The University of Oslo

The building complex on your left is the University of Oslo, the oldest and largest institution of higher education in Norway. It was founded in 1811 back when Norway was under Danish control. It was called the Royal Frederick University, named after Denmark’s king at the time, then it took on the name University of Christiana, after the city’s former name when it was rebuilt by King Christian IV, after the great fire. The name ‘Oslo’ was restored in 1925, referencing the district where the original medieval city was founded by King Harald III. Today, the university has over 30,000 students, as well as many women and men who helped shape modern Norwegian history, including five Nobel Prize winners.