Vadheim
| Vadheim | |
|---|---|
| — Village — | |
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|
 Vadheim
|
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| Coordinates: 61°12′29″N 05°49′48″E / 61.20806°N 5.83°ECoordinates: 61°12′29″N 05°49′48″E / 61.20806°N 5.83°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| Region | Western Norway |
| County | Sogn og Fjordane |
| District | Sogn |
| Municipality | Høyanger |
| Elevation[1] | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Population (2003)[2] | |
| • Total | 222 |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+01:00) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+02:00) |
| Post Code | 6996 |
Vadheim is a village in the municipality of Høyanger in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located on the north shore of the Sognefjord, along the highway E39. It is about 25 kilometres (16 mi) northeast of the village of Lavik, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) northwest of Kyrkjebø, and 13.5 kilometres (8.4 mi) northwest of Austreim. The population (2003) of Vadheim was 222, but since 2004, Vadheim is no longer considered an "urban" settlement by Statistics Norway, and so its population data is no longer recorded.[2][3]
[edit] History
Vadheim is the resting place for one of the most famous warships of World War I. During that conflict, Germany converted a number of merchant ships in armed surface raiders. These ships cruised the world's shipping lanes and captured/sank Allied shipping. The most famous and successful of these was the SMS Möwe. One of the ships she sank was the Mount Temple which carried dinosaur skeletons destined for the British Museum in London, England.[4] The Möwe survived the war and was renamed several times over the next several decades. During World War II, she was renamed Oldenburg, and used in support of the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. On 7 April 1945 Bristol Beaufighter aircraft from No. 114 Squadron RAF, No. 455 Squadron RAAF, and No. 489 Squadron RNZAF sank the Oldenburg at her moorings following an intense strafing and rocket attack.
During World War II, the pre-war criminal and wartime resistance fighter Johannes S. Andersen broke into the German barracks in Vadheim and killed two German prisoners-of-war. The incident caused a controversy in Norway after the war when Andersen was charged in court with killing them. It was decided in 1947 that his indictment would be withdrawn.
Near Vadheim is an 18th century stone bridge called the Ytredal Bridge. It is a popular tourist attraction.
[edit] Notable residents
- Vegar Gjermundstad (born 1990) — association footballer
- Karl Friedrich Kurz (1878–1962) — novelist
[edit] References
- ^ "Vadheim" (in Norwegian). yr.no. http://www.yr.no/place/Norway/Sogn_og_Fjordane/H%C3%B8yanger/Vadheim/. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ^ a b "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality.". Statistics Norway. 1 January 2003. http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/01/10/beftett_en/arkiv/tab-2003-11-07-01-en.html.
- ^ "New and omitted urban settlements.". Statistics Norway. 1 January 2004. http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/01/10/beftett_en/arkiv/tab-2004-05-28-04-en.html.
- ^ Tanke, D.H.; Hernes, N.L.; Guldberg, T.E. (2002). "The 1916 Sinking of the SS Mount Temple: Historical Perspectives on a Unique Aspect of Alberta's Paleontological Heritage.". Canadian Paleobiology 7: 5–26.
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