is a town and a municipality in Innlandetcounty, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Gjøvik. In 1861, the village of Gjøvik in the municipality of Vardal was granted town status and was separated from Vardal to form a separate municipality. On 1 January 1964, the neighboring rural municipalities of Biri, Snertingdal, and Vardal were all merged into the municipality of Gjøvik.
Etymology
The town is named after the old Gjøvik farm, consisting of the elementsdjúpr "deep" and vík "inlet".
Coat of arms
The coat of arms were granted on 2 September 1960. The arms show a white swan. The former coat of arms, adopted in 1922, was a linden tree, with the statement Vis et voluntas on the lower part of the shield. The following design was a so-called "potpourri" vase, the most significant design of the glassworks that was the funding industry of the town.
Demographics
Ancestry
Number
439
283
243
197
194
178
171
156
143
125
114
106
Geography
Along with Hamar, Lillehammer, Brumunddal and Moelv, Gjøvik is one of the many towns bordering Norway's biggest lake, Mjøsa. The town administration of Gjøvik also covers the suburb area Hunndalen and the rural districts of Biri, Snertingdal, and Vardal. The municipal population is 28,807. About 16,000 people live in the urban area proper. Gjøvik is bordered on the north by Lillehammer municipality, in the south by Østre Toten and Vestre Toten, and in the west by Søndre Land and Nordre Land. Across Lake Mjøsa to the east lies Ringsaker municipality in Hedmark. The highest point is Ringsrudåsen with a height of.
Economy
Gjøvik owes much of its early growth to the local glassworks, which were established there by Caspar Kauffeldt in 1807. In the early 19th century, there was considerable immigration there from Valdres and Western Norway, aiding Gjøvik's growth. It was granted a town charter in 1861. Later, O. Mustad & Son became one of the world's largest manufacturers of fish hooks. Today Hoff Potetindustrier, Hunton Fiber and Natre Vinduer are some of the industrial companies operating from Gjøvik. The town is also a port for the former traffic ship, Skibladner, which is now a tourist ship. The local paper is the Oppland Arbeiderblad. It was formerly a Labour Party newspaper. Defunct newspapers include Oplændingen and Velgeren, Samhold and Ny Dag. Gjøvik has two notable hotels, the Grand hotel and the Strand hotel. There have been three notable concerts held in Gjøvik's history, which starred Toto, Robbie Williams and Bryan Adams.
Gjøvik Church
Gjøvik Church was designed by architect Jacob Wilhelm Nordan. The wooden structure was built between 1881-82. Both the church buildings and fixtures are designed in Gothic Revival architecture. The exterior of the church has contrasting colors on wall surfaces and bearing structures. The altarpiece was painted by artist, Asta Nørregaard. The churchyard has a monument dedicated to the memory of Lutheran missionary, Paul Olaf Bodding. The church was restored during 1927, 1960, 2004-2005 and in 2009.
