The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Sandnessjøen was made up of representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

Sandnessjøen herredsstyre 1964 [10]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 12
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 2
  Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) 1
Total number of members:21
Sandnessjøen herredsstyre 1960–1963 [11]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 12
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:21
Sandnessjøen herredsstyre 1956–1959 [12]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 12
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 2
Total number of members:21
Sandnessjøen herredsstyre 1952–1955 [13]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 1
Total number of members:16
Sandnessjøen herredsstyre 1948–1951 [14]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 6
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 4
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 2
Total number of members:16
Stamnes herredsstyre 1945–1947 [15]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 3
Total number of members:16
Stamnes herredsstyre 1938–1941* [16]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 4
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 5
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 4
Total number of members:16
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (26 January 2023). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
  3. ^ Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (16 March 2016). "Sandnessjøen – tidligere kommune". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  4. ^ Helland, Amund (1908). "Stamnes herred". Norges land og folk: Nordlands amt (in Norwegian). Vol. XVIII. Kristiania, Norway: H. Aschehoug & Company. p. 216. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  5. ^ Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (27 April 2016). "Stamnes". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  6. ^ a b Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
  7. ^ a b Rygh, Oluf (1905). Norske gaardnavne: Nordlands amt (in Norwegian) (16 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 94.
  8. ^ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1948 Nr. 1. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 110. 1948.
  9. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  14. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  15. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  16. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 18 March 2020.