Toftes Gave was a Norwegian

orphanage An orphanage is a Residential education, residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the Childcare, care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parent ...

for enforced placement of maladjusted children, or children in deficit of parental care. It was established in 1844 in ''Munkedamsveien'' in Christiania. The institution was relocated to

Ullensaker Ullensaker is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Akershus in Viken (county), Viken Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Romerike. The administrative centre of the municipality i ...

in 1858, and again to the island of Helgøya in 1876. The institution closed in 1947.

History

The institution was established by wholesaler and former

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Christiania

Andreas Tofte Andreas Tofte (28 March 1795 – 27 September 1852) was a Norwegian people, Norwegian businessperson, elected official and philanthropist. He served as the first Mayor of Oslo, Norway. Biography He was born on the Tofte, Norway, Tofte farm ...

in 1844, as a "rescuing institution for morally corrupt children of both sexes". It was originally located at ''Munkedamsveien 31'' in Christiania, at Holmen in

Pipervika Pipervika is a neighborhood in the borough Sentrum in Oslo, Norway. It is located between the Oslofjord, Akershus Fortress and The City Hall Square. Today the term Pipervika is primarily used for the bay between the fortress and Aker Brygge. Thi ...

. In 1847 the institution, including seven buildings, was donated to the municipality of Christiania. The donation was accepted on 9 June 1847, and the institution was henceforth called ''Toftes Gave'' (Tofte's gift), named after the donor. In 1858 it was moved to Risebro farm in Ullensaker. In 1876 it was decided to relocate the institution again to Nedre Sund farm on the island of Helgøya in Lake

Mjøsa Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe. It is the fourth-deepest lake in Norway. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about north of the city of Oslo. Its main tributary is the rive ...

, in

Hedmark Hedmark () was a county in Norway before 1 January 2020, bordering Trøndelag to the north, Oppland to the west, Akershus to the south, and Sweden to the east. The county administration is in Hamar. Hedmark and Oppland counties were merged i ...

. The moving process took place during the autumn of 1877. According to new regulations adopted in 1878, from then on the institution only accepted boys. While the clientele consisted of 58 boys in 1888, this increased to 151 boys in 1899. The number was reduced to 86 boys in 1912. In 1912 the farm's livestock counted 78 cattle, 14 horses and 65 pigs. After decades of cultivation the farmland consisted of about 900

decare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is ab ...

s of arable land and 400 decares of productive forests. From this period the institution is known among others through the memoirs of Johannes S. Andersen. He spent four years at Toftes Gave, beginning when he was ten years old, and describes a regime of strict discipline. The children were used as farm workers, under the surveillance of local farmers from Helgøya, and he had the impression they were regarded as inferior to the most primitive of animals. The children adapted to the regime in order to survive. Their instincts of self-preservation also made them learn how to make picklocks to gain access to storages of potatoes or turnips, in order to appease their hunger. Essentially they learned two things at the institution:

hatred Hatred is an intense negative emotional response towards certain people, things or ideas, usually related to opposition or revulsion toward something. Hatred is often associated with intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust. Hatred is s ...

of all kinds of

oppression Oppression is malicious or unjust treatment or exercise of power, often under the guise of governmental authority or cultural opprobrium. Oppression may be overt or covert, depending on how it is practiced. Oppression refers to discrimination w ...

and

tyranny A tyrant (), in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defend their positions by resorting to rep ...

, and

solidarity ''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio ...

against what he called slave-drivers and

executioner An executioner, also known as a hangman or headsman, is an official who executes a sentence of capital punishment on a legally condemned person. Scope and job The executioner was usually presented with a warrant authorising or order ...

s.Andersen 1946, p. 51 From 1896 Toftes Gave was run by the State of Norway, until it closed in 1947.

Later use

From 1951 the location at Helgøya was used by the municipality of Oslo as a home for

mentally disabled Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...

persons. The site was transferred to the municipality of

Ringsaker is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Hedemarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Brumunddal. Other settlements in Ringsaker include the town of Moelv and the v ...

in 1991.

References

{{Reflist 19th century in Oslo History of Hedmark Ringsaker Child-related organisations in Norway Orphanages 1844 establishments in Norway 1947 disestablishments in Norway 20th century in Oslo