Located on a large pinkish building at the intersection of Radhusgata and Kirkegata in downtown Oslo, this sign reads:
"SELSKABET FOR OSLO BYES VEL
STATHOLDER GARDEN
OPPFøRT 1640 FOR
MYNTMESTER PETER GRUNER
STATHOLDER GENERAL
ULRIK FREDERIK GYLDENLOVE
BODDE HER 1680-99
FREDET"
which Google translates as:
"Society for Oslo Byes WELL
Statholdergaarden GARDEN
LISTED FOR 1640
COIN MASTER PETER GRUNER
Statholdergaarden GENERAL
Ulrik Frederik GYLDENLOVE
STAYED HERE 1680-1699
Fred "
This website for the restaurant that now operates at the site (
visit link) elucidates:
"Statholdergaarden is a fine old building at the crossroads of Rådhusgate/Kirkegate in Kvadraturen, the heart of Oslo. The house dates from 1640 and was built for Peter Gruner, Master of the Mint.
At the end of the 1600s, the governor Ulrik Fredrik Gyldenløve moved into the house and lived there for 20 years. It was at this time that the foundations were laid for all the festivities that are still held in Statholdergaarden today."
Wikipedia (
visit link) further informs us:
"Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, Count of Laurvig (20 July 1638 – 1704) was the illegitimate son of Frederick III of Denmark-Norway, and the leading general in Norway during the Scanian War, whose Norwegian leg is conventionally named the "Gyldenløve War" after him. He was the illegitimate son of King Frederick III of Denmark and Norway...
Gyldenløve was born in Bremen, Germany, the illegitimate son of Prince Frederick, later King Frederick III of Denmark, who was at the time Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen and coadjutor of the Bishopric of Halberstadt. His mother was Margrethe Pape who was made Baronesse of Løvendal by King Christian IV in 15 September that same year.
When his father became King of Denmark in 1648, Ulrik Frederik assumed the name Gyldenløve which was used by illegitimate sons of Danish kings.
During the first half of the 1650s, he traveled in Europe, visiting both France, Italy and Spain. On 21 August 1655 he became a naturalised Danish noble."