Svolvær

Svolvær
Town
View of the town
View of the town
Svolvær is located in Nordland
Svolvær
Svolvær
Location of the town
Svolvær is located in Norway
Svolvær
Svolvær
Svolvær (Norway)
Coordinates: 68°14′07″N 14°33′49″E / 68.2353°N 14.5636°E / 68.2353; 14.5636
CountryNorway
RegionNorthern Norway
CountyNordland
DistrictLofoten
MunicipalityVågan
Established as 
Ladested1918-1964
Town (By)1996
Area
[1]
 • Total2.37 km2 (0.92 sq mi)
Elevation
[2]
3 m (10 ft)
Population
 (2018)[1]
 • Total4,720
 • Density1,992/km2 (5,160/sq mi)
DemonymSvolværing
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Post Code
8300 Svolvær
ClimateCfc
Former municipality
Svolvær ladested
Flag of Svolvær
Flag
Coat of arms of Svolvær
Coat of arms
Nordland within Norway
Nordland within Norway
CountryNorway
CountyNordland
DistrictLofoten
Established1918
 • Preceded byVågan Municipality
Disestablished1 Jan 1964
 • Succeeded byVågan Municipality
Administrative centreSvolvær
Area
 (upon dissolution)[3]
 • Total7.3 km2 (2.8 sq mi)
Population
 (1964)
 • Total3,952
 • Density540/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1806[4]
Data from Statistics Norway

Svolvær (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈsvôːlvæːr] ⓘ) is the administrative centre of Vågan Municipality in Nordland County, Norway. It is located on the island of Austvågøya in the Lofoten archipelago, along the Vestfjorden. The 2.37-square-kilometre (590-acre) town has a population (2018) of 4,720 which gives the town a population density of 1,992 inhabitants per square kilometre (5,160/sq mi).[1]

History[edit]

Svolvær around 1890
Svolvær Church
Port and center view of Svolvær in June 2016
From Svolvær harbor by Gunnar Berg

The first town formation known in North Norway, Vågar, was situated around the narrow, natural harbor near Kabelvåg, just west of Svolvær. Vågar is mentioned in the book Heimskringla, and might have been established as early as the year 800 AD.

Atlantic Cod fisheries, particularly during winter months, have remained one of the most important economical foundations for the town. Other industries which have proved to be valuable resources for Vågan are fish farming (salmon), Secora and Lofotkraft.

Town status[edit]

Svolvær's historical significance as an important fishing village allowed the town to be granted town status (ladested) on 1 July 1918 when the new town of Svolvær was separated from the municipality of Vågan to become its own municipality. Initially, the new municipality had 2,429 residents and it included 7.3 square kilometres (2.8 sq mi) of land. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Svolvær municipality was merged with the municipalities of Gimsøy and Vågan to form the new, larger municipality of Vågan as it is known today. Prior to the merger, Svolvær had 3,952 residents. Due to this merger, Svolvær lost its status as a "town".[5][3]

Following new legislation, Svolvær was again able to declare itself a "town" in 1996.

Name[edit]

The town (and former municipality) is named after the old Svolvær farm (Old Norse: Svǫlver) since the town grew up on the site of the historic farm. In 1567, historical records show the name as "Suoluer". The first element of the name comes from the word svalr which means "cool" or "chilly". The last element is vær which means "fishing village".[6]

Coat of arms[edit]

The coat of arms was granted on 20 January 1941 and it was in use until 1964 when it became part of Vågan Municipality. The official blazon is "Azure, a cod naiant argent in between a bar gemel wavy" (Norwegian: På blå bunn en vannrett sølv torsk mellom to bølgede strenger av sølv). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a cod in between two wavy lines. The cod and wavy lines both have a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color and the design of the arms symbolize the importance of the sea and fishing for the municipality. The arms were designed by John Johnsen.[7][8]

Government[edit]

Svolvær was a municipality from 1916 until 1964, and during that time, it was self-governing as a municipality. During this time, it was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elected a mayor.[9]

Municipal council[edit]

The municipal council (Bystyre) of Svolvær was made up of representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

Svolvær bystyre 1960–1963 [10]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 7
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 8
Total number of members:29
Svolvær bystyre 1956–1959 [11]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 15
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 10
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:29
Svolvær bystyre 1952–1955 [12]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 14
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 9
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:28
Svolvær bystyre 1948–1951 [13]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 13
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 9
Total number of members:28
Svolvær bystyre 1945–1947 [14]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 10
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 4
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 2
Total number of members:20
Svolvær bystyre 1938–1941* [15]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 6
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 4
Total number of members:20
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.
Svolvær bystyre 1935–1937 [16]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 9
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 9
Total number of members:20

Economy[edit]

Svolvær harbor

Other than the massive fishing industry, tourism is becoming increasingly important. Svolvær is also a major transportation hub and favourite starting point for tourists visiting the Lofoten islands. Approximately 200,000 tourists visit Svolvær each year.

Svolvaer overview
Svolvaer rorbuer

A new 10-storey high combined culture scene and hotel with 160 rooms opened in March 2009. Many artists have been inspired by the unique light in Lofoten, and there are many artists and galleries in Svolvær such as the Lofoten artists house and the Stig Tobiassen gallery.

There is also a well known World War II museum in town called the Lofoten War Memorial Museum. Whale watching tours depart from Svolvær in late autumn and winter with a focus on Orcas (killer whales). Boat excursions to nearby Raftsundet strait and its famous branch Trollfjord is also arranged from Svolvær.

Svolvær also has a downhill skiing centre, driven solely by volunteers, Kongstind Alpinsenter. The centre has one lift, and off-piste possibilities.

The newspaper Våganavisa has been published in Svolvær since 2006.[17]

Geography[edit]

The town of Svolvær

Svolvær is located in the Lofoten archipelago on the southern coast of the island of Austvågøya, facing the open sea of the Vestfjorden to the south, and with mountains immediately to the north. The most famous mountain, Svolværgeita, had its first recorded climb in 1910.

Climate[edit]

Incredibly, despite the town's extremely northern location above the Arctic Circle Svolvær experiences an oceanic climate (Cfb) or a humid continental climate (Dfb) on the border of subpolar oceanic. This temperature anomaly results in Svolvær having an average annual temperature warmer than cities such as Quebec City located more than 20 degrees farther south. Sheltered by the mountains to the north and west, the Svolvær area has less fog and experiences somewhat higher daytime temperatures in summer than the western part of Lofoten, but the same mountains also create more orographic precipitation on rainy days.[2] Precipitation is heaviest in autumn and winter; October averages three times as much rain as does June. Svolvær has an average frost-free season of nearly 6 months. Highest recorded temperature is 29.7C on 18 July 2018 and lowest recorded temperature is -12.3C on 30 December 2002.[18] [19]

Climate data for Svolvær (10 last years)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 1.5
(34.7) 		0.6
(33.1) 		1.4
(34.5) 		4.4
(39.9) 		8.6
(47.5) 		12.2
(54.0) 		15.4
(59.7) 		14.4
(57.9) 		11.1
(52.0) 		7.3
(45.1) 		4.6
(40.3) 		2.6
(36.7) 		7.0
(44.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 0.4
(32.7) 		−0.7
(30.7) 		0.4
(32.7) 		3.3
(37.9) 		7.2
(45.0) 		10.8
(51.4) 		13.9
(57.0) 		13.2
(55.8) 		10.1
(50.2) 		6.4
(43.5) 		3.6
(38.5) 		1.6
(34.9) 		5.8
(42.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.7
(30.7) 		−1.9
(28.6) 		−0.7
(30.7) 		2.2
(36.0) 		5.8
(42.4) 		9.3
(48.7) 		12.4
(54.3) 		11.9
(53.4) 		9
(48) 		5.4
(41.7) 		2.5
(36.5) 		0.5
(32.9) 		4.6
(40.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 83
(3.3) 		71
(2.8) 		58.2
(2.29) 		42.3
(1.67) 		44.4
(1.75) 		35.8
(1.41) 		44.6
(1.76) 		39.8
(1.57) 		68.2
(2.69) 		86.5
(3.41) 		72.1
(2.84) 		76.3
(3.00) 		722.2
(28.49)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 20 18 17 13 16 12 14 14 15 17 15 17 188
Mean daily daylight hours 3 8 12 16 21 24 23 17 13 9 5 0 13
Average ultraviolet index 0 0 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 0 0 2
Source 1: Storm.no[20]
Source 2: Weather Atlas[21]
Oceanic data for Svolvær
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average sea temperature °C 5.0
 4.5
 3.9
 4.5
 6.5
 9.8
 12.0
 12.5
 10.8
 8.8
 7.9
 6.5
 7.8
Source 1: Weather Atlas[21]

Transportation[edit]

Dry dock being built in Svolvær (2010)

Most of Svolvær is located on the main island of Austvågøya, but some parts of the town are built on small surrounding islands connected by bridges, including the Svinøy Bridge. Tesla built a Supercharger in the town in 2020. There is a regional airport near the town, Svolvær Airport, Helle, and Svolvær is a port of call for Hurtigruten. There is a ferry connection from Svolvær to the nearby scenic island of Skrova, which also crosses the Vestfjord to Skutvik (in Hamarøy) in the summer. There is also an express boat that connects to the city of Bodø. The Lofast road (European route E10) was officially opened on 1 December 2007, giving Svolvær access to the mainland and Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes. There are plans to upgrade European route E10 from Å to Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes. There are now scheduled bus connections to Evenes (3 hr) and Narvik (4 hr 15 min).

Museums[edit]

Museums include the Lofoten War Memorial Museum.[22]

Twin towns[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 2018). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality".
  2. ^ a b "Svolvær, Vågan (Nordland)". yr.no. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (1 August 2016). "Svolvær – tidligere kommune". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  4. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (26 January 2023). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
  5. ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
  6. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1905). Norske gaardnavne: Nordlands amt (in Norwegian) (16 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 310.
  7. ^ "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Svolvær". Flags of the World. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  9. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  14. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  15. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  16. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1934" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1935. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  17. ^ Store norske leksikon: Våganavisa.
  18. ^ "Lokale nyheter | Ingen kulderekorder". 6 January 2010.
  19. ^ "Svolvær statistics last 12 months". yr.no. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  20. ^ "Svolvær average conditions; base period 10 last years". Storm Weather Center. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  21. ^ a b "Svolvær, Norway – Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  22. ^ Lofoten War Memorial Museum

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Svolvær.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Svolvær.

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