Skaugum, the hilltop estate above Asker, was bought by diplomat Fritz Wedel Jarlsberg in 1909. A Swiss chalet-style villa designed by architect Herman Backer already stood on the grounds, completed in 1891. When Crown Prince Olav married Crown Princess Märtha of Sweden in 1929, Wedel Jarlsberg sold the estate to the young couple. Just a year later, the villa burned to the ground. Architect Arnstein Arneberg, who would later design Oslo City Hall, built a new residence on the old foundations.
Then came the occupation. In June 1940, Reichskommissar Josef Terboven seized the estate as his official residence. For five years, the Norwegian crown prince's home served as the command center for German civilian rule over Norway. On May 8, 1945, the day of Germany's surrender, Terboven killed himself in the estate's bunker by detonating fifty kilograms of dynamite.
After the war, the estate returned to the royal family. In 1968, King Olav V gave it to his son Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja as a wedding gift. When Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit married in 2001, they received it in turn. Three generations of royals, each handed the estate at their wedding.
Unlike the Royal Palace in Oslo, Skaugum is privately owned by the royal family, not by the Norwegian state. The King's Guard patrols the perimeter, and there is no public access. You might catch a glimpse of the buildings through the trees, but that is as close as anyone gets.
Then came the occupation. In June 1940, Reichskommissar Josef Terboven seized the estate as his official residence. For five years, the Norwegian crown prince's home served as the command center for German civilian rule over Norway. On May 8, 1945, the day of Germany's surrender, Terboven killed himself in the estate's bunker by detonating fifty kilograms of dynamite.
After the war, the estate returned to the royal family. In 1968, King Olav V gave it to his son Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja as a wedding gift. When Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit married in 2001, they received it in turn. Three generations of royals, each handed the estate at their wedding.
Unlike the Royal Palace in Oslo, Skaugum is privately owned by the royal family, not by the Norwegian state. The King's Guard patrols the perimeter, and there is no public access. You might catch a glimpse of the buildings through the trees, but that is as close as anyone gets.
