Akerselva
Encyclopedia
Akerselva, or Akerselven, is a river
which flows through Oslo
. It starts at Maridalsvannet
in Oslomarka, and follows the urban area
s Nordre Aker
, Sagene
, Grünerløkka
, Oslo centre
and Grønland, whereby it finally ends at Paulsenkaien and Oset in Bjørvika
. The river is considered to be a part of the Nordmarkvassdraget, and has the watercourse
number
006.Z. The entire river is about 8.2 kilometres long, and has a difference in altitude of approximately 149 meters.
Earlier, the river gave power to numerous industry
companies in Oslo. In the summer of 2008 Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo (The Oslo National Academy of the Arts) will move into this formerly industrial premises. The new campus will be one of the most spacious in Europe.
Akerselven is "Oslo’s green lung”; many park
s and nature trails are to be found by its path, from Grønland to Maridalsvannet
. A walk from along Akerselven from the rural Frysja down through the different parts of Oslo all the way down to the city centre is an amazing experience and a walk through the history of Oslo. Salmon
run and spawn in the upper part of the river.
Aker River in the 1970s was heavily contaminated after 150 years of industrial and sewage discharges along river. In the 1980s, a local initiative to limit emissions and revive the flora and fauna of the river began.
Early in March 2011, Oslo's water and wastewater department accidentally discharged 6,000 liters of chlorine into the river near its headwaters, rendering the river virtually dead as of 11 March 2011. According to Norwegian Public Broadcasting, the discharge occurred at the water treatment plant Oset.
, the name of the old farm and churchsite that has named several places in Oslo (see Nordre Aker
, Vestre Aker
, Akershus fortress
, Akershus
county and Aker Brygge
). The last element is the finite form of the noun elv ('river').
The river is considered to be the border between the eastern and the western part of Oslo. In the eastern part people treat the word elv as a feminine noun, so they say elva ('the river'). The westside dialect is influenced by Danish (considered a more appropriate language during the union with Denmark), where the feminine and masculine genders have merged into a common gender inflected like Norwegian masculine nouns. Therefore, people in the western part often treat elv as a masculine noun, causing them to say elven ('the river'). The feminine gender has survived in all the other Norwegian dialects, except the dialect spoken in Bergen
.
The Old Norse
name of the river was Frysja, and this old name has been revived as the name of a neighborhood along the river. The name is probably derived from the verb frusa 'froth', referring to the many waterfalls in the river.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
which flows through Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. It starts at Maridalsvannet
Maridalsvannet
Maridalsvannet is a lake in Maridalen, Oslo, Norway. It is the largest lake in the municipitality of Oslo, and serves as the main drinking water supply for the city. The lake drains via the river Akerselva to the Oslofjord. The primary inflows are Skjærsjøelva and Dausjøelva. The Hammeren...
in Oslomarka, and follows the urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
s Nordre Aker
Nordre Aker
Nordre Aker is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.-History:This area became part of the city of Oslo in 1948. Before that it was a part of Aker municipality in Akershus county.-Demographics and housing:...
, Sagene
Sagene
Sagene is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. The area became part of the city of Oslo in 1859.The name Sagene itself is the plural of the Norwegian word for "saw", reflecting all the old industrial mechanical saws powered by the river Akerselvain this area in the 19th and early 20th...
, Grünerløkka
Grünerløkka
Grünerløkka is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. Grünerløkka became part of the city of Oslo in 1858.Grünerløkka was named after Friedrich Grüner who bought a mill in the area from king Christian V of Denmark in 1672 . During the 19th century, Grünerløkka became a working class area...
, Oslo centre
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Grønland, whereby it finally ends at Paulsenkaien and Oset in Bjørvika
Bjørvika
Bjørvika is a neighborhood in the Sentrum borough of Oslo, Norway. The area is an inlet in the inner Oslofjord, situated between Gamlebyen and Akersness. It serves as an outlet for the river Akerselva. Since the 2000s, it has been undergoing urban redevelopment, being transformed from a container...
. The river is considered to be a part of the Nordmarkvassdraget, and has the watercourse
Watercourse
A watercourse is any flowing body of water. These include rivers, streams, anabranches, and so forth.-See also:* physical geography* Environmental flow* Waterway* Hydrology* Wadi-External links:...
number
Number
A number is a mathematical object used to count and measure. In mathematics, the definition of number has been extended over the years to include such numbers as zero, negative numbers, rational numbers, irrational numbers, and complex numbers....
006.Z. The entire river is about 8.2 kilometres long, and has a difference in altitude of approximately 149 meters.
Earlier, the river gave power to numerous industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
companies in Oslo. In the summer of 2008 Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo (The Oslo National Academy of the Arts) will move into this formerly industrial premises. The new campus will be one of the most spacious in Europe.
Akerselven is "Oslo’s green lung”; many park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s and nature trails are to be found by its path, from Grønland to Maridalsvannet
Maridalsvannet
Maridalsvannet is a lake in Maridalen, Oslo, Norway. It is the largest lake in the municipitality of Oslo, and serves as the main drinking water supply for the city. The lake drains via the river Akerselva to the Oslofjord. The primary inflows are Skjærsjøelva and Dausjøelva. The Hammeren...
. A walk from along Akerselven from the rural Frysja down through the different parts of Oslo all the way down to the city centre is an amazing experience and a walk through the history of Oslo. Salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
run and spawn in the upper part of the river.
Aker River in the 1970s was heavily contaminated after 150 years of industrial and sewage discharges along river. In the 1980s, a local initiative to limit emissions and revive the flora and fauna of the river began.
Early in March 2011, Oslo's water and wastewater department accidentally discharged 6,000 liters of chlorine into the river near its headwaters, rendering the river virtually dead as of 11 March 2011. According to Norwegian Public Broadcasting, the discharge occurred at the water treatment plant Oset.
The name
The first element is the genitive case of AkerAker, Norway
Aker is a former municipality in Akershus, which lends its name to a municipality and a county in Norway. The name originally belonged to a farm which was located near the current Old Aker Church...
, the name of the old farm and churchsite that has named several places in Oslo (see Nordre Aker
Nordre Aker
Nordre Aker is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.-History:This area became part of the city of Oslo in 1948. Before that it was a part of Aker municipality in Akershus county.-Demographics and housing:...
, Vestre Aker
Vestre Aker
Vestre Aker is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.The previous municipality Aker was merged into the city of Oslo in 1948.The borough of Vestre Aker was organized as part of the 1 January 2004 reform. Previous boroughs...
, Akershus fortress
Akershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway. It has also been used as a prison.- Construction :...
, Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
county and Aker Brygge
Aker Brygge
Aker Brygge is an area in Oslo, Norway. It is a popular meeting place for shopping, dining, and entertainment. Oslo residents, tourists from all over the world, business people on the move, as well as musicians, artists, actors, A-, B- and C-celebrities find Aker Brygge their favourite place to...
). The last element is the finite form of the noun elv ('river').
The river is considered to be the border between the eastern and the western part of Oslo. In the eastern part people treat the word elv as a feminine noun, so they say elva ('the river'). The westside dialect is influenced by Danish (considered a more appropriate language during the union with Denmark), where the feminine and masculine genders have merged into a common gender inflected like Norwegian masculine nouns. Therefore, people in the western part often treat elv as a masculine noun, causing them to say elven ('the river'). The feminine gender has survived in all the other Norwegian dialects, except the dialect spoken in 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 , ....
.
The Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
name of the river was Frysja, and this old name has been revived as the name of a neighborhood along the river. The name is probably derived from the verb frusa 'froth', referring to the many waterfalls in the river.