French toilets

You’ve probably noticed that this park’s public toilets form the French flag. They’re also named after the French Republic’s motto: « Liberty, Equality, Fraternity ». France actually gifted these to Oslo in honour of Norway’s Constitution bicentenary. If you go inside, you’ll get to hear speeches from diverse historical figures, such as former French president Charles de Gaulle, former American president Franklin Roosevelt, former King of Norway Haakon VII, as well as the national anthem of each of these three countries. The gift sparked controversy, as many people didn’t understand how public toilets could represent the values of the French Republic. However, Koro, the Norwegian state agency responsible for managing public art, ended the debate by stating on their website that the artwork, titled Liberty, is a conceptual piece that reflects French cultural identity. According to Koro, the French contributed both one of the highest achievements of modern society, the democratic constitution, and one of the most humble: the invention of public toilets.