Grønland

For other uses, see Gronland (disambiguation).

Midnight Oslo

Grønland Church

Grønland is a neighbourhood in central Oslo, Norway. It is served by several tram and bus lines, as well as the Oslo Metro at the Grønland Station.

The neighbourhood is situated on the east side of Akerselva, five to ten minutes walking distance from Oslo Central Station and downtown Oslo. It stretches from Grünerløkka down to the fjord by Middelalderparken shore area.

History

The area was originally the beach area east of the Aker river discharge, and the name alludes to grassland by the lake (the name Grønland means green land or green fields in Norwegian). The streets Grønland and Grønlandsleiret are where the old shoreline used to be. This is considered the historic northern border of Oslo. They are the old road between the suburb and Oslo (then called Christiania), via Vaterland Bridge (first bridge built 1654). The growth of Bjørvika led to the incorporation of Grønland into Christiania/Oslo in 1859. A church, a school and a fire station were built near the newly erected Botsfengslet in the 1600s.

Grønland today

World Islamic Mission's mosque in Åkebergsveien

Over the last 30 years Grønland has developed into a multicultural neighbourhood. The area contains stores carrying goods from all over the world, as well as mosques, bars and ethnic restaurants. Prices on most things have often been a bit lower in this general area than in other central parts of Oslo.

Grønland contains the Oslo Police Headquarters.

It is currently undergoing gentrification. Examples of this include the recent development in the Bjørvika area, and the completion of the Oslo Opera House nearby. In 2012, an Islamic group in Grønland, the Ansar al-Sunna, sent letters to Norwegian politicians demanding total control of the district of Grønland.