Ravnedalen, Kristiansand
Encyclopedia
Ravnedalen is a park at Grim in Kristiansand
, close to Baneheia
. It was constructed 1874–1878 by military soldiers under Colonel, later Major General Joseph Frantz Oscar Wergeland
's command.
s and peacocks, while today ducks and swanes dominate the lakes. Some of Norway's largest spruce
trees, planted around 1875, are found in the park. Exotic plants were imported and planted, like rhododendron
, magnolia
, mimosa
, yew
and cypress
.
Gustav Lærum
's 1917 bronze statue of Wergeland is located in Ravnedalen.
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
, close to Baneheia
Baneheia
Baneheia is an area in Kristiansand in Norway, mostly known at the national level from the Baneheia case, as the scene of a notorious murder of two girls aged 8 and 10 that took place in 2000. The area is a local recreational area with lakes and forest...
. It was constructed 1874–1878 by military soldiers under Colonel, later Major General Joseph Frantz Oscar Wergeland
Joseph Frantz Oscar Wergeland
Joseph Frantz Oscar Wergeland was a Norwegian military officer, cartographer and skiing pioneer.-Personal life:Wergeland was born in Christianssand and grew up at Eidsvold. He was the son of priest and politician Nicolai Wergeland, and a brother of the poet Henrik Wergeland and feminist writer...
's command.
History
Ravnedalen was the former billeting area Grimsmoen, which had room for about 1,200 soldiers. In the 1860s the military camp was moved to Gimlemoen. There were plans for using the old camp area as a rifle range, but Colonel Wergeland protested and insisted that the area would be perfect for a pleasure garden. In 1872 Byselskabet, where Wergeland was a chairman, applied for fundings, and the park was constructed during 1874–1878, by soldiers with spades instead of weapons.Construction
The park was constructed as a romantic garden, in a vally with dramatic cliffs and waterfalls. A dam fointaine was built with natural pressure support from the nearby lake Baanetjønn. The garden has open areas for public arrangements like concerts, gatherings and festivals. The former gardener house is today used as a café. There used to be apeApe
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
s and peacocks, while today ducks and swanes dominate the lakes. Some of Norway's largest spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
trees, planted around 1875, are found in the park. Exotic plants were imported and planted, like rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
, magnolia
Magnolia
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
, mimosa
Mimosa
Mimosa is a genus of about 400 species of herbs and shrubs, in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the legume family Fabaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word μιμος , meaning "mimic."...
, yew
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
and cypress
Cypress
Cypress is the name applied to many plants in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is a conifer of northern temperate regions. Most cypress species are trees, while a few are shrubs...
.
Culture
In the 1880s and 1890s the area was used for public feasts. Today, Ravnedalen is one of Kristiansand's cultural sites, where concerts and other arrangements are held regularly. The location has a capacity of 5,000 spectators in front of the outdoor stage.Gustav Lærum
Gustav Lærum
Gustav Lærum was a Norwegian satirical illustrator and sculptor.He delivered illustrations to the satirical magazines Korsaren, Tyrihans and Vikingen, and also the newspaper Verdens Gang. Selected illustrations are issued in Fra Uret til Grand, Norske Politici , and Skyggebilder...
's 1917 bronze statue of Wergeland is located in Ravnedalen.