Birkelunden
Encyclopedia
Birkelunden is a park
placed centrally in the Grünerløkka
borough of Oslo
, Norway
. It is formed as a rectangle
, more or less like a city block.
municipality until 1858, when it was incorporated into Christiania (Oslo). It was made into a park on Thorvald Meyer
's orders in the 1860s. Having developed the neighborhood Grünerløkka, Meyer gave the park Birkelunden to the municipality in 1882. It received major renovations between 1916 and 1920 and 1984 and 1986. In 1920 it was the intention to create a children's playground as well as a small ice rink. A music pavilion was added in 1926, and a small pool added between 1927 and 1928. The park also has several monuments, including a monument to Norwegian volunteers in the Spanish Civil War
. Other major parks in the area are Olaf Ryes plass
, Sofienbergparken and Tøyenparken.
The park is surrounded by four streets, and housing three and four storeys tall, mostly built in the 1870s and 1880s. Grünerløkka School adjacent to the park was taken into use in 1895, and on the opposite side of the park is found Paulus Church from 1892.
In 2006 the park, school, church and fifteen blocks in the surrounding urban area was put under strict regulations, prohibiting any visible changes to the city environment. According to the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment
, it was the first "preservation of a cultural[physical] environment in a city"; earlier the cultural environments Havråtunet, Sogndalsstrand, Utstein Abbey, Neiden
and Kongsberg Silver Works had been preserved.
on the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is served by lines 11, 12 and 13. The park is also served by line 30 of Ruter
's bus network.
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...
placed centrally in the 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...
borough of 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...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is formed as a rectangle
Rectangle
In Euclidean plane geometry, a rectangle is any quadrilateral with four right angles. The term "oblong" is occasionally used to refer to a non-square rectangle...
, more or less like a city block.
History
The area belonged to 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...
municipality until 1858, when it was incorporated into Christiania (Oslo). It was made into a park on Thorvald Meyer
Thorvald Meyer
Thorvald Meyer was a Norwegian businessman who built his fortune primarily on real estate development in Oslo, but also forestry. He was a supporter of the arts, in particular the theater. He donated several of his properties to the city. One of the main thoroughfares, Thorvald Meyers gate,...
's orders in the 1860s. Having developed the neighborhood Grünerløkka, Meyer gave the park Birkelunden to the municipality in 1882. It received major renovations between 1916 and 1920 and 1984 and 1986. In 1920 it was the intention to create a children's playground as well as a small ice rink. A music pavilion was added in 1926, and a small pool added between 1927 and 1928. The park also has several monuments, including a monument to Norwegian volunteers in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. Other major parks in the area are Olaf Ryes plass
Olaf Ryes plass
Olaf Ryes plass is a square and park placed centrally in the Grünerløkka borough of Oslo, Norway. It is more or less quadratic in shape.-History:...
, Sofienbergparken and Tøyenparken.
In 2006 the park, school, church and fifteen blocks in the surrounding urban area was put under strict regulations, prohibiting any visible changes to the city environment. According to the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment
Norwegian Ministry of the Environment
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of the Environment is a Norwegian ministry established in 1972. The ministry is responsible for environmental issues in Norway. It is led by the Minister of the Environment, Erik Solheim...
, it was the first "preservation of a cultural
Neiden
Neiden is a settlement in Lapland with approx. 250 inhabitants. Neiden, situated at the Neiden River, actually consists of two villages separated by the border between Norway and Finland, one side in the municipality of Sør-Varanger of Finnmark county in Norway and the other side in the...
and Kongsberg Silver Works had been preserved.
Transport
Birkelunden is a light rail stationTram stop
A tram stop is a place designated for a tram to stop so passengers can board or alight it. Tram stops share most characteristics of bus stops, but because trams operate on rails, they often include railway platforms, especially if stepless entries are provided for accessibility...
on the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is served by lines 11, 12 and 13. The park is also served by line 30 of Ruter
Ruter
Ruter As is the public transport authority for Oslo and Akershus, Norway. The company, organized as a limited company is responsible for managing, but not operating, public transport in the two counties, including bus, the Oslo Metro, the Oslo Tramway and ferries...
's bus network.