Norwegian Students' Society ( no, Det Norske Studentersamfund) is
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
's oldest
student society
A student society, student association, university society, student club, university club, or student organization is a society or an organization, operated by students at a university or a college institution, whose membership typically consists ...
.
The Norwegian Students' Society was established during 1813 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. Two years after the Royal Frederick University (today named the
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top univers ...
) was founded, 18 of the 19 students formed the Norwegian Students' Society. It has been the centre of debate, culture and politics for over 200 years.
The idea was to make a social, intellectual and cultural arena for the students in Norway's capital. Originally a closed literary club, in 1820 it was opened for all students. In future years, the Society played a role in national debate, including contributing substantially to the establishment of May 17 as
Norwegian Constitution Day
Constitution Day is the national day of Norway and is an official public holiday observed on 17 May each year. Among Norwegians, the day is referred to as ''Syttende Mai'' ("Seventeenth of May"), ''Nasjonaldagen'' ("National Day"), or ''Grunnlo ...
.
Today the Society is located at
Chateau Neuf
Chateau Neuf is a building in Oslo, Norway that houses the Norwegian Students' Society ''( Det Norske Studentersamfund)'' including cafes, bars, performance centers, and other facilities for student assembly. It is situated at Slemdalsveien ...
, a large concrete block building to the south of the
Blindern Campus. Opened in 1971, the building also contains several cafes and a cinema. Most of the activity at Chateau Neuf is generated by volunteers with people signing up for the many different jobs at hand.
The Society frequently arrange debates, lectures and concerts. The Society also hosts its own theater and music groups.
''Det Norske Studentersamfund/ Chateau Neuf'' (Oslo Visitor Centre)
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References
External links
Official website
Digital Archives
University of Oslo
1813 establishments in Norway
Student societies in Norway
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