Eidsvolls plass
Encyclopedia
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, located west of the Parliament of Norway Building
Parliament of Norway Building
The Parliament of Norway Building is the seat of the Parliament of Norway, located in central Oslo. The building is located at Karl Johans gate 22 and was taken into use on 5 March 1866...
, south of Karl Johans gate
Karl Johans gate
Karl Johans gate is the main street of the city of Oslo, Norway. The street was named in honor of King Karl Johan, who was King of Sweden and of Norway....
and east of Studenterlunden
Studenterlunden
Studenterlunden is a park in the city center of Oslo, Norway. It is surrounded by Karl Johans gate, Stortingsgata, Universitetsgata and Frederiks gate. Within the park lays the National Theatre. It also contains one of the entrances to Nationaltheatret Station of the Oslo Metro and Nationaltheatret...
and the National Theatre
Nationaltheatret
The National Theatre in Oslo is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theatre, which was founded in 1829...
. It has been referred to as "the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
of Norway".
Early history
It was originally a marshy area, but became a park around the same time as buildings were raised in the street Karl Johans gateKarl Johans gate
Karl Johans gate is the main street of the city of Oslo, Norway. The street was named in honor of King Karl Johan, who was King of Sweden and of Norway....
, and the street Stortingsgata was built in the south, cutting across the marsh. It was preserved as a park because house owners in Karl Johans gate did not want tall buildings on the other side of the street. In 1864, around the time the Parliament of Norway Building
Parliament of Norway Building
The Parliament of Norway Building is the seat of the Parliament of Norway, located in central Oslo. The building is located at Karl Johans gate 22 and was taken into use on 5 March 1866...
was under construction, the park was given its current name, inspired by Eidsvoll
Eidsvoll
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sundet.-Name:...
where the Constitution of Norway
Constitution of Norway
The Constitution of Norway was first adopted on May 16, 1814 by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll , then signed and dated May 17...
was drafted and signed by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly.
Event of 1881
A statue of Henrik WergelandHenrik Wergeland
Henrik Arnold Thaulow Wergeland was a Norwegian writer, most celebrated for his poetry but also a prolific playwright, polemicist, historian, and linguist...
, sculpted by Brynjulf Bergslien
Brynjulf Bergslien
Brynjulf Larsen Bergslien was a noted Norwegian sculptor.-Background:Bergslien was born in Voss in Hordaland county, Norway. He was a son of Lars Bergeson Bergslien and Kirsten Knutsdotter Gjelle. He was a brother of noted painter and master artist Knud Bergslien...
, was raised here in 1881. It was unveiled on 17 May 1881, Norwegian Constitution Day
Norwegian Constitution Day
Norwegian Constitution Day is the National Day of Norway and is an official national holiday observed on May 17 each year. Among Norwegians, the day is referred to simply as syttende mai or syttande mai , Nasjonaldagen or Grunnlovsdagen , although the latter is less frequent.- Historical...
, in a highly politicized atmosphere with a speech by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...
. For many years Wergeland had been portrayed as a wordsmith first and foremost, especially by his first biographer (1866) Hartvig Lassen
Hartvig Lassen
Hartvig Marcus Lassen was a Norwegian editor and literary historian.-Personal life:He was born in Bergen as a son of police chief and burgomaster Albert Lassen and his wife Abigael Vogt Monrad . He was a nephew of Lars Monrad and Christian Lassen...
, but on the other hand, liberals such as Olaf Skavlan
Olaf Skavlan
Olaf Skavlan was a Norwegian literary historian and playwright.-Personal life:He was born as Ole Skavlan in Stranda as a son of vicar and politician Aage Schavland and his wife Gerhardine Pauline Bergh...
and Erik Vullum
Erik Vullum
Erik Vullum was a Norwegian journalist, writer and politician for the Liberal Party.-Personal life:He was born in Lund as a son of vicar Olaus Vullum and his wife Ingeborg Krogness . He was a nephew of Johan Richard Krogness...
saw Wergeland as a political character, a forerunner within their own ideology. Political conservatives staunchly opposed that Bjørnson be holding the speech, and submitted other candidates, but were subdued. They had already provoked the liberals in 1880, when a statue of Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
was unveiled at Stortorvet
Stortorvet
Stortorvet is a square in Oslo, Norway, located west of Oslo Cathedral.It was officially inaugurated during the autarchic times, in 1736. A town market was held here until 1889. Marketing still exists, but has largely been moved to Youngstorget...
. The speech was thus held by Bjørnson, and attended by 50,000 people. This crowd included at least 2,000 countryfolk, from Østerdal and elsewhere, and became a contribution to the liberals' nation-building project. Other statues, including one of Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, are found in the vicinity. Because of its density of national symbols, Sigurd Aa. Aarnes has referred to Eidsvolls plass as "the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
of Norway".
Later history
In 1956, a plan by architect Arnstein ArnebergArnstein Arneberg
Arnstein Rynning Arneberg was a Norwegian architect. He was active as an architect for 50 years and is often considered the leading architect in Norway of his time. -Background:...
was set into motion, creating a decorative pool of water at Eidsvolls plass. Funded by the company Christiania Spigerverk
Christiania Spigerverk
Christiania Spigerverk is a steel company which was founded in Oslo in 1853, and developed into one of the largest industrial companies in Norway. In 1972 Christiania Spigerverk fusioned with Elkem. It was sold to Norsk Jernverk in 1985, and again split out as a separate company in 1993....
(spikerverk is 'nail factory'), it was nicknamed "Spikersuppa" ('the nail soup'). The pool has a fountain in the middle, and since 1958 a group of trees as well as a statue of deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
in the west. The pool was enlarged by 25% in 1976, and since 1994 it is used as a skating rink during the winter.
Transportation
The square is served by Wessels plass station on the Oslo Tramway, Stortinget stationStortinget (station)
Stortinget is an underground rapid transit station on the Common Line of the Oslo Metro, Norway. It is located in the heart of the city center, next to Stortinget, the Parliament of Norway. The station is served by all six lines of the metro. At the street level, the station serves tram routes 17,...
on the Oslo Metro as well as an eponymous bus station.