The 722-square-kilometre (279 sq mi) municipality is the 158th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Ulvik is the 329th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,056. The municipality's population density is 1.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (4.1/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 5.1% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5] Of the municipality's total population, nearly half live in the village of Ulvik at the end of the Ulvikafjorden. The vast majority of those who do not live in the village of Ulvik live on the farms surrounding the village or at the end of the Osa Fjord in the village of Osa.
In 2016, the chief of police for Vestlandet formally suggested a reconfiguration of police districts and stations. He proposed that the police station in Ulvik be closed.[6]
General information
View of Torblå and Lekve1907 postcard of Ulvik by Hulda Marie BentzenView of Ulvik ChurchView of the village of Ulvik and surrounding area
The parish of Graven (later spelled "Granvin") was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). This large municipality/parish included two annexes: Ulvik and Eidfjord. On 1 January 1859, Ulvik became the main parish, making Graven and Eidfjord annexes to Ulvik, and the name of the large municipality was changed from Graven to Ulvik.[7]
On 1 May 1891, the western annex of Graven (population: 1,331) and the southeastern annex of Eidfjord (population: 1,018) were separated from Ulvik to become separate municipalities. This left Ulvik with a much smaller size and 1,410 residents. In 1895, a small area of Eidfjord (population: 3) was transferred to Ulvik.[7]
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Ulvik farm (Old Norse: Ulfvík) since the first Ulvik Church was built there. The first element is ulfr which means "wolf". The last element is vík which means "bay", "cove, or "wick".[8][9]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 19 December 1986. The official blazon is "Gules, eight lozenges in annuletOr" (Norwegian: På raud grunn åtte gule spissruter i rosett). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a set of eight lozenges arranged around a point, making a symmetrical rosette design. 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 figure is a traditional design seen in the local folk-art and in local textiles (including in the bunad of Ulvik). The pattern can be traced in local arts as far back as the 16th century, and is similar to the selburose. The arms were designed by Stein Davidsen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[10][11][12]
The village of Ulvik was nearly totally destroyed on 25 April 1940, during the German invasion of Norway, when fighting erupted between a German landing party arriving in boats, and a Norwegian force on land. Most of the village was burned down, and three civilians were killed. An unknown number of German soldiers were also killed in the fighting.
Population
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1855
3,799
—
1865
3,890
+0.24%
1875
3,920
+0.08%
1891
1,419
−6.15%
1900
1,574
+1.16%
1910
1,650
+0.47%
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1920
1,747
+0.57%
1930
1,538
−1.27%
1946
1,517
−0.09%
1951
1,548
+0.41%
1960
1,488
−0.44%
1970
1,351
−0.96%
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1980
1,362
+0.08%
1990
1,239
−0.94%
2000
1,222
−0.14%
2010
1,129
−0.79%
2020
1,080
−0.44%
2023
1,056
−0.75%
Note: The municipal borders were changed in 1891, causing a significant change in the population. Source: Statistics Norway[4][13] and Norwegian Historical Data Centre[14]
The municipal council(Heradsstyre) of Ulvik is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
The Bergen Line runs through the northern part of Ulvik. It runs through a region that has no road access, but is a popular with hiking and sports enthusiasts. The railway station at Finse on the Bergen Line at an elevation of 1,222 metres (4,009 ft) is the highest station on the Norwegian railway system. The Finse Tunnel just outside Finse is one of the longest railway tunnels in Norway. The Rallarvegen "road" is an historic road that follows the Bergen Line through Ulvik. It is a popular biking and hiking route. Ulvik is also visited in the summer by numerous foreign cruise ships who travel along the fjord.
Notable people
Olav Hauge, 1940
Catharine Hermine Kølle (1788–1859), a Norwegian adventurer, writer, and artist who lived in Ulvik from 1807
Lars Osa (1860 in Ulvik – 1958), an artist who worked on church restorations and noted fiddle player
Olav H. Hauge (1908 in Ulvik – 1994), a Norwegian horticulturist, translator, and poet
Sigbjørn Bernhoft Osa (1910 in Ulvik – 1990), a Norwegian fiddler and traditional folk musician
