Kong Oscars gate is a street in the city centre of Bergen

Bergen

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....

, 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...

. It runs from Stadsporten, northwestwards to Bryggesporden and Vetrlidsallmenning by the bay of Vågen. The westernmost part of Kong Oscars gate is among the oldest streets in Bergen. The street was named in 1857 after king Oscar I of Sweden

Oscar I of Sweden

Oscar I was King of Sweden and Norway from 1844 to his death. When, in August 1810, his father Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected Crown Prince of Sweden, Oscar and his mother moved from Paris to Stockholm . Oscar's father was the first ruler of the current House of Bernadotte...

, who would reign over Norway and Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 until 1859. It is a one-way road between Domkirkeplassen and its northwestern end, and otherwise a two-way road. Norwegian national road

Norwegian national road

Norwegian national road , are roads thus categorized by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration which also maintains them...

 is assigned to Kong Oscars gate between its southeastern end at Stadsporten and Nygaten, which it then follows. Kong Oscars gate is approximately 0.8 km long.

History

Prior to the current name's being assigned in 1857, the street had a variety of names, sometimes inspired by the businesses of the street. The northern part has been known as "Sutarestretet" (literally "the shoemaker street"), and later "Skredderstretet" ("the tailor street"), when the tailors moved into the area, and "Adelgade" in the 18th century. The southern part (south of Nygaten/Heggebakken) has been known as "Hospitalsgaden" ("the hospital street"), "St. Jacobs gade" ("Street of St. Jacob"), "Christies gade", "Portgaden", and "Domkirkegaden".

Buildings

A number of significant buildings are located along Kong Oscars gate. The street's south-eastern end is at Stadsporten, the old city gate of Bergen. The intersection between Kong Oscars gate and Strømgaten, further north, is the location of Zander Kaae's Foundation (Kong Oscars gate 67), built in the 18th century for a charity and now a refugee

Refugee

A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...

 home. On the west side of the intersection is St. Jørgens hospital, an 18th century leprosy

Leprosy

Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...

 hospital and today a leprosy museum. Directly north of the museum is Danckert Krohn's Foundation, another charity for the elderly, built in the late 18th century.

Further up the street, by the intersection with Nygaten and Heggebakken, is Bergen katedralskole

Bergen katedralskole

Bergen katedralskole is an upper secondary school in Bergen, Norway...

, one of the three upper secondary schools in Kong Oscars gate. Danielsen videregående skole is located directly opposite Bergen katedralskole on the west side of the street. Bergen Cathedral

Bergen Cathedral

Bergen Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Bjørgvin. Located in the city centre of Bergen, Norway, the first recorded reference to it is dated 1181. It retains its ancient dedication to St Olaf ....

, one of Bergen's medieval churches, is located by the intersection with Lille Øvregate and Domkirkeplassen on the east side. Tanks videregående skole

Tanks videregående skole

Tanks Upper Secondary School is an upper secondary school in the centre of Bergen, Norway.The school opened in 1850 as Den Tankske Skole, funded by an endowement established by merchant Hans Tank and his wife around fifty years earlier....

 is located north of the intersection with Domkirkegaten and Lille Øvregate on the west side. Korskirken

Korskirken

Korskirken is a cruciform church in Bergen, Norway.-Description:Korskirken is located at the intersection of the streets Kong Oscars gate and Nedre Korskirkeallmenning and dates back to the latter half of the 12th century. The name of the church refers to the True Cross, and is usually rendered in...

, another medieval church, is situated by Nedre Korskirkeallmenningen near the north-western end of the street.