Bogstad Manor
The Bogstad Manor is among the highest ranking historic sites in Norway. It is also an authentic home from the late 18th century. The landlord Peder Anker became Norways first Prime Minister after the dissolution from Denmark in 1814. Norway was now in an independant personal union with Sweden. Peder Anker and his descendants the Wedel Jarlsberg family played a major role in the Norwegian history from the end of the 18th century and into the first part of the 19th century.
Bogstad became a privat estate in 1649 and remained in the same family until 1955. Today the manor is a museum.
Enjoy a guided tour of the manor and learn about Norwegian history. It will tell the story of Peder Anker
as a politician, entrepreneur and industrial founder, as well as his son in law count Herman Wedel Jarlsberg, minister of finance, landlord and governor.
Opening hours
The Bogstad estate can be visited by the public all year round. During the summer months several family activities take place, mostly on sundays. The museum is also open for guided tours.
From May-Septemer, Tuesday-Sunday at 1 pm and 2 pm.
Guided tours are in Norwegian, but foreign guests are provided with an English pamphlet.
The cafe, shop and spesial exhibitions are open year around, Tuesday-Sunday 12 pm - 4 pm
The Café Grevinnen
The old bakery has been restored and is now café. A lit fireplace creates the right atmosphere.
We serve excellent homemade cakes and specialities as well as soup and open faced sandwiches.
The Museum shop
The artifacts for sale in the museum shop do relate to the history and tradition at Bogstad manor.
They may be copies of actual pieces found in the manor itself. The museum shop sells glass, pewter and porcelain.All excellent pieces and nice gifts.
The park
Here we see the remnants of the baroque garden descending directly down from the main house to the lake. It was established in the first part of the 18th century. The romantic English style park was created by Peder Anker around 1780. It has winding canals, ponds for carp and ducks.Peder Anker introduced probably more than 400 rare trees and plants from abroad. This park became a model for number of parks in Norway.
Today the ponds have been restored with cascade and bridge. After the archeological excavations,
registration and import of correct plantmoderial, it now expresses the feeling and atmosphere of
a true 18th century park.
Farming at Bogstad
The farm at Bogstad is managed by the city of Oslo. Here the public can visit the barn and enjoy watching a number of different live animals.The barn with animals is open Tuesday until Friday from October until May.During the remaining part of the year the livestock are out in the fields grazing
H I S T O R Y
In the middle ages the estate belonged to the catholic church. After the reformation in 1536 it became crown property. It was not until 1649 that the estate became private property, the first owner being Morten Lauritzen Ugla who had made his fortune in the timber trade. The Bogstad estate since then belonged to the same family until 1955, when it was donated to the public.
Morten Pedersen Leuch the younger erected a new, noble and modern building at Bogstad. This building, finished in 1762, stands as the nucleus of the existing main building at Bogstad. Morten Pedersen Leuch died childless in 1768 at the age of 36, and some years later his widow, and cousin, Mathia Leuch married Bernt Anker. They sold Bogstad to Bernt’s brother Peder Anker.
Peder Anker married Anna Elisabeth Cold, who had lived in the house with Morten and Mathia Leuch as a daughter. Whilst the previous owners had used Bogstad only as a country retreat, the Ankers took up permanent residence from 1773.
Peder Anker’s only daughter, Karen, married Count Herman Wedel Jarlsberg, and thus became Countess Karen Wedel Jarlsberg. They inherited Bogstad after Peder Anker’s death in 1824.