The Nobel Peace Centre was officially inaugurated in 2005 by King Harold of Norway Harold and was timed to coincide with the centenary of the country's independence. It is located in the former railway station, built in 1872, standing half-turned towards the Town Hall Square overlooking the harbour.
The centre is both a museum telling the history of the Nobel Peace Prize and an exhibition hall with an ever-evolving exhibition on the theme of peace, and a club for discussions on issues related to war, peace and conflict resolution. It also frequently hosts various cultural events and public lectures.
The Nobel Peace Prize was established by the renowned Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite. It was documented in 1895 in the form of a bequest of an astronomical amount of money left to people who have done good for the world. The Peace Prize is awarded at Oslo City Hall on 10 December, the day of Alfred Nobel's death. The centre currently exists with through funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Culture, the help of sponsors and the sale of admission tickets.
