Eidsvoll

Eidsvoll or Eidsvold, town (1995 pop. 16,792), Akershus co., SE Norway, near Lake Mjøsa. Forest products are manufactured there. One of Norway's oldest confederacies, the Eidsivalag, held its assemblies there from the 1st cent. The present constitution of Norway was proclaimed (1814) at Eidsvoll manor by an assembly of Norwegian patriots.

For the town in Australia, see Eidsvold, Queensland

is a municipality in the county of Akershus, Norway.

The parish of Eidsvold was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The municipality of Feiring was merged with Eidsvoll January 1, 1964.

In addition to being a commuter town for Oslo, it also has agriculture and forestry industries. The main population and commercial centers are Sundet and Råholt.

Location

Eidsvoll municipality is bordered on the north by Østre Toten on the west side of Mjøsa and Stange on the east side of the lake, in the east by Nord-Odal, in Hedmark county. In the adjacent county of Akershus to the southeast lies Nes, to the south lies Ullensaker, and to the west lie Nannestad and Hurdal.

History

Eidsvoll is mentioned in Old Norse manuscripts. In the 11th century it became the site of court and assembly (ting) for eastern parts of Norway, replacing Vang, now a part of Hamar in Hedmark. Because of its access to the river Vorma and the lake Mjøsa has long provided a thoroughfare to northern parts of inland Norway. Eastern parts of Eidsvoll were for a short time the site of a minor gold rush when gold was found in 1758, and these areas are still known as Gullverket, (the Gold works).

Eidsvoll Verk was opened to smelt iron ore by Christian IV of Denmark in 1624, relying on the excellent water power from the Andelva river. In 1688 it was owned by the director of the Kongsberg silver mine, Schlanbusch, and remained in his family until 1781. Carsten Anker came into possession of works in 1794, at which time it was in decay since many of the surrounding forests required for charcoal had been depleted. He restored it and set up the production of stoves and similar iron goods. He also took residence in Eidsvoll in 1811, rebuilding the house which is now the Eidsvollbygningen.

Until recently, the main industry of Eidsvoll was agriculture, though the soil is rich in clay.

Eidsvoll was the site where the constitutional assembly met to draft and sign the Norwegian Constitution on May 17 1814. The building (Eidsvollbygningen) in which the meetings were held is today a famous museum.

In 1854, Eidsvoll became the end point for the first train line in Norway from Oslo. This became the transit point for travel with the steamship Skibladner to Hamar, Gjøvik, and Lillehammer.

Henrik Wergeland was the eldest son of Professor Nikolai Wergeland (1780–1848), who had been a member of the constitutional assembly and was pastor of Eidsvoll. Although not born there, the poet and his sister Camilla Collett were brought up in the rectory there.

The name

The first element is the genitive case of the word eid (Norse eiđ), the last element is voll (Norse völlr) 'meadow, field'. The meaning of the word eid is here 'road passing around a waterfall'. People from the districts around the lake Mjøsa sailing down the river Vorma, and people from Romerike sailing up the same river, both had to enter land here to pass the waterfall Sundfossen. Because of this, the site became an important meeting place long before the introduction of Christianity.

Until 1918 the name was written "Eidsvold". The town of Eidsvold in Queensland, Australia still uses this spelling.

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is modern dating to 1987 and shows a weighing scale - to represent justice.

Notable residents

• Dagma Lahlum - resistance worker in World War II and fiancée of Eddie Chapman was born here.
• Ola Skjåk Bræk - politician and minister of industry

External links

• Eidsvollbygningen museum