Christiania

Christiania (Kristiania), the modern capital of Norway (the kings are still crowned at Trondhjem, q.v.), is built at the northern end of Christiania Fiord, in 59° 56' N. lat. and 10° 50' E. long. Its population in 1891 was 151,239, and in 1897 (estimated) 170,000. At the beginning of the century it was but 10,000. Christiania is named after Christian IV., who commenced building it in 1624 after the destruction by fire of the ancient city of Oslo, which had begun to supersede Trondhjem as capital from the 14th century. Christiania is the seat of the national parliament (the Storting and Lagthing), of the High Court of Judicature, and of the National University, which has 46 professors and above 1500 students who are educated free, with the exception of a small entrance-fee. Connected with this is the students' garden, a library of about 250,000 volumes, a very well-arranged botanical garden, zoological, zootomical, botanical, and ethnographical museums, and a cabinet of coins and medals, chemical and physical laboratories, and observatory. The Meteorological Institute, established in 1866, is in systematic telegraphic communication with British and other European observatories. The king of Sweden and Norway has two palaces here, one in the city near the university, and one, Oscarshall, beautifully situated two miles from the city on an eminence overlooking the fiord, and containing Tiedmand's celebrated pictures of Norwegian peasant-life. There is a national picture-gallery, and a very interesting museum of northern antiquities. The Dom, or Cathedral, and the Trefoldigheds Kirke ('Church of the Trinity'), are the principal ecclesiastical buildings. The Dampkjøken ('steam-kitchen') is an interesting institution for providing cheap and substantial dinners to working-people. The old fortress Akershus Faestning still remains, and is used as a promenade, but has little military value. Among other public buildings are the Houses of Parliament, the civil and military hospitals and infirmary, lunatic asylum, penitentiary, two theatres, the Freemasons' Hall, and several banks. The staple industry of Christiania is its shipping trade; it is the central emporium for the south of Norway. Its chief export is timber. A considerable industry has recently become developed in the brewing and export of Christiania öl, a sort of lager beer, with resinous flavour, largely consumed throughout Norway, and exported to England and other parts of the world. The minor manufactures are cotton, canvas; engine-works, nail-works, and paper-mills, the latter rapidly growing by the use of wood-fibre from sawmill waste. There are many good hotels of recent establishment, and a considerable business is done in connection with the visits of British tourists. Cariole-making is one of the industries thus developed. There are good shops, in all of which English is well spoken; and the city has considerable printing and publishing establishments.