Øystre Slidre is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Heggenes. Other villages in the municipality include Hegge, Rogne, Volbu, Moane, Skammestein, Beito, and Beitostølen.

The municipality is the 120th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Øystre Slidre Municipality is the 221st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 3,311. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 2.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

left|thumb|At Røyne, looking towards Hegge

left|thumb|Beitostølen, view towards town centre

The municipality of Østre Slidre (later spelled Øystre Slidre) was established in 1849 when the old Slidre Municipality (created in 1838) was divided into Østre Slidre Municipality (population: 2,406) and Vestre Slidre Municipality (population: 3,130). On 1 January 1882, a small area of Vang Municipality (population: 31) was transferred to the neighboring Østre Slidre Municipality. On 1 January 1899, a small unpopulated area of Østre Slidre Municipality was transferred to Vestre Slidre Municipality.

Historically, the municipality was part of the old Oppland county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed Innlandet county (after Hedmark and Oppland counties were merged).

On 1 January 2021, the Skjelgrenda area of Vestre Slidre Municipality was transferred to Øystre Slidre Municipality.

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Slidre farm () since the old Slidredomen church was built there. The name is probably derived from the word which means "sheath" (which is probably referring to a long depression near the church). In 1849, the municipality (and parish) was divided into two separate municipalities. The word (meaning "eastern") was added to the beginning of the name. Thus, the meaning of the name Østre Slidre is "(the) eastern (part of) Slidre". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Østre Slidre. On 11 September 1925, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Øystre Slidre, switching to a local dialect spelling for the same word.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 17 March 1989. The official blazon is "Plumetty azure and argent" (). This means the arms have a field (background) that is covered with a plumetty pattern with alternating tinctures of blue and argent (which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used). The arms are designed to look like tiles made of slate. This recognizes that the slate industry was a formerly important industry in the area. Slate roofing was very common in Valdres. The arms were designed by Odd Karlberg. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Hegge Stave Church was originally constructed around the year 1216 in the village of Hegge. It has been extensively rebuilt and is mostly post-reformation. It contains a fine altarpiece (reredos) carved by Eistein Kjørn from Heidal between 1781 and 1782.

|source 2= NOAA - WMO averages 91-2020 Norway

Government

Øystre Slidre Municipality is 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Vestoppland og Valdres District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Øystre Slidre Municipality is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors

The mayor () of Øystre Slidre Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position:

  • 1849–1853: Tøllev Løken
  • 1854–1855: Endre Rogne
  • 1871–1875: Ole R. Skattebo
  • 1875–1887: Tollef Knudsen Liekren
  • 1888–1891: Knud O. Rogne
  • 1892–1904: Torstein Rogne
  • 1905–1910: G.H. Skattebo
  • 1911–1916: Ole Bustebakke (V)
  • 1917–1925: Knut O. Alfstad (V)
  • 1925–1931: Knut Ekkern (FV)
  • 1931–1941: Gullik K. Hovi (RF)
  • 1941–1945: John O. Mørstad (NS)
  • 1945–1947: Gullik K. Hovi (V)
  • 1948–1955: Haldor Hegge (V)
  • 1956–1959: Knut Bjørnstad (Sp)
  • 1960–1963: Haldor Hegge (V)
  • 1964–1975: Knut Bjørnstad (Sp)
  • 1976–1979: Nils T. Windingstad (Sp)
  • 1980–1991: Knut Bergo (V)
  • 1992–1997: Terje Stenseng (Sp)
  • 1997–1999: Ola Fjelltun (Sp)
  • 1999–2003: Ove Skaret (Ap)
  • 2003–2011: Gro Lundby (Ap)
  • 2011–2019: Kjell Berge Melbybråten (Ap)
  • 2019–2023: Odd Erik Holden (Sp)
  • 2023–present: Bjarne Budal (Ap)

Economy

{| style="float:right;" class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Number of minorities (1st and 2nd generation) in Øystre Slidre by country of origin in 2017

|-

!Ancestry!!Number

|-

| || 49

|-

| || 47

|-

| || 39

|}

Because of the rugged landscape, farming is only possible on a small scale, but this is still one of the main sources of income. There are only about of agricultural land in the municipality. About 85% of farmers in the municipality use the high mountain pastures in the summer time.

  • Torger Hovi (1905–1980), a politician and deputy mayor of Øystre Slidre from 1959–1961
  • Torleiv Bolstad (1915–1979), a musician and Hardanger fiddle player

References

  • Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway
  • Beitostølen Resort