The 1,248-square-kilometre (482 sq mi) municipality is the 85th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Ringebu is the 195th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,416. The municipality's population density is 3.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (9.3/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 1.8% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]
General information
The prestegjeld of Ringebu was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1864, the northern part of Ringebu (population: 386) was separated to become the new municipality of Sollia. (In 1890, Sollia switched from Oppland county to Hedmark county.) On 1 January 1899, an unpopulated part of Ringebu (in Oppland county) was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Sollia (in Hedmark county).[6]
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Ringebu farm (Old Norse: Ringabú or Hringabú) since the old Ringebu Stave Church was built there. The first element was probably derived from the word ringr which means "ring" (but in what context is unknown). The last element is bú which means "farm", "estate", or "rural area".[7]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 24 April 1992. The official blazon is "Gules, a three-tongued flame Or" (Norwegian: I rødt en oppvoksende tretunget gull flamme). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a three-tongued flame of fire. 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. This represents the municipality's three valleys and three parishes: Ringebu, Fåvang, and Venabygd. Fire was chosen to represent the need for heat and light by all people. The arms were designed by Inge Rotevatn. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[8][9][10][11]
The stave church at Ringebu was built around the year 1220 and it is one of fewer than 30 surviving stave churches in Norway and is one of the largest.
About 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of the church lies the old Hundorp farm which is the legendary home of Dale-Gudbrand. Dale-Gudbrand is mentioned in the Heimskringla (English: The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway) by Snorri Sturluson. The account of King Olaf's (A.D. 1015-1021) conversion of Dale-Gudbrand to Christianity is popularly recognized.
Geography
Ringebu municipal hall.
Ringebu is bordered to the west by Sør-Fron municipality, to the southwest by Gausdal municipality, to the southeast by Øyer municipality, and to the east and north by Stor-Elvdal municipality.
The administrative center of Ringebu municipality is the village of Vålebru which is located at an elevation of 182 metres (597 ft) above sea level in the valley along the river Gudbrandsdalslågen, but 50% of the area within the municipal borders lies at an elevation greater than 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level. From Ringebu, two mountain passes provide road access into the Østerdal valley to the northeast; one of these is closed during the winter. Because these mountain areas reliably provide good snow conditions, the area is a popular tourist destination. The Kvitfjell ski area in Ringebu was expanded to serve as a downhill venue for the 1994 Winter Olympics.
The municipal council(Kommunestyre) of Ringebu is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
