Early history It was originally a marshy place, but became a park around the same time as buildings were raised in the street
Karl Johans gate, and the street Stortingsgata was built in the south, cutting across the marsh. It was preserved as a park because house owners in Karl Johans gate did not want tall buildings on the other side of the street. In 1864, around the time the
Parliament of Norway Building was under construction, the park was given its current name, inspired by
Eidsvoll where the
Constitution of Norway was drafted and signed by the
Norwegian Constituent Assembly.
Event of 1881 A statue of
Henrik Wergeland, sculpted by
Brynjulf Bergslien, was raised here in 1881. It was unveiled on 17 May 1881,
Norwegian Constitution Day, in a highly politicized atmosphere with a speech by
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. but on the other hand, liberals such as
Olaf Skavlan and
Erik Vullum saw Wergeland as a political character, a forerunner within their own ideology. Political conservatives staunchly opposed that Bjørnson be holding the speech, and submitted other candidates, but were subdued. They had already provoked the liberals in 1880, when a statue of
Christian IV of Denmark was unveiled at
Stortorvet. The speech was thus held by Bjørnson, and attended by 50,000 people. This crowd included at least 2,000 countryfolk, from
Østerdal and elsewhere, and became a contribution to the liberals' nation-building project. Other statues, including one of Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, are found in the vicinity. Because of its density of national symbols, Sigurd Aa. Aarnes has referred to Eidsvolls plass as "the
National Mall of Norway".
Later history In 1956, a plan by architect
Arnstein Arneberg was set into motion, creating a decorative pool of water at Eidsvolls plass. The pool was enlarged by 25% in 1976, and since 1994 it is used as a skating rink during the winter. ==Transportation==