Olaf Ryes plass

Olaf Ryes plass (lit. "Olaf Rye's Square") is a square and park placed centrally in the Grünerløkka borough of Oslo, Norway. It is more or less quadratic in shape.

History

The area belonged to Aker municipality until 1858, when it was incorporated into Christiania (Oslo).^[1] It was an open area which was bought by the municipality from Thorvald Meyer in 1863. In 1864 it received its name; the namesake was the military leader Olaf Rye. It was made into a park in 1890. The park has a bust monument of Eilert Sundt, raised in 1892, and a fountain was added some years later.^[2] Other major parks in the area are Birkelunden, Sofienbergparken and Tøyenparken.

The park is surrounded by four streets as well as housing three and four storeys tall, mostly built in the 1870s, 1880s and 1890s. The three-storey housing was built first. Among the most notable inhabitants of these buildings are a young Edvard Munch from 1882 to 1883.^[2]

Already in 1875 Johan Cordt Harmens Storjohann took the initiative to raise a gospel hall adjacent to the park; it was converted to a school in 1880, church between 1917 and 1938 and later women's hostel until 1985. The building is called "Hauges Minde", named after lay preacher Hans Nielsen Hauge.^[2] In 1907 the stage theatre Grünerløkkens Folketheater was opened in a building adjacent to the park, renamed Grünerløkkens Verdenstheater in 1913 and Parkteatret in 1922. From 1926 to 1991 that building also contained a movie theatre.^[3]

Transport

Olaf Ryes plass is a light rail station on the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is served by lines 11, 12 and 13.^[4] The park is not served directly by bus.

References