Hovedøya

Hovedøya or Hovedøen is one of several small islands off the coast of Oslo, Norway in the Oslofjord. The island is quite small, no more than 800 metres across in any direction, the total area is 0,4 square kilometre. It is well known for its lush and green nature, with a wide variety of trees, bushes and flowers

The name

The name is from Norse times (Hofudøy). The first element is hofud n 'head' (here in the sense 'hill' or 'height'), the last element is øy (ø) 'island'. The name is a reference to the top of the hill on the island. At 47 metres it is the tallest point of the inner Oslofjord islands by a good margin. The name comes in various spellings. While øy for island would be Norwegian, it was later changed for ø under Danish influence, later changed to the finite form øen. Today it is variously given as Hovedøya (common) or sometimes Hovedø(y)en (conservative).

History

The Cistercian monastery, Hovedøya Abbey, was built on the island, and opened on 18 May 1147. During the Medieval period, the monastery was a leading economical force in the Oslo region. It was however closed down before the Reformation after the abbot came into conflict with King Christian II. The military official at Akershus Fortress had the abbot imprisoned and the monastery looted and burned down in 1532. Parts of the ruins of the monastery remain on the island, but much of the stonework was used in the expansion of Akerhus Fortress in the 17th century.