Paléet was a monumental single storey
townhouse
A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of Terraced house, terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type o ...
located in the Norwegian capital
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) 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 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
that for a long time functioned as a residence for the
Norwegian royalty.
History
Construction
The building was constructed between the years 1744-45 and was commissioned by the wealthy merchant
Christian Ancher. Situated in what is present-day ''Fred.Olsens gate 6'', close to
Oslo Central Station
Oslo Central Station (, abbreviated ) is the main railway station in Oslo, and the largest railway station within the entire Norwegian railway system. It connects with Jernbanetorget station, which is served by trams and the Oslo Metro. It's ...
, the building was near a public garden, ''Paléhaven'', that stretched down to the shores of
Bjørvika.
Royal residence
The townhouse remained in the
Anker family until the death of
Bernt Anker who in 1805 bequeathed Paléet to the Norwegian government and the Norwegian royal family. King
Charles XIV John expanded townhouse greatly, with the old stables being converted into residential areas, all decorated in
Empire style
The Empire style (, ''style Empire'') is an early-nineteenth-century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts, representing the second phase of Neoclassicism. It flourished between 1800 and 1815 duri ...
. Paléet was subsequently given the role as the royal residence in
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) 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 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
during the era of the
Union between Sweden and Norway
Sweden and Norway or Sweden–Norway (; ), officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and known as the United Kingdoms, was a personal union of the separate kingdoms of Sweden and Norway under a common monarch and common foreign pol ...
, a role the townhouse maintained until the completion of the
Royal Palace in 1848.
Later years
Paléet would later function as offices, living quarters for members of the Norwegian civil service, housed the
Norwegian Supreme Court between 1898 and 1903 and was used by the
Hird
The hird (also named "De Håndgangne Menn" in Norwegian), in Scandinavian history, was originally an informal retinue of personal armed companions, hirdmen or housecarls. Over time, it came to mean not only the nucleus ('Guards') of the royal arm ...
during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The townhouse was demolished after a damaging fire in 1942 and no trace of the building can be seen today.
Kings and royalty who resided at Paléet
*
Christian VII of Denmark
Christian VII (29 January 1749 – 13 March 1808) was King of Denmark–Norway, Denmark and Norway and Duke of Duchy of Schleswig, Schleswig and Duchy of Holstein, Holstein from 1766 until his death in 1808. He was affected by mental illness and ...
*
Charles August, Crown Prince of Sweden
*
Prince Frederik of Hesse
Prince Frederik of Hesse, Landgrave Friedrich of Hesse-Cassel (24 May 1771 – 24 February 1845) was a Danish- German nobleman, field marshal and governor-general of Norway (1810–1813) and the same in the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein ...
*
Charles XIV John of Sweden and Norway
*
Oscar I of Sweden
Oscar I (born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte; 4 July 1799 – 8 July 1859) was King of Sweden and List of Norwegian monarchs, Norway from 8 March 1844 until his death. He was the second monarch of the House of Bernadotte.
The only child of Ki ...
*
Charles XV of Sweden
Charles XV or Carl (''Carl Ludvig Eugen''; Swedish language, Swedish and Norwegian language, Norwegian officially: ''Karl''; 3 May 1826 – 18 September 1872) was King of Sweden and List of Norwegian monarchs, Norway, there often referred to as C ...
Gallery
File:Harbour of Christiania (JW Edy plate 50).jpg, Harbour of Christiania with Paléet visible in the corner
File:Paléet OB.Y1501.jpg, Paléet seen from ''Paléhaven''
File:Paléet OB.Y1503.jpg, The ballroom hall
File:Modell av Paleet og hagen OB.A8497.jpg, Model of Paléet
File:Paléet OB.NW2449.jpg, Paléet during the devastating fire in 1942
References
Sources
* Ludvig Daae
''Det gamle Christiania 1624-1814''. Anden omarbeidede og forøgede Udgave. J.W. Cappelens Forlag. Christiania 1891 pages 253-289
* Thor Bendz Kielland
''Paléet i Oslo. Constitutionsværkets Vugge''. Gyldendal Norsk Forlag. Oslo 1939* ''Oslo byleksikon''. Kunnskapsforlaget. Oslo 2000.
* Monica Mørk and Ulf Holmene: ''Kong Christian Frederik og Paleet i Christiania og sommerresidensen på Ladegaardsøen, ''from
Jørn Holme (red.): ''De kom fra alle kanter - Eidsvollsmennene og deres hus, ''Cappelen Damm 2014
{{Royal palaces in Norway
Royal residences in Norway
1740s establishments in Norway
History of Oslo
Buildings and structures in Oslo
Palaces in Norway
1745 establishments in Europe