Hjelmsgate 3 is a
self-managed social centre
Self-managed social centers, also known as autonomous social centers, are self-organized community centers in which anti-authoritarians put on voluntary activities. These autonomous spaces, often in multi-purpose venues affiliated with anarchi ...
in
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
, Norway. The wooden house was constructed in 1858 and from the late 1960s onwards it has been a central node in the Norwegian counterculture.
History
Hjelmsgate 3 was built in 1858 to be used as a
tannery
Tanning may refer to:
*Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather
*Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin
**Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun
**Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...
and alternative businesses have used Hjelmsgate 3 since the late 1960s.
In 1969 it became derelict and was
squatted
Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...
, before being legalized by the
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
. The council gave it heritage status in 1979 and handed over the ownership in 1981 to an umbrella group (Stiftelsen Arbeidskollektivet) which represents the organizations using the building.
It became an important node in the Norwegian counterculture and a meeting place for
anarchists,
squatters
Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...
, gays and lesbians.
The anarchist magazine
Gateavisa
(Norwegian: ''Street Newspaper'') is a countercultural magazine. It was first produced by an anarchist collective in 1970 at Hjelmsgate 3 in Oslo and focuses on anti-authoritarian topics. In it heyday in the early 1980s, an issue examining the ...
has been published out of Hjelmsgate 3 from 1970 onwards.
Jens Bjørneboe gave a contribution of NOK 2000 to the editorial collective to help with repairs to the building.
Spisestedet, the vegetarian café, first opened in 1972 and there are also a bicycle workshop and a radical bookshop and
infoshop.
Fire
On 26 June 2014, Hjelmsgate was severely damaged by a fire after being struck by lightning.
The offices of
Gateavisa
(Norwegian: ''Street Newspaper'') is a countercultural magazine. It was first produced by an anarchist collective in 1970 at Hjelmsgate 3 in Oslo and focuses on anti-authoritarian topics. In it heyday in the early 1980s, an issue examining the ...
were destroyed but the bicycle workshop on the ground floor survived and could carry on its operations. Spisestedet was forced to close.
See also
*
Squatting in Norway
Squatting in Norway is taking possession of land or an empty house without the permission of the owner. The first public occupation was Hjelmsgate 3 in 1969 and self-managed social centres which were first squatted and then legalized include th ...
References
{{Authority control
Anarchism in Norway
Buildings and structures in Oslo
Restaurants in Oslo
1858 establishments in Norway
Self-managed social centers
Counterculture
Squatting in Norway
Legalized squats