Randesund is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1893 until its dissolution in 1965. The area is now part of Kristiansand Municipality in Agder county. The administrative centre was the village of Randesund where Randesund Church is located. Since 1965, the area of Randesund has been the district of Randesund within the city of Kristiansand.
Prior to its dissolution in 1965, the municipality was the 474th largest by area out of the 525 municipalities in Norway. Randesund Municipality was the 442nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about . The municipality's population density was and its population had increased by 41.4% over the previous 10-year period.
General information The municipality of Randesund was established on 31 December 1893 when the large Oddernes Municipality was divided into two: the southeastern district (population: ) became the new Randeund Municipality and the northwestern district (population: ) continued as a smaller Oddernes Municipality.
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, Tveit Municipality was dissolved and the following areas were merged to form an enlarged Kristiansand Municipality: all of Randesund Municipality (population: )d all of Kristiansand Municipality (population: ) all of Oddernes Municipality (population: ) all of Tveit Municipality (population: )
Name The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Randøen farm () which was located on an island of the same name. The first element is derived from the word which means "edge" or "rim". The last element of the name is identical to the word which means strait or "sound".
Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Randøsund. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Randesund.
Churches The Church of Norway had one parish () within Randesund Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Oddernes prestegjeld and the Kristiansand domprosti (arch-deanery) in the Diocese of Agder.
Churches in Randesund MunicipalityParish ()Church nameLocation of the churchYear builtRandesundRandesund ChurchRandesund1864
Geography The municipality was located on the east side of the mouth of the river Topdalsfjorden. The highest point in the municipality was the tall mountain Roksheia. Tveit Municipality was located to the north, Høvåg Municipality was located to the northeast (in Aust-Agder county), the Skagerrak was to the south, Oddernes Municipality was located to the southwest, Kristiansand Municipality was located to the west, and Oddernes Municipality was located to the northwest.
Government While it existed, Randesund Municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Torridal District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.
Municipal council The municipal council of Randesund Municipality was made up of 13 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.
Mayors The mayor () of Randesund Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:
1894–1902: Gunnar Danielsen Timenes 1903–1908: Ole Christoffersen Slagdalen 1909–1917: Ole Hansen Benestad 1918–1920: Gunvald N. Tømmerstø 1921–1923: Gustav Andreassen Eftevåg 1924–1926: Ole Hansen Benestad 1927–1935: Albert Kvåse 1935–1943: Toralv Torsvik 1944–1944: Karl Hånes 1945–1945: Thorvald Salterø 1945–1947: Toralv Torsvik 1948–1951: Knut Larsen Stangenes 1952–1956: Karl Hånes 1957–1960: Toralv Torsvik 1961–1963: Jens Fjeldal 1963–1965: Toralv Torsvik
See also List of former municipalities of Norway
References
External links 1960 census and map of the municipality (page 4)