Malangen Municipality

Malangen (Northern Sami: Málatvuotna or Kven: Malankivuono) is a former municipality in Troms county in Norway. The 372-square-kilometre (144 sq mi) municipality existed from 1871 until its dissolution in 1964. The old municipality surrounded the Malangen fjord and today that area is divided between several municipalities: Balsfjord, Lenvik, Tromsø, and Målselv. The administrative centre was the village of Mortenhals where the main church for the municipality, Malangen Church, is located.^[6][7]

Malangen Municipality Malangen herred
Former municipality
View of Malangen
Troms within Norway
Malangen within Troms
Coordinates: 69°21′8″N 18°50′51″E
Country	Norway
County	Troms
District	Hålogaland
Established	1 Jan 1871
• Preceded by	Balsfjord Municipality and Lenvik Municipality
Disestablished	1 Jan 1964
• Succeeded by	Balsfjord Municipality and Målselv Municipality
Administrative centre	Mortenhals
Government
• Mayor (1956-1963)	Alfred Sagelvmo (Ap)
Area  (upon dissolution)
• Total	372.2 km2 (143.7 sq mi)
• Rank	#244 in Norway
Highest elevation [1]	1,326 m (4,350 ft)
Population  (1963)
• Total	2,090
• Rank	#421 in Norway
• Density	5.6/km2 (15/sq mi)
• Change (10 years)	−7.2%
Demonyms	Malangsfjerding Malangsværing[2]
Official language [3]
• Norwegian form	Bokmål[4]
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code	NO-1932[5]
Data from Statistics Norway

Prior to its dissolution in 1964, the 372.2-square-kilometre (143.7 sq mi) municipality was the 244th largest by area out of the 689 municipalities in Norway. Malangen Municipality was the 421st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 2,090. The municipality's population density was 5.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (15/sq mi) and its population had decreased by 7.2% over the previous 10-year period.^[8][9]

General information

The parish of Malangen was established as a municipality on 1 January 1871 when the northern district of Balsfjord Municipality and a small peninsula along the Malangen fjord that belonged to Lenvik Municipality were separated to form the new municipality of Malangen. The initial population of Malangen was 1,425. On 1 January 1873, an area in the northern part of Malangen Municipality (population: 287) was transferred to the neighboring Tromsøysund Municipality. In 1891, a small area around the village of Målsnes in Målselv Municipality (population: 30) was transferred to Malangen Municipality.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Malangen Municipality ceased to exist. The peninsula including the Navaren and Målsnes areas (population: 118) were transferred to the neighboring Målselv Municipality. The remaining areas of Malangen (population: 1,940) were transferred back into Balsfjord Municipality.^[6][10]

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the local Malangen fjord (Old Norse: Malangr). The first element is mál which comes from the Old High German word malaha which means "bag" or "leather bag" which may refer to the baggy shape of the fjord. The same word mál is probably also the origin of the name of the Målselva, the big river that enters the fjord from the Målselvdalen and Bardudalen valleys (the neighboring Målselv Municipality has a similar etymology). The last element of the name is angr which means "inlet" or "narrow fjord".^[6][11]

Churches

The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within Malangen Municipality. It was part of the Balsfjord prestegjeld and the Indre Troms prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

Churches in Malangen

Parish (sokn)	Church name	Location of the church	Year built
Malangen	Malangen Church	Mortenhals	1853

History

The Saga of Haakon Haakonarson mentions that in 1242 the king allowed refugees from Bjarmaland (since they were attacked by the Tatars - «bjarmar rymdi fyrir tattarum») to settle in the area of Malangen.

Geography

The highest point in the municipality was the 1,326-metre (4,350 ft) tall mountain Mårfjellet on the border with Balsfjord Municipality and Målselv Municipality.^[1]

Government

While it existed, Malangen Municipality was 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.^[12] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Malangen was made up of 19 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Malangen herredsstyre 1960–1963 ^[13]  

Party name (in Norwegian)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)	11
	Centre Party (Senterpartiet)	3
	Liberal Party (Venstre)	5
Total number of members:		19
Note: On 1 January 1964, Malangen Municipality became part of Balsfjord Municipality and Målselv Municipality.

Malangen herredsstyre 1956–1959 ^[14]  

Party name (in Norwegian)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)	9
	Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)	1
	Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet)	2
	Liberal Party (Venstre)	7
Total number of members:		19

Malangen herredsstyre 1952–1955 ^[15]  

Party name (in Norwegian)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)	8
	Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)	1
	Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister)	7
Total number of members:		16

Malangen herredsstyre 1948–1951 ^[16]  

Party name (in Norwegian)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)	8
	Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)	1
	Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister)	7
Total number of members:		16

Malangen herredsstyre 1945–1947 ^[17]  

Party name (in Norwegian)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)	8
	Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)	1
	Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister)	5
	Local List(s) (Lokale lister)	2
Total number of members:		16

Malangen herredsstyre 1938–1941* ^[18]  

Party name (in Norwegian)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)	8
	Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister)	8
Total number of members:		16
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945.

Mayors

The mayors (Norwegian: ordfører) of Malangen (incomplete list):

• 1871-c.1873: Nils Andreas Kristoffersen (photo)^[19]
• c.1886-c.1896: Peter Kjeldseth^[20]
• c.1902-1914: T. Furustøl^[21]
• 1914-1917: Hilmar Berg^[22]
• 1917-1928: Bernt Christoffersen^[23][24]
• 1929-1931: Hilmar Hansen^[25]
• 1932-1938: Nils Gjertsen^[26]
• 1938-1941: Olav Gabrielsen^[27]
• 1942-1945: Tollef Tollefsen (NS)^[28]
• 1945-1945: Olav Gabrielsen
• 1946-1955: Petter Staff (Ap)^[29]
• 1956-1963: Alfred Sagelvmo (Ap)^[30]

Media gallery

• 
  Malangen Church
• 
  Rambergkirka: A stone located at Sand
• 
  The Mortenhals area (foreground), looking northwest

See also

• List of former municipalities of Norway

References

1. Helland, Amund (1899). "Malangen herred". XIX. Tromsø Amt. Anden del. Norges land og folk (in Norwegian). Kristiania, Norway: H. Aschehoug & Company. p. 231. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
2. "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
3. "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
4. "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1932. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 453–471. 1932.
5. Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (9 January 2024). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon.
6. Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (25 November 2017). "Malangen - sogn". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
7. Helland, Amund (1899). "Malangen herred". Norges land og folk: Tromsø amt (in Norwegian). Vol. XIX. Kristiania, Norway: H. Aschehoug & Company. p. 230. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
8. Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
9. Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 1951). Norges Sivile, Geistlige, Rettslige og Militære Inndeling 1. Januar 1951 (PDF). Norges Offisielle Statistikk (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norge: H. Aschehoug & Co.
10. Jukvam, Dag (1999). Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
11. Rygh, Oluf (1911). Norske gaardnavne: Tromsø amt (in Norwegian) (17 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 120.
12. Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
13. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
14. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
15. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
16. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
17. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
18. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
19. "Tromsø Amtsformandskabs Forhandlinger". Tromsøposten (in Norwegian). 23 July 1873. p. 1. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
20. "Anbud paa Bygningsarbeide". Nordposten (in Norwegian). 14 May 1886. p. 4. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
21. "Ordfører". Senjens Blad (in Norwegian). 14 January 1911. p. 2. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
22. "Hilmar Berg in memoriam". Tromsø (in Norwegian). 5 October 1959. p. 5. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
23. "Amtets nyvalgte ordførere og viceordførere for 1917-1919". Harstad Tidende (in Norwegian). 15 February 1917. p. 2. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
24. "Til ordfører Malangen". Troms Social-Demokrat (in Norwegian). 4 December 1925. p. 2. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
25. "Til ordfører i Malangen". Harstad Tidende (in Norwegian). 30 November 1928. p. 2. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
26. "Malangen herredstyre". Tromsø (in Norwegian). 15 January 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
27. "Malangen herredstyre". Tromsø (in Norwegian). 21 October 1938. p. 2. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
28. "Landssvikere for Malangen herredsrett". Nordlys (in Norwegian). 16 February 1946. p. 1. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
29. "Arbeiderordfører også i Malangen". Nordlys (in Norwegian). 12 January 1946. p. 2. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
30. "Alfred Sagelvmo ordfører i Malangen". Nordlys (in Norwegian). 12 December 1955. p. 3. Retrieved 23 April 2024.

External links

• Weather information for Malangen (in Norwegian)