King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav arriving in 1905. | Photo: Oslo Museum cc by-sa.

Norwegian history | full independence at last | Norway

Norway’s full independence came in AD 1905, and was the culmination of a process that had lasted for several decades.

Full independence at last | AD 1905

As its chosen tool to force through a change, the Norwegian parliament – Stortinget – passed a law early in the year AD 1905, declaring that Norway henceforth would be master of its own foreign affairs and establish its own diplomatic corps. This was in breach of the AD 1814 union agreement with Sweden, and King Oscar 2 refused to approve. As a result, the king no longer had the support of the Norwegian parliament, and could no longer appoint a legitimate Norwegian government and conduct his role as king of Norway.

On 7 June 1905, the Storting unilaterally declared independence. Negotiations with Sweden ensued, but the process had reached the point of no return. On 26 October 1905, King Oscar 2 formally, and reluctantly, gave up his claim to the Norwegian throne.

As a conciliatory gesture, Norway first offered the Norwegian throne to King Oscar’s younger son, Prince Carl (AD 1861-1951) – King Oscar refused. The Norwegians then looked towards Denmark and a second Prince Carl. It should be noted that the Danish Prince Carl was the grandson of the Swedish King Oscar 1, King Oscar 2’s father, so it was definitely a family affair, no matter what the outcome.

After 500 years of Danish and Swedish dominance, the Norwegians were free at last.

Next period: Norwegian history | prosperity, war and depression | Norway

Or see the full: History timeline | from stone age to modern era | Norway

BC = before Christ | AD = anno domini = after Christ
Main source: Store norske leksikon – snl.no

LA Dahlmann | history timeline

Wooden buildings one thousand years old | Norway

buildings and structures

The oldest wooden buildings in Norway are almost 1000 years old – like Urnes stave church in Luster. How come these buildings do not rot away and disappear?

Ljå | means scythe in Norwegian | Norway

words from history

Ljå is a Norwegian noun that means a scythe – an old agricultural cutting-tool used when mowing the grass to make hay, or when harvesting the grain crops.

Sami people | sleeping on a bed of glowing embers | Sapmi

sami people

When there were no makeshift or permanent dwellings nearby, the Sami hunters and herders sometimes slept under the open sky.

Myrmelk | means milk buried in a peat bog in Norwegian | Norway

words from history

Myrmelk is a Norwegian noun that means milk conserved in a container buried in a mountain peat bog, left there for herders or others to drink at a later stage.

Queen Maud of Norway | her background and childhood years

norwegian royal history

Queen Maud of Norway was born in London in 1869, as Princess Maud of Wales. Her grandmother was none other than the formidable Queen Victoria.

Fjords | gateways to mystery | Norway

landscape

Once upon a time in the distant past, imagine yourself sitting in a small boat, facing this mighty gateway into the bowels of the land.

Norway | a land of water

landscape

In the spring, the Norwegian mountain-snow melts and turns into creeks, rivers and magnificent waterfalls.

Ice export | a booming business for more than a century | Norway

landscape

From the early 1800s and well into the 1900s, Norway was a significant exporter of natural ice. But how did they prevent the ice from melting?

Norway | on the coastal path along the Oslofjord

landscape

Whether it be on a rainy day – or a beautiful summer’s day like this one – the coastal paths take us through some pleasing stretches of Norwegian scenery.

Horse history in the land of the Vikings vol 1 | Norway

domesticated animals

The horse settled in the Scandinavian landscape after the last ice age. Let us meet this majestic animal – and follow in its footsteps.

Horse history in the land of the Vikings vol 2 | Norway

domesticated animals

The horse no longer roams wild in the Norwegian landscape. But it still has an important place in the Norwegian psyche.

The last workhorse at Sandaker farm | Norway

domesticated animals

When I was a boy, it was the workhorse that pulled the heaviest weight in agricultural life. And this had been the reality for as long as anyone could remember.

Moose calf saved from drowning in 1939 | Norway

wild animals

Magne Løvstuen and his family adopted this moose calf after saving it from drowning in Lake Mjøsa.

Food history | the «Viking pizza» | Norway

food history

In Norway, the pizza appeared as an exotic newcomer in the 1970s. But bread topped with foodstuffs is nothing new in Norwegian food history.

Food history | milk from the domesticated animals | Norway

food history

For thousands of years, milk from the domesticated animals has had a dominant position in the Norwegian diet. People used milk from the cow, the reindeer, the sheep and the goat.

Food history | the beginning | Norway

food history

When humankind first appeared in the Norwegian landscape – sometime after the last ice age – the search for food was their primary motivation.

Food history | the difference between mead and beer | Norway

food history

Mead and beer are both alcoholic drinks known from Norwegian history. The Norwegians call them «mjød» and «øl». But do you know the difference between the two?

Christmas | 24 postcards from the land of Norway

art

With Christmas comes the turning of the sun, and the promise of a new year. Enjoy these traditional and vintage Norwegian Christmas cards – 24 in all.