Oslo City Hall - History

History

In early Middle Ages, it looks like different halls in Oslo had the City Hall status from time to time. Right where Oslo Market is located on this very day, the Early Oslo City Hall was built. From the sources we know that the old Oslo City Hall had an open vine cellar for public use. Norwegian Medieval historian Tore Vigerus says the following is in his book, Norske Rigs-Registranter III:

After the big fire in 1624, king Christian IV decided to build a new City Hall in the city. The building was built in Nedre Slottsgate: 1. The building was very small, and when the government grew, the building could not be used anymore, only because of the size. The meetings were held in what is today the Freemasons lodge in Oslo, on "Grev Wedels Plass".

The initial plans for a new city hall in Pipervika was revealed in 1915 by Hieronyhmus Heyerdahl. In September 1931, the first stone was laid by King Haakon VII, and the construction started in 1933. The main structure of the building was completed in November 1936. The German invasion of Norway in 1940 caused construction to stop, and it was not resumed until 1947. The building was finally inaugurated on 15 May 1950, coinciding with Oslo's nonacentennial.

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