Grimstad
Grimstad () is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It belongs to the geographical region of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Grimstad. Some of the villages in Grimstad include Eide, Espenes, Fevik, Fjære, Håbbestad, Hesnes, Homborsund, Jortveit, Kroken, Landvik, Nygrenda, Prestegårdskogen, Reddal, Roresand, Rønnes, Skiftenes, Tjore, Vik, and Østerhus. The municipality is centered around the little maritime town of Grimstad which is surrounded by many small islands ("Skjærgård"). There is a harbor, a main street, a small market square, Grimstad Church, and a museum dedicated to the early life of Henrik Ibsen, who served  as an apprentice to Grimstad's local pharmacist Reimann, from 1844 to 1847, before leaving Grimstad in 1850. Ibsen's intimate knowledge of the local people and surroundings can be seen in his poem "Terje Vigen". The majority of the inhabitants live in and around the town, while the rest of the municipality is rural and heavily forested. The municipality is the 264th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Grimstad is the 53rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 23,544. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 14.9 % over the previous 10-year period. General information. The town of Grimstad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1878, part of the neighboring municipality of Fjære (population: 948) was transferred to Grimstad. Again, on 1 January 1960, another part of Fjære (pop: 344) was transferred to Grimstad. On 1 January 1971, the rural municipalities of Fjære (pop: 6,189) and Landvik (pop: 2,781) were merged with the town of Grimstad (pop: 2,794) to form a significantly larger municipality of Grimstad with a total population of 11,764 at the time of the merger . Name. The city's name was originally Grømstad, when Norway belonged to the Danish kingdom. The name was misunderstood and became Grimstad during the registration of Norwegian cities and small places. The site of the town was originally the port () of the old "Grøm" farm. The exact meaning of the name "Grøm" is uncertain, but it is derived from a river name "Gró" or "Gróa" which means "the growing one". Coat of arms. The coat of arms was granted in 1899 and was based upon a seal of the city dating back to 1847. The blue and yellow arms show  a brig as a symbol for the importance of fishing and shipping to the city. Churches. The Church of Norway has four parishes () within the municipality of Grimstad. It is part of the Vest-Nedenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. History. Grimstad lies within the boundaries of the ancient parish of Fjære. It is reportedly first mentioned as a harbor in the 16th century. Eight years after he was deposed, Christian II of Denmark–Norway (1513–1523) attempted to recover his kingdoms. A tempest scattered his fleet off the Norwegian coast, and on 24 October 1531, they  took refuge at Grimstad. On 1 July 1532, he surrendered to his rival, King Frederick I of Denmark, in exchange for a promise of safe conduct. King Frederick failed to honor his promise and imprisoned Christian until he died. An inn is recorded at Grimstad as early as 1607. In 1622, Grimstad became a recognized harbor under the town of Arendal. By 1747, Grimstad was identified as a sailing community and a recognized haunt of smugglers. During the Napoleonic Wars, England blockaded Norway. In 1811, an English brig entered the harbor to capture blockade runners, but was vigorously repulsed and  did not return. John Frederik Classen, who owned the Frolands Værk (an ironworks), obtained concessions to export and import through Grimstad and bypass Arendal with its customs dues. Grimstad was awarded market town status in 1816. The Nørholm farm in Grimstad was the home of Knut Hamsun in the early 20th century. Government. All municipalities in Norway, including Grimstad, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a  mayor. The municipality falls under the Aust-Agder District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal. Municipal council. The municipal council () of Grimstad is made up of 35 representatives that are elected to four year terms. Currently, the party breakdown is as follows: Education. Grimstad is home to "Drottningborg", a private Lutheran boarding preparatory school. It is also the location of the "Bibelskolen in Grimstad (BiG)", a private Lutheran bible school. The University of Agder has its faculty of engineering seated here. A student dorm called "Grøm" is also in Grimstad. Geography. Grimstad is a coastal municipality in Agder county  bordering on the Skagerrak. The municipality is bordered by Arendal in the east, Froland and Birkenes in the north, and Lillesand in the west. The lakes Syndle and Rore are found in the northern part of the municipality. Landviksvannet and Reddalsvannet lakes are found in the southern part of the municipality, near Reddal. The rivers Nidelva and Tovdalselva run through parts of the municipality. The Rivingen Lighthouse and Homborsund Lighthouse both sit on small islands just off the coast. Climate. Grimstad has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb, marine west coast), with autumn and early winter as the wettest season and  Apil - July as the driest season. The all-time high temperature was 11 August 1975; the all-time low is recorded 8 February 1966. The March record high recorded 27 March 2012 was new national heat record for March. Most of the record lows are old; 8 of 12 record lows from before 1970 (November 2021). In February and March 1970 a snowdepth of 172 cm was recorded at Landvik. In recent times, snow usually melts fast along the coast, but the right weather setup can sometimes give large snowfalls. The weather station in Landvik, 5 km from Grimstad town , has been recording since 1957. Attractions. The Maritime Museum, the comprehensive City Museum and the Norwegian Horticultural Museum, are all popular among tourists, as are the wealth of exhibitions and concerts that the town hosts. The town is also a popular destination for summer vacationers, and supports a robust shopping milieu during the Christmas season. During summer, Grimstad plays host to the Norwegian Short Film Festival, which attracts film enthusiasts from far and near. Another popular attraction is the Agder Teater at Fjæreheia, an open-air stage located in a disused stone quarry. Shopping is also available in Oddensenteret along  the harbour. (The view from Oddensenteret is seen in the panorama photo above.) The Homborsund lighthouse is located within the municipality. Grimstad is also home to the Nøgne Ø brewery. Sports. The 1997 World Orienteering Championships were held in Grimstad. Twin towns – sister cities. Grimstad is twinned with: