Ullsfjord (historically: Sørfjord) is a former municipality in Troms county in Norway. The 658-square-kilometre (254 sq mi) municipality existed from 1902 until its dissolution in 1964. It was located in what is now the eastern part of Tromsø Municipality and the southwestern part of Lyngen Municipality. The municipality encompassed the area surrounding the Ullsfjorden between Tromsø and Lyngen. The administrative centre was the village of Sjursnes where Ullsfjord Church is located.[6]

Ullsfjord Municipality
Ullsfjord herred
Sørfjord herred  (historic name)
Sørfjorden herred  (historic name)
View of Ullsfjord Church in Sjursnes
View of Ullsfjord Church in Sjursnes
Troms within Norway
Troms within Norway
Ullsfjord within Troms
Ullsfjord within Troms
Coordinates: 69°31′57″N 19°38′27″E / 69.53250°N 19.64083°E / 69.53250; 19.64083
CountryNorway
CountyTroms
DistrictHålogaland
Established1902
 • Preceded byLyngen Municipality
Disestablished1 Jan 1964
 • Succeeded byTromsø Municipality and Lyngen Municipality
Administrative centreSjursnes
Government
 • Mayor (1951–1963)Hans Kristian Hauan (Ap)
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total657.8 km2 (254.0 sq mi)
 • Rank#150 in Norway
Highest elevation1,834 m (6,017 ft)
Population
 (1963)
 • Total2,208
 • Rank#406 in Norway
 • Density3.4/km2 (9/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Increase +3.7%
DemonymUllsfjording[2]
Official language
 • Norwegian formNeutral[3]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1937[5]

Prior to its dissolution in 1964, the 657.8-square-kilometre (254.0 sq mi) municipality was the 150th largest by area out of the 689 municipalities in Norway. Ullsfjord Municipality was the 406th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 2,208. The municipality's population density was 3.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (8.8/sq mi) and its population had increased by 3.7% over the previous 10-year period.[7][8]

General information edit

 
View of Sjursnes
 
Ullsfjord area

The municipality of Sørfjord was established on 1 January 1902 when Lyngen Municipality was divided in two: the western part (population: 1,139) became the municipality of Ullsfjord and the eastern part (population: 5,102) remained as Lyngen.[9]

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the municipality ceased to exist and its land was divided as follows:[9]

Name edit

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Sørfjorden, a local fjord. The first element is sør which means "southern". The last element is fjord which means "fjord". This "southern fjord" is referring to a branch off the larger Ullsfjorden.[10] Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Sørfjorden. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Sørfjord.[11]

On 16 July 1937, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Ullsfjord effective 1 October 1937.[12] This new name is the same as the local Ullsfjorden. The first element comes from the name Ullr, a god from ancient Germanic paganism. The last element is fjord which means "fjord". Thus it is the "fjord of Ullr".[6]

Churches edit

The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Ullsfjord. It was part of the Tromsøysund prestegjeld and the Indre Troms prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

Churches in Ullsfjord
Parish (sokn) Church name Location of the church Year built
Ullsfjord Ullsfjord Church Sjursnes 1862

Geography edit

The highest point in the municipality was the 1,834-metre (6,017 ft) tall mountain Jiehkkevárri which was located on the municipal boundary between Ullsfjord Municipality and Lyngen Municipality.[1]

Government edit

While it existed, Ullsfjord Municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[13] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Mayors edit

The mayors (Norwegian: ordfører) of Ullsfjord:[14]

  • 1902-1907: Thomas Olsen
  • 1908-1922: Rasmus Hansen
  • 1923-1925: Jens Holmboe Giæver
  • 1926-1931: Rasmus Hansen
  • 1932–1941: Hans Kristian Hauan (Ap)[15]
  • 1941-1945: Ewald Storvand[16]
  • 1945–1948: Hans Kristian Hauan (Ap)[15]
  • 1948-1951: Ole Olsen
  • 1952–1963: Hans Kristian Hauan (Ap)[15]

Municipal council edit

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Ullsfjord was made up of 17 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Ullsfjord herredsstyre 1960–1963 [17]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 8
Total number of members:17
Note: On 1 January 1964, Ullsfjord Municipality became part of Lyngen Municipality and Tromsø Municipality.
Ullsfjord herredsstyre 1956–1959 [18]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 6
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 10
Total number of members:17
Ullsfjord herredsstyre 1952–1955 [19]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 7
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidere, fiskere, småbrukere liste) 2
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 3
Total number of members:12
Ullsfjord herredsstyre 1948–1951 [20]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 5
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 7
Total number of members:12
Ullsfjord herredsstyre 1945–1947 [21]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 4
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidere, fiskere, småbrukere liste) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 7
Total number of members:12
Ullsfjord herredsstyre 1938–1941* [22]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 2
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 1
Total number of members:12
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. ^ a b "Høgaste fjelltopp i kvar kommune" (in Norwegian). Kartverket. 16 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  3. ^ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1932. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 453–471. 1932.
  4. ^ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  5. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (26 January 2023). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
  6. ^ a b Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (11 December 2017). "Ullsfjord – tidligere kommune". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  7. ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  8. ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 1951). Norges Sivile, Geistlige, Rettslige og Militære Inndeling 1. Januar 1951 (PDF). Norges Offisielle Statistikk (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norge: H. Aschehoug & Co.
  9. ^ a b c d Jukvam, Dag (1999). Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  10. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1911). Norske gaardnavne: Tromsø amt (in Norwegian) (17 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 159.
  11. ^ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1908. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Kristiania, Norge: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 24. 1908.
  12. ^ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1937. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 449. 1937.
  13. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  14. ^ "Ullsfjord kommune 1902-1964" (PDF). Tromsø kommune (in Norwegian). Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "Hans Kristian Hauan" (in Norwegian). Storting.
  16. ^ "Ordførerskifte". Harstad Tidende (in Norwegian). 3 November 1941. p. 4. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  18. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  19. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  20. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  21. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  22. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 18 March 2020.

External links edit