Tonsenhagen

Tonsenhagen is a place in the borough of Bjerke in northeast Oslo, Norway. Built in the 1950s, it was one of the early new suburbs within Oslo. Situated on a hillside with wonderful views of Oslo, surrounded by the Lilloe Forest and close to Grefsenkollen, the whole area has an idyllic setting at the fringe of the woods. Tonsenhagen is well known as a place for young families to settle, the mulitcoloured block of flats are symphatetic compared with other suburbs and the local school has provided a high standard of prep and prepreparatory education since the early 1960s. The Grefsenkollen ski slopes and the vast outbacks provides great opportunities for winter sports and summer walking.

=Tonsenhagen School= The School has been the focal point for many activities, including sports, music and education. The first headmaster, Rolf Ridar, was a keen sigar smoker and also a football and sports enthusiast. He ran the place with a protective interest in the school and its reputation, but with rather hard hand and a requirement for pupils to conform, whilst other teachers like Ingebrigt Davik (a well known Norwegian children's play and book writer) formed the basis for the kind and the happy environment that became the hallmark of this establishment. Miss Fjallestad, as one of the very first teachers, was a kind soul who helped many pupils understand multiplication tables.

Teacher and Feminist Street Names

The main road through the area is named after the first woman member of parliament, Anna Rogstad, who was also a teacher and an early Norwegian suffragette. The first female professor of Oslo University in 1912, Kristine Bonnevie, gave her name to the upper most road on the hill (with 3 very distinct blue block of flats), whilst another teacher and feminist, Ragna Nielsen, name the another main road. The Selvbyggerveien (Self Builders Road) got its name for obvious reasons, with the block of flats being built by owners co-operatives (Byggelag).