Akers
Herred had 6,375 inhabitants in 1769, and this number increased to 7,600 in 1801. Aker was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see
formannskapsdistrikt). It was subdivided in 1861 into Østre and Vestre Aker, and in 1906 was further subdivided into
Ullern and
Nordstrand. On 1 January 1948 Aker municipality was incorporated into the city of
Oslo. The municipality had 135,000 inhabitants and included the residential areas of
Ullern,
Vestre Aker,
Østre Aker and
Nordstrand, as well as the outlying areas were all incorporated into Oslo. Since the city of
Christiania was founded in 1624, Aker had been the source of territory for expansion of the city. The first expansion came as early as 1629, when a number of farms were transferred into the Bymarken area of the city. Bymarken was the land that surrounded Christiania until the city expansion in 1859. Bymarken was a commons in which citizens could engage in agriculture to their own housekeeping, and provide summer and winter fodder for livestock. Bymarken lay under the city's civil administration, but for ecclesiastical purposes remained part of Aker's parish. Aker borders Bymarken on the west side of the
Skillebekken, a former suburb of Oslo and on the east side, the river
Akerselva. The entirety of Bymarken and portions of the
Akerselva were incorporated into the city in 1859. Adjustments were made again in 1878 and Aker was finally fully incorporated into Oslo in 1948. ==The name==