Notodden Municipality

Other population centres include the villages of Bolkesjø, Gransherad, Heddal, Hjuksebø, Hjuksevelta, Rudsgrendi, Tinnoset, and Yli. The 983.88 km2 municipality is the 118th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. The 93rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of. The municipality's population density is 14.7 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 5.3% over the previous 10-year period. Norway's largest stave church, Heddal Stave Church, is located in the village of Heddal, a few kilometres west the town of Notodden. Notodden Airport, is located west of the town, along the European route E134 highway. Norsk Hydro was founded in this town. Well known for the annual Notodden Blues Festival, which is considered one of the best blues festivals in Europe. It also has a well-known metal festival called Motstøy Festivalen. The football club Notodden FK is headquartered here.

• Name — Notodden • Id Number — 4005 • County — Telemark • District — Aust-Telemark • Capital — Notodden • Established — 1 Jan 1913 • Preceded — Heddal Municipality • Population Demonym — Notodding • Language — Neutral • Website — www.notodden.kommune.no • Mayor — Gry Bløchlinger • Mayor Party — Ap • Mayor As Of — 2015 • Elevation Max M — 1306.04 • Area Rank — 118 • Area Total Km2 — 983.88 • Area Land Km2 — 912.01 • Area Water Km2 — 71.87 • Area Water Percent — 7.3 • Population As Of — 2026 • Population Rank — 93 • Population Total — 13389 • Population Density Km2 — 14.7 • Population Increase — 5.3

The formannskapsdistrikt law of 1837 created a system of local government in Norway by establishing each town (ladested or kjøpstad) and each Church of Norway prestegjeld as a civil municipality. On 1 January 1913, the newly-designated kjøpstad (town) of Notodden was separated from Heddal Municipality and established as Notodden Municipality (population). The new municipality was an enclave within Heddal Municipality (which now had a population of). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the following areas were merged to form an enlarged Notodden Municipality: • all of Notodden Municipality (population) • all of Heddal Municipality (population) • most of Gransherad Municipality (population), except for the upper Jondalen valley area which became part of Kongsberg Municipality in Buskerud county • the Rudsgrendi area of Hovin Municipality (population) In 2020, there were many municipal and county mergers across Norway due to the work of the Solberg cabinet. Historically, this municipality was part of Telemark county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed Vestfold og Telemark county (after Telemark and Vestfold counties were merged). The merger was shortlived, and on 1 January 2024, the merger was undone and this municipality became part of Telemark county once again.

The municipality (and town of Notodden) is named after a small cotter's farmstead (husmannsplass) located on the old Tinne farm since this was the original site of the town (near the mouth of the river Tinnelva at the lake Heddalsvatnet). The first element is derived from the word which means "to fish using a seine". The last element is the definite singular form of odde which means "headland". Thus it is a "headland for net fishing".

The coat of arms was granted on 11 August 1939. The official blazon is "Azure, a pale wavy and four lightning bolts in saltire argent" (På blå bunn en loddrett sølvelv som sender lynstråler av sølv til begge sider). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a wavy vertical bar and four lightning bolts emanating from the centre and making an X-shape. The charge 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 design symbolizes that Notodden was created by the exploitation of hydroelectric power on the river Tinnelva when Norsk Hydro started its operations with saltpeter production and power development in 1905. The vertical bar represents the Tinnfoss waterfall along the river and the lightning bolts represent electricity. The arms were designed by Jens Høibø. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

The Church of Norway has four parishes (no) within Notodden Municipality. It is part of the Øvre Telemark prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. Churches in Notodden Municipality • Parish (no) — Church name — Location of the church — Year built • Gransherad — Gransherad Church — Gransherad — 1849 • Heddal — Heddal Stave Church — Heddal — 1200s • Lisleherad — Lisleherad Church — Landsverk — 1873 • Notodden — Notodden Church — Notodden — 1938

Notodden 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Øvre Telemark District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Notodden Municipality is made up of 41 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

The mayor (ordfører) of Notodden Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position: • 1913–1913: Johannes Strandli (Ap) • 1914–1914: Mathias Kleppen (H) • 1915–1915: Gunnulf Tinne (H) • 1916–1916: Mathias Kleppen (H) • 1917–1919: Nerid Asland (H) • 1920–1922: A.C. Aasnes (H) • 1923–1924: Olav Andresen (Ap) • 1925–1925: Frimann Nergaard (H) • 1926–1927: Hans Helgesen (Ap) • 1928–1931: Olav Andresen (Ap) • 1932–1932: Johan Bugge (H) • 1933–1934: Jens Røkke (H) • 1935–1940: Olav Andresen (Ap) • 1941–1945: Arne Bergsvik (NS) • 1945–1945: Kai Birger Knudsen (Ap) • 1945–1945: Nerid Asland (H) • 1946–1946: Kai Birger Knudsen (Ap) • 1947–1949: Johannes P. Løkke (Ap) • 1950–1955: Ole Styrvold (Ap) • 1956–1959: Johannes P. Løkke (Ap) • 1960–1971: Henry Finrud (Ap) • 1972–1975: Egil Bergsland (Ap) • 1976–1983: Hans T. Kasin (Ap) • 1984–1991: Per Nagelsaker (Ap) • 1992–1993: Sveinung O. Flaaten (H) • 1993–1995: Anund Sisjord (KrF) • 1995–1999: Nils Buverud (Ap) • 1999–2007: Bjarne Bakken (Ap) • 2007–2011: Lise Wiik (Ap) • 2011–2015: Jørn Christensen (H) • 2015–present: Gry Fuglestveit (Ap)

• Illustration — Industrial heritage in Notodden The municipality is located in Aust-Telemark, along the border with Buskerud county. Notodden Municipality includes the lands between the lakes Tinnsjå and Heddalsvatnet lake. The rivers Tinnelva and Heddøla both run through the municipality. The Blefjell mountains are located in the northern part of the municipality. The highest point in the municipality is the 1306.04 m tall mountain Bledalsrinden, just southeast of the border with Tinn Municipality. Tinn Municipality is located to the north, Flesberg Municipality is located to the northeast, Kongsberg Municipality is located to the east, Midt-Telemark Municipality is located to the south, Seljord Municipality is located to the southwest, and Hjartdal Municipality is located to the west.

Notodden has a humid continental climate (Dfb), with cold winters and mild summers. Situated inland at low altitude in the Telemark region, it is one of the warmer towns in Norway during summer. The weather station at Notodden Airport has been recording since March 1970 (temperature and wind speed). Precipitation data is from a different station in Notodden. The all-time high temperature 33.3 °C was recorded on 27 July 2018.

In 2008, the Notodden council decided to end the twin city agreements with Ilisalmi, Nyköping, and Stelle. At the same time Suwałki was approved as a new twin city. Notodden has sister city agreements with the following places: • Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States • Suwałki, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland Notodden used to have sister city agreements with the following places: • Iisalmi, Eastern Finland, Finland • Nyköping, Södermanland County, Sweden • Stelle, Lower Saxony, Germany

• Illustration — Helga Flatland, 2016 • Kåre Nordstoga, an organist • Hans Herbjørnsrud, an internationally known author who was born in Heddal • Olav Gunnarsson Helland (1875–1939), a Hardanger fiddlemaker who many consider the finest of the twentieth century • Klaus Egge (born 1906 in Gransherad), a composer • Ådne Søndrål, an Olympic gold medalist • Seasick Steve, an American blues musician who is achieving fame in the United Kingdom, currently resides in Notodden • Margit Bakken, a blues musician and songwriter • Tor-Arne Moen, a painter and author • Olav Andresen (1877 in Heddal–1950), a politician who was Mayor of Notodden in the 1920s and 1930s • Ambros Sollid (1880 in Heddal–1973), an agronomist and politician who was Mayor of Skien from 1935–1937 • Carl Bugge (1881 in Heddal–1968), a geologist and academic • Helga Stene (1904 in Notodden–1983), an educator, feminist, and resistance member • Aage Eriksen (1917 in Notodden–1998 in Notodden), a wrestler and silver medallist at the 1948 Summer Olympics • Egil Bergsland (1924 in Notodden–2007), a politician who was Mayor of Notodden from 1971 to 1975 • Sissel Sellæg (1928 in Notodden–2014), an actress • Hilde Mæhlum (born 1945 in Notodden), a sculptor • Magne Orre (born 1950 in Notodden), a cyclist, competed at the 1972 & 1976 Summer Olympics • Helga Flatland (born 1984 in Notodden), a novelist and children's writer One of the most influential Norwegian black metal bands, Emperor, came from Notodden, as does Mortiis, Peccatum, Star of Ash, Leprous, and Zyklon. Emperor's singer, Ihsahn, still resides in Notodden.