Holt, Aust-Agder

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Holt, Aust-Agder: a short, simple history

Holt was a municipality in the old Aust-Agder county in Norway. It covered 176 square kilometers and existed from January 1, 1838, to January 1, 1960. In 1960 Holt merged with Dypvåg and the town of Tvedestrand to form a larger Tvedestrand municipality, which is now part of Agder county. The administrative centre was the village of Fiane, near Holt Church.

Name and place
The name Holt comes from the old Holt farm where the first Holt Church stood. "Holt" means a small forested area or grove.

History in brief
- Holt began as a civil municipality in 1838.
- In 1881, part of Holt (52 people) joined the neighboring Dypvåg.
- In 1919, another small part (14 people) moved to Moland.
- In 1960 Holt, together with Dypvåg and the town of Tvedestrand, formed the enlarged Tvedestrand municipality.

Attractions
- Holt Church (Holt Kirke) is a cruciform church dating from the 1100s. It was built of stone and expanded in 1753 with wooden additions. The interior features Rococo-style decorations, a soapstone baptismal font, and a Baroque altarpiece from 1732 depicting Jesus in Gethsemane. The Nordkalottruta trail passes through the Holt area.

Population and people
- At dissolution in 1960, Holt had 3,759 residents and an area of 176 km2, giving a population density of about 21 people per square kilometer.
- Residents were known as Holtings.

Government
- Holt was governed by a 21-member municipal council elected for four-year terms. The council chose the mayor.
- Over the years, council seats were held by representatives from the Labour Party, Conservative Party, Christian Democratic Party, Centre Party, Liberal Party, and local lists.

Notable people
- Aasulv Olsen Bryggesaa
- Helga Gitmark
- Harald Selås
- Torje Olsen Solberg

Today, Holt is part of the larger municipality of Tvedestrand in Agder county.