Leikanger

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File:Kvinnafossen.jpg

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Leikanger was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The original municipality was large and it was identical to the old Leikanger parish (prestegjeld) with the six sub-parishes ({{lang|no|sokn}}) of Leikanger, Fresvik, Rinde, Vangsnes, Tjugum, and Mundal. In 1849, the sub-parishes of Vangsnes, Tjugum, and Mundal were transferred into the newly created Balestrand parish (prestegjeld). The new parish was separated from Leikanger municipality in 1850 to form the new Balestrand Municipality. This split left Leikanger with 2,368 residents.{{Cite book |last=Jukvam |first=Dag |year=1999 |title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen |url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |isbn=9788253746845}}

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the Hella-Eitorn area (population: 31) was transferred from Balestrand back to Leikanger. Also, the Tingstad area (population: 5) was transferred to neighboring Sogndal municipality. These changes left Leikanger with 2,680 residents. On 1 January 1992, the sub-parishes of Leikanger lying south of the Sognefjorden, including Feios and Fresvik (total population: 572) were transferred to the municipality of Vik. This move left Leikanger with only one sub-parish: Leikanger.{{Cite web |last=Natvik |first=Oddvar |date=9 February 2005 |title=Some historical data on the 26 Kommunes |url=http://www.emigration.no/sff/emigration3.nsf/0/326D0346278A5909C1256F570048962C?OpenDocument |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613141425/http://www.emigration.no/sff/emigration3.nsf/0/326D0346278A5909C1256F570048962C?OpenDocument |archive-date=13 June 2008 |access-date=23 June 2008}}

On 1 January 2020, Leikanger was merged with the neighboring municipalities of Balestrand and Sogndal to form a much larger municipality called Sogndal.

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Leikanger farm ({{langx|non|Leikvangir}}) since the first Leikanger Church was built there. The first element is {{wikt-lang|non|leikr}} which means "game", "sports", or "contest". The last element is the plural form of {{wikt-lang|non|vangr}} which means "field" or "meadow". Thus it means a meadow used for sports or games. Prior to 1889, the name was written Lekanger.{{Cite book |last=Rygh |first=Oluf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lN1LAQAAIAAJ |title=Norske gaardnavne: Nordre Bergenhus amt |date=1919 |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri |edition=12 |location=Kristiania, Norge |page=124 |language=no |authorlink=Oluf Rygh}}

The coat of arms was granted on 5 September 1963. The official blazon is "Vert, two apples on a branch with three leaves Or" ({{langx|no|På grøn botn to gull eple på kvist med tre lauv}}). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is an apple tree branch with two apples and three leaves attached. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The apple tree branch is a symbol for the many orchards in the municipality and thus for the local economy. The three leaves symbolised the three parishes (Leikanger, Feios, and Fresvik) that used to make up the municipality (before two of them were transferred to Vik Municipality in 1992). The arms were designed by K. Fotland. 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=Leikanger |access-date=2023-06-20 |publisher=Heraldry of the World}}{{Cite web |title=Leikanger, Sogn og Fjordane (Norway) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/no-14-19.html |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=Flags of the World}}{{Cite web |date=1963-09-05 |title=Godkjenning av våpen og flagg |url=https://lovdata.no/dokument/LFO/forskrift/1963-09-05-10 |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=Lovdata.no |publisher=Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet |language=no}}

The Church of Norway had one parish ({{lang|no|sokn}}) within the municipality of Leikanger. It was part of the Sogn prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

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.{{Cite encyclopedia |title=kommunestyre |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |url=https://snl.no/kommunestyre |access-date=2023-01-01 |date=2022-09-20 |editor-last=Hansen |editor-first=Tore |language=no |editor2-last=Vabo |editor2-first=Signy Irene}} The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Sogn og Fjordane District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

The municipal council {{lang|no|(Kommunestyre)}} of Leikanger was made up of 17 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

{{div col|colwidth=33em|style=column-count:2}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 2016

|end = 2019

|reference = {{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=no}}

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 17

|Arbeiderpartiet = 7

|Høyre = 1

|Senterpartiet = 5

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1

|Venstre = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 2012

|end = 2015

|reference = {{Cite web |title=Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Sogn og Fjordane |url=https://valgresultat.no/sogn%2Bog%2Bfjordane/leikanger?type=ko&year=2011 |access-date=2019-10-29 |publisher=Valg Direktoratet}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 17

|Arbeiderpartiet = 7

|Høyre = 2

|Senterpartiet = 3

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2

|Venstre = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 2008

|end = 2011

|reference =

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 17

|Arbeiderpartiet = 7

|Høyre = 2

|Senterpartiet = 3

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2

|Venstre = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 2004

|end = 2007

|reference =

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 17

|Arbeiderpartiet = 7

|Høyre = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 3

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2

|Venstre = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 2000

|end = 2003

|reference =

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 17

|Arbeiderpartiet = 7

|Høyre = 3

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 1

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2

|Venstre = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 1996

|end = 1999

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1996 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1995 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c342.pdf |access-date=2020-02-16 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 17

|Arbeiderpartiet = 7

|Høyre = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 3

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1

|Venstre = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 1992

|end = 1995

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1993 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1991 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c057.pdf |access-date=2020-02-16 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 9

|Høyre = 3

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 2

|Senterpartiet = 3

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2

|Venstre = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 1988

|end = 1991

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1988 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1987 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b765.pdf |access-date=2020-02-16 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 9

|Høyre = 4

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 2

|Senterpartiet = 3

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1

|Venstre = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 1984

|end = 1987

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1984 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1983 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b450.pdf |access-date=2020-05-14 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 9

|Høyre = 4

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 2

|Senterpartiet = 2

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1

|Venstre = 2

|otherparty = Cross-party common list

|otherparty_no = Tverrpolitisk Samlingsliste

|otherparty_number = 1

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 1980

|end = 1983

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1979 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1979 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b093.pdf |access-date=2020-05-14 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 8

|DLF = 1

|Høyre = 4

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 2

|Senterpartiet = 3

|Venstre = 2

|otherparty = Cross-party common list

|otherparty_no = Tverrpolitisk Samlingsliste

|otherparty_number = 1

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 1976

|end = 1979

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1977 |title=Kommunevalgene 1975 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a769.pdf |access-date=2020-05-14 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 8

|DLF = 1

|Høyre = 3

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 3

|Senterpartiet = 3

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1

|Venstre = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 1972

|end = 1975

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1973 |title=Kommunevalgene 1972 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a457.pdf |access-date=2020-05-14 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 9

|Høyre = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 3

|Senterpartiet = 4

|Venstre = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 1968

|end = 1971

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1967 |title=Kommunevalgene 1967 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a214.pdf |access-date=2020-05-14 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo |volume=I}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 8

|Høyre = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 2

|Senterpartiet = 4

|Venstre = 5

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|start = 1964

|end = 1967

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1964 |title=Kommunevalgene 1963 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_138.pdf |access-date=2020-05-14 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 8

|Høyre = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 3

|Sosialistisk_Folkeparti = 1

|Venstre = 6

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|herad = yes

|start = 1960

|end = 1963

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1960 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_022.pdf |access-date=2020-05-14 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 9

|Høyre = 1

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Senterpartiet = 3

|Venstre = 7

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|herad = yes

|start = 1956

|end = 1959

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1957 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_252.pdf |access-date=2020-05-14 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 9

|Senterpartiet = 2

|Venstre = 7

|Borgerlige_Felleslister = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|herad = yes

|start = 1952

|end = 1955

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1952 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_120.pdf |access-date=2020-05-14 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 32

|Arbeiderpartiet = 13

|Senterpartiet = 4

|Venstre = 10

|Borgerlige_Felleslister = 5

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|herad = yes

|start = 1948

|end = 1951

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1948 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_165.pdf |access-date=2020-05-14 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 32

|Arbeiderpartiet = 15

|Venstre = 4

|Borgerlige_Felleslister = 13

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|herad = yes

|start = 1945

|end = 1947

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1947 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_133.pdf |access-date=2020-05-14 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 32

|Arbeiderpartiet = 8

|AFS = 8

|Borgerlige_Felleslister = 16

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Leikanger

|herad = yes

|start = 1938

|end = 1941*

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_ix_133.pdf |access-date=2020-05-14 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 32

|Senterpartiet = 2

|Venstre = 5

|Borgerlige_Felleslister = 11

|Arbeiderpartiet = 11

|Local_Lists = 3

|}}

{{div col end}}

The mayors ({{langx|nn|ordførar}}) of Leikanger:{{Cite web |date=2004-01-06 |title=Ordførarar i Leikanger kommune |url=https://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nrk_sogn_og_fjordane/fylkesleksikon/3402995.html |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=NRK Fylkesliksikon |language=no}}

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• 1838-1839: Christian Garup Meidell
• 1840-1843: Søren Lem
• 1844-1847: Herman Brun
• 1848-1849: Harald Ulrik Sverdrup
• 1849-1851: Herman Brun
• 1852-1853: Hans Johannes Brun
• 1854-1857: Johan David Haslund
• 1858-1868: Sjur Sæterlid
• 1868-1868: Hans Lem
• 1868-1869: Johan Herman Brun
• 1870-1873: Nils J. Njøs
• 1874-1881: Lars M. Husabø
• 1882-1884: Jakob Liv Rosted Sverdrup
• 1885-1901: Jakob Bøthun
• 1902-1907: Lars M. Husabø
• 1908-1916: Nils Tjønn
• 1917-1919: Hans N. Grinde
• 1920-1922: Hans Fleche
• 1922-1922: Knut Jordal
• 1923-1934: Hans N. Grinde
• 1935-1951: Olav Tveit (V)
• 1952-1957: Per H. Bøthun (V)
• 1958-1961: Hans Husabø (V)
• 1962-1963: Leiv Loen (V)
• 1964-1975: Arne Grepstad (V)
• 1975-1975: Olav Straume (KrF)
• 1976-1977: Lars Lefdal (H)
• 1978-1979: Kåre Næss (KrF)
• 1980-1983: Ola A. Vestrheim (H)
• 1984-1987: Erling Olsen (Ap)
• 1988-1991: Ola A. Vestrheim (H)
• 1992-1993: Kjell Helleland (Ap)
• 1994-1995: Åsta Magni Hauge (Ap)
• 1996-1999: Nils Erling Yndesdal (V)
• 2000-2003: Rolf Nesheim (V)
• 2003-2015: Olav Lunden (Ap)
• 2015-2019: Jon Håkon Odd (Ap)

{{div col end}}

Leikanger is located on the north side of the Sognefjorden and to the east of the Fjærlandsfjorden. It is bordered on the north and east by the municipality of Sogndal, on the west by Balestrand, and on the south (across the Sognefjorden) by Vik.

{{wide image|Systrond leikanger.jpg|2000px|View of the main village of Hermansverk/Leikanger in Leikanger municipality}}

East of Leikanger, there are the Sognefjord Spans, three powerline spans with length over {{convert|4|km}}, which are currently the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th longest spans in the world. In 1955, the first Sognefjord Span was built near Leikanger. It was the longest span in the world from 1955 until 1997.

Leikanger has sister city agreements with the following places:

• {{flagicon|Denmark}} Ribe, Denmark

File:Oddvar Flæte.jpg

• Iver Erikssøn Leganger (1629 in Leikanger – 1702), a priest, author, and farm owner
• Georg Burchard Jersin (1767 in Leikanger – 1827), a Lutheran minister and representative on the Norwegian Constitutional Assembly
• Olaf Huseby (1856 in Leikanger – 1942), a Norwegian-American bookseller and publisher
• Jakob Sverdrup (1881 in Leikanger – 1938), a Norwegian philologist and lexicographer
• Kjell Bondevik (1901 in Leikanger – 1983), a Norwegian politician who also wrote history books
• Oddvar Flæte (born 1944 in Leikanger), a politician who was County Governor of Sogn og Fjordane from 1994-2011
• Silje Nes (born 1980 in Leikanger), a Norwegian multi-instrumentalist, singer, and sound artist
• Elise Thorsnes (born 1988 in Leikanger), a Norwegian footballer who played 125 games with the Norway women's national football team

{{Commons category}}

• List of former municipalities of Norway

{{reflist}}

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{{use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}

Category:Sogndal

Category:Former municipalities of Norway

Category:1838 establishments in Norway

Category:2020 disestablishments in Norway