Andebu

Andebu is a former municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution on 1 January 2017. The area is now part of Sandefjord Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Andebu. Other main villages in Andebu include Høyjord and Kodal.

Andebu was the fourth-largest municipality in Vestfold county and it was situated in the center of the county. Upon its dissolution, the municipality had a population of 5,937. The municipality's population density was .

Andebu's economy was primarily related to logging and forestry. Andebu has been inhabited for centuries and the oldest artifacts retrieved here dates back 4000 years to the Iron Age. Most retrieved artifacts are various types of tools, mainly axes made of flint and other rocks. Andebu’s geography consists mainly of valleys, hills, mountains, forests, and lakes.

General information

The parish of Andebo (later spelled Andebu) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1878, an area of Hedrum municipality (population: 61) was transferred to Andebu. On 1 January 2017, a municipal merger took place: the municipalities of Sandefjord (population: 45,820), Stokke (population: 11,657), and Andebu (population: 5,937) were merged to form a new, larger Sandefjord Municipality. Andebu now makes up the northern part of the new municipality.

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Andebu farm () since the first Andebu Church was built there. The meaning of the first element is unknown, but one possibility is that it comes from the old male name , but this is not certain. The last element comes from the word which means "dwelling" or "farm". Prior to 1889, the name was spelled "Andebo".

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 12 December 1986. The official blazon is "Vert, three triangles argent, one over two" (). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a set of three equilateral triangles with one over two. The charge 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 green color in the field symbolizes the importance of agriculture and forestry. The three triangles were chosen to symbolize the three villages/parishes in the municipality: Andebu, Høyjord, and Kodal. The three triangles also are set up to look like the letter A, the first letter of the municipal name. The arms were designed by Kjell Skoli. The municipal flag had the same design as the coat of arms.

The Høyjord Stave Church is also located in Andebu and it is the only stave church in Vestfold County.

History

Various historical artifacts and burial mounds dated to the Viking Age have been discovered in Andebu. Finds include a bronze key, a stone axe, arrows, and more. Burial mounds have been discovered on approximately 30 farms in Andebu, including 17 in the village of Andebu, 5 in Høyjord, and 7 in Kodal. Some mounds are dated back as far as 500 BCE (in other words, over a thousand years prior to the Viking Age). Large amounts of burial mounds are found at Nordre Haugan, Nedre Skjelland, Våle, Vestre Høyjord, Bjørndal, and Gjerstad.

The 14th century Black Plague had a devastating impact on the population of Andebu. It is estimated that the population was 600 as of 1600 A.D., approximately the same amount as prior to the plague, meaning that it took about 200 years to regain the lost population for the area.

Government

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 directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Andebu was made up of 25 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors

The mayors () of Andebu:

1838-1862: Jens H. Otterbech
1863-1863: Gullik Chr. Herre-Skjelbred
1864-1865: Johan G. Gran
1866-1867: Gullik Chr. Herre-Skjelbred
1868-1869: Johan G. Gran
1870-1873: Abraham Chr. Wegger
1874-1877: Peder K. Nilsen
1878-1880: Johan G. Gran
1881-1881: Karl Nilsen
1882-1889: Abraham Chr. Wegger
1890-1897: Anton Bjørndal
1898-1898: Edvard A. Hallenstvedt
1899-1901: A. Ljosnæs
1902-1905: Anton Bjørndal
1905-1913: A. Ljosnæs
1914-1916: Abraham Andersen Tolsrød
1917-1922: Anders Flaatten
1923-1927: O. Bakkeland
1928-1930: Anders Flaatten
1931-1939: Hans R. Trevland
1939-1941: Ole Bergan
1945-1945: Ole Bergan
1946-1955: O. Strandskog
1956-1959: Ole Bergan
1960-1961: Johan Gran
1962-1963: Ivar Bjørndal
1964-1965: Johan Gran
1966-1967: Ole Bergan
1968-1975: Thor Wrangsund
1976-1981: Paul Kristian Berg
1982-1985: Ingolf Wegger
1986-1991: Jan Vestby
1992-1999: Rolf Fevang
1999-2011: Hans Hilding Hønsvall (KrF)
2012-2016: Bjarne Sommerstad (Sp)

Geography

thumb|Town Hall.

Andebu was located in the interior central parts of Vestfold County. Most of Andebu is forested, but numerous rivers and mountains can also be found in Andebu. Rivers include Merkedamselva, which flows through eastern parts of the village of Høyjord. Steinselva (Skorgeelva), Bergselva and Bølevannsbekken are other rivers in Andebu. Lakes in Andebu included Stålerødvannet, Heievannet, Goksjø, and others. The highest points of the former municipality are in northwestern parts near the village of Høyjord. Some peaks include Brånafjell, which is the tallest peak in Sandefjord municipality, as well as Åletjønnåsen and Storås. Smaller peaks include Bustingen, Skørsåsane, and Storås by Skjeau. The municipality of Andebu was home to 35 lakes, including the Askjemvannet, which was the largest lake in Andebu. Parts of the lake Goksjø were also located in Andebu, while minor lakes included Ilestadvannet and Åletjønn, both located near the village of Høyjord.

Points of interest

thumb|[[Norway spruce forest in Andebu.]]

Høyjord Stave Church, the only remaining stave church in Vestfold County
Heisetra, a cabin owned by Sandefjord Tourist Association, adjacent to of hiking trails
Goksjø Lake, the third-largest lake in Vestfold County
Svartåa River, one of Andebu's largest rivers, popular fishing river
Brånafjell, the tallest mountain in Sandefjord municipality

Notable people

Kaare Reitan (1903–2000), an orthodontist