The County Governor of Telemark () was the county governor for Telemark county in Norway from 1661 until the office was abolished in 2019. The office of county governor is a government agency of the Kingdom of Norway which represents the national government in each county. The county governor is an appointed position. On 1 January 2019, this office was merged with the County Governor of Vestfold into the County Governor of Vestfold og Telemark (this was done in preparation for the merger of the two counties in 2020).
The governor is the government's representative in the county. They carry out the resolutions and guidelines of the Storting and government. This is done first by the county governor, who performs administrative tasks on behalf of the ministries. Secondly, the county governor also monitors the activities of the municipalities and is the appeal body for many types of municipal decisions.
History In 1661, the government of Norway established Bratsberg as an amt (or county). The county was subordinate to the Diocesan Governor of Christianssand. In 1919, the name of the county was changed to . On 1 January 2019, the office was merged creating the new office of County Governor of Vestfold og Telemark in preparation for the merger of the neighboring counties of Telemark and Vestfold to form Vestfold og Telemark county on 1 January 2020.
Title The word for county (amt or fylke) and the name of the county have both changed over time. Therefore the title of the officeholder has also changed. From 1661 until 31 December 1918, the title for each officeholder was . From 1 January 1919 to 1 January 2019, the title for each officeholder was .
List of officeholders Telemark county has had the following governors: County governors of TelemarkStartEndName 16611662Jørgen Bjelke (1621–1696) 13 Apr166216 Jun1669Johan Frederik von Marschalck (1618–1679) 16 Jun166915 Nov1675Preben von Ahnen (1606–1675) 15 Nov167526 Sep1691Niels Sørensen Adeler (1628–1694) 26 Sep169120 Apr1711Henrik Adeler (1660–1718) 20 Apr17112 Dec1723Jacob Lindberg (1672–1723) 12 Aug17243 Jan1727Michael Storm (1688–1727) 27 Jan 172721 Mar1731Christian Berg (1697–1731) 9 Apr173130 Jan1744Henrik Essemann (????–1744) 17444 July1764Johan Frederik Brockenhuus von Løwenhielm (1706–1764)30 Jul176420 Feb1771Frederik Georg Adeler (1736–1810) 20 Feb17713 Apr1773Peter Holm (1733–1817) 3 Apr17732 Apr1781Frederik Georg Adeler (1736–1810) 2 Apr17819 Jan1788Frederik Moltke (1754–1836) 12 Mar178810 Jan1798Jonas Ramus Petersen (1748–1804) 7 Mar179826 Feb1800Otto Joachim Moltke (1770–1853) 26 Feb180027 Apr1803Jens Andreas Selmer (1776–1830) 27 Apr180324 Dec1813Severin Løvenskiold (1777–1856) 24 Dec18131838Fredrik Wilhelm Wedel-Jarlsberg (1787–1863) 18391846Carl Valentin Falsen (1787–1852) 18461877Hans J. C. Aall (1806–1894) 18771880Nils Mathias Rye (1824–1905) 18811889Ulrik Frederik Christian Arneberg (1829–1911) 18891898Otto Benjamin Andreas Aubert (1841–1898) 18981902Thomas von Westen Engelhart (1850–1905) 19021910Viggo Ullmann (1848–1910) 19101932Guthorm Hallager (1864–1932) 19331938Olaf Hegland (1885–1939) 19391959Kornelius Bergsvik (1889–1975)Removed from office 1940-1945 during the occupied government. Oct 19401945Christen Knudsen Jr. (1873–1964)(WWII Occupied government) 1959Dec 1969Tidemann F. Evensen (1905–1969)Dec 19691973Leif Hjørnevik (1910–1973) 19731976Olav Haukvik (1928–1992) 19761987Oddvar Berrefjord (1918–1999) 19871998Kjell Bohlin (1928–2011)1 Dec19981 July2004Solveig Sollie (born 1939)2 July20042 July2006Arne Malme (born 1949)(Acting governor)3 July200621 June2018Kari Nordheim-Larsen (born 1948)22 June201831 Dec2018Arne Malme (born 1949)(Acting governor)Office abolished on 1 January 2019, see List of county governors of Vestfold og Telemark
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