17 May 2013 – Norwegian Constitution Day

The Constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on May 17 in the year 1814. The constitution declared Norway to be an independent nation.

The celebration of this day began spontaneously among students and others from early on. However, Norway was at that time in a union with Sweden (following the Convention of Moss in August 1814) and for some years the King of Sweden and Norway was reluctant to allow the celebrations. For a couple of years in the 1820s, King Karl Johan actually forbade it, as he thought the celebrations a kind of protest and disregard —even revolt— against the union.[1] The king’s attitude changed slightly after the Battle of the Square in 1829, an

(for my 345678 photos cycling Norway from North to South, click here )

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