Gausdal

The parish of Gausdal was established as a civil municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1867, a small area of neighboring Øyer Municipality (population: 40) was transferred into Gausdal. In 1879, the municipality of Gausdal was divided into two separate municipalities: Vestre Gausdal in the northwest (population: 2,362) and Østre Gausdal in the southeast (population: 5,911). On 27 July 1956, a small area of Sør-Fron municipality (population: 7) was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Vestre Gausdal. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, the two municipalities of Vestre Gausdal (population: 2,590) and Østre Gausdal (population: 3,942) were merged into a new Gausdal Municipality.{{Cite book |last=Jukvam |first=Dag |url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf |title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |year=1999 |isbn=9788253746845 |language=no}}

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Gausdalen valley ({{langx|non|Gausdalr}}) since the municipality is located in the valley. The first element is named after the river Gausa which flows through the valley. The river name comes from the verb {{wikt-lang|non|gjósa}} which means to "gush", "burst out", or "stream forcefully". The last element is {{wikt-lang|non|dalr}} which means "valley" or "dale".{{Cite book |last=Rygh |first=Oluf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DohBAAAAIAAJ |title=Norske gaardnavne: Kristians amt (første halvdel) |date=1900 |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri |edition=4 |location=Kristiania, Norge |page=183 |language=no |authorlink=Oluf Rygh}}

File:Skeikampen Lindahl.jpeg

The coat of arms was granted on 19 September 1986. The official blazon is "Per fess azure and argent, a single stair step section slanting outwards" ({{langx|no|Delt av blått og sølv ved enkelt trappesnitt skrått utover}}). This means the arms have are divided with a line that is divided horizontally in the shape of a stairstep that is slanting to the right. The field (background) above the line has a tincture of blue. Below the line, the field 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 arms were designed to mimic the shape of one of the main mountains in the municipality, Skeikampen. The bottom argent part represents the snowy mountain and the top blue part represents the sky. The arms were designed by Inger Line Thallaug. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.{{Cite web |title=Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen |url=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Gausdal |access-date=2022-11-10 |publisher=Heraldry of the World}}{{Cite web |date=1986-09-19 |title=Godkjenning av våpen og flagg |url=https://lovdata.no/dokument/LF/forskrift/1986-09-19-1892 |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=Lovdata.no |publisher=Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet |language=no}}{{Cite web |title=Gausdal, Oppland (Norway) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/no-05-22.html |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=Flags of the World}}{{Cite web |title=Kommunevåpen for Gausdal |url=https://www.gausdal.kommune.no/kommunevaapen.190569.no.html |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=Gausdal kommune |language=no}}

The Church of Norway has five parishes ({{lang|no|sokn}}) within the municipality of Gausdal. It is part of the Sør-Gudbrandsdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

The old Follebu Church was built of stone in the early Middle Ages (around 1250). It is unusual in that the chancel and nave were built as one continuous piece.

In the 1880s, there was mining for nickel in the Espedalen valley in the northwest part of the municipality. The search for nickel was taken up again in 2004 by Blackstone Venture, a Canadian company. As of 2006, they are still drilling for mineral samples only.

File:Torshov.JPG to the west. Gausdal resident Abraham Pihl was the architect.]]

Gausdal is bordered on the northwest by Sør-Fron Municipality, on the northeast by Ringebu Municipality and Øyer Municipality, on the southeast by Lillehammer Municipality, on the south by Nordre Land Municipality, and on the southwest by Nord-Aurdal Municipality and Øystre Slidre Municipality.

The famous Peer Gynt mountain road begins here and leads to the town of Vinstra.

A popular ski area is located on the south slope of Skeikampen mountain.

Western tributaries of the Gudbrandsdalslågen river include the Gausa River, which flows through Gausdalen valley. The lake Dokkfløyvatn is located in the municipality.

Norway's smallest national park, Ormtjernkampen National Park, lies within the municipality.

Gausdal 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.{{Cite encyclopedia |title=kommunestyre |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |url=https://snl.no/kommunestyre |date=2022-09-20 |editor-last=Hansen |editor-first=Tore |language=Norwegian |editor2-last=Vabo |editor2-first=Signy Irene |accessdate=2022-10-14}} The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

The municipal council {{lang|no|(Kommunestyre)}} of Gausdal is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

{{div col}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 2023

|end = 2027

|reference = {{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2023 - Innlandet |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2023/ko/innlandet/gausdal#seats |access-date=2024-01-12 |publisher=Valgdirektoratet}}

|collapsed =

|Total = 23

|Arbeiderpartiet = 5

|Grønne = 1

|Senterpartiet = 8

|Venstre = 1

|FrP/H = 3

|otherparty = Local list in Gausdal

|otherparty_no = Bygdalista i Gausdal

|otherparty_number = 5

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 2019

|end = 2023

|reference = {{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2019 - Innlandet |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2019/ko/innlandet/gausdal#seats |access-date=2022-08-07 |publisher=Valgdirektoratet}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 23

|Arbeiderpartiet = 9

|Grønne = 1

|Senterpartiet = 10

|Frp/H/V = 1

|otherparty = Local list in Gausdal

|otherparty_no = Bygdalista i Gausdal

|otherparty_number = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 2015

|end = 2019

|reference = {{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2015 - Oppland |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2015/ko/oppland/gausdal#seats |publisher=Valgdirektoratet}}{{Cite web |title=Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M) |url=https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/04813/ |publisher=Statistics Norway |language=Norwegian}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 23

|Arbeiderpartiet = 10

|FrP/H = 2

|Grønne = 1

|Senterpartiet = 7

|Venstre = 1

|otherparty = Local list in Gausdal

|otherparty_no = Bygdalista i Gausdal

|otherparty_number = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 2011

|end = 2015

|reference = {{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Oppland |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2011/ko/oppland/gausdal#seats |publisher=Valgdirektoratet}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 23

|Arbeiderpartiet = 9

|FrP/H = 2

|Senterpartiet = 5

|Venstre = 3

|otherparty = Local list in Gausdal

|otherparty_no = Bygdalista i Gausdal

|otherparty_number = 4

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 2007

|end = 2011

|reference =

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 23

|Arbeiderpartiet = 6

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 5

|Venstre = 2

|FrP/H = 3

|otherparty = Local list in Gausdal

|otherparty_no = Bygdalista i Gausdal

|otherparty_number = 6

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 2003

|end = 2007

|reference =

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 23

|Arbeiderpartiet = 9

|FrP/H = 3

|Senterpartiet = 8

|Venstre = 1

|otherparty = Local list in Gausdal

|otherparty_no = Bygdalista i Gausdal

|otherparty_number = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 1999

|end = 2003

|reference = {{Cite book |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/publikasjoner/pdf/nos_c621/nos_c621.pdf |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1999 |date=2000 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |isbn=8253748531 |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger, Norge |language=Norwegian |issn=0332-8023}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 33

|Arbeiderpartiet = 12

|Fremskrittspartiet = 2

|Høyre = 1

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 11

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1

|Venstre = 1

|otherparty = Local list in Gausdal

|otherparty_no = Bygdalista i Gausdal

|otherparty_number = 4

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 1995

|end = 1999

|reference = {{Cite book |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c342.pdf |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1995 |date=1996 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |isbn=8253743351 |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger, Norge |language=Norwegian |issn=0332-8023}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 33

|Arbeiderpartiet = 14

|Fremskrittspartiet = 1

|Høyre = 1

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 11

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1

|Venstre = 1

|otherparty = Local list in Gausdal

|otherparty_no = Bygdalista i Gausdal

|otherparty_number = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 1991

|end = 1995

|reference = {{Cite book |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c057.pdf |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1991 |date=1993 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |isbn=8253737939 |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger, Norge |language=Norwegian |issn=0332-8023}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 33

|Arbeiderpartiet = 15

|Fremskrittspartiet = 1

|Høyre = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 10

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 4

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 1987

|end = 1991

|reference = {{Cite book |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b765.pdf |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1987 |date=1988 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |isbn=8253726325 |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger, Norge |language=Norwegian |issn=0332-8023}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 33

|Arbeiderpartiet = 18

|Fremskrittspartiet = 3

|Høyre = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 6

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2

|Venstre = 1

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 1983

|end = 1987

|reference = {{Cite book |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b450.pdf |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1983 |date=1984 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |isbn=8253720378 |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger, Norge |language=Norwegian |issn=0332-8023}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 33

|Arbeiderpartiet = 19

|Fremskrittspartiet = 1

|Høyre = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 7

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2

|Venstre = 1

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 1979

|end = 1983

|reference = {{Cite book |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b093.pdf |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1979 |date=1979 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |isbn=8253710836 |location=Oslo, Norge |language=Norwegian |issn=0332-8023}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 33

|Arbeiderpartiet = 19

|Fremskrittspartiet = 1

|Høyre = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 2

|Senterpartiet = 7

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1

|Venstre = 1

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 1975

|end = 1979

|reference = {{Cite book |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a769.pdf |title=Kommunevalgene 1975 |date=1977 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |isbn=8253705646 |location=Oslo, Norge |language=Norwegian}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 33

|Arbeiderpartiet = 18

|Høyre = 1

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 2

|Senterpartiet = 9

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2

|Venstre = 1

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 1971

|end = 1975

|reference = {{Cite book |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a457.pdf |title=Kommunevalgene 1972 |date=1973 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |isbn=8253701144 |volume=I |location=Oslo, Norge |language=Norwegian}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 33

|Arbeiderpartiet = 19

|Høyre = 1

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 9

|Sosialistisk_Folkeparti = 2

|Venstre = 1

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 1967

|end = 1971

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1967 |title=Kommunevalgene 1967 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a214.pdf |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=Norwegian |location=Oslo, Norge |volume=I}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 33

|Arbeiderpartiet = 17

|Senterpartiet = 10

|Sosialistisk_Folkeparti = 2

|smallparty = Common List of small farmholders and Liberal Party

|smallparty_no = Småbrukere og Venstre

|smallparty_color = linear-gradient(135deg, #f02938 50%, {{Party color|Liberal Party (Norway)}} 50%);

|smallparty_number = 4

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 1963

|end = 1967

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1964 |title=Kommunevalgene 1963 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_138.pdf |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=Norwegian |location=Oslo, Norge}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 33

|Arbeiderpartiet = 17

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 9

|Sosialistisk_Folkeparti = 1

|Venstre = 2

|AFS = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Gausdal

|start = 1962

|end = 1963

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1960 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_022.pdf |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=Norwegian |location=Oslo, Norge}}

|collapsed = yes

|note = On 1 January 1962, the municipalities of Vestre Gausdal and Østre Gausdal were merged into Gausdal. The members of the old municipal councils that had been elected from 1960 to 1963 were combined to form the new council for Gausdal. This was a temporary measure until the next election.

|Total = 42

|Arbeiderpartiet = 24

|Senterpartiet = 12

|Venstre = 4

|Local_Lists = 2

|}}

{{div col end}}

The mayors ({{langx|no|ordfører}}) of Gausdal since its establishment in 1962:

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• 1962-1970: Reidar Engjom (Ap)
• 1970-1975: Bjørn Midtlien (Ap)
• 1976-1982: Kristian Baukhol (Ap)
• 1983-1991: Nils Nygard (Ap)
• 1992-1993: Liv Røe Johnsen (SV)
• 1994–2001: Inger Enger (Sp)
• 2001-2007: Olav Olstad (Sp)
• 2007-2011: Mona B. Nicolaysen (Sp)
• 2011-2019: Hans Oddvar Høistad (Ap)
• 2019–present: Anette Musdalslien (Sp){{Cite news |date=2023-09-21 |title=Sp fortsatt ordfører i Gausdal |url=https://www.nrk.no/innlandet/sp-fortsatt-ordforer-i-gausdal--1.16565752 |access-date=2024-01-12 |work=NRK |language=no}}

{{div col end}}

• Abraham Pihl (1756 in Gausdal – 1821), a Norwegian clergyman, astronomer, and architect
• Hakon Adelsteen Sommerfeldt (1811 in Gausdal – 1888), a Norwegian naval officer and ship designer
• Sigurd Fougner (1879 in Østre Gausdal – 1959), a Norwegian Supreme Court judge
• Reidar Engjom, (Norwegian Wiki) (1907 - Gausdal - 1970), a Norwegian politician

File:Portrett av Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, 1909 - no-nb digifoto 20150129 00043 bldsa BB0791 - Restoration.jpg

• Simen Fougner (1701 in Follebu – 1783), a Norwegian farmer, poet, and non-fiction writer
• Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832–1910), a Norwegian author and Nobel Prize in Literature winner in 1903; lived in Aulestad in Follebu, 1874-1910
• Iver Holter (1850 in Gausdal – 1941), a composer and conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra from 1882-1886
• Ole Amundsen Buslett (1855 in Gausdal – 1924), a Norwegian-American author, newspaperman, and politician
• Clara Tschudi (1856–1945), a Norwegian writer who lived in Gausdal
• Hans Aanrud (1863–1953), a writer of plays, poetry, and stories of rural life in Gudbrandsdalen; raised in Auggedalen
• Inge Krokann (1893 – 1962 in Gausdal), a writer who wrote idiosyncratic nynorsk works
• Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen (1903–1984), a violinist and composer of Norwegian folk tunes; lived in Gausdal from 1947-1966
• Magne Elvestrand (1914 in Østre Gausdal – 1991), a pianist, harpsichordist, and organist
• Else Kveine, (Norwegian Wiki) (1933 in Gausdal - 2013), a Norwegian poet

• Christen Smed, (Norwegian Wiki) (1797 in Gausdal - 1846), a mountaineer who climbed Romsdalshornet
• Mattis Stenshagen (born 1996 in Follebu), a Norwegian cross-country skier

Gausdal has sister city agreements with the following places:{{Cite web |title=Vennskapstreff i Mora |url=http://www.gausdal.kommune.no/view/67331/ |access-date=2008-12-30 |publisher=Gausdal kommune |language=no}}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

• {{flagicon|SWE}} – Mora, Dalarna County, Sweden

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Gausdal}}

{{wiktionary|Gausdal}}

• [http://ssb.no/kommunefakta/gausdal Municipal fact sheet] from Statistics Norway {{in lang|no}}
• {{Wikivoyage inline|Innlandet}}
• {{Wikivoyage inline|Gudbrandsdalen}}
• [http://www.gausdal.com/ Tourist information]
• [http://www.gausdolen.no/ Gausdølen] - local newspaper {{in lang|no}}
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110622105944/http://artofthestates.org/cgi-bin/piece.pl?pid=392 Art of the States: Bright Days of Little Sunlight]}} musical work inspired by the mountains near Gausdal

{{Innlandet}}

{{Authority control}}

{{use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}

Category:Municipalities of Innlandet

Category:Valleys of Innlandet

Category:1838 establishments in Norway

Category:1879 disestablishments in Norway

Category:1962 establishments in Norway