Trysil Municipality

Trysil is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is found in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The main village and administrative centre of Trysil is called Innbygda. Other villages in the area include Nybergsund, Østby, Plassen, and Tørberget.

Trysil covers an area of 3,014 square kilometres, making it the 15th largest municipality in Norway by size. Despite its large area, Trysil has a population of just 6,542 people, which makes it the 152nd most populous municipality in the country. The population density is quite low, with only about 2.2 people living in each square kilometre. Over the past ten years, the number of people living in Trysil has gone down by 0.8%.

General information

The area known as Trysil became an official municipality on 1 January 1838. Over time, some parts of Trysil were moved to nearby areas. In 1880, a small part called Osneset went to Åmot Municipality. In 1911, another part became part of Engerdal Municipality. There were also small changes in 1943 and 1964.

Originally, Trysil was part of Hedmark county. In 2020, it became part of the new Innlandet county after Hedmark and Oppland counties were combined.

Name

Trysil’s name comes from an old farm where the first Trysil Church was built. The name might come from a local river called Trya, though its meaning is unclear. The word “sil” means “quiet stretch of a river”. Before 1906, the name was spelled “Tryssil”.

Coat of arms

Trysil’s coat of arms was granted in 1991. It shows two ski poles pointing upwards on a blue background. This design represents the importance of skiing in Trysil’s history and as a popular activity today. The arms were designed by Bjørn Ellefsæter.

See also: Coat of arms of Alvdal and Coat of arms of Skien

Churches

The Church of Norway has seven parishes in Trysil Municipality. It is part of the Sør-Østerdal prosti deanery in the Diocese of Hamar.

History

One of the first-known organized ski races happened here on 22 January 1862. Roland Huntford, who wrote Two Planks and a Passion, called this race "the first truly modern ski race." A famous Norwegian skier named Halvard Morgedal won all the competitions that year. The Trysilgutten ski club, started in 1861, is one of the oldest ski clubs in the world. You can learn more by reading about the Kiandra snow shoe club and the Onion Valley snow shoe club.

During World War II, the small village of Nybergsund was bombed by German planes on 11 April 1940. At that time, King Haakon VII and Crown Prince Olav were staying there.

Economy

Farming and logging have always been very important jobs in Trysil. The area also has many industries that work with wood. The Trysilelva river was the last place in Norway where people used traditional ways to move timber down the river. Trysil has lots of wildlife, including many moose.

Trysilfjellet is Norway’s largest winter sports area, with 65 slopes prepared for skiing and other snow sports.

Government

Trysil Municipality takes care of important things like schools for young students, health help for people who need it, support for older folks, and keeping the community safe and healthy. It also looks after roads, places where people meet, and helps businesses grow. The leaders of the town are chosen by people who live there, and a mayor leads the group of leaders.

The group of leaders, called the municipal council, has 23 members who are chosen every four years. They make big decisions for the town. The mayor is chosen by the council and leads the meetings and helps guide the town. Many people have served as mayor over the years, each helping in their own way.

Geography

Trysil is a municipality in Norway, bordered by several other places like Engerdal, Rendalen, Åmot, Elverum, Våler, and Sweden. The main village here is called Innbygda, and it is often simply referred to as Trysil. The highest point in the area is a mountain named Tverrfjellet, standing at 1,209 metres tall.

Trysil has cold winters and warm summers, with January temperatures around −8 °C and July around 15 °C. It is known for having very cold winter nights compared to coastal areas. The area is great for outdoor activities such as fishing, skiing, and enjoying the beautiful nature.

Notable people

• Axel Smith (1744–1823), a priest and mapmaker
• Haakon Nyhuus (1866–1913), a librarian and writer of books about knowledge
• Sven Moren (1871–1938), a farmer, poet, playwright, writer for children, and someone who helped make rules
• Olaf L. Olsen (1881–1958), a leader in America who helped make rules
• Halvor Floden (1884–1956), a teacher, writer for children, storyteller, poet, and playwright
• Einar Skjæraasen (1900–1966), a writer, poet, and someone who wanted to help make rules
• Halldis Moren Vesaas (1907–1995), a poet, person who changed books from other languages, and writer for children
• Sigmund Moren (1913–1996), a person who studied books, reviewed plays, and wrote for children
• Tormod Haugen (1945–2008), a writer for children and person who changed books from other languages, winner of a special prize
• Jan Axel Blomberg (born 1969), a heavy metal drummer, known by the name Hellhammer

Sport

• Karl Magnus Satre (1904–1955) & Paul Ottar Satre (1908–1984), American ski jumpers and cross-country skiers who competed for the US at the 1936 Winter Olympics
• Kåre Hatten (1908–1983), a cross-country skier, woodcutter, and farmer; competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics
• Hallgeir Brenden (1929–2007), a cross-country skier and runner, winner of gold medals at the 1956 Winter Olympics and 1960 Winter Olympics and silver medals at the 1952 Winter Olympics and 1956 Winter Olympics
• Johan Sætre (born 1952), a former ski jumper; took part in the 1976 Winter Olympics and 1980 Winter Olympics
• Arnfinn Engerbakk (born 1964), a football player who played 12 seasons in Eliteserien for Kongsvinger; played for Norway four times
• Anita Moen (born 1967), a cross-country skier; won five medals at the Winter Olympics, three silver in 1994, 1998, 2002 and two bronze in 1998 & 2002
• Jarl-André Storbæk (born 1978), a football player who played 11 seasons in Eliteserien (league winner in 2013); played for Norway 17 times
• Håvard Storbæk (born 1986), a football player who played 10 seasons in Eliteserien for three different clubs; cousin of Jarl-André Storbæk
• Kim-Rune Hansen (born 1988), a professional snowboarder for Burton Snowboards

Sister cities

Trysil has special friendship agreements with two places. One is Kil in Värmland County, which is in Sweden. The other is Laihia in Länsi-Suomi, which is in Finland. These agreements help the towns work together and learn from each other.

Media gallery

Here are some beautiful sights you can see in Trysil:

• Aurora Borealis in Trysil
• Milky Way galaxy in Trysil
• The rare conjunction of Venus, Jupiter created stunning night skies in Trysil
• Aurora Borealis in Trysil