Today's walking tour gonna take us to Rodeløkka - a relict village in the middle of Oslo. Old timber houses, blossoming palisades, green quite gardens, cats, cats and cats...
The area grew as a suburb of Kristiania (now Oslo) after the city expansion in 1859. In 1878 Rodeløkka was include into the city limits through another expansion, which put an end to the construction of more wooden houses due to mandatory stone-building within the city. Rodeløkka became a typical working-class neighborhood, and throughout the 1900s, it was perceived as a rather slum area. In previous urban development plans the district, just as many other historical areas in Oslo, was regulated for demolition (cynically called "sanitation") and new construction. Luckily, it didn't happen, so we have a chance to get a glimpse of the Old Oslo vibe.
The threat of demolition led many homeowners to neglect the maintenance of their houses since they would be "sanitized" anyway, which further contributed to the deterioration of the area. However, in the early 1970s, many houses were purchased or rented by students and other young people who saw the neighborhood as idyllic for them and could find affordable housing here in otherwise a less-prestigious area. They initiated campaigns against demolition and received support from public cultural heritage organizations and private institutions such as the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments and the Society for the Preservation of Oslo's Cultural and Architectural Heritage. Many of the houses were renovated and got modern sanitary facilities, and these improvements helped influence public opinion and municipal politicians to advocate for preservation. After the Architecture Conservation Year in 1975, "total sanitation" was no longer politically feasible. The remaining 137 wooden houses in the area were declared worthy of preservation in 1988.
The name Rodeløkka originates from the district's previous owner, Stiftsprost Frederik Rode, who bought the area from the Dælenenga farm in 1854. He relocated a wooden house from Gjerpen near Skien to this location. Rodeløkka was later taken over by gunsmith Hans Olsen from Vågå, and for a while, the area was referred to as "Vaageby." He divided and sold plots of land to people who seized the opportunity to build affordable wooden houses here, close to the city limits defined in 1859, which imposed masonry requirements within. Prior to the next city expansion in 1878, there was a rapid construction of wooden houses to take advantage of the opportunity before masonry became mandatory in Rodeløkka as well. Subsequently, several brick tenements were built within the wooden house area.
00:03 - Garden
01:42 - Tromsøgata street
04:18 - Snippen and it's inhabitants
05:35 - Green square
06:16 - Meet the locals
11:14 - Snippen side-street
12:14 - Blind-end
14:04 - Langgata street
16:09 - A rare artifact
17:44 - Rodes Plass
18:40 - Rodeløkkens treskofabrikk/The old clog (wooden shoes) factory
18:58 - Buddy - a norwegian electric micro-car
19:06 - Langgata
22:23 - Rode's house
27:19 - Behind the scenes