Strandebarm

Strandebarm is a former municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The original municipality was large, spanning both sides of the central part of the Hardangerfjorden. It also included the island of Varaldsøy. Over time, the municipality was divided and by the time of its dissolution in 1965, it was 112 square kilometres (43 sq mi). The municipality included land in the present-day municipalities of Jondal, Kvam, and Kvinnherad. The administrative center of the municipality was the village of Bru, where Strandebarm Church is located.

One of the larger industries in the municipality was shipbuilding, centered at the village of Omastranda, where the company Fjellstrand A.S. is headquartered.

The Norwegian writer Hans E. Kinck lived in Strandebarm for many years, and is said to have used the village as setting and inspiration for his novel Den nye kapellanen ("The New Vicar").

History

The parish of Strandebarm was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). On 1 January 1863, most of Strandebarm located on the eastern shore of the Hardangerfjorden (population: 1,663) was separated from Strandebarm to constitute the new municipality of Jondal. This left Strandebarm with 2,200 residents. Then on 1 January 1902, the southern district (population: 848) was separated to become the new municipality of Varaldsøy, leaving Strandebarm with a population of 1,661.