Kirkenær is the administrative centre of Grue Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located on the eastern shore of the river Glomma. The village of Namnå lies about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the north and the village of Grinder lies about 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) to the south.

Kirkenær
Village
View of the farmhouse on the Kirkenær farm which gave its name to the village
View of the farmhouse on the Kirkenær farm which gave its name to the village
Kirkenær is located in Innlandet
Kirkenær
Kirkenær
Location of the village
Kirkenær is located in Norway
Kirkenær
Kirkenær
Kirkenær (Norway)
Coordinates: 60°27′28″N 12°03′31″E / 60.4579°N 12.05855°E / 60.4579; 12.05855
CountryNorway
RegionEastern Norway
CountyInnlandet
DistrictSolør
MunicipalityGrue Municipality
Area
 • Total
1.92 km2 (0.74 sq mi)
Elevation153 m (502 ft)
Population
 (2021)[1]
 • Total
1,231
 • Density640/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Post Code
2260 Kirkenær

Grue Church is located on the south side of the village. The Norwegian National Road 2 and the Solørbanen railway line both run through the village.

The 1.92-square-kilometre (470-acre) village has a population (2021) of 1,231 and a population density of 640 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,700/sq mi).[1]

History

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The place is named after the Kirkenær farm and is located in the middle of Solør.

In 1822, the Grue Church fire occurred at Grue Church which was located a little to the northwest of Kirkenær. It was a major fire catastrophe where at least 113 people perished in addition to destroying the church. Afterwards, the church was rebuilt about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) to the south, closer to the village.

When the Solørbanen railway was completed to Kirkenær in 1893, the village rapidly grew up around the railway station.

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 2021). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality".
  2. ^ "Kirkenær, Grue". yr.no. Retrieved 17 March 2022.