Bjelland (municipality)


Bjelland is a former municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. The municipality was located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Marnardal. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Bjelland where Bjelland Church is located. The municipality existed from 1902 until 1964. Since 1964, Bjelland has been a parish within Marnardal municipality.

History

The municipality of Bjelland was created on 1 January 1902 when the old municipality of Bjelland og Grindum was split into Bjelland and Grindheim. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Bjelland municipality was dissolved. The majority of Bjelland was merged with the municipalities of Laudal, Øyslebø, and a small part of Finsland to create the new municipality of Marnardal. At the same time, the Ågedal and Midtbø area of Bjelland was transferred to the municipality of Audnedal.