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Mosjøen

Coordinates:65°50′13″N13°11′29″E/ 65.8370°N 13.1913°E/65.8370; 13.1913
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mosjøen
Mussere(Southern Sami)
View of southern parts of Mosjøen
View of southern parts of Mosjøen
Mosjøen is located in Nordland
Mosjøen
Mosjøen
Location of the town
Mosjøen is located in Norway
Mosjøen
Mosjøen
Mosjøen (Norway)
Coordinates:65°50′13″N13°11′29″E/ 65.8370°N 13.1913°E/65.8370; 13.1913
CountryNorway
RegionNorthern Norway
CountyNordland
DistrictHelgeland
MunicipalityVefsn Municipality
Established as
Ladested1875-1962
Town(By)1998
Area
• Total6.36 km2(2.46 sq mi)
Elevation5 m (16 ft)
Population
(2018)[2]
• Total9,843
• Density1,528/km2(3,960/sq mi)
DemonymMosjøværing
Time zoneUTC+01:00(CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+02:00(CEST)
Post Code
8651–8665 Mosjøen
Mosjøen ladested
Nordland within Norway
Nordland within Norway
CountryNorway
CountyNordland
DistrictHelgeland
Established1 Jan 1876
Preceded byVefsn Municipality
Disestablished1 Jan 1962
Succeeded byVefsn Municipality
Administrative centreMosjøen
ISO 3166 codeNO-1802[4]

Mosjøen(Norwegian:[ˈmùːʂøːn];Southern Sami:Mussere) is atowninVefsn MunicipalityinNordlandcounty,Norway.Mosjøen is the oldest town in theHelgelandregion, with only thetown of Bodøbeing older within Nordland county. The town is also theadministrative centreofVefsn Municipality.The old village of Mosjøen was declared aladestedin 1875. It was also atown municipality(bykommune) from 1875 until 1961 when it was merged into Vefsn, losing its status as a town (ladested). It is also a formergarrison townandcustoms place.[5]In 1998, the urban area of Mosjøen was declared to be a town once again. People from Mosjøen are referred to using thedemonym"mosjøværing".The 6.36-square-kilometre (1,570-acre) town has a population (2018) of 9,834 and apopulation densityof 1,528 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,960/sq mi).[2]

Together with the other regional towns ofMo i RanaandNarvik,Mosjøen is one of theindustrial townsin Nordland county. Owned byAlcoa,Mosjøen Aluminum Plantis among the biggest inEurope,and is traditionally the town'scornerstone.Additionally, the town'sbusiness sectorincludestrade,crafts,banking,transportation,andtourism.The town attractscustomersfrom the entire region.

Mosjøen is atransport hubin Helgeland. From Mosjøen, it is 71 kilometres (44 miles) to the town ofSandnessjøenin the west, 87 kilometres (54 miles) to the town ofMo i Ranain the north, and 160 kilometres (99 miles) to the town ofBrønnøysundin the south. Furthermore, the road distance is 318 km (198 miles) to thetown of Bodøand 393 km (244 miles) to the city ofTrondheim.TheEuropean route E6highway runs through the town. There are daily departures from Mosjøen Bus Central, fromMosjøen Railway Stationon theNordland Line,and fromMosjøen Airportsouth of the town. There are both public and privatequaysin Mosjøen. The town'sharbouris among the largest inNorthern Norway.[6]

In the aspect ofsecondaryandadult education,Mosjøen exercises both local and regional functions. Offering general (includingmusic),vocational,andagriculturallines,Mosjøen High Schoolalso receives students from rural municipalities surrounding the town and from other regions of Nordland.Vefsn Folk High Schoollies in Mosjøen, whileSandvik Folk High Schoolis located north of it. The town has got a department of theOpen University.Many bigger events for children and youths take place in Mosjøen, among others Toppen International Summer Music School and The Kippermoen Cup.

Mosjøen is known forSjøgata:Northern Norway's longest cluster of 19th-century wooden houses and piers. Othertourist attractionsincludeDolstad Churchfrom 1735, the award-winning Town Park from 1905, and the aluminum plant.

Etymology

[edit]
Downtown as well as northern and north-eastern parts of Mosjøen

The town is named after the oldMofarm (Old Norse:Móar) the town was built up on the outskirts of the large farm. The first element is derived from the wordmóarwhich is the plural form ofmórwhich means "moorland".The last element issjøen(Old Norse:sjórwhich means "sea" or "seaside". Mosjøen, therefor means "the sea(side) belonging to Mo". In other words, it was a place where thefarmersof Mo had theirboatsandboatsheds.Earlier spellings areMoesøenin the 18th century andMosøenin the 19th century.[7]

History

[edit]
Spanning 300 years, Mosjøen's architecture includesvillasof the early 20th century
The English sawmills in 1870. As Mosjøen grew wealthier and wealthier, surrounding forests were depleted
Mosjøen'stelegraph stationin 1906. The town was central for infrastructure and communications in Helgeland

Mentioned inAslak Bolt'scadastreof the 15th century, Mo is amedievalfarmwith ahistoryat least dating to theViking Age.Mosjøen's own history starts in theearly modern period.Mosjøen was populated by 1600.[8]The earliest inhabitant known by name is Svein Beachdweller, who lived there together with hiswifeanddaughtersin 1660.[8]In the 17th and early 18th century, especially following the 1645Treaty of Brömsebro,several inhabitants ofJemtlandescapedtoTrøndelagand toNordland.Many of them came toVefsn,including Mosjøen. In the 18th century, Mosjøen as a settlement fornonagrarianoccupations started to materialise. For example, the regionalexecutionerresided there temporarily. As did a handful ofcraftsmenandpublic officials.

From the late 16th century until the 1820s, Mo was possessed by the Mo family:wealthyfarmersas well asskippersandmerchantswho contributed to Mosjøen's gradual expansion. In 1794, a member of the family receivedroyalprivilegeto establish atrading postin Mosjøen.

In the 1860s, a group ofEnglishmen—the 'salmonlords'—established The North of Europe Land & Mining Company, introducing the firstindustrialperiod in Mosjøen.Sawmillindustry created 'Klondike conditions': People came from everywhere in order to get a job, to trade, and so on, and salaries were relatively high.

On 4 April 1874, KingOscar IIdecided to grantladested(town) status to Mosjøen effective on 1 January 1875. As aladested,Mosjøen now had the privilege toexportgoodsdirectly to foreign countries. As a new town, it had the right to self-government, so it was separated fromVefsn Municipalityto become a separatemunicipalityon 1 January 1876. Initially, the new town had 379 residents. In 1939, a small adjoining area of Vefsn was transferred into the town of Mosjøen.[9][5][6]TheCinema Museumin London holds excellent film of the area in 1931 in its collection (ref HMO321)[10]

As the biggest and most important, central town in theHelgelandregion, Mosjøen became northern headquarters of theNazi German occupiersbetween 1940 and 1945. After the war in 1945, Mosjøen entered its second industrial period. Among several industrial establishments wasMosjøen Aluminum Plant.

Mosjøen'scoat of armswas granted by KingOlav Von 25 March 1960. Composed by sculptor Arthur Gustavsson, it isblazonedSable,acockArgent.The cock is traditionally equipped withredbeak,wattles,comb,andclaws:the so-called colour ofarmament.The cock represents watchfulness and fighting spirit. After the merger withVefsnin 1962, the coat of arms has been used byVefsn Municipality.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of theSchei Committee.On 1 January 1962, a major municipal merger took place. The town of Mosjøen (population: 4,628) was merged with the municipalities ofVefsn(population: 5,358),Drevja(population: 1,001), andElsfjord(population: 920), creating a new municipality called Vefsn.[9][5]Upon merging, Mosjøen lost its status as a town.

In 1998, the municipal council of Vefsn declared Mosjøen to have the formal status as a town.

Municipal self-government (1875–1962)

[edit]

Mosjøen was a self-governing municipality from 1875 until 1962. During that time, this municipality was responsible forprimary education(through 10th grade), outpatienthealth services,senior citizenservices,unemployment,social services,zoning,economic development,and municipalroads.During its existence, this municipality was governed by amunicipal councilofelectedrepresentatives, whichin turn electedamayor.[11]

Municipal council

[edit]

Themunicipal council(Bystyre)of Mosjøen was made up of representatives that were elected to four year terms. Thepartybreakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

Mosjøen bystyre 1960–1963[12]
Party name(in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) 19
Conservative Party(Høyre) 5
Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
Liberal Party(Venstre) 4
Total number of members:29
Mosjøen bystyre 1956–1959[13]
Party name(in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) 18
Conservative Party(Høyre) 5
Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
Liberal Party(Venstre) 5
Total number of members:29
Mosjøen bystyre 1952–1955[14]
Party name(in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) 16
Conservative Party(Høyre) 5
Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) 1
Liberal Party(Venstre) 6
Total number of members:28
Mosjøen bystyre 1948–1951[15]
Party name(in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) 10
Conservative Party(Høyre) 3
Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) 2
Liberal Party(Venstre) 5
Total number of members:20
Mosjøen bystyre 1945–1947[16]
Party name(in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) 11
Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) 2
Liberal Party(Venstre) 4
Local List(s)(Lokale lister) 3
Total number of members:20
Mosjøen bystyre 1938–1941*[17]
Party name(in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) 11
Liberal Party(Venstre) 4
Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties(Borgerlige Felleslister) 5
Total number of members:20
Note:Due to theGerman occupation of NorwayduringWorld War II,no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945.
Mosjøen bystyre 1935–1937[18]
Party name(in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) 9
Liberal Party(Venstre) 4
Local List(s)(Lokale lister) 1
Non-Socialist Group(Borgerlig Samling)6
Total number of members:20

Mayors

[edit]

Themayorsof Mosjøen:[19][20]

  • 1876-1877: Andreas Christian Bech Jürgensen
  • 1878-1879: Johan Jakob Johannessen
  • 1880-1882: Andreas Christian Bech Jürgensen
  • 1883-1887: Ole Sivert Elnan (V)
  • 1888-1889: Andreas Fredrik Peter Schroeter
  • 1890-1890: Ole Sivert Elnan (V)
  • 1891-1891: Andreas Fredrik Peter Schroeter
  • 1891-1891: Ole Sivert Elnan (V)
  • 1892-1895: Christian Fredrik Nergaard Havig (V)
  • 1896-1898: Ole Sivert Elnan (V)
  • 1899-1901: Erik Bathen (H)
  • 1902-1903: Ole Sivert Elnan (V)
  • 1904-1908: Erik Bathen (H)
  • 1909-1909: Ole Andreas Fellingfors (H)
  • 1910-1910: Erik Bathen (H)
  • 1910-1910: Ole Andreas Fellingfors (H)
  • 1911-1913: Mathias Løkke
  • 1914-1916: Thomas Riis
  • 1917-1917: Anton Solbraa
  • 1918-1921: Kristian Tustervatn (V)
  • 1922-1923: Ole Tobias Olsen
  • 1924-1924: Otto Bugge (Ap)
  • 1925-1925: Ole Tobias Olsen
  • 1926-1926: Kristian Tustervatn (V)
  • 1927-1931: Harald Robert Barth (LL)
  • 1932-1934: Hans Olaus Jarnæs (LL)
  • 1935-1935: Harald Robert Barth (LL)
  • 1936-1937: Hans Olaus Jarnæs (LL)
  • 1938-1941: Carl Wilhelm Johansen (Ap)
  • 1941-1942: Carl August Eliassen (NS)
  • 1943-1945: Halfdan Sundlo (NS)
  • 1945-1945: Carl Wilhelm Johansen (Ap)
  • 1945-1945: Kristian Karlsen (Ap)
  • 1946-1947: Johan Kristian Lian (Ap)
  • 1948-1949: Ole Ferdinand Andersen (Ap)
  • 1950-1951: Ole Jakob Wika (Ap)
  • 1952-1957: Ole Ferdinand Andersen (Ap)
  • 1957-1962: Einar Jensen (Ap)

Industry and business

[edit]
Part ofMosjøen Aluminum Plant

Mosjøen is one of the industrial towns inNordland.Especially important is the Mosjøen Aluminum Plant, owned byAlcoa.

Mosjøen's business sector contains both traditional and modern companies as well as a wide spectre of branches, includingtrade,crafts,banking,transportation,andtourism.The town is a commercial centre in the region, attracting customers from smaller neighbouring towns and from rural municipalities.

Transportation

[edit]
Part of the harbour

As atransport hubinHelgeland,Mosjøen connects to the towns ofSandnessjøen71 kilometres (44 miles) to the west,Mo i Rana87 kilometres (54 miles) to the north, andBrønnøysund160 kilometres (99 miles) to the south byroad.TheEuropean route E6betweenTrondheim393 kilometres (244 miles) to the south and the county capitalBodø318 kilometres (198 miles) to the north runs through Mosjøen.

Mosjøen is also accessible by airplane, by train, and by ship. Mosjøen is served byMosjøen Airport, Kjærstad,which is located five minutes by car south of the town.Mosjøen Stationon theNordland Linehas daily departures for Trondheim in the south and for the Bodø in the north. A smallercommuter railoperates betweenTroforsand Mo i Rana.

Encompassing both private and publicquays,Mosjøen'sharbouris the biggestportinNorthern Norway.Mosjøen Aluminum Planthas got its own port.

Tourism

[edit]
Part ofSjøgata
Dolstad Churchfrom 1735

The following are popular sightseeing spots:

  • Sjøgata,a historic and picturesque street containing the largest concentration of 19th-century wooden buildings inNorthern Norway.
  • Fru Haugans Hotel,established in 1794 and today the oldest hotel in Northern Norway.
  • Dolstad Church,established in 1735.
  • The Town Park, established ca. 1900 and regarded as one of the finest public parks in Norway.

Geography

[edit]
Topographic situation

Topography

[edit]

Mosjøen is situated in the lower part of the Vefsn Valley, where theVefsnaandSkjervariversflow into theVefsnfjord.Downtown Mosjøen lies on a flatmoorlandbetween these two rivers. Moreover, the town is surrounded bymountainsandhills,which are mainlyvegetated.Standing immediately west of the town, the 814-metre (2,671 ft) tall mountainØyfjelletdominates the town's landscape.

Climate

[edit]

Mosjøen is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of theArctic Circle,and the town has an untypical wet and mildboreal climate(Köppen:Dfc), with winter as the wettest season. The town has mild summers and moderately cold winters, but is mild compared to other places on similar latitudes. Situated at the head of a relatively narrow fjord, Mosjøen is not as mild in winter as places on the outer seaboard, but has slightly warmer summers. On July 27, 2019, Mosjøen recorded a high of 35 °C (95 °F), the warmest temperature recorded in Nordland and Northern Norway.[21]Mosjøen receives a large amount of precipitation, particularly in autumn and early winter, and usually has substantial amounts of snow on the ground from early winter to April. Its temperatures are fairly similar to that ofAnchorage, Alaska.The weather station is located at the airport, about 7 km further into the valley from Mosjøen. The town itself, located at the shores of the fjord, will have warmer lows than the airport. The record low is from January 2010. Mosjøen experiencesmidnight sunfrom June 16 to 26th due toatmospheric refraction,but has no polar night.[22]

Climate data for Mosjøen Airport 1991-2020 (72 m, extremes 2002-2022)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 9.3
(48.7)
11.2
(52.2)
12.9
(55.2)
19.4
(66.9)
29.7
(85.5)
30.7
(87.3)
35
(95)
29.1
(84.4)
25.3
(77.5)
18.5
(65.3)
12.4
(54.3)
9.7
(49.5)
35
(95)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −2
(28)
−2
(28)
2
(36)
7
(45)
12
(54)
16
(61)
19
(66)
18
(64)
13
(55)
7
(45)
1
(34)
−1
(30)
8
(46)
Daily mean °C (°F) −3.8
(25.2)
−4.3
(24.3)
−1.8
(28.8)
2.6
(36.7)
6.9
(44.4)
11.1
(52.0)
14.7
(58.5)
13.1
(55.6)
8.9
(48.0)
3.3
(37.9)
−0.6
(30.9)
−3.3
(26.1)
3.9
(39.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −6
(21)
−6
(21)
−5
(23)
−1
(30)
3
(37)
7
(45)
10
(50)
9
(48)
6
(43)
2
(36)
−2
(28)
−5
(23)
1
(34)
Record low °C (°F) −28.5
(−19.3)
−26.3
(−15.3)
−24.2
(−11.6)
−13.4
(7.9)
−5.3
(22.5)
−1
(30)
1.9
(35.4)
−0.9
(30.4)
−5.3
(22.5)
−13.4
(7.9)
−23.8
(−10.8)
−24.9
(−12.8)
−28.5
(−19.3)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 167.6
(6.60)
132.1
(5.20)
161
(6.3)
91.8
(3.61)
54
(2.1)
64.2
(2.53)
76.8
(3.02)
89.2
(3.51)
128.4
(5.06)
140.1
(5.52)
136.8
(5.39)
150.5
(5.93)
1,392.5
(54.77)
Source 1: Norwegian Meteorological Institute[23]
Source 2: Weatheronline climate robot[24]
Climate data for Mosjøen 1961-90
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −5
(23)
−4
(25)
0
(32)
5
(41)
10
(50)
13
(55)
18
(64)
17
(63)
12
(54)
7
(45)
−3
(27)
−6
(21)
5
(42)
Daily mean °C (°F) −5.7
(21.7)
−4.5
(23.9)
−1.6
(29.1)
2.4
(36.3)
7.6
(45.7)
11.6
(52.9)
13.4
(56.1)
12.8
(55.0)
8.6
(47.5)
4.6
(40.3)
−1.4
(29.5)
−4.2
(24.4)
3.6
(38.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −9
(16)
−10
(14)
−8
(18)
0
(32)
4
(39)
7
(45)
12
(54)
10
(50)
5
(41)
2
(36)
−7
(19)
−10
(14)
0
(32)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 186
(7.3)
135
(5.3)
150
(5.9)
99
(3.9)
79
(3.1)
80
(3.1)
100
(3.9)
116
(4.6)
191
(7.5)
230
(9.1)
181
(7.1)
198
(7.8)
1,745
(68.6)
Source:[25][26]

Friendship towns

[edit]
Town Country Start Reason
Lycksele Sweden 1965[27] Oldtradeconnections.Besides, Lycksele was first inLaplandto become a town.[28]
Gornji Milanovac Serbia 28 Sep 1975 DuringWW2,at least 425Serbianprisonersat Osen Camp, Vefsn, were killed.[28]
Volkhov Russia 16 Jun 1992 Established in 1932,Kirovwas Russia's first aluminum plant.[28]

References

[edit]
  1. ^In the Norwegian language, the wordbycan be translated as "town" or "city".
  2. ^abcStatistisk sentralbyrå(1 January 2018)."Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality".
  3. ^"Mosjøen, Vefsn (Nordland)".yr.no.Retrieved17 February2019.
  4. ^Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (26 January 2023)."Kommunenummer".Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian).Kunnskapsforlaget.
  5. ^abcThorsnæs, Geir, ed. (27 November 2014)."Mosjøen – tidligere kommune".Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian).Kunnskapsforlaget.Retrieved17 February2019.
  6. ^abThorsnæs, Geir, ed. (1 February 2016)."Mosjøen".Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian).Kunnskapsforlaget.Retrieved17 February2019.
  7. ^Rygh, Oluf(1905).Norske gaardnavne: Nordlands amt(in Norwegian) (16 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 74.
  8. ^abJæger, Claes-Henrik: Mosjøen i Norges Bebyggelse: Fylkesbindet for Sør-Trøndelag, Nord-Trøndelag og Nordland fylker, p. 725–732. Norsk Yrkesforlag, 1954.
  9. ^abJukvam, Dag (1999).Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen(PDF)(in Norwegian).Statistisk sentralbyrå.ISBN9788253746845.
  10. ^"Cinema Museum Home Movie Database.xlsx".Google Docs.Retrieved8 June2021.
  11. ^Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022)."kommunestyre".Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian).Kunnskapsforlaget.Retrieved1 January2023.
  12. ^"Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959"(PDF)(in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960.Retrieved18 March2020.
  13. ^"Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955"(PDF)(in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957.Retrieved18 March2020.
  14. ^"Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951"(PDF)(in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952.Retrieved18 March2020.
  15. ^"Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947"(PDF)(in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948.Retrieved18 March2020.
  16. ^"Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945"(PDF)(in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947.Retrieved18 March2020.
  17. ^"Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937"(PDF)(in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938.Retrieved18 March2020.
  18. ^"Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1934"(PDF)(in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1935.Retrieved18 March2020.
  19. ^Jacobsen, Kjell (1977). "Fra århundreskiftet til frigjøringsvåren: Vefsnbygdene ca. 1900 — 1945".Vefsn bygdebok(in Norwegian). Vol. III. Mosjøen: Vefsn bygdeboknemnd.ISBN8299017343.
  20. ^Jacobsen, Kjell (1975). "Overgangstid: Vefsnbygdene ca. 1820 — 1900".Vefsn bygdebok(in Norwegian). Vol. II. Mosjøen: Vefsn bygdeboknemnd.ISBN8299017335.
  21. ^"Infoclimat Mosjøen".
  22. ^"Sunrise and sunset times in Mosjøen".www.timeanddate.com.Retrieved3 December2020.
  23. ^"Weatheronline".
  24. ^"Weatheronline climate robot 1996-2020 (average high and low)".
  25. ^"Mosjøen average conditions - base period 10 last years".Storm Weather Center.Retrieved3 March2011.
  26. ^"Normaler for Vefsn kommune (1961-1990)".Meterologisk institutt. Archived fromthe originalon 4 April 2011.Retrieved3 March2011.
  27. ^Municipality of Lycksele:Our Twin MunicipalitiesArchived2016-03-03 at theWayback Machine
  28. ^abcMunicipality of Vefsn:VennskapskommunerArchived2017-07-28 at theWayback Machine
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