Skaugum

Skaugum is an estate, manor house and the official residence of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The estate is located in Asker, 19 km (12 mi) southwest of Oslo, by the foot of the mountain Skaugumsåsen. The estate consists of 48 ha (120 acres) of agricultural lands and 50 ha (120 acres) of woodlands.[1]

Skaugum
Skaugum in 1932
Skaugum is located in Norway
Skaugum
Location within Norway
General information
TypeManor
Architectural styleFunctionalism
LocationAsker, Norway
Coordinates59°51′14.74″N 10°26′34.95″E
Completed1932
OwnerNorwegian royal family
Design and construction
Architect(s)Arnstein Arneberg

History

The estate was originally Church property during the Middle Ages, and passed through several owners until 1909, when Fritz Wedel Jarlsberg bought it. When Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha were married in 1929, Wedel-Jarlsberg sold it to the couple. In 1937, Prince Harald was born on the estate.

Wedel-Jarlsberg's Swiss chalet style-residence, designed by Herman Backer and completed in 1891, burned to the ground in 1930.[2] The Norwegian architect Arnstein Arneberg was commissioned to design a new structure, entirely on the foundations of the old building. The new building was also built of stone to avoid future fires.

Second World War

During the Nazi occupation of Norway, SS-General Wilhelm Rediess resided at Skaugum for a short period while Reichskommissar Josef Terboven later would make the estate his official residence in June 1940. Shortly after Hitler's death, Terboven was dismissed from his position by Karl Dönitz and committed suicide in the manor bunker on 8 May 1945 by blowing himself up with fifty kilograms of dynamite.[3]

Residence of the heir apparent

In 1968, King Olav V gave the estate as a wedding gift to his son Crown Prince Harald (later King Harald V) and his wife Crown Princess Sonja, while the King himself relocated to the Royal Palace in Oslo. King Harald would repeat this gesture, giving the estate as a wedding gift to his son, Crown Prince Haakon, and his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit when the couple married in 2001.

Unlike the Royal Palace and Oscarshall, Skaugum is owned privately by the royal family and is therefore not open to the public. Like all royal residences in Norway, the estate is protected by the Royal Guards.

  • The original Skaugum building prior to the fire in 1930
    The original Skaugum building prior to the fire in 1930
  • Aerial view of Skaugum
    Aerial view of Skaugum
  • The royal family at Skaugum during a 1974 visit from Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
    The royal family at Skaugum during a 1974 visit from Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
  • Skaugum seen from the estate garden
    Skaugum seen from the estate garden
  • Skaugum seen from the west
    Skaugum seen from the west

See also

References
  1. "Budstikka - Husdyrenes siste sommer på Skaugum". www.budstikka.no (in Norwegian). 16 June 2010. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
  2. Torvanger, Åse Moe (February 13, 2009). "Herman Backer". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  3. "Mens hele Norge feiret freden, reiste Hitlers forhatte rikskommisær til Skaugum og sprengte seg". Dagbladet.no (in Norwegian). 2015-05-08. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
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