Utøya
Encyclopedia
Utøya (ˈʉːtœʏɑ) is a small island in the Tyrifjorden
lake in Hole
municipality, in the county of Buskerud
, Norway
. The island is 10.6 hectares (26.2 acre), situated 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) off the shore, by the E16
road, 38 kilometres (23.6 mi) driving distance north-west of Oslo
city centre.
(Arbeidernes ungdomsfylking, AUF), the youth wing of the Labour Party, which holds an annual summer camp there. The island was given as a commemorative gift by Oslo Trade Union Confederation on August 28, 1950, but also serves as a camp site for other events, including other organizations' summer camps. The island is operated commercially by Utøya AS.
The island is largely forested, with some open spaces. A small pier on the east side of the island is used to ferry people to and from the mainland. There are also permanent buildings. Hovedhuset ("The Main House"), Stabburet ("The Hórreo
"), and Låven ("The Barn") are located together near the dock. Up on the hillside (LO-toppen) are the main campgrounds, the cafeteria building, and the sanitary building. Skolestua ("The school house") is located further south.
form of øy, meaning 'island'. Utøya is the southernmost (or farthest "out") island of three which lie in the lake of Tyrifjorden. The name is used in reference to its position in relation to two other islands (lying north of Utøya); Storøya (Big Isle) and Geitøya (Goat Isle). Storøya is the northernmost, and Geitøya lies between Utøya and Storøya. All of these islands were formerly used for herding
(as is shown in the meaning of Geitøya) by the people at Sundvollen
.
's summer camp, where 650 young people were staying. Anders Behring Breivik
arrived on Utøya dressed as a police officer and told those on the island that he was there for security reasons following the explosions in Oslo which took place a few hours before. He then began shooting at individuals, continuing until the police arrived one hour after the first alarm call. The suspect immediately surrendered. Combined, the attacks in Oslo and Utøya left 77 dead, with 69 killed on the island, 55 of whom were teenagers.
Tyrifjorden
Tyrifjorden is Norway's fifth largest lake with an area of 137 km2. It has a volume of 13 km3, is 295 meters deep at its deepest, and lies 63 meters above sea level...
lake in Hole
Hole, Norway
Hole is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Ringerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vik. Hole is located around lake Tyrifjorden and extends to the woodland around Oslo...
municipality, in the county of Buskerud
Buskerud
is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
, 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...
. The island is 10.6 hectares (26.2 acre), situated 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) off the shore, by the E16
European route E16
European route E 16 is the designation of a main west-east road through Northern Ireland, Scotland and Norway, from Derry to Oslo, via Glasgow, Edinburgh, previously by ferry to Bergen, Voss, through the Gudvanga Tunnel, Lærdal, through the Lærdal Tunnel, over Filefjell to Fagernes, Hønefoss,...
road, 38 kilometres (23.6 mi) driving distance north-west 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...
city centre.
Overview
Utøya is owned by the Workers' Youth LeagueWorkers' Youth League (Norway)
The Workers' Youth League is Norways biggest political youth organization, and is affiliated with the Norwegian Labour Party.AUF took its current form in April 1927, following the merger of Left Communist Youth League and Socialist Youth League of Norway corresponding with the merger of its...
(Arbeidernes ungdomsfylking, AUF), the youth wing of the Labour Party, which holds an annual summer camp there. The island was given as a commemorative gift by Oslo Trade Union Confederation on August 28, 1950, but also serves as a camp site for other events, including other organizations' summer camps. The island is operated commercially by Utøya AS.
The island is largely forested, with some open spaces. A small pier on the east side of the island is used to ferry people to and from the mainland. There are also permanent buildings. Hovedhuset ("The Main House"), Stabburet ("The Hórreo
Hórreo
An hórreo is a granary built in wood or stone , raised from the ground by pillars ending in flat stones to avoid the access of rodents...
"), and Låven ("The Barn") are located together near the dock. Up on the hillside (LO-toppen) are the main campgrounds, the cafeteria building, and the sanitary building. Skolestua ("The school house") is located further south.
The name
The first element ut means 'out', or 'outermost'; the last element øya is the definiteDefiniteness
In grammatical theory, definiteness is a feature of noun phrases, distinguishing between entities which are specific and identifiable in a given context and entities which are not ....
form of øy, meaning 'island'. Utøya is the southernmost (or farthest "out") island of three which lie in the lake of Tyrifjorden. The name is used in reference to its position in relation to two other islands (lying north of Utøya); Storøya (Big Isle) and Geitøya (Goat Isle). Storøya is the northernmost, and Geitøya lies between Utøya and Storøya. All of these islands were formerly used for herding
Herding
Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group , maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. While the layperson uses the term "herding", most individuals involved in the process term it mustering, "working stock" or...
(as is shown in the meaning of Geitøya) by the people at Sundvollen
Sundvollen
Sundvollen is a village in the municipality of Hole, in the county of Buskerud, Norway. Sundvollen is located along the east side of Tyrifjorden where the E16 crosses west over Steinsfjorden, the northeastern arm of Tyrifjorden, to Kroksund. The village had 801 inhabitants as of January...
.
2011 shooting
On 22 July 2011, a mass shooting took place at the AUFWorkers' Youth League (Norway)
The Workers' Youth League is Norways biggest political youth organization, and is affiliated with the Norwegian Labour Party.AUF took its current form in April 1927, following the merger of Left Communist Youth League and Socialist Youth League of Norway corresponding with the merger of its...
's summer camp, where 650 young people were staying. Anders Behring Breivik
Anders Behring Breivik
Anders Behring Breivik is a Norwegian terrorist, paranoid schizophrenic and the confessed perpetrator of the Norway attacks on 22 July 2011: the bombing of government buildings in Oslo that resulted in eight deaths, and the mass shooting at a camp of the Workers' Youth League of the Labour Party...
arrived on Utøya dressed as a police officer and told those on the island that he was there for security reasons following the explosions in Oslo which took place a few hours before. He then began shooting at individuals, continuing until the police arrived one hour after the first alarm call. The suspect immediately surrendered. Combined, the attacks in Oslo and Utøya left 77 dead, with 69 killed on the island, 55 of whom were teenagers.