Since it is located on a pass providing access to the Gudbrandsdalen,
Lesja lies on an important trade route used in prehistoric times.
Earliest recorded history The area is first mentioned in the written chronicle of the
Heimskringla (The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway) by
Snorri Sturluson. The account of
King Olaf's (A.D. 1015–1021) conversion of
Dale-Gudbrand to
Christianity is popularly recognized. King Olaf's success was short-lived, for in 1029 the Norwegian nobles, seething with discontent, rallied round the invading
Knut the Great, and Olaf had to flee. To avoid engaging a fleet of 25 ships, 400 of King Olav's men and 100 loyal peasant farmers from
Romsdal built a road up from the
Romsdalfjord which passed through the area that became known as Lesjaverk. His men fled along this road and across Gudbrandsdal. There he was not warmly received since he had killed King Thorer of Gudbrandsdal, so he went on to
Hedmark. From there he proceeded to Sweden and on to
Russia. On his return a year later he fell at the
Battle of Stiklestad.
Lesjaverk (The Lesja iron works) Iron smelting is recorded in Lesja municipality at
Lesjaverk () as early as 1614, when
King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway authorized the Romsdal Market at Devold on the
Rauma river 4 miles upstream of
Åndalsnes. With this change,
Molde assumed the role as principal market town for
Romsdal formerly held by
Veøy. This change was made to provide the ironworkers at
Lesjaverk with a convenient outlet for their products as well as providing them a market to purchases goods and food supplies such as
stockfish and grain.
Art and culture Jakob Bersveinson Klukstad (1710 to 1773), who was born in the parish of
Lom spent most of his career on Klukstad farm in Lesja. Klukstad was the foremost Norwegian sculptor and painter of his generation. His work can still be seen in churches at Lesja,
Skjåk, and
Heidal.
Emigration from Lesja The Lesja area in the
Gudbrandsdal was source of numerous emigrants to America. According to Du Chaillu, "...during the great famine of 1867; a year memorable in the annals of Northern Europe, when, in consequence of an early and heavy frost in summer, the crops were destroyed, and desolation and death spread over vast districts. The lichen and the bark of the birch tree, mixed with a little flour, became the food of the people after the cattle had been eaten up and nothing else was left. The year following a strong tide of emigration set out for America."
World War 2 After the
German invasion of April 1940, while
King Haakon and the Norwegian government were moving from
Elverum to the west coast, the King and Crown Prince Olaf arrived in
Otta on the night of April 13. The prime minister and his colleagues, who were then in Lesja, were summoned and a communiqué, ending "God save Norway," and urging resistance to the unprovoked attack was issued. They now intended to relocate to the west coast, but the Germans had dropped paratroopers higher in the Gudbrandsdalen, at Dombås, cutting off the rail route. It was not until the evening of the 21st that the King was able to travel by road from Otta to Lesja on the east–west watershed and then down the narrow
Romsdal to Åndalsnes. During the war a British fighter squadron (flying 'Gloster Gladiators') flew from the icebound surface of lake
Lesjaskogsvatnet.
No. 263 Squadron RAF operated with 18
Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters in late April 1940 as part of the
Norwegian campaign. ==Notable people==