Oslo’s Grand Hotel May Be Purchased by Swedish Firm

Norwegians may soon see one of their most famous cultural landmarks, Oslo’s Grand Hotel, fall into Swedish hands.

The hotel’s cafe, where 19th-Century playwright Henrik Ibsen drank a daily cup of coffee at a table by the window, is a great source of national pride. Artists, including painter Edvard Munch, also met there.

Stockholm-Saltsjoebaden, a Swedish investment firm, said today it has entered discussions with the Grand’s management on a possible takeover. Any Swedish takeover is not likely to be popular in Oslo. Norway was ruled by Sweden for almost 100 years, until 1905, and Norwegians are still sensitive to what many see as a Swedish superiority complex.