Norwegian Museum of Cultural History (Norway)

Norsk Folkemuseum

Norsk Folkemuseum, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History at Bygdøy in Oslo, is a large open air museum. Norsk Folkemuseum is one of Norway’s largest museum of cultural history.

The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History is situated near several other museums, including the Viking Ship Museum; the Fram Museum; the Kon-Tiki Museum; and the Norwegian Maritime Museum;.

Log houses in Norsk Folkemuseum

History

It was established in 1894 by librarian and historian, Hans Aall (1867-1946). It contains over 150 buildings which have been relocated from different districts of Norway. Reidar Kjellberg became Director of the museum in 1947 and remained museum director until he retired in 1974.

Historic buildings from Hovin and Gransherad

Among its more significant buildings are Gol stave church from the 13th century which incorporated was into the Norwegian Folk Museum in 1907. The Gol Stave Church is one of five medieval buildings at the museum, which also includes the Rauland cabin (Raulandstua) from the 14th century, and the 18th century tenement building relocated from historic Wessels gate 15 in Oslo. In 1951, the Sami collection in the Ethnographic Museum of the University of Oslo was transferred to thr Norsk Folkemuseum.

Gas station relocated from outside Wessels gate 15

The museum also possesses a large photographic archive, including a significant portion of the works of Anders Beer Wilse. In 2004, the administration of the adjacent Bygdøy Royal Estate was transferred to the museum. In recent years, research has focused on building and furniture, clothing and textiles, technical and social culture, working memory and Sami culture.

Residential interior

Posted in: NORWAY