Sankt Hanshaugen in Oslo, Norway — Northern Europe (a Nordic Country in Scandinavia)
«Sulpen»
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, June 26, 2025
1. «Sulpen» Marker
I en tid da hiv betød stigmatisering og død var dette et trygt møtested for dem som var rammet
From 1988 to 1994 here was located "Sulpen", the premises of the “Pluss” association for HIV positive people.
At a time when HIV meant stigmatization and death, this was a safe meeting place for those affected.
Erected 2024 by Selskabet For Oslo Byes Vel.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Science & Medicine. In addition, it is included in the Selskabet For Oslo Byes Vel series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1988.
Location. 59° 55.016′ N, 10° 44.583′ E. Marker is in Oslo. It is in Sankt Hanshaugen. It is on Keysers gate west of Akersgata, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Keysers gate 5, Oslo 0180, Norway. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, on the Atlantic Arc, in Europe, in Atlantic Europe, in Scandinavia, in the Nordic Countries, in the Schengen Area,
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Maltheby (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); St. Olav’s Cathedral World War II Memorial (about 150 meters away); Caffebrænderi / Coffee Roastery (about 180 meters away); Oslogjengen / “The Oslo Gang” (about 210 meters away); Den Gamle Regjeringsbygningen / The Old Government Building (about 210 meters away); Elisabet Helsing (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Hulda Garborg (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); David Goldberg (approx. 0.3 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oslo.
Also see . . . Avduking av blått skilt på tidligere Sulpen (HivNorge, Nov. 25, 2024, in Norwegian). Excerpt (in translation):
It was in the late summer of 1988 that Pluss got its first permanent premises, barely three months after the organization was started. The Directorate of Health and the City of Oslo had allocated money so that the organization could move into Keysers gate 5, just off St. Olavs plass. Then, for the first time, people with HIV could meet, relax and be themselves. The meeting place(Submitted on June 27, 2025.)was a room behind the offices with a separate entrance from the gate room, and only people with HIV had access here. You rang a special bell with the name Sulpen (Plus spelled backwards), and you had to give your name, membership number and monthly password to be let in.Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, June 26, 20252. «Sulpen» Marker - wide view
HivNorge's Secretary General Anne-Karin Kolstad says it is important that we do not forget history and remember the time when HIV and AIDS were a death sentence. - More than 680 died of AIDS in the 80s and 90s, says the Secretary General, many of them young people who had their whole lives ahead of them.
There was a heavy stigma hanging over those who were affected that made it difficult to be open about their diagnosis. - Such a safe place to be like Sulpen was crucial for many and often the only place they could be open about their diagnosis and often their grief over the loss of lovers and friends, concludes Anne-Karin Kolstad.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 26, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 91 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 26, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 2. submitted on June 27, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
