Editing Lærdal

{{short description|Municipality in Vestland, Norway}}
{{For|the manufacturer of medical equipment|Laerdal}}
{{Infobox kommune
|name                   = Lærdal
|native_name            = 
|native_name_lang       = 
|other_name             = 
|former_name            = Leirdal herred
|image_skyline          = Laerdalsoyri01.jpg
|image_caption          = View of Lærdalsøyri
|idnumber               = 4642
|county                 = Vestland
|district               = Sogn
|capital                = [[Lærdalsøyri]]
|established            = 1 Jan 1838
|preceded               = none
|demonym                = Lærdøl
|language               = Nynorsk
|coatofarms             = Lærdal komm.svg
|webpage                = www.laerdal.kommune.no
|mayor                  = Audun Mo
|mayor_party            = [[Labour Party (Norway)|Ap]]
|mayor_as_of            = 2019
|area_rank              = 71
|area_total_km2         = 1342.52
|area_land_km2          = 1275.43
|area_water_km2         = 67.09
|area_water_percent     = 5
|population_as_of       = 2023
|population_rank        = 273
|population_total       = 2129
|population_density_km2 = 1.7
|population_increase    = -2.2
|coordinates            = {{coord|61|03|04|N|07|35|52|E|region:NO|display=inline,title}}
|utm_zone = 32V |utm_northing = 6769295 |utm_easting = 0424292 | geo_cat = adm2nd
}}

'''Lærdal''' is a [[List of municipalities of Norway|municipality]] in [[Vestland]] [[Counties of Norway|county]], [[Norway]]. It is located on the south side of the [[Sognefjorden]] in the [[Districts of Norway|traditional district]] of [[Sogn]]. The [[administrative center]] of the municipality is the village of [[Lærdalsøyri]]. The old [[Filefjell Kongevegen]] road passes through Lærdal on its way to [[Valdres]] and later to [[Oslo]].

The {{convert|1343|km2|adj=on}} municipality is the 71st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway (with over half of this area consisting of mountains). Lærdal is the 273rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,129. The municipality's [[population density]] is {{convert|1.7|PD/km2}} and its population has decreased by 2.2% over the previous 10-year period.<ref name="ssb pop">{{Cite web |last=Statistisk sentralbyrå |author-link=Statistics Norway |title=Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M) |url=https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/06913/ |language=Norwegian}}</ref><ref name="ssb area">{{Cite web |last=Statistisk sentralbyrå |author-link=Statistics Norway |title=09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M) |url=https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/09280/ |language=Norwegian}}</ref>

The Lærdal river valley is long, running from [[Hemsedal]] ([[Høgeloft]] mountain) and the [[Filefjell]] mountains in the east to the [[Sognefjorden]] in the west. About half of the municipal residents live in the main village of [[Lærdalsøyri]]; the rest in the small villages in the surrounding valleys such as [[Borgund, Sogn og Fjordane|Borgund]], Ljøsne, [[Tønjum]], Erdal, Vindedalen, [[Frønningen]], and Strendene. The Old Lærdalsøyri village has 161 protected buildings. Some of the houses there date back to the mid-18th century. On the night of 18–19 January 2014, a major fire destroyed at least 30 buildings.<ref name="2012Fire">{{Cite news |date=19 January 2014 |title=Blaze threatens historic wood village in Laerdal Norway |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25799491 |access-date=19 January 2014}}</ref>

==General information==
[[File:Borgundstavkirke.jpg|thumb|left|[[Borgund stave church]] ]]
''Lærdal'' was established as a [[List of municipalities of Norway|municipality]] on 1 January 1838 (see [[formannskapsdistrikt]] law). In the 19th century, the name was sometimes spelled ''Leerdahl'' or ''Leirdal''. The municipality of 1838 was created to be identical to the Lærdal [[Church of Norway|parish]] ''([[prestegjeld]])'' that included the sub-parishes ({{lang|no|sokn}}) of [[Borgund, Sogn og Fjordane|Borgund]], [[Tønjum]], Hauge, and [[Årdal|Aardal]]. In 1863, the northeastern sub-parish of [[Årdal|Aardal]] (population: 1,791) was separated from Lærdal to form a separate municipality. In 1864, the eastern sub-parish of [[Borgund, Sogn og Fjordane|Borgund]] (population: 963) was separated from Lærdal to form its own municipality. This left Lærdal with 2,777 residents.<ref name="Dag">{{Cite book |last=Jukvam |first=Dag |url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf |title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen |publisher=[[Statistics Norway|Statistisk sentralbyrå]] |year=1999 |isbn=9788253746845 |language=no}}</ref><ref name="em">{{Cite web |last=Natvik |first=Oddvar |date=9 February 2005 |title=Some historical data on the 26 Kommunes |url=http://www.emigration.no/sff/emigration3.nsf/0/326D0346278A5909C1256F570048962C?OpenDocument |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613141425/http://www.emigration.no/sff/emigration3.nsf/0/326D0346278A5909C1256F570048962C?OpenDocument |archive-date=13 June 2008 |access-date=15 June 2008}}</ref>

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the [[Schei Committee]]. On 1 January 1964, Lærdal (population: 1,755) was merged with the municipality of [[Borgund, Sogn og Fjordane|Borgund]] (population: 492) and the Muggeteigen, Luggenes, and Bergmål farms (population: 11) along the Sognefjorden from the municipality of [[Årdal]]. After the merger, Lærdal had a total of 2,258. On 1 January 1992, the [[Frønningen]] area (population: 32) of [[Leikanger Municipality]] was transferred to Lærdal municipality.<ref name="Dag" /><ref name="em" />

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly created [[Vestland]] county after [[Sogn og Fjordane]] and [[Hordaland]] counties were merged.

===Name===
The municipality (originally the [[prestegjeld|parish]]) is named after the old village of ''[[Lærdalsøyri|Lærdal]]'' ({{langx|non|Lærardalr}}). The first element is the [[genitive case]] of the old name of the local river {{lang|non|Lærr}}. The meaning of the river name is unknown. The last element is {{wikt-lang|non|dalr}} which means "[[valley]]" or "dale".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rygh |first=Oluf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lN1LAQAAIAAJ |title=Norske gaardnavne: Nordre Bergenhus amt |date=1919 |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri |edition=12 |location=Kristiania, Norge |pages=60–61 |language=no |authorlink=Oluf Rygh}}</ref>

===Coat of arms===
The [[coat of arms]] was granted on 18 December 1987. The official [[blazon]] is ''"[[Gules]], two dragon heads [[bendwise]] [[Or (heraldry)|Or]]"'' ({{langx|no|På raud grunn to gull drakehovud i skrå rekkje}}). This means the arms have a red [[field (heraldry)|field]] (background) and the [[charge (heraldry)|charge]] is two [[dragon]] heads aligned diagonally. The charge has a [[tincture (heraldry)|tincture]] of [[Or (heraldry)|Or]] which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The dragon heads are based on the wooden dragons seen on the gables of the historic [[Borgund Stave Church]] that was built around 1150 in Lærdal. The arms were designed by Inge Rotevatn. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen |url=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Lærdal |access-date=2023-05-13 |publisher=Heraldry of the World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Lærdal, Sogn og Fjordane (Norway) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/no-14-22.html |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Flags of the World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1987-12-18 |title=Godkjenning av våpen og flagg |url=https://lovdata.no/dokument/LF/forskrift/1987-12-18-1074 |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Lovdata.no |publisher=Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet |language=no}}</ref>

===Churches===
The [[Church of Norway]] has three parishes ({{lang|no|sokn}}) within the municipality of Lærdal. It is part of the [[Sogn prosti]] ([[deanery]]) in the [[Diocese of Bjørgvin]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ style="font-size:medium"|'''''Churches in Lærdal'''''
!Parish ({{lang|no|sokn}})!!Church name!!Location of the church!!Year built
|-
|rowspan="2"|Borgund||[[Borgund Church (Lærdal)|Borgund Church]]||rowspan="2"|[[Borgund, Sogn og Fjordane|Borgund]]||1868
|-
|[[Borgund Stave Church]]||{{circa|1150}}
|-
|Hauge||[[Hauge Church]]||[[Lærdalsøyri]]||1868
|-
|Tønjum||[[Tønjum Church]]||[[Tønjum]]||1832
|}

==Government==
Lærdal Municipality is responsible for [[primary education]] (through 10th grade), outpatient [[Health care|health services]], [[old age|senior citizen]] services, [[welfare spending|welfare]] and other [[Social work|social services]], [[zoning]], [[economic development]], and municipal [[road]]s and utilities. The municipality is governed by a [[Municipal council (Norway)|municipal council]] of [[Direct election|directly elected]] representatives. The [[mayor]] is [[Indirect election|indirectly elected]] by a vote of the municipal council.<ref name="ks">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=kommunestyre |encyclopedia=[[Store norske leksikon]] |publisher=[[Kunnskapsforlaget]] |url=https://snl.no/kommunestyre |date=2022-09-20 |editor-last=Hansen |editor-first=Tore |language=Norwegian |editor2-last=Vabo |editor2-first=Signy Irene |accessdate=2022-10-14}}</ref> The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the [[Sogn og Fjordane District Court]] and the [[Gulating Court of Appeal]].

===Municipal council===
The [[Municipal council (Norway)|municipal council]] {{lang|no|(Kommunestyre)}} of Lærdal is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political [[Political party|party]].
{{div col}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 2023
|end                       = 2027
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2023 - Vestland |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2023/ko/vestland/lærdal#seats |access-date=2024-01-21 |publisher=[[Valgdirektoratet]]}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = 
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 17
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 9
|Høyre                     = 1
|Senterpartiet             = 5
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 2019
|end                       = 2023
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2019 – Vestland |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2019/ko/vestland/lærdal#seats |access-date=2019-10-29 |publisher=[[Valgdirektoratet]]}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 17
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 8
|Høyre                     = 2
|Senterpartiet             = 5
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 2015
|end                       = 2019
|reference                 = <ref name="ssb valg">{{Cite web |title=Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M) |url=https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/04813/ |publisher=Statistics Norway |language=no}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 17
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 5
|Høyre                     = 2
|Senterpartiet             = 8
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1
|Venstre                   = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 2011
|end                       = 2015
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2011 – Sogn og Fjordane |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2011/ko/sogn%20og%20fjordane/lærdal#seats |access-date=2019-10-29 |publisher=[[Valgdirektoratet]]}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 17
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 4
|Høyre                     = 3
|Senterpartiet             = 5
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 3
|Venstre                   = 2
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 2007
|end                       = 2011
|reference                 = <ref name="ssb valg" />
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 17
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 7
|Høyre                     = 2
|Senterpartiet             = 5
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
|Venstre                   = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 2003
|end                       = 2007
|reference                 = <ref name="ssb valg" />
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 17
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 8
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 1
|H/KrF/Sp/V                = 5
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 3
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 1999
|end                       = 2003
|reference                 = <ref name="ssb valg" />
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 21
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 9
|H/KrF/Sp/V                = 10
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 1995
|end                       = 1999
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1996 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1995 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c342.pdf |access-date=2020-02-18 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 21
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 10
|H/KrF/Sp/V                = 10
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 1991
|end                       = 1995
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1993 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1991 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c057.pdf |access-date=2020-02-18 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 21
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 8
|H/KrF/Sp/V                = 11
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 1987
|end                       = 1991
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1988 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1987 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b765.pdf |access-date=2020-02-18 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 21
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 10
|Høyre                     = 4
|KrF/Sp/V                  = 7
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 1983
|end                       = 1987
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1984 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1983 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b450.pdf |access-date=2020-02-18 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 21
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 10
|Høyre                     = 3
|KrF/Sp/V                  = 8
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 1979
|end                       = 1983
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1979 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1979 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b093.pdf |access-date=2020-02-18 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 21
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 9
|H/KrF/DLF/Sp/V            = 12
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 1975
|end                       = 1979
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1977 |title=Kommunevalgene 1975 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a769.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 21
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 10
|DLF/H/Sp/V                = 11
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 1971
|end                       = 1975
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1973 |title=Kommunevalgene 1972 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a457.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 21
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 12
|Høyre                     = 2
|Senterpartiet             = 6
|Venstre                   = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 1967
|end                       = 1971
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1967 |title=Kommunevalgene 1967 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a214.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo |volume=I}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 21
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 12
|Høyre                     = 1
|Senterpartiet             = 6
|Venstre                   = 2
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|start                     = 1963
|end                       = 1967
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1964 |title=Kommunevalgene 1963 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_138.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 21
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 11
|Høyre                     = 2
|Senterpartiet             = 6
|Venstre                   = 2
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|herad                     = yes
|start                     = 1959
|end                       = 1963
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1960 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_022.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 21
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 9
|Høyre                     = 2
|Senterpartiet             = 7
|Venstre                   = 3
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|herad                     = yes
|start                     = 1955
|end                       = 1959
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1957 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_252.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 21
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 8
|Høyre                     = 1
|Venstre                   = 4
|Local_Lists               = 8
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|herad                     = yes
|start                     = 1951
|end                       = 1955
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1952 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_120.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 24
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 10
|Venstre                   = 5
|Borgerlige_Felleslister   = 9
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|herad                     = yes
|start                     = 1947
|end                       = 1951
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1948 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_165.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 24
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 9
|Borgerlige_Felleslister   = 15
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|herad                     = yes
|start                     = 1945
|end                       = 1947
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1947 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_133.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 24
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 10
|Venstre                   = 3
|Borgerlige_Felleslister   = 11
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Lærdal
|herad                     = yes
|start                     = 1937
|end                       = 1941* 
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_ix_133.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|nynorsk                   = yes
|Total                     = 24
|Senterpartiet             = 9
|Venstre                   = 5
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 7
|Local_Lists               = 3
|}}
{{div col end}}

===Mayors===
The [[Mayor#Scandinavia|mayors]] ({{langx|nn|ordførar}}) of Lærdal:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ordførarar i Lærdal kommune |url=https://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nrk_sogn_og_fjordane/fylkesleksikon/3412199.html |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=NRK Fylkesleksikon |language=nn}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*1838-1843: Nils Rossing Bull
*1844-1845: [[Jan Henrik Nitter Hansen]]
*1846-1847: Hannibal Winsnes
*1848-1857: Nils Rossing Bull
*1858-1859: Jan Rumohr
*1860-1863: Jørgen Christian Lindstrøm
*1864-1871: Jan Rumohr
*1872-1875: Søren Schelderup
*1876-1877: David Anderson Raa
*1878-1879: Baard Lysne
*1880-1881: Tøger Ravn
*1882-1888: Otto Blehr
*1889-1891: Peder Th. Tønjum
*1896-1898: Gerhard Dahl
*1899-1901: Tøger Ravn
*1908-1910: Hans H. Michelsen
*1911-1913: Haakon Mo
*1914-1916: Hans H. Michelsen
*1917-1922: Olav Skjær
*1923-1925: Nils Lysne
*1926-1937: Olav Skjær
*1938-1942: Per Severin Hjermann ([[Centre Party (Norway)|Bp]])
*1942-1945: Petter Klingenberg ([[Nasjonal Samling|NS]])
*1945-1954: Per Severin Hjermann ([[Centre Party (Norway)|Bp]])
*1954-1959: Egil Natvik ([[Liberal Party (Norway)|V]])
*1960-1963: Ingebrigt Eri ([[Centre Party (Norway)|Sp]])
*1964-1975: Anders Lunden ([[Labour Party (Norway)|Ap]])
*1976-1979: Per Hjermann ([[Centre Party (Norway)|Sp]])
*1980-1981: Knut L. Blaaflat ([[Centre Party (Norway)|Sp]])
*1982-1989: Knut O. Hegg ([[Centre Party (Norway)|Sp]])
*1990-1999: Hans A. Tønjum ([[Centre Party (Norway)|Sp]])
*1999-2003: Olav Wendelbo ([[Centre Party (Norway)|Sp]])
*2003–2007: [[Knut O. Aarethun]] ([[Labour Party (Norway)|Ap]])
*2007–2011: Arne Sanden ([[Labour Party (Norway)|Ap]])
*2011–2019: Jan Geir Solheim ([[Centre Party (Norway)|Sp]])
*2019–present: Audun Mo ([[Labour Party (Norway)|Ap]])
{{div col end}}

===Twin towns – Sister cities===
Lærdal has [[Twin towns and sister cities|sister city]] agreements with the following places:
* {{flagicon|PLE}} [[Jericho]], [[Palestine]] <small>''(since 1998)''</small>

==Geography==
[[File:Lærdal ved Jutlamannen.jpg|thumb|right|230px|The river near Jutlamannen]]
Lærdal is located southeast of the [[Sognefjorden]] and east of the [[Aurlandsfjorden]]. The municipality is centered on the Lærdalselvi River with the [[Filefjell]] and Hemsedalsfjell mountain ranges on its east. Lærdal is bordered in [[Vestland]] county by the municipality of [[Aurland]] to the southwest, [[Sogndal]] to the northwest, and [[Årdal]] to the north. It is also bordered on the east by [[Vang, Oppland|Vang]] ([[Innlandet]] county) and [[Hemsedal]] ([[Buskerud]] county), and in the south by [[Ål]] and [[Hol, Norway|Hol]] (both in [[Buskerud]] county).

The lakes [[Eldrevatnet]], [[Juklevatnet]], and [[Øljusjøen]] are located along the southeastern border, south of the mountain [[Høgeloft]].

===Climate===
Lærdal is situated near the head of Sognefjorden. The very long fjord snakes past mountain ranges on its way from the sea inland to Lærdal, and the mountains create a [[rain shadow]] effect for the innermost part of the fjord, making Lærdal much drier than the coast, with just 20% of Bergen's precipitation. The mountains also sometimes gives a [[föhn effect]] in winter for Lærdal. The climate of Lærdal is a thus a mix of oceanic and continental features. Lærdal has a [[humid continental climate]], or a temperate [[oceanic climate]] (Cfb), depending on winter threshold ({{convert|0|°C}} as used in US or {{convert|-3|°C}} as in the original [[Köppen climate classification]]). The record high {{convert|33.4|C}} was recorded both July 2018 and July 2019. The all-time low {{convert|-21.8|C}} is from January 1942.

{{Weather box 
|metric first= yes
|single line = yes
|location = Lærdal 1991-2020 (2 m, Lærdal IV, extremes 1871-2020 includes earlier stations)
|Jan record high C = 15.9 | Jan record low C = -21.8
|Feb record high C = 15.3 | Feb record low C = -21.1
|Mar record high C = 16.8 | Mar record low C = -16.7
|Apr record high C = 21.5 | Apr record low C = -8.8
|May record high C = 28.3 | May record low C = -2.5
|Jun record high C = 31 | Jun record low C = -0.6
|Jul record high C = 33.4 | Jul record low C = 3.3
|Aug record high C = 31 | Aug record low C = 2.8
|Sep record high C = 25.1 | Sep record low C = -2.5
|Oct record high C = 23.6 | Oct record low C = -10.5
|Nov record high C = 18.7 | Nov record low C = -16.7
|Dec record high C = 16.2 | Dec record low C = -19.4
|Jan high C = 2
|Feb high C = 2
|Mar high C = 6
|Apr high C = 11
|May high C = 16
|Jun high C = 19
|Jul high C = 21
|Aug high C = 20
|Sep high C = 15
|Oct high C = 9
|Nov high C = 5
|Dec high C = 2
|year high C =
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
|Jan mean C=-0.7
|Feb mean C=-0.7
|Mar mean C=2.3
|Apr mean C=6.4
|May mean C=10.2
|Jun mean C=13.6
|Jul mean C=15.9
|Aug mean C=14.8
|Sep mean C=10.9
|Oct mean C=5.9
|Nov mean C=2.2
|Dec mean C=-0.5
|year mean C=
|Jan low C = -2
|Feb low C = -3
|Mar low C = -1
|Apr low C = 3
|May low C = 6
|Jun low C = 9
|Jul low C = 12
|Aug low C = 11
|Sep low C = 8
|Oct low C = 3
|Nov low C = 0
|Dec low C = -2
|year low C =
<!-- Total precipitation, this should include rain and snow. -->
|precipitation colour= green<!-- Enter "green" for green precipitation colours, remove this line for blue colouring. -->
|Jan precipitation mm=45.8
|Feb precipitation mm=25.8
|Mar precipitation mm=32.1
|Apr precipitation mm=27.3
|May precipitation mm=29.6
|Jun precipitation mm=43.7
|Jul precipitation mm=50
|Aug precipitation mm=57
|Sep precipitation mm=55.3
|Oct precipitation mm=49.3
|Nov precipitation mm=44.7
|Dec precipitation mm=47.5
|year precipitation mm=
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 9
|Feb precipitation days = 8
|Mar precipitation days = 7
|Apr precipitation days = 5
|May precipitation days = 7
|Jun precipitation days = 9
|Jul precipitation days = 9
|Aug precipitation days = 10
|Sep precipitation days = 11
|Oct precipitation days = 9
|Nov precipitation days = 8
|Dec precipitation days = 8
<!-- Mandatory fields, source -->
|source 1= Norwegian Meteorological Institute/eklima (extremes)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Norwegian Meteorological Institute |url=http://sharki.oslo.dnmi.no/portal/page?_pageid=73,39035,73_39080&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL}}</ref> yr.no/met.no (means and precipitation) <ref name="yr.o ">{{Cite web |title=yr.no Lærdal |url=https://www.yr.no/en/statistics/table/5-54110/Norway/Vestland/L%C3%A6rdal/L%C3%A6rdal |access-date=4 April 2021 |publisher=yr.no by Norwegian Meteorological Institute}}</ref>
|source 2= Weatheronline climate robot (average highs/lows)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Weatheronline climate robot (Molde average high and low 1996-2020) |url=https://www.weatheronline.co.uk/weather/maps/city?LANG=en&PLZ=_____&PLZN=_____&WMO=01355&CONT=euro&R=0&LEVEL=162&REGION=0004&LAND=NO&MOD=tab&ART=TMX&NOREGION=1&FMM=1&FYY=1996&LMM=12&LYY=2020}}</ref>
|date=March 2021
}}

===Lærdal tunnel===
The ''[[Lærdal Tunnel|Lærdalstunnel]]'' was built through the [[Aurlandsfjell]] mountains dividing [[Aurland]] from Lærdal. It is the [[List of longest road tunnels|world's longest road tunnel]] ({{As of|2020|lc=y}}) at {{convert|24.5|km}}. Construction began in 1995 and was completed in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The world's longest tunnel |url=http://www.vegvesen.no/region_vest/prosjekter/lardalstunnelen/english.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517051435/http://www.vegvesen.no/region_vest/prosjekter/lardalstunnelen/english.stm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=17 May 2008 |access-date=18 February 2013 |publisher=Statens vegvesen}}</ref>

==={{anchor|Lærdalselvi}}Lærdalselvi river===
[[File:Lærdalselva ved Borgund stavkirke (2).jpg|thumb|right|250px|Lærdal river near Borgund Stave Church]]
The River {{ill|Lærdalselvi|no|Lærdalselva}} was traditionally one of the most exclusive [[salmon]] and [[Brown trout|sea trout]] rivers in [[Norway]]. Known by the Norwegian King [[Harald V of Norway|Harald&nbsp;V]] as his second Queen, the river has established Lærdal as one of the meccas of salmon and sea trout [[fly fishing]], among others for the unusual fact that the river offers daylight fishing and dry fly fishing for sea trout. The salmon population was drastically depleted after an infestation with the salmon parasite ''[[Gyrodactylus salaris]]'' in the fall of 1996. After several treatments with [[aluminium sulfate]], there are still problems with the parasite. In fall 2007, a [[Spawn (biology)|smolt]] was again found infected by the parasite, and new treatments started in late March 2008. Because of this parasite, the river was closed to angling for the 2008 season.

The river has formed a large delta at [[Lærdalsøyri]], where huge amounts of [[silt]] and sand have been deposited by the river. Although the area has been spoiled by some unfortunate landfills it is still a sight worth seeing.

==Economy==
Lærdal has long traditions in farming, with the lower region of the valley being great for vegetable crops. Because of its dry climate it was one of the first places in Norway to begin the use of artificial [[irrigation]]. Despite having an inland climate, the water in the fjord keeps the winters from getting too cold.

The local [[Western Norway Regional Health Authority]] hospital provides medical care for Lærdal itself and seven of the surrounding municipalities. The hospital, together with Opplysningen 1881 (directory assistance company), Østfold Energiproduksjon A/S and [[Norsk Hydro]] Aluminium Production Facilities in [[Årdal]], are the major employers in Lærdal. The local government and health authority is trying to close this hospital due to cost cutting, which may have negative effects on the area.

== Notable people ==
[[File:Ragnhild Sælthun Fjørtoft.jpeg|140px|thumb|Ragnhild Sælthun Fjørtoft, 2011]]
* [[Peder Hjermann]] (1754 in Lærdal – 1834), a farmer and representative at the [[Norwegian Constitutional Assembly]]
* [[Anders Olson Lysne]] (1764 – executed 1803), a farmer who led the Lærdal farmers' rebellion from 1800 to 1802
* [[Jan Henrik Nitter Hansen]] (1801–1879), a businessman and politician who was mayor of Lærdal in the 1850s
* [[Per Lysne]] (1880 in Lærdal – 1947), a Norwegian-American artist who brought [[Rosemaling]] folk art to the USA
* [[Eivind Blehr]] (1881 in Lærdal – 1957), a politician who was a government minister in Quisling's government during WWII
* [[Knut Rumohr]] (1916 in Lærdal – 2002), a Norwegian painter and printmaker
* [[Knut O. Aarethun]] (born 1942 in Lærdalsøyri), a politician who was mayor of Lærdal from 2003 to 2007
* [[Ragnhild Sælthun Fjørtoft]] (born 1947 in Lærdal), a Norwegian former TV presenter
* [[Øyvind Hegg-Lunde]] (born 1982 in Lærdal), a musician (playing drums and percussion) who was raised in Borgund

==Photo gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Laerdal.JPG|Lærdalsøyri
File:Laerdalsoyri03.jpg|Lærdalsøyri
File:Norway Aurland Laerdal.jpg|Old mountain pass from Aurland to Lærdal (above the Lærdalstunnelen)
File:Norway Aurland Laerdal2.jpg|Old mountain pass from Aurland to Lærdal (above the Lærdalstunnelen)
File:Lærdal. Leikvollen.jpg|Lærdal
File:Lærdalstunnelen.JPG|Lærdal tunnel
File:Laerdalstunnel cave.jpg|Lærdal tunnel cave
File:Store Jukleeggi.jpg|Store Jukleeggi – Mountain in Lærdal
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Lærdal}}
*[http://www.laerdal.kommune.no Official website: Lærdal Kommune] {{in lang|no}}
*[http://ssb.no/kommunefakta/laerdal Municipal fact sheet] from [[Statistics Norway]] {{in lang|no}}
*[http://www.nrk.no/sfj/leksikon/1125624.html NRK: Fylkesleksikon – Lærdal Kommune] {{in lang|no}}

{{Vestland}}
{{authority control}}
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laerdal}}
[[Category:Lærdal| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Vestland]]
[[Category:1838 establishments in Norway]]