Østensjøvannet

Historie

Østensjøvannet is a lake in Oslo, capital of Norway. It is well known for the wide variety of birds and other wildlife that can be found there. It is surrounded by the Østensjø borough. It is currently a wildlife preserve, though urban development posed a serious threat to the lake and its environs during the 1980s and early 1990s.The nameØstensjøvannet is named after the old Østensjø farm . The first element is austan 'east of', and the last element is sjór 'sea, lake'. The farm is situated on the lake's east side. The last element is the finite form of vann 'water; lake'. The meaning of the name is then 'the lake belonging to the farm Østensjø'.WildlifeØstensjøvannet is well known for its birdlife, and over 200 different species of birds have been sighted at or near the lake, quite a significant number by Norwegian standards.Other wildlife is regularly sighted at the lake, but the variety of species is not much different from surrounding places, such as Østmarka.Fishing during the summer is forbidden, while ice-fishing is allowed.Cultural historyFinds in the area suggest that people may have been living in the area as far back as the stone age. Farming in the area started around 500 AD. At various locations surrounding the lake, there are burial mounds from the Viking Age.Abildsø Farm, located on the lake's west side, was Norway's second farm school, and is where Minna Wetlesen started Europe's, and possibly the world's first "household"-school where girls and young women could learn about running a household and performing the various tasks related to it.