It is hardly possible to overlook the town hall building of Oslo near the harbor. With its unique design made of red bricks it stands out; the two rectangular towers (used for offices) are clearly visible in the skyline of the city. The building is highly decorated with statues and it even has a small waterfall on the rear side. First of all the town hall building is a symbol of independence: when the union of Norway and Sweden ended in 1905, the decision to celebrate this with the creation of a building was taken.
The foundation stone was laid in 1931, the inauguration was in 1950; this all took so long as Norway was assaulted by Nazi Germany in 1940 (‘Operation Weserübung‘) – that is also documented in the interior decorations. But mostly the Rådhuset is known for the annual celebrations of the Nobel peace prize award ceremonies: it happens there every year on December 10th (Alfred Nobels day of death). Another good reason to visit the Rådhuset are the chimes: 49 bells play different songs every hour.
Rådhuset
Oslo
Norway
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