| The relationship company - worker
Both Hunsfos factories and Vigeland Brug had different advantages arranged for their
employers. This could f.inst. be houses that workers and officers had at their disposal,
schools established for the workers’ children, and a common fund for sickness that
employees could benefit from.
 The first house at Graslia from 1880
House nr. 1.Here was it a general store
House nr.2.Here was it a bakery owned by Jørgensen
House nr.3. Is probably the outhouse to Homme. Hommes house is built in 1903.
So the picture was taken after 1903. It was no "Hunsfos" barracks on the left on
the other side of the road, witch eas built in 1915. So the picture has been taken before
1915. The picture has been taken between 1903 and 1915.
Cottor's farms, workmen's huts and officer's houses
Before Vigeland Brug became an aluminiumfactory in 1909, it was a large sawmill and for
some time the largest in South-Norway. Owners of the sawmill built houses where the
workers could also cultivate the surrounding land. These places where the workers lived
and cultivated the land, were called cottor's farms. Most of the workers lived under
miserable conditions, but around 1920 Vigeland Brug built 10 houses at Vikeland, which the
workers could have for their disposal. There were four flats in each house, and the houses
were very good and comfortable. They were the first houses in Vennesla with enclosed water
lavatory. Also in "Rødbyen" and among other places onVikeland, there were built
houses for the workers, and it was mostly about 40-50 houses that belonged to Vigeland
Brug. Building of houses was necessary to secure the the workers. None of the workers had
cars so it was necessary to live nearby the factory. Houses were also given to the
officers, and they lived mostly on Vikeland. The Manager's house which belonged to
Vigeland Brug, was a fine building and was close to the factory. The Manager's house by
the Hunsfos factories was on Hunsøya close by the factories. It was a magnificent
building. After the war it was destroyed to enlarge the factories. Officers had also their
own houses at Hunsøya with their families, and they created a small community and were
pretty isolated from "the rest of the world". The workers stayed mainly in the
"workers' barracus" in Graslia, but also in other places of the village.
Schools connected
to the company
In addition to houses/residences financed by the company/concern, had the employees at
«Vigeland Brug» and the factories of Hunsfos the oppertunity to send their children to
schools connected to the company/concern.
The school attached to Vigeland
The school-law of 1827 said that all concerns that had at least 30 workers should have
a school that the concerns-owners were to pay for.
Permanent schools were established in 1878, in teacher Horrislands house down by the
sawmill. There was built a new schoolhouse in 1895 at Vikelandsmoen.
The conditions at the school was rather bad. Bad light was a big problem before
elctricity became common. The lamps they had were little and very badly constructed, so
they smoked very much. The lamp-smoke led to intolerable conditions for the children. Some
developed asthma. In 1912 were there both morning-classes and afternoon-classes at
Vigeland School. The class-rooms were situated in a way so when the sun shone, it became
very hot. Especiallly the classes in the afternoon were bothered of the warmth.
The solution to the problem connecting the increasing number of pupils, came in 1928.
Then a co-operation was accomplished between different schools in Vennesla.
The school attached to
Hunsfos
In 1889 the school connected to the company started in one of the companies residences.
Diptheria was earlier a widespread disease among youth and children. This did they feel
at Hunsfos too. The disease was very infectious, and when thge disease plundered at school
it was closed.
In 1894 a new school was built at Hunsøya.
In 1902 the number of pupils increased strongly, and it was necessarely with
enlargement. A new school was built in 1904. In 1928 a gymnasium was built.
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