Gamle Bergen hovedbrannstasjon, Red brick fire station building in Bergen, Norway.
Gamle Bergen hovedbrannstasjon is a former fire station featuring a prominent red brick facade and tower structure located in central Bergen. The building contained stables, storage facilities, and living quarters for firefighters, along with a courtyard originally laid with slate stones.
The station was built in 1888 as an extension of Hagerupgården and designed by architect Peter Andreas Blix to house 50 firefighters and horse handlers. It represents the transition from horse-drawn to motorized firefighting in the early 20th century.
The building served as a central hub for Bergen firefighting operations, where horses were essential for emergency response and also supported local brewery deliveries. Visitors can still observe how the courtyard layout reflects the practical needs of an earlier era.
The location at Rådstuplassen offers easy access in central Bergen, and the preserved courtyard provides clear orientation for exploring the site. The intact architecture allows visitors to understand how the building's spaces were organized for firefighting operations.
The last fire station horse, Normann, departed in 1936, yet the garage ceiling retains the pulley system used for lowering horse harnesses from storage. This mechanical detail survives as a relic of the pre-motorized firefighting era.
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