Fusa Municipality
Fusa kommune | |
|---|---|
| Fuse herred (historic name) | |
 View of the Sævareidfjorden | |
 Hordaland within Norway | |
 Fusa within Hordaland | |
| Coordinates: 60°14′50″N 05°48′26″E / 60.24722°N 5.80722°E / 60.24722; 5.80722 | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Hordaland |
| District | Midhordland |
| Established | 1856 |
| • Preceded by | Os Municipality |
| Disestablished | 1 Jan 2020 |
| • Succeeded by | Bjørnafjorden Municipality |
| Administrative centre | Eikelandsosen |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2009–2019) | Atle Kvåle (Ap) |
| Area (upon dissolution) | |
• Total | 377.84 km2 (145.88 sq mi) |
| • Land | 353.71 km2 (136.57 sq mi) |
| • Water | 24.13 km2 (9.32 sq mi) 6.4% |
| • Rank | #247 in Norway |
| Highest elevation [1] | 1,299.1 m (4,262 ft) |
| Population (2019) | |
• Total | 3,861 |
| • Rank | #235 in Norway |
| • Density | 10.2/km2 (26/sq mi) |
| • Change (10 years) |  +1.8% |
| Demonym | Fusing[2] |
| Official language [3] | |
| • Norwegian form | Nynorsk |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-1241[4] |
Data from Statistics Norway | |
Fusa (Urban East Norwegian: [ˈfʉ̂ːsɑ]) is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The 377.84-square-kilometre (145.88 sq mi) municipality existed from 1856 until its dissolution in 2020. The area is now part of Bjørnafjorden Municipality in the traditional district of Midhordland in Vestland county. The administrative centre was the village of Eikelandsosen. Other villages in the municipality included Fusa, Holdhus, Holmefjord, Strandvik, and Sundvor.[5]
Prior to its dissolution in 2020, the 377.84-square-kilometre (145.88 sq mi) municipality was the 247th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Fusa Municipality was the 235th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 3,861. The municipality's population density was 10.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (26/sq mi) and its population had increased by 1.8% over the previous 10-year period.[6][7]
The Frank Mohn company's Fusa marine division was headquartered in the municipality, with almost 500 employees.
General information
The parish of Fuse (later spelled Fusa) was established as a municipality in 1856 when the large Os Municipality was divided in two. Initially, the new Fuse Municipality had 3,173 residents.[8]
On 1 January 1903 Fusa Municipality was divided into three municipalities as follows:[8]
- the southern area (population: 1,876) became the new Strandvik Municipality
- the northeastern area (population: 647) became the new Haalandsdalen Municipality (later spelled Hålandsdal)
- the northwestern area (population: 1,072) became a much smaller Fusa Municipality
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Fusa Municipality was enlarged by merging the following areas:[8]
- all of Hålandsdal Municipality (population: 528)
- all of Strandvik Municipality (population: 2,053)
- most of Fusa Municipality (population: 1,466), except for the Bogstrand area on the west side of the Fusafjorden which was transferred to Os Municipality
On 1 January 2020, Fusa Municipality and Os Municipality were merged to form the new Bjørnafjorden Municipality.[9] Historically, this municipality was part of the old Hordaland county. Also on 1 January 2020, the new Bjørnafjorden Municipality became a part of the newly-formed Vestland county (after Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane counties were merged).[10]
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Fusa farm (Old Norse: Fúsar) since the first Fusa Church was built there. The meaning of the name is uncertain. The name could be the plural form of the word fúss which means "eager" or "longing". Another possibility is that it comes from the verb fusa or its alternate spelling fuse which both mean "to rush" (as in rushing water).[11] Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Fuse. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Fusa.[12]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 27 September 1991 and it was in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was dissolved. The official blazon is "Argent, three gurges azure in pall" (Norwegian: På kvit grunn tre blå spiralar stilte i trepass). This means the arms have a field (background) has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The charge is a set of three spirals, two over one. The design was chosen to symbolise the strong currents in the Fusafjorden and Bjørnafjorden. The spirals also symbolise the many giant's kettles (Norwegian: jettegryte) in the municipality, which were created by the water in the rocks. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[13][14]
Churches
The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within Fusa Municipality. It was part of the Hardanger og Voss prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.
| Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fusa | Fusa Church | Fusa | 1961 |
| Holdhus Church | Holdhus | 1726 | |
| Hålandsdal Church | Eide in Hålandsdal | 1890 | |
| Strandvik Church | Strandvik | 1857 | |
| Sundvor Church | Sundvor | 1927 |
Geography
Fusa Municipality was located at the inner end of the Bjørnafjorden and its small arm, the Fusafjorden. Os Municipality was located across the fjord to the west, Samnanger Municipality was to the north, Kvam Municipality was to the east, and Kvinnherad Municipality was to the south. Lakes in Fusa included Gjønavatnet, Skogseidvatnet, and Henangervatnet. The highest point in the municipality was the 1,299.1-metre (4,262 ft) tall mountain Tveitakvitingen, located on the northern border of the municipality.[1]
Population
Historical population | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Note: The municipal borders were changed in 1903 and 1964, causing a significant change in the population. Source: Statistics Norway[15][16] and Norwegian Historical Data Centre[17] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Government
While it existed, Fusa 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 was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[18] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Bergen District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.
Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Fusa Municipality was made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 6 | |
| Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Note: On 1 January 2020, Fusa Municipality and Os Municipality were merged to form the new Bjørnafjorden Municipality. | ||
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 3 | |
| Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
| Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 6 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 8 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 25 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 3 | |
| Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Cross-Party Common List (Tverrpolitisk Samlingsliste) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 25 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
| Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 6 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Cross-Party Common List (Tverrpolitisk Samlingsliste) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 8 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Common list (Samlingslista) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 8 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 4 | |
| Common list (Samlingslista) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 7 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 6 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 3 | |
| Local list for Strandvik/Vinnes, Skjørsand, and Fusa (Bygdeliste for Strandvik/Vinnes, Skjørsand og Fusa) | 6 | |
| Common list (Samlingslista) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| New People's Party (Nye Folkepartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 4 | |
| Local list for Strandvik, Vinnes, Skjørsand, and Fusa (Bygdelista for Strandvik, Vinnes, Skjørsand og Fusa) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 7 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 9 | |
| Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and New People's Party (Nye Folkepartiet) |
5 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 6 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 6 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 9 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 6 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 6 | |
| Conservative Party (Høgre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 7 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 9 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 3 | |
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 26 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 15 | |
| Total number of members: | 15 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 15 | |
| Total number of members: | 15 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 2 | |
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 10 | |
| Total number of members: | 12 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 12 | |
| Total number of members: | 12 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 2 | |
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 10 | |
| Total number of members: | 12 | |
| Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 2 | |
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 10 | |
| 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. | ||
Mayors
The mayor (Nynorsk: ordførar) of Fusa Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. In 2007, Fusa participated in a national trial where the mayor was directly elected. The sitting mayor, Hans S. Vindenes, won the election with 51.8% of the votes. The following people have held this position:[36][37]
- 1856–1859: Hans Christian Krüger[38]
- 1860–1861: Samson Gerhard Meidell[39]
- 1862–1871: Hans Christian Krüger[40]
- 1872–1875: Berge Ingebrigtsen Skaathun
- 1876–1879: Ole Brandanger[41]
- 1880–1883: Hans Andersen Havsgaard[42]
- 1884–1889: Anders Hansen Bolstad[43]
- 1890–1910: John Dahl[44]
- 1911–1916: Johannes Dale
- 1917–1919: Olav Foer
- 1920–1934: Hans Berge
- 1935–1937: Johan O. Samnøy
- 1938–1940: Hans Christian Ekeberg
- 1941–1944: Johan O. Samnøy
- 1945–1945: Hans Christian Ekeberg
- 1946–1947: Johan O. Samnøy
- 1947–1959: Hans H. Helland[45]
- 1959–1964: Anders Samnøy[46]
- 1964–1975: Peter Haugarvoll (Sp)[47]
- 1975–1983: Gitle Havsgård (Sp)
- 1983–1987: Asbjørn Malvin Heidal (KrF)
- 1987–1991: Jan Koldal (V)
- 1991–1999: Hans J. Berge (Sp)
- 1999–2003: Asbjørn Malvin Heidal (KrF)
- 2003–2015: Hans S. Vindenes (Sp)
- 2015–2019: Atle Kvåle(Ap)
See also
References
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- ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
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- ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (9 January 2024). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon.
- ^ Thorsnæs, Geir; Helleve, Eirik, eds. (22 January 2023). "Fusa (tidlegare kommune)". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
- ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
- ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)" (in Norwegian).
- ^ a b c Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
- ^ "Bjørnafjorden kommune" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (1 August 2025). "Vestland". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
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- ^ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1917. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Kristiania, Norge: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 1057–1065. 1917.
- ^ "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Fusa, Hordaland". Flags of the World. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
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- ^ a b c d "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
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- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
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- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
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- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ Fiva, Jon H; Sørensen, Rune J.; Vøllo, Reidar, eds. (2024). "Local Candidate Dataset" (PDF).
- ^ Tveit, Nils (1937). "Fusa herad". Ous prestegjeld 1837-1937 (in Norwegian). Bergen: AS Centraltrykkeriet. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ^ "Bergen, den 17de Juni". Bergensposten (in Norwegian). 18 June 1858. p. 4. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
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- ^ "Amtsthinget". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). 26 June 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
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- ^ "Anders Samnøy ordførar i Fusa". Bergens Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 21 December 1959. p. 7. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ^ "Opne luke 13: 1964. Fusa, Strandvik og Hålandsdalen blir ein kommune - igjen". Bjørnafjorden kommune (in Norwegian). 13 December 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
