Gråbeingårdene, Working class residential complex in Toyen, Norway
Gråbeingårdene is a working class residential complex in Tøyen, central Oslo, made up of two city blocks with four-story rental buildings arranged around narrow courtyards. The apartments were originally small one-room units with kitchens designed for working families living in the late 1800s.
Master builder Ole Olsen constructed the complex between 1886 and 1894 as housing for Oslo's factory workers during rapid industrial growth. The development represented an early attempt to create large-scale residential housing for the working population.
The complex reflects how working families lived in Oslo during the late 1800s, and its story inspired writers like Oskar Braaten who captured life here in their works. Walking through the courtyards gives a sense of how neighbors shared these tight quarters and built community together.
A preserved apartment at Toyengata 38B, managed by the Oslo Museum, displays the original layout and living conditions to help visitors understand daily life here. The public courtyards are accessible for walking and observing the building facades and layout.
Each stairwell housed up to 20 apartments, making these buildings extraordinarily densely packed for their time. In the 1930s, around 4000 residents lived here in extremely tight quarters.
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