Kjelvik – the old municipal centre

When local self rule was put in place in 1839, Kjelvik parish was first included into Kistrand municipality but became a separate municipality in 1861.

The fishing village Kjelvik had in the period from 1600 to the end of the 1800s been the most important fishing village in what is today Nordkapp municipality.

Honningsvåg saw significant growth after Honningsvåg became the local church centre in 1884. Larger fishing boats required a larger harbour and transport with steam boats also required a larger harbour and better quays. However, the municipality continued to bear the name of Kjelvik until 1950 when it was renamed Nordkapp municipality.

The first written account we have of Kjelvik in from 1556 when Stephen Burrough, on his second journey, writes that he came to Kjelvik. He saw a small church, some houses and a few men in a boat. They first intended to seek harbour there, but decided against it when the wind turned favourable.

On a list of ship tax from 1563 it becomes apparent that Kjelvik was one of the foremost places for trading goods on Magerøya (the others were Opnan and Tunes). From here ships laden with dried cod journeyed to Bergen, and brought goods such as flour to back Finnmark. This trade became the foundation for specialisation and for less dependency on small farming.

The end of the 1500s saw a change in the population pattern on Magerøya. While before a majority of the population could be found to the north and north-west on the island, now the fishing villages towards the southern and more sheltered part of the island grew. At the start of the 1600s Kjelvik had become the highest populated area on the island with 32 tax payers (in 1601).

The growth in population was closely connected to good conditions for fishing. Foreign citizens also worked in fishing and trade in Finnmark in the 1500s. There was an interest in Finnmark due to both the search for the North East Passage and because of the trade with the Russians.

Around 1590, the main churches on Magerøya were Tunes and Kjelvik. The priest lived by the main churches but also would also perform services in other places on the island. In the 1600s Finnmark faced a period of decline. This was particularly apparent around 1610 and the 1620s. The fishing halted. The price on corn became too high in comparison with the price for dried cod and the trading partnership with Bergen was at times strained and not highly functional.

Throughout long periods between 1650 and 1750 fishing was poor and the price for fish was low. Due to the crisis in fishing and trading during the 1600s, several churches on Magerøya disappeared. Kjelvik church became the main church, until its destruction in a hurricane in 1882. A decision was then made to rebuild the church in Honningsvåg.

The Pomor trade with Russian fishermen and tradesmen who bought fish in northern Norway forged close bonds with northern Russia from the 1700s until the Russian revolution in 1917. Kjelvik was in this period a central place on the coast of Finnmark.

The population of Finnmark has come both out of the east and along the coast from the south. The Sami lived in fishing villages in the 1600s. If the same thing is true for the 1500s is difficult to tell as written sources only state a total sum for tax for some areas.

Indications from written sources say that the main areas of the Sami were in the fjords and not on Magerøya. They have however participated in the fishing on an equal line, and Sami and Norwegians have had contact and have trade with each other.

In the spring season many Sami and Kven came from the fjords out to fishing villages on the coast to do various jobs connected to the fishing.

The old village of Kjelvik has many cultural heritage sites. Here we find traces after the church, of trading houses and fish factories. After 1945 only one fish factory was rebuilt and the connected quay has sadly been left to decay so much so that it is close to collapsing into the sea. Some houses were rebuilt after the end of the war, but during the course of the 1960s most people moved away from Kjelvik. Kjelvik has not had any year round inhabitants since the middle of the 1970s, but most of the houses are used as cabins and summer houses.

There are walking paths leading there from both Honningsvåg and from Norvågen, which are used by both locals and tourists.