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Holt Municipality

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Holt Municipality
Holt herred
Former municipality
View of Holt Church
View of Holt Church
Aust-Agder within Norway
Aust-Agder within Norway
Holt within Aust-Agder
Holt within Aust-Agder
Coordinates: 58°36′24″N 08°52′16″E / 58.60667°N 8.87111°E / 58.60667; 8.87111
CountryNorway
CountyAust-Agder
DistrictØstre Agder
Established1 Jan 1838
 • Created asFormannskapsdistrikt
Disestablished1 Jan 1960
 • Succeeded byTvedestrand Municipality
Administrative centreFiane
Government
 • Mayor (1952–1959)Frithjof Bjørnstad (Bp)
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total
176.4 km2 (68.1 sq mi)
 • Rank#415 in Norway
Highest elevation
[1]
261.37 m (857.5 ft)
Population
 (1959)
 • Total
3,750
 • Rank#230 in Norway
 • Density21.3/km2 (55/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Increase +6%
DemonymHolting
Official language
 • Norwegian formNeutral[2]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-0914

Holt is a former municipality in the old Aust-Agder county, Norway. The 176.5-square-kilometre (68.1 sq mi) municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1960. The area is now part of Tvedestrand Municipality in the traditional district of Østre Agder in Agder county. The administrative centre was the village of Fiane where Holt Church is located.[3]

Prior to its dissolution in 1960, the 176.4-square-kilometre (68.1 sq mi) municipality was the 415th largest by area out of the 743 municipalities in Norway. Holt Municipality was the 230th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 3,750. The municipality's population density was 21.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (55/sq mi) and its population had increased by 6% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]

The historic Holt Church probably dates from the twelfth century and has an ancient baptismal font. The interior was decorated by Torsten Hoff. The Nordkalottruta trail runs through the Holt area in Tvedestrand.

General information

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Administrative history

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The parish of Holt was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). According to the 1835 census, the municipality had a population of 3,116.[6] On 1 January 1881, a small part of Holt Municipality (population: 52) was transferred to Dybvaag Municipality. Then on 1 July 1919, a small part of Holt Municipality (population: 14) was transferred to Moland Municipality.[7]

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee.[8][9] On 1 January 1960, Dypvåg Municipality was dissolved and the following areas were merged to form an enlarged Tvedestrand Municipality:[7]

Name

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The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Holt farm (Old Norse: Holt) since the first Holt Church was built there. The name is identical to the word holt which means "small forested area" or "grove (of trees)".[10]

Churches

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The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within Holt Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Holt prestegjeld and the Aust-Nedenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder.[5]

Churches in Holt Municipality
Parish (sokn)Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
HoltHolt ChurchFianec. 1100
Laget ChapelLaget1908

Geography

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The highest point in the municipality was the 261.37-metre (857.5 ft) tall mountain Ansmyrheia.[1] Vegårshei Municipality was located to the north, Søndeled Municipality was located to the northeast, Dypvåg Municipality and Tvedestrand Municipality were located to the east, Flosta Municipality was located to the southeast, Stokken Municipality was located to the south, Austre Moland Municipality was located to the southwest, Froland Municipality was located to the west, and Åmli Municipality was located to the northwest.

Government

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While it existed, Holt 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.[11] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Holt District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

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The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Holt Municipality was made up of 21 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Holt herredsstyre 1955–1959 [12]  
Party name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 3
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 3
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidere, fiskere, småbrukere liste) 1
Total number of members:21
Note: On 1 January 1960, Holt Municipality became part of Tvedestrand Municipality.
Holt herredsstyre 1951–1955 [13]  
Party name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 3
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
Total number of members:20
Holt herredsstyre 1947–1951 [14]  
Party name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 3
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 3
  Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and the Radical People's Party (Radikale Folkepartiet) 4
Total number of members:20
Holt herredsstyre 1945–1947 [15]  
Party name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 1
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 5
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 2
  Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and the Radical People's Party (Radikale Folkepartiet) 3
Total number of members:20
Holt herredsstyre 1937–1941* [16]  
Party name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 6
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 4
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidere, fiskere, småbrukere liste) 2
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

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The mayor (Norwegian: ordfører) of Holt Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:[17]

  • 1838–1842: Jacob Aall
  • 1842–1843: Rev. Andreas Faye
  • 1844–1847: Lars Jonsen Østeraa
  • 1848–1849: Halvor T. Skjerkholt
  • 1850–1853: Reier T. Lilleholt
  • 1854–1857: Halvor T. Skjerkholt
  • 1858–1861: Reier T. Lilleholt
  • 1861–1865: Halvor T. Skjerkholt
  • 1866–1866: Tor Reiersen Lilleholt
  • 1866–1867: Peder Christensen Goderstad
  • 1868–1869: Ole Torjesen Goderstad
  • 1870–1871: Torbjørn T. Bjelland
  • 1872–1875: Halvor H. Lunde
  • 1876–1879: Torbjørn T. Bjelland
  • 1880–1883: Lars Albretsen Myklebustad
  • 1883–1887: Torjus Albretsen Myklebustad
  • 1887–1891: Ole E. Grændsen
  • 1891–1892: Lars Albretsen Myklebustad
  • 1893–1901: Ole E. Grændsen
  • 1902–1904: Torjus H. Skjerkholt
  • 1905–1907: Ole E. Grændsen
  • 1908–1910: Torjus H. Skjerkholt
  • 1911–1913: Peder Tengelsen Langang
  • 1914–1916: Torjus H. Skjerkholt
  • 1917–1925: Stian Erichsen
  • 1926–1937: Grunde O. Gliddi
  • 1938–1938: Halvor T. Skjerkholt
  • 1938–1943: Thoralf Skjerkholt
  • 1943–1946: Erling Solberg (NS)[18]
  • 1946–1947: Søren Sørensen (Ap)
  • 1948–1951: Erik Solberg (KrF)
  • 1952–1959: Frithjof Bjørnstad (Bp)

Attractions

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Holt Church

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Holt Church (Holt Kirke) is a cruciform church dating from the 1100s. The medieval-era church was constructed of stone. In 1753, it was expanded. The extension, choir and transepts were built of wood. The rebuilt church was also equipped with a chancel arch, decorated in the rococo style. The church has a baptismal font made out of soapstone, carved in high Gothic style. The Baroque altarpiece from 1732 is carved with a painting of Jesus in Gethsemane.[19]

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 "Høgaste fjelltopp i kvar kommune" (in Norwegian). Kartverket. 16 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1932. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 453–471. 1932.
  3. ↑ Thorsnæs, Geir; Lauritzen, Per Roger, eds. (23 November 2025). "Holt (tidligere kommune)". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  5. 1 2 Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 1951). Norges Sivile, Geistlige, Rettslige og Militære Inndeling 1. Januar 1951 (PDF). Norges Offisielle Statistikk (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norge: H. Aschehoug & Co.
  6. ↑ "Hjemmehørende folkemengde Aust-Agder 1801-1960" (in Norwegian). University of Tromsø: Registreringssentral for historiske data. Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2006.
  7. 1 2 Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  8. ↑ Grepstad, Jon, ed. (25 March 2025). "Nikolai Schei". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  9. ↑ Hansen, Tore; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (27 May 2024). "kommuneinndelingen i Norge". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  10. ↑ Rygh, Oluf (1905). Norske gaardnavne: Nedenes amt (in Norwegian) (8 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 45.
  11. ↑ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (25 November 2024). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  12. ↑ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  13. ↑ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  14. ↑ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  15. ↑ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  16. ↑ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  17. ↑ Svensen, Sven (1940). Holt : en bygdebok (in Norwegian). Stavanger: Tvedestrandsposten Trykkeri.
  18. ↑ "Nye ordførere i Aust-Agder". Tvedestrandsposten (in Norwegian). 23 February 1943. p. 1. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  19. ↑ Aldin Thune, Nina, ed. (16 March 2012). "Holt kirke". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 1 January 2018.

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