Telemark

This article covers the Norwegian countryside and former Telemark province. Further meanings can be found under Telemark (disambiguation) .

coat of arms	map
Basic data
Country :	Norway
Administrative center :	Skien
Area :	15,296.35 km²
Residents :	173,318 (January 1, 2019)
Population density :	11.2 inhabitants / km²
Municipalities :	18th
ISO 3166-2	NO-08
Fylkesstein :	Brynestein
politics
Fylkesordfører :	Sven Tore Løkslid (Ap)
Fylkesmann :	Per Arne Olsen

Telemark is a landscape and a former province ( Fylke ) in Norway , which also forms a constituency . It has a total area of ​​15,296 km² (of which a land area of ​​13,846 km²). Telemark is geographically, topographically, culturally and linguistically diverse and forms a transition between Eastern Norway, Southern Norway and Western Norway; Telemark is known as “a piece of Norway in miniature”. Telemark was an independent province under different names from the Middle Ages until 2020 and then became part of Vestfold og Telemark .

geography

Telemark is located in the southwest of the Østlandet region . It stretches from the Skagerrak to the Hardangervidda , the largest plateau in Europe. The coast at Skagerrak was about 39 kilometers long. Telemark borders the countryside and the former province of Buskerud in the northeast, Vestfold in the southeast, Aust-Agder in the south and Rogaland and Hordaland in the northwest.

Since both mountains and a coastal strip can be found in Telemark, Telemark is also known as "a piece of Norway in miniature".

There were eight cities in Telemark: Brevik , Kragerø , Langesund , Notodden , Porsgrunn , Rjukan , Skien and Stathelle in the municipality of Bamble . Skien, Porsgrunn and Bamble as well as the towns of Brevik, Langesund and Stathelle together each formed a Tettsted .

The Telemark Canal , which connected the towns of Skien and Dalen , ran through Telemark .

history

Landscape in Vinje in Øvre Telemark

The later Telemark was a geographical unit under the name Skienssysla in the Middle Ages , which was later continued as Bratsberg (older spelling Bradsberg ) and Telemark . The name Telemark comes from the Old Norse Þilamǫrk or Þelamǫrk (Þ = English th ) and refers to the Þilir, the ethnic group that lived in Øvre Telemark during the Great Migration and the Viking Age . From the late Middle Ages, the name Telemark was used as a landscape name and as a name for various administrative and ecclesiastical units that comprised (almost) all of Bratsberg, but occasionally with the exception of the Bamble region ( Vestmar ). Telemark Vogtei included z. B. from 1693 all of Bratsberg. Bratsberg amt was renamed Telemark fylke in 1919 . At that time Telemark was divided into the bailiwicks of Bamble, Nedre Telemarken and Øvre Telemarken . Bratsberg was originally the name of a homestead outside Skien, which served as the seat of the bailiff.

By 1900 Telemark had about 99,000 inhabitants. With industrialization, the population rose sharply, so that in 1920 there were already 125,250 people living there. Since the end of that period, population growth in the province has been slower than in the rest of Norway.

The coat of arms was created in 1970. It shows a black ax on a yellow background. It should represent protection and dignity.

On January 1, 2020, Telemark was forcibly merged with Vestfold (excluding the municipality of Svelvik ) to form the new Fylke Vestfold og Telemark . The Telemark regional parliament voted against the merger. The basis for the merger was a resolution of the Storting on June 8, 2017, which provided for a reduction to eleven areas as part of a regional reform . From January 1, 2019, there was only one common Fylkesmann for the two provinces, namely Per Arne Olsen .

politics

2015 was the last time a parliament was elected for the Telemark county. In the 2019 elections, a parliament for the new province, i.e. together with Vestfold, was elected.

Election of Fylkesting 2015

Political party	Share of votes in percent	Seats	Change compared to 2011 in percentage points
Workers' part	38.4	16	+0.6
Høyre	16.6	7th	−5.7
Fremskrittspartiet	12.0	5	−0.3
Senterpartiet	11.7	5	+4.0
Kristelig Folkeparti	6.7	3	−0.5
Miljøpartiet De Grønne	4.0	2	+2.9
Venstre	3.7	1	−0.7
Sosialistisk Venstreparti	3.6	1	−0.5
Rødt	2.3	1	+0.6
Partiet De Kristne	0.9	1	+0.9

economy

Agriculture is mainly concentrated in a strip from Brevik to Porsgrunn and Skien to the North Sea, where about a third of the area under cultivation is located. Other areas are too high to be suitable for agricultural use. On the coast along the North Sea fishing was practiced, with salmon in particular . Overall, however, fishing was not a major source of income in Telemark.

Grenland was formed by the municipalities of Porsgrunn and Skien and is an economically important urban area. Among other things, Norsk Hydro and Yara International had branches here.

tourism

Telemark was home to Norway's largest aqua park, Bø Sommarland. Artificial waves and Norway's longest slide were attractions for tourists and locals.

Culture

Eidsborg Stave Church from the Middle Ages in Lårdal in Øvre Telemark

Telemark is culturally very diverse and forms a culturally and linguistically transition between eastern Norway, southern Norway and western Norway. The language varies between a near-standard Eastern Norwegian, especially in the coastal areas, and very traditional dialects in Øvre Telemark, which are close to conservative variants of Nynorsk.

Traditionally there are no towns in Øvre Telemark; the region is traditionally characterized by a relatively egalitarian farming society, whose cultural roots go back to the Viking Age. It retained elements of Old Norse culture and language to a much greater extent than other regions in Norway and was historically considered to be the most violent society in Norway. It is the region that most opposed both Christianization and the later Reformation in Norway. The Telen were a very argumentative and confident people; in the Middle Ages they refused to pay taxes and often rebelled against the central power. A larger proportion of farmers own their own farms than anywhere else in Norway. The society and culture in Øvre Telemark were therefore more egalitarian and less influenced and “untouched” by the Danish era than elsewhere in eastern Norway. Øvre Telemark is known for its conservative dialects and traditions in folk music, clothing, handicrafts, food, architecture and skiing. It has more cultural monuments from the Middle Ages than any other part of Norway. Draumkvedet was transmitted orally in Øvre Telemark, mainly in Kviteseid and Lårdal. Øvre Telemark occupies an important position in Norwegian national romance. From the 19th century folklorists and artists became interested in the rural culture of Telemark and the legends, fairy tales and music of Telemark.

Grenland and Vestmar, the flatter coastal areas, are traditionally characterized by their rich cities based on seafaring and trade with the Netherlands, northern Germany, the British Isles and Denmark. With its ironworks and sawmills, Grenland has also been Norway's most important industrial region since the 16th century. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Skien was one of the largest and richest cities in Norway. Urban and continental culture is also influenced by closer contact with Denmark. Grenland has been a distinct class society since the late early modern period. Standard Eastern Norwegian dominates in terms of language.

Telemark was the home of Sondre Norheim , who in addition to the terms ski and slalom also shaped the technique of telemarking . The world-famous playwright Henrik Ibsen comes from Skien, the capital of Telemark.

Telemark also played an important role in the history and literature of the Norwegian language variant Nynorsk . Important authors such as Aasmund Olavsson Vinje , Tarjei Vesaas and Aslaug Vaa came from this area. In 1901 the Norwegian Ministry of Churches and Schools approved a new spelling for Nynorsk, which was essentially based on the West Telemark dialects (so-called Midlands normal ), but despite the support of authors such as Arne Garborg, it could not prevail against the previous spelling based on West Norwegian.

Personalities

• Myllarguten (1801 in Sauherad - 1872), composer and virtuoso on the Hardanger fiddle
• Aasmund Olavsson Vinje (1818 in Vinje - 1870), writer
• Sondre Norheim (1825 in Morgedal , Kviteseid - 1897), pioneer of modern skiing
• August Cappelen (1827 in Skien - 1852), artist
• Henrik Ibsen (1828 in Skien - 1906), writer
• Theodor Kittelsen (1857 in Kragerø - 1914), artist
• Vidkun Quisling (1887 in Fyresdal - 1945), fascist politician
• Aslaug Vaa (1889 in Rauland , Vinje - 1965), writer
• Tarjei Vesaas (1897 in Vinje - 1970), writer
• Anne Grimdalen (1899 in Skafså , Tokke - 1961), sculptor
• Eivind Groven (1901 in Lårdal , Tokke - 1977), composer
• Klaus Egge (1906 in Gransherad , Notodden - 1979), composer
• Hans Herbjørnsrud (* 1938 in Heddal , Notodden), writer
• Tor Åge Bringsværd (* 1939 in Skien), writer
• Gisle Kverndokk (* 1967 in Skien), composer

Administrative division

Telemark municipalities

Telemark regions

Telemark was divided into 5 regions and 18 municipalities. With the transition to the new province of Vestfold og Telemark , the municipalities of Bø and Sauherad were merged to form the municipality of Midt-Telemark on January 1, 2020 .

Municipality number	Surname	Administrative headquarters	Region / map color	Residents January 1, 2019	Area in km²
0805	Porsgrunn	Porsgrunn	Grenland	36,224	161.00
0806	Skien	Skien	Grenland	54,645	778.05
0807	Notodden	Notodden	Aust-Telemark	12,682	914.00
0811	Siljan	Siljan	Grenland	2,329	292.46
0814	Bamble	Langesund	Grenland	14,089	304.00
0815	Kragerø	Kragerø	Vestmar	10,406	305.30
0817	Drangedal	Prestestranda	Vestmar	4,080	1,062.78
0819	Nome	Ulefoss	Midt Telemark	6,538	429.69
0821	Bø	Bø	Midt Telemark	6,630	263.21
0822	Sauherad	Akkerhaugen	Midt Telemark	4,293	320.54
0826	Tinn	Rjukan	Aust-Telemark	5,780	2,044.94
0827	Hjartdal	Sauland	Aust-Telemark	1,572	791.24
0828	Seljord	Seljord	Vest-Telemark	2,934	715.09
0829	Kviteseid	Kviteseid	Vest-Telemark	2,403	708.46
0830	Nissedal	Meetings	Vest-Telemark	1,476	905.18
0831	Fyresdal	Fyresdal	Vest-Telemark	1,286	1,280.14
0833	Tokke	Dalen	Vest-Telemark	2,228	984.48
0834	Vinje	Åmot	Vest-Telemark	3,723	3,105.84
total	Telemark	Skien	Østlandet	173.318	15,296.35

Web links

Wiktionary: Telemark  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

• Tourist Office Norway
• Entry on snl.no in the store norske leksikon (Norwegian)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Om Telemark. In: telemark.no. Retrieved August 16, 2019 (Norwegian). 
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Svein-Gunnar Selland, Sten Lundbo: Telemark . In: Store norske leksikon . June 3, 2019 ( snl.no [accessed August 16, 2019]).
3. ↑ ^{a b} Øystein Rian: Bratsberg på 1600-tallet . Universitetsforlaget, 1997. ISBN 8200225194 .
4. ↑ Nye fylker on www.regjeringen.no, accessed on January 4, 2020
5. ↑ Telemark Fylke. In: valgresultat.no. October 8, 2015, accessed August 16, 2019 (Norwegian). 
6. ^ Tore Skaug, "Telemarken, en bygd av frie bønder?" In: Kristian Ihle Hanto and Kolbjørn Hauge (eds.), Norske landskap , Wigestrand Forlag, 2004, ISBN 82-91370-49-4
7. ↑ Hans Jacob Orning: De voldelige telemarksbøndene , Norge History, November 25, 2015
8. ↑ ^{a b c d} Vestfold and Telemark: Barnet som ikke er kjært nok , TB.no, 11 November 2017

Coordinates: 59 ° 29 ′ 24 ″  N , 8 ° 34 ′ 48 ″  E