Bentse Brug
Bentse Brug was a historic industrial site in Oslo that became Norway's first paper factory.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Bentse Brug was an early Norwegian industrial establishment located on both sides of the Akerselva River, immediately above Bentse Bridge in Oslo. It began as a corn mill operated by the businessman Ole Bentsen and developed into the first paper factory in Norway. Bentsen conceived the paper-making project after a business journey to the Netherlands. Construction began in 1686, and production commenced in 1696 after Bentsen entered into a partnership with Gerhard Treschow in 1683. The partnership quickly became contentious. A legal dispute in the first year of production was decided in Treschow's favour, leaving Bentsen sidelined until he received compensation in 1716. Under Treschow, the operation was formally known as Øvre Papirmølle, although the public continued to call it Bentse Brug. After several years of weak profitability, Treschow sold the mill in 1717. A competing lower mill, Nedre Papirmølle, was established by the Christiania firm Collet & Leuch in 1739. The two operations shared management from 1748 to 1798, reflecting the close integration of paper production along the Akerselva. Bentse Brug expanded and modernised during the nineteenth century, when the Akerselva became Norway's most important industrial corridor. In 1838, the factory received the country's first paper machine, imported from England by Jacob Juel and Svend Moestue. This substantially increased efficiency, although production initially continued to rely on fibres from cotton and linen rags, with rye straw later added. The mill produced writing paper and became the principal supplier of paper used for Norway's first postage stamps. In 1851 the operation was acquired by Morgenbladet editor Adolf Bredo Stabell and later associated with harbour engineer Oluf Nicolai Roll. Old wooden structures on the west bank were replaced with a three-storey masonry factory. The facility was powered by a 60-horsepower turbine and two smaller water wheels and reportedly employed about 100 workers while operating continuously. Under technical director Viggo Drewsen, Bentse Brug became an early Norwegian user of mechanically produced wood pulp. It also acquired a sequence of paper machines, including equipment from Bertrams in England, Myrens Verksted in Norway, and Bentley & Jackson in England. By the 1880s, its output was concentrated on newsprint. The business entered a final phase after the operating partnership failed in 1889. Carl and Hartvig Bache-Wiig acquired the factory, modernised it, and operated it as Akerselvens Papirfabriker. Through their wider industrial interests, the plant obtained cellulose from Bøhnsdalen and wood pulp from Embretsfos. Bentse Brug was also the first Norwegian paper factory to use sulphite cellulose. Nevertheless, the site faced severe structural disadvantages: difficult transport along the river, limited water power, restricted opportunities for expansion, economic difficulties, and pollution in the Akerselva. The factory stopped paper production in 1889 according to the historical account and was finally closed in 1898. Its machinery was dispersed, several employees moved to Embretsfos, and the remaining buildings were eventually demolished. No Bentse Brug buildings survive, although Bentse-related street and bridge names remain part of Oslo's urban landscape.
History
Bentse Brug originated as a corn mill established by Ole Bentsen beside the Akerselva in Oslo. After visiting the Netherlands, Bentsen pursued the creation of a paper mill at the site. The project began in 1686 and reached production in 1696, following a partnership formed with Gerhard Treschow three years earlier. This made the operation Norway's first paper factory. The founders' relationship deteriorated almost immediately. Treschow prevailed in a legal dispute and assumed effective control, while Bentsen was later granted redress in 1716. The enterprise was known officially as Øvre Papirmølle during Treschow's period, but Bentse Brug remained its popular name. Treschow sold it in 1717 after disappointing financial performance. Competition emerged in 1739 when Collet & Leuch established Nedre Papirmølle. The two mills were jointly managed for much of the period from 1748 to 1798. During the nineteenth-century industrial expansion of the Akerselva district, Bentse Brug moved from traditional rag-based paper production toward mechanisation. In 1838 it installed Norway's first paper machine, imported from England. Earlier products had included writing paper, and the mill was an important source of paper for the country's first postage stamps. The factory later added a masonry building and water-powered equipment. Its workforce reached approximately 100 people, and the plant operated continuously while producing substantial quantities of writing paper. The factory became an important site in the development of Norwegian wood-fibre paper. Under Viggo Drewsen, it experimented with a locally developed wood-grinding apparatus and operated a small wood-pulp plant for several years. It also received pulp from Bjørsheim Træsliberie and other suppliers. Drewsen & Søn operated the mill and acquired successive paper machines, including a machine made by Myrens Verksted in 1870, the first paper machine manufactured in Norway. By the later nineteenth century, Bentse Brug mainly produced newsprint, reflecting the growth of newspapers and the rising demand for inexpensive paper. The operating partnership went bankrupt in 1889. Carl and Hartvig Bache-Wiig then acquired and modernised the factory under the name Akerselvens Papirfabriker. Their connected businesses supplied cellulose and wood pulp, and Bentse Brug became the first Norwegian paper factory to use sulphite cellulose. The plant nevertheless struggled with difficult river transport, limited hydropower, restricted space for expansion, industrial pollution, and broader economic problems. Goods were moved largely by horse and cart, and the operation reportedly required long lines of horses for major consignments. Production ended in 1889 in the account of the site's history, while the factory was finally closed in 1898. A fire destroyed the Norwegian-made paper machine shortly before the end of the century. Other machines were sold or transferred to facilities including Union in Skien, Klevfos Cellulose & Papirfabrik, and Embretsfos. Many workers also moved to Embretsfos. Myrens Verksted took over the old mill in 1912, and the remaining buildings were demolished in 1976. No original Bentse Brug buildings remain, but Bentsegata, Bentsebrugata, and Bentsebrua preserve the name in Oslo. A building associated with the former Nedre Papirmølle, later known as Glads Mølle, survives as one of the oldest industrial buildings along the Akerselva.
- 1976
Remaining buildings demolished
[1]The surviving Bentse Brug buildings were demolished, leaving the site without original structures.
- 1912
Myrens Verksted takes over the old mill
[1]Myrens Verksted assumed control of the former mill site after the paper factory's closure.
- 1898
Final closure
[1]Bentse Brug finally ceased operations after mounting logistical, technological, environmental, and financial pressures.
- 1889
Bankruptcy and takeover
[1]The partnership operating Bentse Brug became bankrupt, and the Bache-Wiig brothers took over and reorganised it as Akerselvens Papirfabriker.
- 1870
First Norwegian-made paper machine installed
[1]Bentse Brug acquired a paper machine from neighbouring Myrens Verksted, the first paper machine manufactured in Norway.
- 1858
Wood-pulp experimentation begins
[1]Viggo Drewsen became technical head and Bentse Brug began using wood pulp in paper production.
- 1851
Industrial rebuilding
[1]The site was acquired by Adolf Bredo Stabell and later associated with Oluf Nicolai Roll, with old wooden structures replaced by a modern masonry factory.
- 1838
First paper machine in Norway
[1]Bentse Brug installed the country's first paper machine, imported from England.
- 1717
Treschow sells the mill
[1]After weak profitability, Gerhard Treschow sold the operation.
- 1696
Norway's first paper factory starts production
[1]The paper mill entered production after Bentsen's partnership with Gerhard Treschow enabled completion of the project.
Products and positioning
A pioneering Norwegian paper-making institution and historic industrial site rather than a contemporary consumer brand.
Paper
Writing paper
Writing paper was an important early product of Bentse Brug. Production originally relied heavily on fibres recovered from cotton and linen rags, with rye straw later used as an additional source. The mill's nineteenth-century mechanisation allowed it to produce paper more efficiently and at greater scale.
Paper
Newsprint
From the 1880s, Bentse Brug concentrated its output on newsprint. This shift reflected expanding newspaper circulation and the broader industrial demand for lower-cost paper made with wood pulp and cellulose rather than relying solely on scarce rags.
Specialty paper
Postage-stamp paper
Bentse Brug was the principal supplier of paper used for Norway's first postage stamps. This role connected the mill to the early development of the country's postal and printing infrastructure.
Industrial paper · 1858
Wood-pulp and cellulose paper
The factory pioneered the use of wood fibre in Norwegian paper production. It operated a small experimental grinding installation, obtained wood pulp from associated mills, and later became the first Norwegian paper factory to use sulphite cellulose.
Brand decisions
1889
Reorganisation as Akerselvens PapirfabrikerStrategyBackground
The partnership operating Bentse Brug went bankrupt amid growing industrial and commercial pressure.
Action taken
Carl and Hartvig Bache-Wiig acquired the factory, modernised it, and integrated it with their wider wood-processing interests.
Aftermath
The reorganised operation used sulphite cellulose and external wood-pulp supplies but closed permanently by 1898.
1858
Move toward wood fibreStrategyBackground
Demand for paper was rising while suitable rags were becoming difficult to obtain.
Action taken
Under technical director Viggo Drewsen, Bentse Brug introduced wood-pulp experimentation and developed a small grinding apparatus.
Aftermath
The experiment helped establish Bentse Brug as an early Norwegian participant in the transition from rag paper to wood-fibre paper, although the initial installation operated for only about five years.
1838
Installation of Norway's first paper machineProduct launchBackground
Traditional hand production was becoming inadequate as demand for paper increased and industrialisation accelerated along the Akerselva.
Action taken
Bentse Brug imported and installed a paper machine from England, substantially increasing production efficiency.
Aftermath
The installation marked a major transition from craft-based production to mechanised paper manufacturing in Norway.
Sources1 sources
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