Bø (Norwegian pronunciation: [bøː]; locally [bøʏ]) is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The 263.2-square-kilometre (101.6 sq mi) municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020. The area is now part of Midt-Telemark Municipality in the traditional district of Midt-Telemark, but this area was historically regarded as part of Grenland. The administrative centre was the village of Bø i Telemark. Other villages in the municipality included Folkestad and Nordbøåsane
Prior to its dissolution in 2020, the 263.2-square-kilometre (101.6 sq mi) municipality was the 291st largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Bø Municipality was the 161st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 6,630. The municipality's population density was 25.7 inhabitants per square kilometre (67/sq mi) and its population had increased by 20.2% over the previous 10-year period.
Bø's economy was mainly based on agriculture, forestry, tourism, education, and public administration. Bø had the character of a university town and it was home to one of the principal campuses of the University of Southeast Norway; it was also the seat of one of the university's three predecessor institutions, Telemark University College. Bø was well known for its cultural traditions within traditional music and artisanship, and its central position within Norwegian national romanticism (for example, its Bunad traditions). Several times in modern literature Bø had been called "the most beautiful place on earth", such as in Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's story En glad Gut (A Happy Boy).
Contents
General information
Administrative history
The formannskapsdistrikt law of 1837 created a system of local government in Norway by establishing each town (ladested or kjøpstad) and each Church of Norway prestegjeld as a civil municipality. On 1 January 1838, Bø prestegjeld was established as Bø Municipality. On 1 January 1866, an unpopulated area of Bø Municipality was transferred to the neighboring Hollen Municipality. On 1 January 1867, Bø Municipality was divided as follows: the southern district (population: 2,257) became the new Lunde Municipality and the northern district (population: 2,633) continued as a smaller Bø Municipality.
On 1 January 1883, the borders of Bø were adjusted. An area from neighboring Seljord Municipality (population: 235) and an area from neighboring Hitterdal Municipality (population: 42) were both transferred into Bø Municipality. On 1 July 1914, an area of neighboring Sauherad Municipality (population: 27) was transferred into Bø Municipality.
On 1 January 2020, Bø Municipality was dissolved and the following areas were merged to form the new Midt-Telemark Municipality:
all of Bø Municipality (population: 6,630)
most of Sauherad Municipality (population: 4,293), except for the Hjukse area which became part of Notodden Municipality
Name
The municipality is named after the old Bø prestegjeld. The prestegjeld was named after the old Bø farm (Old Norse: Bœr) since the Old Bø Church was built there. The name is identical with the word bœr which means "homestead" or "farm".
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 19 February 1988 and it was in use until 1 January 2020 when Bø became part of Midt-Telemark Municipality. The official blazon is "Gules, three fiddles Or" (Norwegian: På raud grunn tre gull feler, 2-1). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a set of three fiddles (two over one). 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. Bø is historically known for its musical tradition, as well as the production of fiddles (similar to the hardingfele). The fiddle was thus chosen as an appropriate symbol for the municipality. The arms were designed by Halvor Holtskog, Jr. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.
Churches
The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within Bø Municipality. It was part of the Øvre Telemark prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.
Geography
The highest point in the municipality was the 1,274.8-metre (4,182 ft) tall mountain Jøronnatten, a tripoint on the border of Bø Municipality, Seljord Municipality, and Notodden Municipality. Notodden Municipality was located to the north, Sauherad Municipality was located to the east, Nome Municipality was located to the south, and Seljord Municipality was located to the west.
Education
In 1923, Telemark county decided to start a secondary school in Bø, the equivalent of today's middle school or "ungdomsskole", called "Telemark Realskole". At this time secondary schools mostly existed in the larger towns and cities, and most youngsters ended their schooling after 7 years around the time they became teenagers. It was the county's intention to expand this school to a high school as soon as practically possible. This happened in 1947, and the school's name was "Telemark Offentlige Landsgymnas". The existence of this school made it possible to establish Telemark College (Distriktshøgskulen i Telemark), which evolved into Telemark University College.
Government
While it existed, Bø Municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Aust-Telemark District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.
Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Bø Municipality was made up of 25 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.
Mayors
The mayor (Nynorsk: ordførar) of Bø Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:
Attractions
Bø Municipality was famous for its waterpark Sommarland (the largest of its kind in Norway). Another tourist site in the municipality is the Gygrestol rock formation. There is also Kroa i bø, one of the oldest music venues in Norway. The club won the award for "Concert promoter of the Year 2005" and is based on voluntary work from students of the Telemark University College.
Old Bø Church
The Old Bø Church dates from around the year 1100. The church is in stone and has 200 seats. It was built in the Romanesque style, with long church plan and choir to the east. The sanctuary, choir loft and the apse are from the Middle Ages, whereas the narthex was built to the 1600s.
Bø Church
The new Bø Church dates from 1875. The church is wooden and has 450 seats. The church was built in Neo-Gothic style. There are wood carvings on the altarpiece, pulpit, lectern and west gallery.
Sister cities
Bø has sister city agreements with the following places:
Bengtsfors, Västra Götaland County, Sweden
Puumala, Eastern Finland, Finland
Notable people
Johan Henrik Rye (1787–1868), a military officer, jurist, and President of the Storting
Jon Eriksson Helland (1790 in Bø – 1862), a Hardanger fiddle maker
Olaf Rye (1791 in Bø – 1849), a Norwegian-Danish military officer
Nils Nilsen Ronning (1870 in Bø – 1962), an American author, journalist, and editor
Olav Gunnarsson Helland (1875 in Bø – 1946), a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker
Neri Valen (1893 in Bø – 1954), a politician who was Mayor of Bø in 1922
Halvor Vreim (1894 in Bø – 1966), an architect, saved old wooden buildings
Olav Kielland (1901–1985 in Bø), a composer and conductor who lived in Bø from 1955
Hallvard Eika (1920–1989), a politician who was Mayor of Bø from 1967–1970
Halvor Kleppen (born 1947 in Bø), a media personality, theme park owner, and writer
Geir Barvik (born 1958 in Bø), a civil servant who was the managing director of the Norwegian State Housing Bank until 2010
Margunn Bjørnholt (born 1958 in Bø), a sociologist, economist, and academic
John-Arne Røttingen (born 1969 in Bø), a medical scientist who was CEO of the Research Council of Norway
Sport
Anders Haugen (1888 in Bø – 1984), an American ski jumper bronze medallist at the 1924 Winter Olympics
Hans Kleppen (1907 in Bø – 2009), a ski jumper who participated in the 1928 Winter Olympics
Runar Steinstad (born 1967 in Bø), a paralympian athlete and bronze medallist at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Elbasan Rashani (born 1993), a Kosovan professional footballer with over 200 club caps who grew up in Bø