Orkanger

Summary

Orkanger is a town and the administrative centre of Orkland municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The town is also a former municipality which existed from 1920 until 1963. The town sits at the end of the Orkdal Fjord, an arm of the Trondheimsfjord. Orkanger is the commercial centre of the municipality of Orkland and it is the site of the Orkanger Church. It was established as a "town" in 2014.[5]

Orkanger
View of the industrial area with the city in the background
View of the industrial area with the city in the background
Orkanger is located in Trøndelag
Orkanger
Orkanger
Location of the town
Orkanger is located in Norway
Orkanger
Orkanger
Orkanger (Norway)
Coordinates: 63°18′24″N 9°51′01″E / 63.3067°N 09.8502°E / 63.3067; 09.8502
CountryNorway
RegionCentral Norway
CountyTrøndelag
DistrictOrkdalen
MunicipalityOrkland
Established as 
Town (By)1 Jan 2014
Area
 • Total6.26 km2 (2.42 sq mi)
Elevation11 m (36 ft)
Population
 (2018)[1]
 • Total8,204
 • Density1,311/km2 (3,400/sq mi)
DemonymØrbygg
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Post Code
7300 Orkanger
Orkanger herred
Sør-Trøndelag within Norway
Sør-Trøndelag within Norway
Orkanger within Sør-Trøndelag
Orkanger within Sør-Trøndelag
CountryNorway
CountySør-Trøndelag
DistrictOrkdalen
Established1 July 1920
 • Preceded byOrkdal Municipality
Disestablished1 Jan 1963
 • Succeeded byOrkdal Municipality
Administrative centreOrkanger
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total7 km2 (3 sq mi)
Population
 (1962)
 • Total2,874
 • Density410/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
DemonymØrbygg[3]
ISO 3166 codeNO-1639[4]
Data from Statistics Norway

Combined with the neighbouring suburban village of Fannrem, the conurbation constitutes one of the largest urban areas in Trøndelag county. The 6.26-square-kilometre (1,550-acre) town has a population (2018) of 8,204 and a population density of 1,311 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,400/sq mi).[1]

Just north of Orkanger lies the port of Thamshavn. Until 1974, Orkanger had a station on the Thamshavn Line railway with the Thamshavn Station just north of the town. The railway line closed for passenger traffic in 1963 but continued to transport ore from Løkken Verk to the Thamshavn port until 1974 when the line was closed to all traffic. The line through most of Orkanger was dismantled following the closure, but about 22 kilometres (14 mi) of the original line from Bårdshaug to Løkken Verk has been re-opened as a heritage railway.

Between 1908 and 1949 there was a steam ship service to Trondheim on the SS Orkla. The European route E39 highway runs through the town, connecting it to the major city of Trondheim, about 42 kilometres (26 mi) to the northeast.

Industry edit

Orkanger is one of the most important industrial centres in Trøndelag. The industrial sites are mainly located in the Grønøra area, just west of the mouth of the Orkla river. Technip Offshore Norge AS, Reinertsen, Washington Mills [no] and the foundry Elkem Thamshavn AS are the main operators in the area.

A chipboard factory operated in Orkanger from 1959 until 1976.

History edit

The urban area of Orkanger was established as a municipality on 1 July 1920 when it was separated from Orkdal municipality. Initially, it had a population of 1,715. The municipality encompassed the 7-square-kilometre (2.7 sq mi) urban area and some of the surrounding countryside. It was an important port, but it did not have the designation of a town at that time. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1963, the municipality of Orkanger ceased to exist and it was merged into the larger municipality of Orkdal. Prior to the merger, Orkanger had 2,874 residents.[6] In 2014, the municipality of Orkdal declared Orkanger to be a "town".

Name edit

The town (and municipality) was named "Orkanger". The first element is Ork, which stems from the lake Orkelsjøen from which the river Orkla runs. The meaning of the name is of the lake and river is not certain. The last element is angr which means "inlet" or "small fjord".[5][7]

Self-government (1920-1962) 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.[8]

Municipal council edit

During its time as an independent municipality, the municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Orkanger was made up of representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

Orkanger herredsstyre 1960–1963 [9]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 12
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 5
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:21
Orkanger herredsstyre 1956–1959 [10]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 13
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 3
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:21
Orkanger herredsstyre 1952–1955 [11]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 11
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 3
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:20
Orkanger herredsstyre 1948–1951 [12]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 10
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 5
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
Total number of members:20
Orkanger herredsstyre 1945–1947 [13]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 10
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 6
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:20
Orkanger herredsstyre 1938–1941* [14]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 12
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 1
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 3
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:20
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.

Mayors edit

The mayors of Orkanger during its time as a self-governing municipality:[15][16]

  • 1920–1925: Christian Togstad (Ap)
  • 1926–1928: Martin Svebstad (Ap)
  • 1929–1931: Ole Axelsen Moe Richter (V)
  • 1932–1937: Oldus Larsen (Ap)
  • 1938–1941: Asgeir Jørum (Ap)
  • 1941–1945: Emil Carlsen (NS)
  • 1945–1945: Asgeir Jørum (Ap)
  • 1946–1955: Ole Monsen (Ap)
  • 1956–1962: Sverre Solligård (Ap)

Media gallery edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 2018). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality".
  2. ^ "Orkanger, Orkdal (Trøndelag)". yr.no. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  4. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (26 January 2023). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
  5. ^ a b Store norske leksikon. "Orkanger. – kommune" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  6. ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  7. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1901). Norske gaardnavne: Søndre Trondhjems amt (in Norwegian) (14 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 125.
  8. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  10. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  14. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  15. ^ "Ordførere". Orkanger historie (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  16. ^ Hoff, Håkon (1945). Orkanger-boka. Historiebok for Orkedalsøren og Orkanger (in Norwegian). Orkanger kommune. pp. 414–415.