# Bamble

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This article is about the municipality in Telemark, Norway. For the village within this municipality, see [Bamble (village)](/source/Bamble_(village)).

**Bamble** is a [municipality](/source/List_of_municipalities_of_Norway) in [Telemark](/source/Telemark) county, [Norway](/source/Norway). It is located in the [traditional district](/source/Traditional_districts_of_Norway) of [Grenland](/source/Grenland). The [administrative centre](/source/Administrative_centre) of the municipality is the town of [Langesund](/source/Langesund). Other population centres in Bamble include the town of [Stathelle](/source/Stathelle) and the villages of [Bamble](/source/Bamble_(village)), [Botten](/source/Botten,_Telemark), [Herre](/source/Herre,_Norway), and [Valle](/source/Valle,_Telemark).

The 304-square kilometre (117-square mile) municipality is the 263rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Bamble is the 87th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 14,172. The municipality's [population density](/source/Population_density) is 50.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (130 /sq mi) and its population has increased by 0.3% over the previous 10-year period.[1][2]

## General information

The [parish](/source/Prestegjeld) of Bamble was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see [formannskapsdistrikt](/source/Formannskapsdistrikt) law). On 1 January 1878, the island of Langøya (population: 22), just off shore from the town of [Langesund](/source/Langesund), was transferred from the rural municipality of Bamble to the town of Langesund. In 1949, the town of Langesund was again enlarged by [annexing](/source/Municipal_annexation) an adjacent area of Bamble municipality (population: 127). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the [Schei Committee](/source/Schei_Committee). On 1 January 1964, the town of [Stathelle](/source/Stathelle) (population: 724) and the town of [Langesund](/source/Langesund) (population: 2,281) were both merged with the surrounding rural municipality of Bamble (population: 5,237) to form a new, larger Bamble Municipality.[3]

### Name

The municipality (originally the [parish](/source/Prestegjeld)) is named after the old *Bamle* farm (Old Norse: *Bamblar*). The meaning of the name is unknown. It is possible that the name is the plural form derived from the word *bembel* which means "[belly](/source/Abdomen)". In this case, it was likely referring to a round hill or mountain.[4] Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled *Bamle*. On 3 November 1917, a [royal resolution](/source/Royal_decree) changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to *Bamble*.[5]

See also: [Bømlo Municipality#Name](/source/B%C3%B8mlo_Municipality#Name)

### Coat of arms

The [coat of arms](/source/Coat_of_arms) was granted on 12 December 1986. The official [blazon](/source/Blazon) is *"[Azure](/source/Azure_(heraldry)), a ship's wheel [Or](/source/Or_(heraldry))"* (Norwegian: *I blått et gull skipsratt*). This means the arms have a blue [field](/source/Field_(heraldry)) (background) and the [charge](/source/Charge_(heraldry)) is a [ship's wheel](/source/Steering_wheel_(ship)). The charge has a [tincture](/source/Tincture_(heraldry)) of [Or](/source/Or_(heraldry)) which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The arms are nearly identical to the former arms of the town Stathelle which used them from 1954 until 1964 when it became part of Bamble. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of the sea for this coastal municipality. [Sailing](/source/Sailing) and [fishing](/source/Fishing) have always been of great importance for the area, and a ship's wheel was thus an appropriate symbol. The arms were designed by Svein J. Haugholt. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[6][7][8]

### Churches

The [Church of Norway](/source/Church_of_Norway) has three parishes (*sokn*) within the municipality of Bamble. It is part of the [Bamble prosti](/source/Bamble_prosti) ([deanery](/source/Deanery)) in the [Diocese of Agder og Telemark](/source/Diocese_of_Agder_og_Telemark).

Churches in Bamble Parish (sokn) Church name Location of the church Year built Bamble Bamble Church Bamble 1845 Herre Church Herre 1905 Langesund Langesund Church Langesund 1992 Stathelle Stathelle Church Stathelle 1964

[Bamble Church](/source/Bamble_Church) (*Bamble kirke*) is located along the [European route E18](/source/European_route_E18) highway, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the south of the [Grenland Bridge](/source/Grenland_Bridge). It is a wooden cruciform church which was built in 1845. The church is located next to the ruins of [Olav Church](/source/St._Olav's_Church_(ruin)) which dated to around 1145.[9]

## Geography

The municipality is located along the [Skaggerak](/source/Skaggerak) coast in southeastern Norway. The village is located on the west side of the [Frierfjorden](/source/Frierfjorden) and [Langesundsfjorden](/source/Langesundsfjorden) and to the northeast of the [Fossingfjorden](/source/Fossingfjorden). The southeastern tip of the large lake [Toke](/source/Toke_(lake)) is located in northwestern Bamble. The [European route E18](/source/European_route_E18) highway runs through Bamble, crossing into [Porsgrunn Municipality](/source/Porsgrunn_Municipality) via the [Grenland Bridge](/source/Grenland_Bridge). The [Brevik Bridge](/source/Brevik_Bridge) also crosses the Frierfjorden, a short distance east of the Grenland Bridge. The [Langøytangen Lighthouse](/source/Lang%C3%B8ytangen_Lighthouse) is located near the town of [Langesund](/source/Langesund).

## Geology

Bamble, lying at the southern tip of the Kongsberg-Bamble [geological formation](/source/Formation_(stratigraphy)), also has a unique geology that has been extensively researched by [geologists](/source/Geologist) such as [W. C. Brøgger](/source/Waldemar_Christofer_Br%C3%B8gger_(geologist)). It exhibits a high grade [gneiss](/source/Gneiss) [terrane](/source/Terrane) characterized by [metasomatism](/source/Metasomatism).[10] As such there have been many mines operating in the area, most notably the [Ødegården Verk](/source/%C3%98deg%C3%A5rden_Verk) [apatite](/source/Apatite) mines and the [nickel](/source/Nickel) mines in Nystein.

## Government

All municipalities in Norway are responsible for [primary education](/source/Primary_education) (through 10th grade), outpatient [health services](/source/Health_care), [senior citizen](/source/Old_age) services, [welfare](/source/Welfare_spending) and other [social services](/source/Social_work), [zoning](/source/Zoning), [economic development](/source/Economic_development), and municipal [roads](/source/Road) and utilities. The municipality is governed by a [municipal council](/source/Municipal_council_(Norway)) of [directly elected](/source/Direct_election) representatives. The [mayor](/source/Mayor) is [indirectly elected](/source/Indirect_election) by a vote of the municipal council.[11] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the [Telemark District Court](/source/Telemark_District_Court) and the [Agder Court of Appeal](/source/Agder_Court_of_Appeal).

### Municipal council

The [municipal council](/source/Municipal_council_(Norway)) *(Kommunestyre)* of Bamble is made up of 33 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political [party](/source/Political_party).

### Mayors

The [mayors](/source/Mayor#Scandinavia) (Norwegian: *ordfører*) of Bamble (incomplete list):

- 1919-1921: [Herman Løvenskiold](/source/Herman_L%C3%B8venskiold_(politician)) ([H](/source/Conservative_Party_(Norway)))
- 1971-1981: [Kjell Bohlin](/source/Kjell_Bohlin) ([Ap](/source/Labour_Party_(Norway)))
- 1995-2003: Jan Erik Gyllensten ([KrF](/source/Christian_Democratic_Party_(Norway)))[12]
- 2003-2007: Anne Margrete Blaker ([Ap](/source/Labour_Party_(Norway)))
- 2007-2015: Jon Pieter Flølo ([FrP](/source/Progress_Party_(Norway)))
- 2015-2023: Hallgeir Kjeldal ([Ap](/source/Labour_Party_(Norway)))
- 2023–present: Jon Pieter Flølo ([FrP](/source/Progress_Party_(Norway)))[13]

## Twin towns – sister cities

See also: [List of twin towns and sister cities in Norway](/source/List_of_twin_towns_and_sister_cities_in_Norway)

Bamble is [twinned](/source/Sister_city) with:[14]

- [Akranes](/source/Akranes), [Iceland](/source/Iceland)
- [Närpes](/source/N%C3%A4rpes), [Finland](/source/Finland)
- [Tønder](/source/T%C3%B8nder_Municipality), [Denmark](/source/Denmark)
- [Västervik](/source/V%C3%A4stervik_Municipality), [Sweden](/source/Sweden)

## Notable people

- [Marcus Olaus Bockman](/source/Marcus_Olaus_Bockman) (1849 in Langesund – 1942), a Norwegian-American Lutheran theologian in [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota)
- [Marie Høeg](/source/Marie_H%C3%B8eg) (1866 in Langesund – 1949), a photographer and suffragist
- [William Houlder Zachariasen](/source/William_Houlder_Zachariasen) (1906 in Langesund – 1979), a Norwegian-American physicist, pioneering specialist in [X-ray crystallography](/source/X-ray_crystallography) and the structure of glass in [Chicago](/source/University_of_Chicago)
- [Arne Selberg](/source/Arne_Selberg) (1910 in Langesund – 1989), a civil engineer who designed suspension bridges
- [Sigmund Selberg](/source/Sigmund_Selberg) (1910–1994), a mathematician who worked on the distribution of [prime numbers](/source/Prime_numbers)
- [Atle Selberg](/source/Atle_Selberg) (1917 in Langesund – 2007), a mathematician who worked on [analytic number theory](/source/Analytic_number_theory)
- [Kjell Bohlin](/source/Kjell_Bohlin) (1928–2011), a politician and Mayor of Bamble from 1971 to 1981
- [Turid Thomassen](/source/Turid_Thomassen) (born 1965 in Stathelle), the leader of the [Norwegian Red party](/source/Red_Party_(Norway)) 2010 to 2012
- [Sverre Gjørvad](/source/Sverre_Gj%C3%B8rvad) (born 1966 in Stathelle), a jazz musician (drums) and composer
- [Odd Ivar Solvold](/source/Odd_Ivar_Solvold) (born 1969 in Bamble), a chef, restaurateur, and author of cook books
- [Jørn Lier Horst](/source/J%C3%B8rn_Lier_Horst) (born 1970 in Bamble), an author of crime fiction and former Police officer
- [Kenneth Nilsen](/source/K-391) (born 1994 in Bamble), a music producer who uses the stage name *K-391*

### Sport

- [Thor Thorvaldsen](/source/Thor_Thorvaldsen) (1909 in Bamble – 1987), a sailor and two-time Olympic champion
- [Jan Halvor Halvorsen](/source/Jan_Halvor_Halvorsen) (born 1963 in Bamble), a former footballer with 250 club caps and 5 for [Norway](/source/Norway_national_football_team)
- [Ella Gjømle Berg](/source/Ella_Gj%C3%B8mle_Berg) (born 1979 in Stathelle), a cross-country skier

## References

1. Statistisk sentralbyrå. ["Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)"](https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/06913/) (in Norwegian)

1. Statistisk sentralbyrå. ["09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)"](https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/09280/) (in Norwegian)

1. Jukvam, Dag (1999). ["Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen"](http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf) (in Norwegian). [Statistisk sentralbyrå](/source/Statistics_Norway). ISBN 9788253746845.

1. Rygh, Oluf (1914). [*Norske gaardnavne: Bratsbergs amt*](https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2006120600018) (in Norwegian). 7 ed. Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. pp. 48–49.

1. ["Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1917. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m"](https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digitidsskrift_2015102381014_001) (in Norwegian). *[Norsk Lovtidend](/source/Norsk_Lovtidend)*. Kristiania, Norge: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri. 1917.

1. ["Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen"](https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Bamble). Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 2023-09-22.

1. ["Bamble, Telemark (Norway)"](https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/no-08-14.html). *Flags of the World*. Retrieved 2023-09-22.

1. ["Godkjenning av våpen og flagg"](https://lovdata.no/dokument/LF/forskrift/1986-12-12-2288) (in Norwegian). *Lovdata.no*. Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet. 1986-12-12. Retrieved 2023-09-22.

1. ["Olavskirken – Skeidi kirke i Bamble"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160920205917/http://www.miklaborg.net/?page_id=489). miklaborg.net. Archived from [the original](http://www.miklaborg.net/?page_id=489) on 2016-09-20. Retrieved 2016-09-01.

1. Nijland, T.G.; Zwaan, J.C.; Touret, L. (Dec 1998). ["Topographical mineralogy of the Bamble sector, south Norway"](http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/46017). *Scripta Geologica*. **118**: 1–46. Naturalis. Retrieved 18 January 2013.

1. Hansen, Tore (ed.) (2022-09-20). ["kommunestyre"](https://snl.no/kommunestyre) (in Norwegian). *[Store norske leksikon](/source/Store_norske_leksikon)*. [Kunnskapsforlaget](/source/Kunnskapsforlaget). Retrieved 2022-10-14.

1. ["Bamble kommune"](https://www.nrk.no/vestfoldogtelemark/bamble-kommune-1.282647) (in Norwegian). *[NRK](/source/NRK)*. 2003-06-02. Retrieved 2023-09-23.

1. ["Ny ordfører i Bamble"](https://www.nrk.no/vestfoldogtelemark/ny-ordforer-i-bamble-1.16555526) (in Norwegian). *[NRK](/source/NRK)*. 2023-09-13. Retrieved 2024-01-29.

1. ["Vennskapskommuner"](http://www.bamble.kommune.no/kommunen-var) (in Norwegian). *bamble.kommune.no*. Bamble Kommune. Retrieved 2021-01-31.

## External links

- [Municipal fact sheet](http://ssb.no/kommunefakta/bamble) from [Statistics Norway](/source/Statistics_Norway) (in Norwegian)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bamble](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamble) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamble?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.