The Norwegian capital’s tributes to American political figures are usually grand and symbolic—Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and George Marshall all have statues and memorials. But what about Donald Trump? He has a bench at the bus station.
If you’re waiting for a coach in central Oslo, you might come across an unlikely nod to the NYC property tycoon who later became a U.S. President. The dark stone bench is etched with “Donald T.” alongside names like “Waldorf Astoria” and “The Village.” This piece was designed to bring a slice of the Big Apple to the Galleri Oslo office building and bus terminal when it opened in 1989.
Given that Trump was barely on Norway’s radar at the time, why was his name etched into Oslo’s public furniture? Credit goes to Norwegian designer Thomas Wollnick, who visited New York during the 1980s and was thus familiar with the real estate magnate. For Wollnick, Trump represented the bold spirit of Manhattan. Looking back, the designer finds it somewhat amusing that he played a part in creating this modest tribute.
When Trump eventually became a household name in Norway, largely due to his political career, the bench faced growing backlash—ranging from graffiti to one journalist’s sarcastic call to tear it down, while another joked it was perfect for “sitting and farting” by bus passengers waiting for their rides.
Today, Galleri Oslo, once intended as Europe’s longest indoor shopping street, has become one of the city’s least-loved landmarks. As for the Trump bench? In a modern context, it’s an odd relic of the yuppie era, when the New York real estate mogul symbolized high-stakes ambition rather than globally polarizing politics.
