Carl Frei

Carl Frei (1884–1967) was a German organ builder, composer and music arranger who founded a company that manufactured fairground and street organs.

Born in Schiltach in the Black Forest, Frei studied music from a young age, and at nine he was studying harmony and counterpoint at the Waldkirch academy of music. From age 14 on, well-known musical instrument factories such as Bruder, Gavioli, Mortier and DeVreese were employing him in Waldkirch and Paris.

After World War I, Frei had to leave Belgium and he made his way to Breda, the Netherlands to repair what were popularly known as Dutch street organs, but were actually built in almost every mainland European country except the Netherlands, which was where they were most populous. Pre World War I, street organs were hand cranked and easily portable, but fell out of tune and repair due to the undulations of the cobbled Dutch streets. Frei started maintaining organs, but noticed that many owners wanted something louder (thanks to the increased street noise made by early cars), and distinct (thanks to the wider availability of the record player).

Frei

Frei is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the present-day Kristiansund Municipality between the Kvernesfjorden and Freifjorden. The municipality existed from 1838 until 2008 and upon its dissolution, it included the island of Frei and the smaller surrounding islands, totaling about 65 square kilometres (25 sq mi).

The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Rensvik, the largest village on the island, located on the northern end of the island. Other main villages that were in Frei Municipality include the village of Nedre Frei, located on the southern end of the island and the village of Kvalvåg, located on the eastern side of the island. The main church for the municipality was Frei Church, located in the village of Nedre Frei.

Name

The municipality was named after the island of Frei (Old Norse: Freiðr). The meaning of the name is unknown, but is maybe derived from fríðr which means "good" or "beautiful". Until 1889, the name was written Fredø.

Frei (island)

Frei is an island in Kristiansund Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The 62.5-square-kilometre (24.1 sq mi) island lies south of the town of Kristiansund in the Nordmøre region of the county. The main villages on the island include Rensvik in the north, Kvalvåg in the east, and Nedre Frei in the south. The island was part of the old Frei Municipality from 1838 until 2008 when the island was merged into Kristiansund Municipality.

The Viking-era Battle of Rastarkalv, between Haakon I of Norway and the sons of Eric I of Norway, took place near the village of Nedre Frei in 955 AD.

Geography

The highest point on the island is the 629-metre (2,064 ft) mountain Freikollen. The island is covered with mountains, pine forests, marshes, and sparse other vegetation. The Freifjorden lies to the east and south, the Kvernesfjorden and Bremsnesfjorden lie to the west, and the Bolgsvaet bay and Omsundet strait lie to the north. The islands of Nordlandet, Kirkelandet, and Innlandet lie north of Frei; the island of Averøya lies to the west; the islands of Bergsøya and Aspøya lie to the southeast; and the island of Tustna lies to the northeast.

Frey (disambiguation)

Frei, Frey, Frej, Freij, Freyr or Freÿr may refer to:

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