Freia is Norway’s most iconic chocolate manufacturer, founded in 1889 in the Rodeløkka district of Oslo. The company’s success is largely attributed to Johan Throne Holst, who took over in 1892 and revolutionized the business by focusing on modern industrial practices and employee welfare. Freia is responsible for national staples like Freia Melkesjokolade (“a little piece of Norway”), Kvikk Lunsj, and the high-end Kong Haakon chocolates. The factory site itself is a cultural landmark, housing the Freia Park and a canteen adorned with twelve original paintings by Edvard Munch. While the company was acquired by Mondelēz International in 1993, it remains a pillar of Norwegian industrial history and national identity.

A central piece of this history is the “Freiauret” (The Freia Clock) located atop Thunegården at Egertorget in central Oslo. This landmark began as Norway’s first electric light advertisement on December 23, 1909, consisting of 800 light bulbs that spelled out “Freia.” It was so impressive that U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt commented on it during his 1910 visit to Oslo. The clock itself was added in 1925 by Finn S. Wiborg and the firm NOREFA, measuring 3.5 meters in diameter and marking the first light-up clock of its kind in the city. The display has evolved from light bulbs to neon in 1956, and finally to over 10,000 LEDs during a 2012 restoration. The entire structure weighs eight tons and is supported by beams running deep into the building’s foundation. Wiborg and NOREFA became pioneers in the field, later installing other famous signs like the “Long Fellow” advertisement on the Odd Fellow building. Today, “under the clock” at Egertorget remains one of the most popular meeting spots in Oslo.