The Story of Ramme
Ramme has a diverse history spanning millennia, from the Ice Age all the way to the present day.
Since the first people came to Ramme in the Stone Age, the fjord and natural landscape have formed the basis for livelihood and livelihood.
Geology
The landscape of which Ramme is a part was created when the Oslofjord was formed 300 million years ago as a deep fault.
The place name Ramme is derived from the Old Norse hrammer, which means paw or forepaw with claws.
The name refers to a landscape formation, which may be a headland in the Oslofjord, or the elongated hill between the farm and the fjord.
The bedrock where Ramme is located today was formed 1.5 billion years ago. In the diamond-cut, preserved rock wall in the hotel building, you can study the geological processes up close. The rock wall and the geological history are a central part of the gallery's exhibition.
Archaeology
Ramme's diverse history began as early as the Stone Age. At Øvre Ramme, two stone axes and a hearth have been found that date back to 5400 BC.
On the bank facing the sea to the west, there is a burial ground with burial mounds from the Bronze Age (1800-500 BC). Today, traces of five of the original 12 mounds can be found.
In one of these, a magnificent specimen of a very rare bronze dagger was found, which tells us that the deceased was buried around 1200 BC.
Several archaeological finds of burial monuments and traces of settlement from the Iron Age have been made in the nearby area. Ramme was probably an independent farm during the Saga period, but came under Ørebæk as a homestead after the Black Death in the mid-14th century.
Industrial history
Hvitsten and Emmerstad were loading points during the Dutch period, in the 17th and 18th centuries. Timber and lumber were exported to the Dutch states, and Dutch goods were imported.
The bourgeoisie quickly established themselves in Hvitsten and built houses at the loading point. Today, Hvitsten appears as an exceptionally well-preserved wooden house environment from the 18th-19th centuries.
In the 19th century, ice produced in the area began to be exported, to England, among other countries. Travel stories have it that Queen Victoria imported ice of the highest quality from Hvitsten.
Cultural history
Towards the end of the 19th century, it became more common to holiday in the countryside. Increased focus on public health and a healthy diet lured city dwellers out into rural surroundings.
It was now possible to travel by rail and steamboat to the Hvitsten area, and Hvitsten became a popular seaside resort for holidaymakers and leisure visitors.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Einar Møinichen started Ramme Sanatorium. This was the first in the country to be run according to the "naturopath" principle, where belief in the power of the individual was central.
An attractive area for artists
The Ramme and Hvitsten area has been attractive to artists for a long time, with its beautiful location on the Oslofjord, the place offered many picturesque motifs.
The motifs the artists created bear the mark of the place. Here there are fresh colors, beautiful nature, and the people of the area are models.
Through their works, the artists show both parts of the everyday life of those who lived and worked here, and the bathing and holiday life of those who spent good days in the area.
The proximity to the capital also made the place easily accessible by steamboat or train.
Some of Norway's most famous artists in the late 19th century and early 20th century were here: Oda and Christian Krohg, Frits Thaulow, Theodor Kittelsen, Oscar Wergeland, Hans Fredrik Gude, Carl Dørnberger and the Danish artist Paul Fischer. And Edvard Munch.
Sigrid Undset wrote the medieval novel Olav Audunssøn in Hestviken, set in this area.
The places Hvitsten, Rammebråten and Emmerstad all found a place in the literature of Kristianiabohemian, with the romantic and erotic love triangle between the artists Christian (1852-1925) and Oda Krohg (born Lasson, 1860-1935), and Kristianiabohemian ideologist, Hans Jæger (1854-1910).
Along with them came the painter Frits Thaulow. They were all radicals, in both lifestyle and art, and stood for individual freedom and free love, among other things.
Edvard Munch and Ramme
Norway's most famous painter, Edvard Munch (1863-1944), lived and worked at Nedre Ramme for a number of years.
His time there is very little known within Norwegian art history, despite the fact that he painted several of his magnificent works here.
At Nedre Ramme he painted several works in a vitalistic style, where the motifs are full of sun, nature, strong human bodies and animals.
Munch's time here has a central place in our dissemination offer.
Edvard Munch wrote to his friend Gustav Schiefler about his new home at Ramme: […] my house in Hvitsten in the middle of the forest and surrounded by waves – a quiet idyll.
Ramme Gaard
Petter Olsen took over Ramme Gaard in 1966. Even as a child, Petter showed an interest in gardening, and as a young man in the 60s and 70s, he was an early environmental activist and committed nature conservationist.
His first project was to save the old orchard, then he restored the original buildings.
Unfortunately, the main house was in extremely poor condition, and he followed the recommendations to demolish it in 1975.
The farm at Ramme is organic (since 1989) with a focus on animal welfare and rare species.
Petter's great interest in history, older architecture and cultural preservation is clearly expressed in his quality-conscious development of the cultural destination Ramme.
The 1980s marked the beginning of the magnificent Havlystparken – a baroque garden complex that today comprises 16 acres of landscaped parkland with statues, rare plants and an outdoor amphitheater for concerts and performances.
In addition, Petter Olsen has built Ramme Fjord Hotel – a luxurious ski resort with 42 rooms decorated with antiques, art and contemporary aesthetics.
The area also includes a café and farm shop, a tavern and restaurant, Ramme Picture Gallery and Edvard Munch's villa.