Place:Andebu, Vestfold, Norway

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Andebu is a village in Sandefjord municipality, Vestfold County, and a former municipality. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Andebu. The village is surrounded by forests, mountains, and hills. Its nearest cities are Sandefjord and Tønsberg. The parish of Andebo was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). On 1 January 2017, the municipality became a part of Sandefjord municipality, along with Stokke. The former municipality now makes up the northernmost part of Sandefjord municipality.

Andebu was the fourth-largest municipality in Vestfold and is situated in the center of the county. Its economy is primarily related to logging and forestry. Andebu has been inhabited for centuries and the oldest artifacts retrieved here dates back 4000 years to the Iron Age. Most retrieved artifacts are various types of tools, mainly axes made of flint and other rocks. Andebu’s geography consists mainly of valleys, hills, mountains, forests, and lakes.

Andebu is home to three Medieval churches. It is home to Norway's oldest parish register, which belongs to Andebu Church and is dated to 1623. Andebu is also the home of Høyjord Stave Church, the only stave church in Vestfold County. Andebu was home to 2,160 residents as of 2016.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Various historical artifacts and burial mounds dated to the Viking Age have been discovered in Andebu. Finds include a bronze key, a stone axe, arrows, and more. Burial mounds have been discovered on approximately 30 farms in Andebu, including 17 in Andebu proper, 5 in Høyjord, and 7 in Kodal. Some mounds are dated back as far as 500 BCE, i.e. over a thousand years prior to the Viking Age. Large amounts of burial mounds are found at Nordre Haugan, Nedre Skjelland, Våle, Vestre Høyjord, Bjørndal, and Gjerstad.

The 14th century Black Plague had a devastating impact on Andebu. It is estimated that the population was 600 as of 1600 A.D., approximately the same amount as prior to the plague.

Andebu municipality was established on 1 January 1838, with priest Jens H. Otterbeck as its first mayor. Otterbeck served as mayor for 24 years and was the longest-serving mayor of Andebu.

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