Evje a town, trade center and administration center in Evje and
Hornnes municipality in Agder. The settlement has 2,508 inhabitants
as of 1 January 2020. Evje was previously its own municipality in
Setesdal in Aust-Agder from 1 January 1877 to 31 December 1959.
The former municipality
From 1837, Evje together with
Vegusdal formed Evje and Vegusdal presidency district. In 1877, the
area was divided into two independent municipalities. Evje
municipality then had 870 inhabitants.
Evje was merged with
Hornnes on 1 January 1960 into Evje and Hornnes municipality. At the
time of the merger, Evje had 1,646 inhabitants.
On 1 January
1986, the area of Lislevand (g no. 125) in Birkenes was added to
Evje and Hornnes.
The place
The name Evje is best known to
many through service at Evjemoen. The politician Jørgen Løvland (V)
is from Evje, and so is Kjell Ingolf Ropstad (KrF).
Evje was
a station town by the Setesdal line. Rich mineral deposits have
provided the basis for mining for several hundred years and Evje had
nickel mines and a nickel refinery. The ore extraction at Evje was
the basis for the establishment of the company Falconbridge in
Kristiansand.