Kontraskjæret
Rådhusgata, Kvadraturen
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Photo: Tove Solbakken / Byantikvaren
Photo: Ukjent fotograf / Arbeiderbevegelsens arkiv og bibliotek
A part of the tour The story of Christiania
The name Kontraskjæret is a Norwegianisation of the French word ‘contrescarpe’, meaning counterscarp, and this was part of the fortifications for Akershus festning.
Before the area was incorporated in the fortress, it contained residential buildings, but these all burned down in the fire of 1686.
The town was well protected from the west by the slopes and the fortifications at the top of the hill. In 1881, when the modern city of Christiania was expanding westwards, a cut was made, opening the old town centre to the west.
Photo from the same year the street of Rådhusgata was extended westwards, cutting through the old fortifications.