The 671-square-kilometre (259 sq mi) municipality is the 169th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Gjøvik is the 35th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 30,563. The municipality's population density is 48.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (126/sq mi) and its population has increased by 3.9% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]
General information
View of Gjøvik from NordliaView of the lake Mjøsa seen from Gjøvik
Historically, the village of Gjøvik was part of the parish and municipality of Vardal. On 1 January 1861, the village was granted kjøpstad (town) status. At that time, the village was separated from Vardal to form a separate municipality given its new status as a town. Initially, the new town and municipality of Gjøvik had 626 residents. On 1 July 1921, a part of Vardal municipality located just outside the town of Gjøvik (population: 723) was annexed into the town.[6]
Again, on 1 January 1955, another part of Vardal (population: 1,372) was transferred to the town. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the neighboring rural municipalities of Biri (population: 3,274), Snertingdal (population: 2,471), and most of Vardal (population: 9,612) were all merged with the town of Gjøvik (population: 8,251) to form the new, larger Gjøvik Municipality.[6]
Etymology
The municipality (originally the town) is named after the old Gjøvik farm (Old Norse: Djúpvík). The first element is djúpr which means "deep". The last element is vík which means "small bay" or "inlet".[7]
Coat of arms
The original coat of arms was granted in 1922 and it was in use until 2 September 1960 when a new coat of arms was put into use. The diagonal division of the shield shows green and white to symbolise the dark forests around the (light) city. The vertical wavy pale symbolises the Hunnselva river that runs into the lake Mjøsa (the largest lake in Norway). At the same time the pale also symbolizes a linden tree (which has no known symbolism). The linden tree has yellow leaves over the green background and red leaves over the white background. The arms included the statement Vis et voluntas (meaning "force and will") on the lower part of the shield. The base of the design was meant to look like both water (the lake) and also a so-called "potpourri" vase, the most significant design of the glassworks factory that was the founding industry of the town.[8]Photo of the old arms.
The current coat of arms was granted on 2 September 1960 to replace an older coat of arms. The official blazon is "Azure, a swannaiantargent" (Norwegian: På blå bunn en svømmende sølv svane). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a swimming swan (Cygnus cygnus). The swan 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 swan is a symbol for the side-wheel steamerSkiblander, often called the "white swan of Mjøsa", which is usually docked in the town harbor. The arms were designed by Finn Krafft. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[8][9][10]
Gjøvik Church is the main church for the municipality. It was designed by architect Jacob Wilhelm Nordan. The wooden structure was built between 1881 and 1882. Both the church buildings and fixtures are designed in Gothic Revival architecture. The exterior of the church has contrasting colors on wall surfaces and bearing structures. The altarpiece was painted by artist, Asta Nørregaard. The churchyard has a monument dedicated to the memory of Lutheran missionary, Paul Olaf Bodding. The church was restored during 1927, 1960, 2004-2005 and in 2009.[11][12]
Geography
Number of minorities (1st and 2nd generation) in Gjøvik by country of origin in 2022[13]
Along with Hamar, Lillehammer, Brumunddal, and Moelv, Gjøvik is one of the many towns bordering Norway's biggest lake, Mjøsa. The town administration of Gjøvik also includes the suburb area Hunndalen and the rural districts of Biri, Snertingdal, and Vardal.
The highest point is Ringsrudåsen with a height of 842 metres (2,762 ft).
Economy
Gjøvik owes much of its early growth to the local glassworks, which were established there by Caspar Kauffeldt in 1807. In the early 19th century, there was considerable immigration there from Valdres and Western Norway, aiding Gjøvik's growth. The village of Gjøvik was granted kjøpstad status in 1861, making it a town and self-governing municipality. Later, O. Mustad & Son became one of the world's largest manufacturers of fish hooks.[14]
Today dolphitech, Hoff Potetindustrier, Hunton Fiber, and Natre Vinduer are some of the industrial companies operating from Gjøvik. The town is also a port for the former traffic ship, Skibladner, which is now a tourist ship.
The local paper is the Oppland Arbeiderblad. It was formerly a Labour Party newspaper. Defunct newspapers include Oplændingen and Velgeren (Labour Democrat/Liberal), Samhold (Liberal, later Agrarian) and Ny Dag (Communist).
Gjøvik has two notable hotels, the Grand hotel and the Strand hotel.
There have been three notable concerts held in Gjøvik's history, which starred Toto, Robbie Williams and Bryan Adams (June 2011).
The municipal council(Kommunestyre) of Gjøvik 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.
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