Europe Travel Guides

Pre-20th century

Who would have thought one selfless act of kindness by a young boy would etch itself into Oslo's history books and capture the hearts of all Norwegians? Around 900 years ago, a young man called St Halvard saw two men in a boat on Drammen Fjord. They were attempting to drown a woman. The young farmhand went to the rescue, only to suffer the most brutal consequences. He was mortally wounded after being stabbed several times by an arrow. Despite paying the ultimate price, Halvard was immortalised. He was canonised and later became the patron saint of Oslo. It is St Halvard who today adorns the city's coat of arms.

King Harald Hardråda founded Oslo in 1048 and in the early 14th century King Håkon V created a military presence by building the Akershus Festning in the hope of deterring the Swedish threat from the east. Norway joined forces with Denmark after the bubonic plague devastated most of the country in 1348 - the Black Death killed around 50% of Oslo's population. From 1397 to 1624, Norway's affairs were dealt with in Copenhagen and Oslo took a back seat, fading into obscurity. In 1624 Oslo was destroyed by a massive fire but was rebuilt by King Christian IV, who renamed the city Christiania after himself. Oslo was rebuilt on the west side of the river, making it more defensible. Norway united with Sweden in 1814 and the unification contributed to Oslo's strong economic and political growth right up until the break with the Swedes in 1905. In 1925 the city reverted to its original name, Oslo.