Oslo from Oslo

Oslo's name has a somewhat confusing history. The city was originally situated close to where this picture was taken, and remained there until 1624 when it burned down. A brand new city was built across the bay, and named Christiania after the Danish king who made the decision to move. The area where the remains of the old city stood was still called Oslo, but there was nothing there and the inhabitants were required to move to the new city (they initially wished to rebuild it where it had been but were lured by tax relief). The new city grew and gradually started to expand in all directions. In the 19th Century the ”Ch” gave way to the more Norwegian ”K” – thus it became Kristiania –which it remained until 1925, when it was decided that the city should be called ”Oslo”. The only trouble was that ”Oslo” still existed as the old part of the city, now swallowed up by the ever-expanding Kristiania. Thus, on the same day that the whole of the city of Kristiania was renamed Oslo, old ”Oslo” (the location of our picture) was renamed ”the old city” (Gamlebyen) –which it remains to this day. Norwegians have a way of changing names! I first visited this original part of the city this summer, and was struck by the new buildings that have only recently popped up along the area between ”Kristiania” and ”Oslo” – the striking ”barcode” buildings seen here in the background. In fact, a whole new part of the city is being formed, partly on reclaimed ground in the fjord. The links between the old and the new are thus becoming closer. One wonders whether perhaps the whole city will be renamed again some time as a consequence... New Oslo? Location: Oslo, Norway