- On Monday, December 19, the Jewish cemetery at Sofienberg in Oslo will be protected. This is the third in a series of Jewish cultural environments to be preserved," says Hanna Geiran, Minister for Cultural Heritage.
The cemetery at Sofienberg was the first cemetery built by and for the Jewish population in Norway. It is a representative of the early Jewish immigration to the country and the oldest known cultural monument associated with the Jewish population in Norway.
- The Jewish cultural environments that we protect represent Jewish life and history in Norway, and help to preserve Jewish history in a European context," says Geiran.
The original cemetery is well preserved and there have been no major changes since the cemetery ceased to be an active burial ground. The preservation includes the cemetery with the grave memorials with stone frames and low fences around them, and the wrought iron fence and gate. The protection also includes the trees inside the cemetery and an area around the cemetery.
The preservation is linked to the Directorate for Cultural Heritage's focus on Jewish cultural environments, and takes place in close collaboration with the Jewish Community and the Jewish Museum.
Collaborating with Jewish communities on cultural heritage
With the help of the Jewish population, the Jewish Community, county councils, municipalities and other interested parties, we have started the work of protecting a selection of Jewish cultural environments.
Part of everyday Jewish life
The ban on Jewish immigration to Norway was lifted in 1851, and in the 1860s the first Jewish immigrants settled in the area around Grünerløkka in Oslo. They were very few, around 25 people. The first common need that arose was a separate burial ground. The cemetery was purchased in 1869 with private funds by some of the first Jewish families to settle in Norway.
It was not until 1885 that the cemetery was put into use. The first burials to take place here were for the two children, Elsa Sarah Prager and David de Lemos, who both died on January 13, 1885.
- The cemetery was handed over to the Jewish Community when it was established in 1892, and was the congregation's first property.The old Jewish cemetery at Sofienberg was the Jewish minority's first stronghold as a community on Norwegian soil. It provided a sense of belonging that was later extended to religious communities, synagogues, community centers and over 150 years of Jewish life in Norway. The people who established our community can be found on this site. By preserving our old cemetery, our memorial sites and stories are recognized as part of the common Norwegian cultural heritage," says Rabbi Joav Melchior of the Jewish Community.
An important part of Oslo's history
When the cemetery was purchased in 1869, Kristiania was a city with just over 60,000 inhabitants. At the time, Sofienberg cemetery was located outside the city center and became the city's cemetery. The city grew rapidly, and in the 1890s the Grünerløkka district emerged as a working-class neighborhood with a population of 20,000. Several Jewish families also settled here. Like everyone else in Kristiania, they were part of everyday life in the city, participating in working life, running businesses, starting families and losing loved ones.
- The cemetery that was located here is gone. It has provided space for the establishment of Sofienbergparken. The Jewish cemetery, on the other hand, is still here and follows the Jewish tradition of preserving graves. In this way, the cemetery is not only a source of Jewish history, but also the history of the city," says Mayor Marianne Borgen.
Cultural heritage for everyone
The National Heritage Board's goal is for the entire population to be represented on the preservation lists. We want to highlight and increase knowledge about the entire Norwegian cultural heritage, and preserve a selection of the national minorities' cultural monuments. Therefore, a selection of Jewish cultural environments in Norway have been chosen for preservation.
