Plagues famines and poets Var Frelsers is a lovely old cemetery that was founded in 1808 to accommodate all the citizens that were dying from plagues, famines, pestilence and other nasty things that were the result of the Napoleonic Wars that were raging across Europe at the time. Of course people continued to die after the wars were completed and the cemetery kept growing until it had to be expanded in 1911. It finally filled up in 1952 and is now closed to new arrivals. The graveyard is stunning with lots of statues and busts as memorials that I assume are the deceased. Lots of famous Norwegian poets, artists and politicians are buried here including, Henrik Ibsen, Edvard Munch, Ole Olsen and a whole lot more. The graveyard is filled with gently rolling hills, lots of trees and flower of all different types. A cemetery that has a whole different look and feel from the ones in the United States but is historic, beautiful and fascinating. read more

See all