Kronstad Hovedgård

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2007 photo of the main building.
2007 photo of the main building.

Kronstad Hovedgård is a manor house and mansion in the city of Bergen, Norway, more specifically in the borough of Årstad on the south shore of the bay of Store Lungegårdsvannet. The building, constructed by architect Ole Petter Riis Høegh, is one of the finest late-Empire style buildings in Bergen. The farm of Kronstad, then named Hunsstadir, later Honstad and Hunstad, was established in the 12th century, belonging to the monastery of Nonneseter. Today, it is owned by Bergen and Hordaland UN Veteran Association and the Active War Participants Association, and is being rented out for various uses. The cellar contains a contemporary art gallery.

From 1685-1693, the manor belonged to Jørgen Thormøhlen, after having been transferred to the Lunge family some time before that. In 1705, the vicar of Bergen Cathedral, Anders Bruun, purchases the manor, renaming it Cronstad. Christian Gerhard Ameln, a merchant, purchases it in 1781, constructing several new buildings and clearing the fields. Ameln also constructed a new one-floored manor house.

However, the building did not stand untouched for long. Joachim Friele, also a merchant and wine importer, bought Kronstad in 1840. Inspired by the French Château Margaux, he hired architect Ole Petter Riis Høegh to reconstruct the building. At the time, it was one of the largest private mansions in the district.

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