Gjerstad
Encyclopedia
Gjerstad is a municipality in Aust-Agder
county
, Norway
. It is located in the traditional region
of Agder, in the southeastern part of the county, along the border with Telemark
county.
). The borders have not changed since.
) is named after the old Gjerstad farm (Old Norse
: Geirreksstaðir), since the first church was built there. The first element is the genitive case
of the male name Geirrekr (Debatable! There is no known example of Geirr - Geirrek as a first name from the periode when the farm supposedly got its name. A more likely explanation of Gjerstad is from Geirr - spear. There are over 25 Gjerstad-farms i Norway.) and the last element is staðir which means "homestead" or "farm
".
is from modern times. They were granted on 18 April 1986. The arms show three knives
as a symbol for the smithies
and knife makers in the municipality. Knife making has long been a local tradition for which the village is well-known.
and Viking Age
through modern times. Agriculture
has long been important, and until only decades ago the more marginal outfields in Upper Gjerstad were still utilized. Forestry
also provided an important historic economic contribution, and logs were driven on rivers and streams in the municipality. To aid log transport by floating, numerous dam
s were constructed. Eikeland
Ironworks were a significant contribution to the economy as well.
formed features, including a U-shaped valley, tarn
s and lakes. It is bordered in the north by Nissedal
, Telemark
and Drangedal
, Telemark; in the east by Kragerø
, Telemark; in the south by Risør
, Aust-Agder; and in the southwest by Vegårshei
, Aust-Agder.
(1802–1829), Norwegian
mathematician
, was the son of Søren Georg Abel
. His grandfather, Hans Mathias Abel, served as minister to Gjerstad municipality from 1785 to 1804. His father became minister in Gjerstad in 1804, so Abel spent his boyhood in the rectory
at Gjerstad. Abel spent his last months at the nearby Froland
Verk.
Aust-Agder
is a county in Norway, bordering Telemark, Rogaland, and Vest-Agder. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is . The administrative center of the county is in Arendal....
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is located in the traditional region
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
of Agder, in the southeastern part of the county, along the border with Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
county.
General information
The parish of Gjerstad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). The borders have not changed since.
Name
The municipality (originally the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
) is named after the old Gjerstad farm (Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Geirreksstaðir), since the first church was built there. The first element is the genitive case
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of the male name Geirrekr (Debatable! There is no known example of Geirr - Geirrek as a first name from the periode when the farm supposedly got its name. A more likely explanation of Gjerstad is from Geirr - spear. There are over 25 Gjerstad-farms i Norway.) and the last element is staðir which means "homestead" or "farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
".
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted on 18 April 1986. The arms show three knives
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
as a symbol for the smithies
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
and knife makers in the municipality. Knife making has long been a local tradition for which the village is well-known.
History
Gjerstad was, until about 1650, named Vissedal, from vidr-ser-dalr: wood-sea-dale, a very proper description of the area. Gjerstad has been inhabited from the Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
and Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
through modern times. Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
has long been important, and until only decades ago the more marginal outfields in Upper Gjerstad were still utilized. Forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
also provided an important historic economic contribution, and logs were driven on rivers and streams in the municipality. To aid log transport by floating, numerous dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s were constructed. Eikeland
Eikeland
Eikeland is a village in southeastern part of the municipality of Gjerstad in Aust-Agder, Norway. It is located about southeast of the municipal center of Gjerstad and about north of the village of Søndeled....
Ironworks were a significant contribution to the economy as well.
Geography
Gjerstad municipality has numerous glaciallyGlacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
formed features, including a U-shaped valley, tarn
Tarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
s and lakes. It is bordered in the north by Nissedal
Nissedal
Nissedal is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Treungen. The municipality of Nissedal was established on January 1, 1838 .- Etymology :The modern form of the name stems...
, Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
and Drangedal
Drangedal
Drangedal is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Prestestranda. The municipality of Drangedal was established on 1 January 1838...
, Telemark; in the east by Kragerø
Kragerø
is a town and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vestmar. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kragerø....
, Telemark; in the south by Risør
Risør
is a city and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. The city belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet. It is a popular tourist place. The surrounding area includes many small lakes and hills, and is known for its beautiful coastline as well....
, Aust-Agder; and in the southwest by Vegårshei
Vegårshei
Vegårshei is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Myra.-General information:...
, Aust-Agder.
Attractions
- The remains of EikelandEikelandEikeland is a village in southeastern part of the municipality of Gjerstad in Aust-Agder, Norway. It is located about southeast of the municipal center of Gjerstad and about north of the village of Søndeled....
IronworksIronworksAn ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
can still be seen in the upper valley. Gjerstad was famous for its beautiful handmade knives and the coat-of-arms recognizes this heritage. - Holmen Gard in upper Gjerstad is a Norwegian national center for handicraftHandicraftHandicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
and the place has been regarded the St. Olaf's Rose, which is a hallmark for Norwegian Heritage and which points out especially distinguished places. The place also offers accommodation, cuisine, exhibitions, hiking trails, and memorials after the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik AbelNiels Henrik AbelNiels Henrik Abel was a Norwegian mathematician who proved the impossibility of solving the quintic equation in radicals.-Early life:...
.
- Horga is a paganNorse paganismNorse paganism is the religious traditions of the Norsemen, a Germanic people living in the Nordic countries. Norse paganism is therefore a subset of Germanic paganism, which was practiced in the lands inhabited by the Germanic tribes across most of Northern and Central Europe in the Viking Age...
place of sacrifice which was destroyed by Olav TrygvasonOlaf I of NorwayOlaf Tryggvason was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. He was the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, king of Viken , and, according to later sagas, the great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, first King of Norway.Olaf played an important part in the often forcible, on pain of torture or death, conversion of the...
, which lies 300 metres (984.3 ft) from Holmen Gård.
Notable residents
Niels Henrik AbelNiels Henrik Abel
Niels Henrik Abel was a Norwegian mathematician who proved the impossibility of solving the quintic equation in radicals.-Early life:...
(1802–1829), Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
, was the son of Søren Georg Abel
Søren Georg Abel
Søren Georg Abel was a Norwegian priest and politician, also known as the father of mathematician Niels Henrik Abel.-Personal life:...
. His grandfather, Hans Mathias Abel, served as minister to Gjerstad municipality from 1785 to 1804. His father became minister in Gjerstad in 1804, so Abel spent his boyhood in the rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
at Gjerstad. Abel spent his last months at the nearby Froland
Froland
Froland is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Blakstad, which along with Osedalen form the main population center of the municipality....
Verk.
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...
- Gjerstad.org
- Culture in Gjerstad on the map