Heritage in Motion Norway Special 2015

ISSN: 1871-417X EUROPEAN CULTURAL HERITAGE REVIEW SUMMER 2015

EUROPA NOSTRA represents a rapidly growing citizens’ movement for the safeguarding of Europe’s cultural and natural heritage. Our pan-European network is composed of 240 member organisations (heritage associations and foundations with a combined membership of more than 5 million people), 140 associated organisations (governmental bodies, local authorities and corporations) and also 1100 individual members who directly support our mission.

TOGETHER, • we form an important lobby for cultural heritage in Europe; • we celebrate excellence through the European Heritage Awards organised

by Europa Nostra in partnership with the European Union; and • we campaign to save Europe’s endangered historic monuments, sites and cultural landscapes.

We are the Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe.

NORWEGIAN WOOD MUNCH, IBSEN AND GRIEG PREHISTORIC ART VIKINGS, TALL SHIPS AND HISTORIC RAILROADS INTERVIEWS WITH EU COMMISSIONER TIBOR NAVRACSICS AND UNESCO DIRECTOR-GENERAL IRINA BOKOVA

NORWAY SPECIAL

Building A New Bertelsmann digital international fast-growing

Bertelsmann is an international media, services and education company with 180 years of history. We stand for a combination of creativity and entrepreneurship that empowers the creation of first-rate media, communications, and service offerings to inspire people around the world and to provide innovative solutions for customers. As a media house that promotes the arts and puts creativity at the heart of its value creation and corporate culture, Bertelsmann is strongly committed to safeguarding Europe’s cultural heritage.

We are honored to express this commitment in supporting the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards.

www.bertelsmann.com

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Welcome

By Plácido Domingo, President of Europa Nostra It is a great pleasure for me to introduce the Norway Special of our Heritage in Motion Magazine. It will take you on a discovery tour of the rich heritage of Norway, the host country of the Europa Nostra Congress 2015: from a skillfully restored wooden farmhouse near Vågå to the prehistoric rock art of Alta; from the breathtakingly beautiful Nærøyfjord to the amazing Urnes stave church. This edition of our Magazine will show you how important the tangible and intangible heritage is for local communities in Norway, and what pride and joy it brings to people’s everyday life.

Cultural heritage is a positive force. It gives hope, it helps us to connect with one another and it shows us our common humanity. This is why cultural heritage is so vitally important. That is also why, in times of conflict, heritage is so often the victim of deliberate destruction.

Only recently alas, we have helplessly witnessed the destruction of millennia old cultural treasures in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya. In the light of all those deplorable developments, we could not have had a more symbolic stage for this year’s celebration of ‘the best of the best’ of Europe’s heritage achievements: Oslo City Hall - the home of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. Our European Heritage Awards Ceremony will be organised, like every year, with our key partner the European Union, represented by Tibor Navracsics, the EU Commissioner responsible for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. He has also kindly accepted to share with the readers of this Norway Special his ideas and plans to support cultural heritage in Europe. I am also particularly grateful that Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO - who shall be our special guest in Oslo - has granted us an exclusive interview promoting the campaign #Unite4Heritage which UNESCO launched last March under her leadership.

One thing is certain: to ensure a prosperous and peaceful future for Europe, we must put a special emphasis on the youth.

We therefore have to put every effort in improving our educational systems. Art, culture and history are essential for understanding our world and also for fully deploying the creative talents of our youth.

Cultural heritage is a strategic resource that can help us boost a sustainable development of Europe’s cities and countryside.

Norway shows the way as it has continuously invested in many heritage projects, not only at home but also in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe (through the EEA & Norway Grants), boosting economic development and fostering social cohesion for local communities. You can read more about such projects in this Magazine.

The production of this Norway Special would not have been possible without the invaluable input of our country representation Europa Nostra Norway and Fortidsminneforeningen, the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments, our main member organisation in Norway. We also wish to thank all Norwegian public and private organisations that have given us their advice and support. Finally, our special gratitude goes to three organisations that have made financial contributions towards the production of this Magazine: the European Union, through its Creative Europe programme; the EEA & Norway Grants provided by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, through the EFTA’s Financial Mechanism Office, and UNESCO, through the Norwegian National Commission.

Since this Magazine can show you only a glimpse of the great variety and dynamism of the Norwegian heritage field, we invite you all to visit and discover Norway for yourself. We can promise you an amazing and enriching experience!

Design 26 Heavenly The Stave Churches of Norway

Bridges 30 Building The EEA and Norway

Sustainable Future for 38 AHeritage

The Directorate for Cultural Heritage

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An Artist’s Dream

CITY DREAMS COUNTRY DREAMS

34 Alta Rocks!

FEATURE

TREASURE

Grants system

FEATURE

Constitution 22 ATheStrong History of Eidsvoll Manor

TREASURE

in Stone 14 Life The Vigeland Park

FEATURE

Wood 06 Norwegian Norway’s cultural heritage pur sang

LIVING HERITAGE

CONTENTS

Unite4Heritage Interview with UNESCO DirectorGeneral Irina Bokova

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“Heritage helps us to shape our vision of the Europe of the future” Interview with Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport

Ålesund’s Guardian Angel The Kjell Holm Foundation

PARTNER

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INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE

Turning Copper into Gold The Story of Røros

PARTNER

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Then & Now

PARTNER

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THEN & NOW

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Articles on youth projects are marked with

World Class Travel / 18 Smooth Sailing / 42 Born to Ski / 50 Tasty Traditions / 54 Letters from Norway / 66 Panorama / 72 Building Future Heritage / 80

The Heart of the Land Sámi Culture / 84

The Power of Heritage / 88 The Sweet Revenge of Mrs Mullion / 90 A Room With a View / 92 Child’s Play The Educational Side of Norwegian Heritage / 102 Family Treasures / 112

WikiLovesMonuments / 114 Modernist Memories / 118 From Music Kindergarten to Concert Podium / 122 The 7 Most Endangered / 124 Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe / 126

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Restored wooden joints

Norwegian Wood Forget about stately homes of fine stone and marble, golden palaces reflecting the evening sun, grandiose granite monuments of rulers long gone and of civilisations lost in time.

Norway’s cultural heritage is mostly made of wood, pure and simple; glorious oak, trustworthy pine and spruce and bendy birch.

Norwegian monuments don’t crave for attention, they beautifully and quietly do what they are supposed to do; protecting their owners from the elements. From the summer farms high in the mountains to the wooden manors of the magistrates, from the small villages along the rugged coastline to the medieval stave churches, Norway’s magnificent wooden heritage is perfectly in tune with the natural environment.

07 The Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments (Fortidsminneforeningen), organises in cooperation with Europa Nostra an intensive, 7-day workshop focusing on the traditional crafts and building techniques of Norway. The programme has been specially designed to coincide with the Europa Nostra Annual Congress in Oslo (10-14 June 2015) and will allow young European crafters (18-25) to take part in hands-on training sessions in conservation and restoration, township development and environmental protection with a special focus on learning about traditional Norwegian wooden craftsmanship and masonry.

The programme will also include visits to museums and special excursions.

To say that Norwegians have a passion for wood is an understatement. Norway’s identity is still closely connected to traditional farm life, even though most Norwegians now live in the city. Almost every family has hands-on experience with agrarian culture and heritage restoration. If you visit a holiday cabin – and a surprising number of Norwegians has one – for Easter or Christmas, you cannot just sit back and enjoy. The roof has to be made snow free, the fences need to be mended and the wooden sheds must be repaired and tarred.

Numedal storage building 19th century photo of a wooden boarding house in Vågå

In recent years the restoration of abandoned farms and country manors has taken flight. The realisation that these often medieval houses not only need

to be protected, they need to be used and maintained, has become common place among young Norwegian families looking for a change of pace.

Lindvik’s farm

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One such an enthusiastic couple is Dag and Else Lindvik. When they bought their farm in Vågå (roughly in the middle of Norway ed.) it was in a rather sad and derelict state. Dag talks passionately about his work on the farm,

The Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo In 2004 Arne Berg and Håkon.

Christie won the The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards in the category Dedicated Service for their research and work on medieval wooden architecture. As curator of the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo, Berg had relocated and conserved hundreds of rural wood buildings en Christie had worked for more than 60 years on stave churches.

Living room Lindvik Farm

which they have – building by building – converted into a hotel.

“It needed a lot of work. It took us years and years to get this far.” His wife Else nods her head in silent confirmation. “There are many rules and regulations and you have to very creative to transform the different houses into comfortable hotel rooms,” he explains while he shows us around a large storage log-house in which a luxurious bedroom has been placed, like a box within a box. “Every building needed new ideas and a different approach to combine modern amenities with historical elements. It was quite a challenge.”

Norwegian farms are slightly different from traditional farm houses in countries such as Germany or the United Kingdom.

Large wooden log structures are not easy to build, nor easy to take apart and rebuild somewhere else.

There are practical limitations

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Main building Lindvik Farm Hotel room Lindvik Farm

in the length and weight of the logs you can use. So in Norway everything ended up with its own little building; the owners, their parents, the hired help, the equipment, the chickens, the pigs, the hay and the cows.

A Norwegian farm is a large collection of wooden buildings, huddled together like a close knit family and in a sense they are.

In the Lindvik farm all the log houses, great and small, have now been converted to rooms.

It is a charming hotel in a fairytale setting. “In the winter we have the use of the whole main house,” Else explains showing us the comfortable rooms of the beautifully restored manor house, their children playing in front of the open fire place. “In summer we

move upstairs and use these rooms for our guests as the breakfast and dining rooms.”

Dag regularly rubs the authorities the wrong way. When they wanted to come inside to document all the heritage elements in the house, he flatly refused. It made the front pages. Dag is still annoyed by the attitude he encountered. “Listen, we have restored this house, it is our investment, our life and they want to come in to make lists of what they consider historical elements. These then become an integral part of the house and its listing. That could make selling it much more difficult and I won’t stand for it.”

Dag’s work on his Lindvik farm is nearing its completion and

he is becoming restless. He bought another property nearby where he can start again. “It’s in a dilapidated state, but it has a lot of potential,” he says enthusiastically while he is climbing with some difficulty inside the main building. The floors are in a pretty bad state and the roof has seen better days but some progress has already been made. The smaller outhouses however seem on the verge of collapse. It feels more like a collection of nightmares and sleepless nights, than a promising ensemble of heritage buildings.

But Dag and Else’s enthusiasm for the restoration is undiminished and with their passion and perseverance it certainly will, once again, become a success.

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The Odelsrett, or rune right, dates back to the Viking age and has had a large influence on the development of the Norwegian countryside.

If a family has lived on a plot of land for a considerable time and the property is sold to a stranger, family members have the right within a specified period of time (which varies through history, for instance 5 or 10 years) to buy it back at the price paid, with the additional cost of any improvements made. It offers some protection for the daughters – who have the right to buy it back if father sold it to a male relative – as well as the extended family of brothers, uncles and nephews – for instance if a farmer dies without children. As a result, much of the land tends to stay in the possession of one family for centuries.

Ola Fjeldheim’s farm

Ola Harald Fjeldheim also works on his family farm. He is the director of the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancients Monuments (Fortidsminneforeningen) which protects and celebrates Norwegian heritage and is responsible for some of Norway’s most spectacular wooden heritage, such as the Urnes stave church (UNESCO World Heritage).

In the 1990s, Ola Fjeldheim used his Odel right (see encadre ed.) to buy back his family’s property. “It was to be demolished and I could not let that happen. It was quite a gamble. Other family members were not interested, but I saw the possibilities. I never regretted it, although it was far from easy. The Onsrud farm was built in 1897 and was owned by my family since 1917.”

Onsrud is a large and restful place.

Most of the farmland, the forest

and pastures are leased out. The white-washed main building and the surrounding outhouses are one by one in the process of being restored. Befitting a heritage professional, he does much of the work himself. He received some funding, but it is mostly a long lasting labour of love. As much as possible the original style, colors and materials are brought back, but obviously some choices had to be made. It may be very alluring to live in a beautifully restored 19th century house as long as it does not include the original plumbing and sanitary facilities. The walls and doorways were carefully scraped off layer by layer to discover the colours and types of paint used. The traditional linseed oil pigments have a different texture than modern acrylics and allow moisture to seep through.

“We are keen to keep the character of the house, but we don’t want

Stove Fjedheim farm

to live in a museum. It is a slow process, but we are getting there, one building at the time. We get a

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Restored buildings Fjeldheim farm

of one of the small restored houses next to the main manor house.

“It’s living heritage.”

fantastic home, with a history and a soul. One of the larger structures we have recently finished. It is a comfortable and useful space.

We will start renting it out for gatherings and meetings.”

“One of the unique features of Norwegian heritage is that most houses are made like a do-ityourself construction kit. We sometimes joke that Norwegian monuments are like Lego. They were designed in such a way that they can be taken apart and build up again. That makes it relatively easy to just replace a log or part of a log. You do not have to tear an old house down, you can use elements of the old in the new,” Fjeldheim explains on the veranda

To be able to restore Norwegian heritage, you need knowledge and wisdom. And you cannot learn it from books, knows Roald Renmælmo. He is the only Norwegian out of six PhD. students at the University of Göteborg, the highest education for craftsmen available in Europe. He has come to the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo – which houses a fine collection of historical wooden monuments – to demonstrate the importance of historical knowledge for wooden heritage conservation.

“Through my PhD., I work in conservation and restoration on what we call snikkar in Norwegian.

The word has a general meaning as carpenter but it is more specifically an expert in wood-joining or a cabinetmaker. One of the problems is that heritage monuments and sites are usually interpreted by art historians and not by carpenters,” Renmælmo explains, slightly out of breath due to his demonstration on how to properly shave a floor plank. “There is very little documentation in writing. You have to approach the problem from a practical perspective. Which

As most of Norway’s cultural heritage consists of wooden monuments, there is a serious need for well-educated and practically schooled craftsmen.

Thousands are needed in the years to come, and not enough young students are trained on a yearly basis.

The Handicraft School of Hjerleid in Dovre (Vågå) is one of the top vocational training facilities in Norway.

Here students come to learn traditional skills, to become for instance a carpenter or a blacksmith. The blacksmith teacher is from Georgia in the USA and he is busy beating a still malleable dragon’s head into shape for an annual competition which he hopes he will win. Outside a snowy chill still roams the valley, but the foundry is warm and cosy with the steady sound of hammers and fire. The school shops shows the quality of the work being done by the students and the teachers in the field of wood carving, furniture making, icon painting and tool making. And the students and teachers also build traditional log cabins.

If you are lucky you can even buy one for €12,000 (without floor, windows, door or delivery).

The Hjerleid school and craft center is a collaborative effort. Besides the handicraft School, there is a Centre for Rural Culture as well as several small autonomous businesses. They organise weekend courses for individuals as well as businesses.

Restored log house

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Roald Renmælmo at work

logs did the builders use and why?

What kind of tools did the black smith use and how and when did they use them. You have to check the museum collections. There is a direct connection between the wood and the carpenter. It starts already in the forest with the selection of the trees. A saw mill sorts afterwards, but you can save a lot of time and energy Ornamental door frame One of Norway’s oldest wooden houses

In the serene Numedal we discover one of the oldest wooden houses of Norway. From the outside it looks like any other whitewashed farm, but as soon as you enter you find yourself surrounded by medieval logs. On the side of the building there is hidden panel which shows the original ornamented door frame of the original house.

by selecting the trees carefully.

With a machine you cannot make tapered forms but with traditional wood working tools you can. I can compete with a machine, because most of the planks that come out of a saw mill I cannot use. It all has to do with the work-flow. You have to learn by doing. When you do the work, you can find solutions that would otherwise allude you. By following the carpenter’s workflow, you discover the tricks of the trade.”

“Some people say the trees do not have the same quality as before. I do not believe that is true. We just have to understand their selection process, for instance the use of birch on grass roofs. The new ones start leaking after a few years while much, much older roofs are still going strong. There is nothing wrong with our birch, we just did not understand the technology. If we check the old ways of building, we discover the craftsmen worked quickly and efficiently. In fact, they worked much more efficiently than we.”

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Skrivergården Undesløs

Traditional workbench

“Research is necessary and the carpenters need to go back to school. It is forgotten knowledge.

There is true value in the historical buildings, there are construction secrets to be discovered.” He stands up and shows me a long workbench which looks like two thick planks fitted together. “I discovered this model in an old shed. It helps to make floor boards which fit perfectly together, something you cannot accomplish with an electric saw. Another aspect is the smooth surface of the wood, it has to be evened out.

You need a craftsman to show you how this is done. I was lucky to be Wood shavings are important

taught by an old carpenter, born in 1908, who showed me not to use a clamp for instance, but to use my leg, it gives a much better result.

And he used a hemp-cord covered in soot, it makes it easy to mark the lines to precisely cut the wood with an ax. The shavings of wood were used for isolation between the logs. You can learn a lot from how logs and planks were made and what tools they used from these shavings. I found the tool box of Knut Warsen Høis (17991882). He made his own tools and even monogrammed them. His work teaches me so much. These traditional craftsmen were far removed from what we normally think of as carpenters. They were connected to other toolmakers, across Europe.”

You can find more on Renmælmo’s research on Skottbenk.wordpress. com and hyvelbenk.wordpress.com

Skrivergården Undesløs is a beautifully located manor house, about 1 1/2 hour drive from Oslo. The property dates back to medieval times, but the present house was designed by architect Otto Friis and built in 1859. Traditionally it was the seat of the local representative of the national government, who lived and worked here, but over the years it had lost much of its former charm and had changed into a normal Norwegian farm. In 2004, Steinar Wangensteen Naess – a civil engineer, business man and author – bought the property and started an ambitious restoration project. He had already worked at the farm for many years and bought it from his aging uncles to fulfill his long held dream to make Undesløs once again an estate in the heart of the local community. He shows us all the work already done, including the recreation of the ornamented wall paper and the restoration of the epic battle scene paintings of the reception room.

Large parts of the country estate have been brought back to their former glory, with great emphasis on contemporary colors and details. But there are still many rooms in need of Wangensteen Naess’ passionate attention and it will take a few more years until the property is completely restored to its heyday splendour Reconstructed wallpaper

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Life in Stone Two laughing children riding piggyback on their voluptuous, naked mother; a baby jumping up and down in blind anger; an elderly woman solemnly contemplating her potentially short future‌

Norwegian Wood

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Studies for Circle of Life and the Monolith

Circle of Life and the Monolith

The Vigeland Installation in Frogner Park is an immense sculpture park, the work of one artist, Gustav Vigeland (18691943). Walking around the Circle of Life and the Monolith or the ornamental fountain, is it easy to see why the park is one of Norway’s top tourist attractions. The nudes, over 200 in total, were sculpted

by Vigeland and are very human - some are almost fragile - despite being made of bronze and granite.

The great Monolith shows 121 figures trying to crawl their way up to the sky, to the divine; humanity bound together by a common goal.

Just this one sculpture took 14 years to complete. At first glance the monumental art has that idealised form we know all too well from the 1930s and 40s, but if we look closer we discover that the

Vigeland Museum

imagery is far from traditional; there is humour and emotion and a keen understanding of the foibles of the human condition, chiseled in stone and cast in iron and bronze.

Below the bridge, by the stream, is a peaceful, small playground where young parents may rest on

benches while their children play surrounded by eight lovely, small children in bronze. In the centre, a small, unborn, infant is mounted on its head, ready to enter the world. The imagery is unusual to say the least. But then again, so was the artist who created them.

Vigeland, who was born as Adolf Gustav Thorsen, was a smart man

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The fountain in Frogner Park Studies for the Fountain

with a keen eye for his own legacy.

When city development made it necessary for the municipality to tear down his studio, he struck a unique deal with far reaching implications. He would get a new studio and apartment in Frogner Park, free of rent for the rest of his life. In return he would donate his art to the city, who would dedicate a museum in his honour.

Vigeland died in 1943 and in 1947 the Vigeland Museum and the Vigeland Installation were opened to the public. Instantly, the park became one of Oslo’s most popular and lasting cultural heritage icons.

The museum adjacent to the park is a wonderful time machine. Walking between the original sculptural designs of the park, it feels as if we

are walking through the artist’s mind. Some of the sculptures in the park are high up on columns or in the middle of a fountain, but here we can see their ingenious, flowing forms up close. It also becomes clear that Vigeland could never have accomplished all this on his own. He was assisted by a small army of highly skilled craftsmen for all the major plaster and iron casting and stone masonry.

The museum has a collection of over 1500 sculptures and 12,000 drawings, as well as photographs, letters and notebooks. Considering that the museum and park welcome well over a million visitors a year, Gustav Vigeland would have been very pleased indeed.

Gustav Vigeland working 1905

Gustav’s younger brother Emanuel Vigeland (18751948) was also a very talented artist and his museum at Slemdal is one of Oslo’s best kept secrets. The museum’s main attraction is a dark, barrel-vaulted room, completely covered with fresco paintings. It depicts human life from conception till death, in dramatic and often explicitly erotic scenes. Emanuel eventually decided that the museum should also serve as his mausoleum. All the windows were closed and his ashes were to rest in an urn above the entrance door.

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World Class Travel

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Travelling through the fjords of Norway is always an unforgettable experience, but with the historical Flåmsbana, the small rejuvenated railroad from Flåm to Myrdal, it is even better.

Plans to build the railroad to connect the Flåm ferry with the Oslo-Bergen railroad system was a long time in the making. Finally, in the 1940s the Flåm-Myrdal railroad was officially opened.

After decades of success, the line started to seriously lose money.

At the same time, tourists began to show an interest. The line was privatised, the ticket prices went up sharply, and the railroad started a new life as one of the most popular tourist attractions of Norway with over half a million passengers a year.

Interior train

The small village of Flåm is dwarfed by an enormous cruiseship, which itself is dwarfed by

the enormous mountains of the Aurlandsfjord. This is in the heart of the west Norwegian fjords, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which focusses on the nearby Nærøyfjord in addition to the Geirangerfjord, which lies further north on the west coast.

The passengers stream out like a colourful river unto the platform.

It is a busy and happy crowd from all over the world, with eyes in constant admiration of the Norwegian landscape. The train itself is a sober, but pleasant affair and its wooden interior fits perfectly with the natural setting of the village. The single-track train route takes us along some

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On the way to Myrdal

of the most spectacular sites in Norway, from lush valleys with solitary farmhouses to imposing rock-faces with long, cascading waterfalls. With every twist and turn of the train, a new panorama reveals itself. Towards the end, a stop is made close to a roaring waterfall, spraying its visitors with a fine mist. Here a surprise artistic performance unfolds with a mysterious, singing wood nymph. Be aware, whoever enters the endless forests and timeless mountains. This seductive creature may lure the listener into the caves where the hideous trolls reign, as Henrik Ibsen’s famous Peer Gynt play teaches us...

Then it’s all over, the spell is broken and the slightly damp tourists re-board the train. The journey continues to pleasant Myrdal, where the historic Flåmsbana connects to daily trains between Oslo and Bergen.

Not far from Flåm, in the heart of the Nærøyfjord, we find the village of Gudvangen. From here, we can take the ferry to the other side of the Sognefjord, a seemingly normal form of daily transport, but with divine views. Like a row of hulking dark giants, the steep mountains are almost perfectly reflected in the deep, clear water of the fjord. In between the gray granite rocks, we see little pockets

The station at Flåm Waterfall with wood nymphs Curious inhabitant of the Nærøyfjord

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of green - small villages with colourful wooden houses, almost too idyllic to be real.

The little church of Bakka

From Gudvangen you can also cycle or drive along the fjord to the tiny village of Bakka, passing through a roughly chiselled tunnel, which opens up to a spectacular view of the fjord.

Bakka is cultural heritage in perfect harmony with nature. A small road leads along the bottom of the valley. It is like driving through a 19th century Romantic painting. Seagulls float around in the air above the whitewashed wooden church, and in the distance we can just see a fishingboat with angling enthusiasts.

Since 1893 Hurtigruten provides the vital shipping transport between the coastal cities, towns and villages of Norway, carrying local passengers, freight and guests. It is a useful service, but also one that provides exceptionally beautiful sights along the route. From the famous northern lights of winter to the abundant green coastal areas of summer, Hurtigruten combines a longstanding heritage travel experience with modern comfort. In Stokmarknes you can visit the Coastal Express Museum, which not only shows the history of Hurtigruten, but also harbours an example of floating heritage in the form of the MS Finnmarken.

The Hurtigruten ship MS Trollfjord in the harbour of Bergen, Norway.

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sharıng experıences on socıal good communıcatıon

ınternatıonal conference istanbul february 2016

www.hemzemin.org

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A Strong Constitution The History of Eidsvoll Manor

Eidsvoll Manor Eidsvoll Manor in the 19th century

Eidsvoll Manor is an exceptionally well-located country estate in one of the fertile agrarian settlements north east of Oslo. The word ‘picturesque’ cannot often be used without a cynical hesitation, but this intimate collection of wooden buildings dating back to the late 18th century, may be an exception.

The industrialist Carsten Tank Anker (1747-1824), one of the Fathers of the Constitution of Norway, bought the house in 1794. He wanted a modern home and started a lengthy process of extensive reconstruction and innovation. He created a total floor area of more than 2,000 square meters, with interior designs inspired by contemporary French and Danish architecture. When he finally settled on Eidsvoll together with his family in 1811, it was one of the largest and most modern private residences in the country.

Eidsvoll Manor, however, would be more than a splendid home;

it would become a central location in Norway’s history comparable – in more ways than one – to Independence Hall in Philadelphia in the US. Independence Hall was where the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution saw the light of day. Eidsvoll Manor was where Norway took the opportunity to declare independence on 17 May 1814, adopted a constitution based on American and French models, and elected the Crown Prince of Denmark and Norway, Christian Frederick, as king. Carsten Anker welcomed the National Assembly in his house and it was

The Office Hall on the second floor The Office Hall in the 19th century

in the long white-washed room on the second floor, the 72 m2 Office Hall, where the Riksforsamlingen held their plenary meetings that would change the destiny of a country and a people. It is a simple but nicely decorated space with long wooden benches and a podium placed in front of the window. On the walls Anker’s portrait collection watched the proceedings. The manor house has since then been given the name Eidsvollsbygningen. The famous Syttende Mai (17 May) is still a national holiday.

It did not really turn out the way the gathered Norwegian nationalists had hoped. Denmark had lost Norway due its alliances during the Napoleonic wars, but the international community decided the country should not become independent, but become a part of Sweden. After a short military conflict, the Swedish king officially took over. But some form of independence was maintained (except for foreign policies) and large parts of the modern constitution survived the transition of power to the Swedes. It was only in 1905 that

Detail of the restored paint of the Office Hall

Norway would be officially and completely independent. For most Norwegians, however, the ‘400 Year Night’ – as the years under Danish rule are known – ended in 1814. Norway, for all intents and purposes, views 1814 as one of its most defining moments as a nation.

Already a few years after the constitution was signed in Eidsvoll Manor, trouble was brewing.

As an industry, Eidsvoll was never a booming business and

Carsten Anker was bankrupted in 1822. His valuable possessions were sold at auction in 1823. It was however also clear that the memory of Eidsvoll for Norway’s history should be preserved.

A group of people led by poet Henrik Wergeland organised a fund-raising that enabled them to buy the buildings and pavilions and save them for posterity.

Cousin Oscar Arnold Wergeland (1844-1910) created his famous historical painting of the National Assembly at Eidsvoll, which shows

The meeting at Eidsvoll as painted by Oscar Wergeland (1844-1910) Be a part of Oscar Wergeland’s famous painting

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Interior The giftshop

all the key players in Norway’s declaration of independence and constitution.

Over the centuries the manor house was many times restored, adapted and repaired. For the 200th anniversary in 2014, the government decided that a major restoration should be carried out. Some heritage organisations wanted the restoration to reflect all the different periods in the history of the building, but it

The Centre for Democracy

was decided to restore the main building, the pavilions and the gardens to their state in 1814.

Although the building was in a surprisingly good condition, it was necessary to repair some damage to the wooden construction, to restore the interior and to reconstruct the facades and the basement as well as the kitchen and servants’ quarters. The restoration was based on actual discoveries in the building and a rich collection of sources.

The delicate work on Eidsvoll Manor won the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards in the category Conservation in 2015.

The Jury were entranced by the authentic recreation of colours, tapestries and textiles to recreate the astonishingly bright tones and richness of the period. Despite

many earlier restorations and renovations, many hitherto undiscovered traces of the original interior and exterior were identified.

Visiting Eidsvoll is an exciting discovery of light and colour.

The architecture and the interior design of the manor house is simple but inspired. The geometrical forms and the flower decorations in bright motives, combined with the reconstructed tapestries and carpets, show us the alluring quality of early 19th century Norwegian luxury. The gardens and the modern Centre for Democracy – with a car protruding from its facade – are a favourite get-away on sunny weekends.

Some of the buildings of the industrial past of the estate are also still visible on the grounds.

Since 2009 Eidsvoll Manor is part of the Norsk Folkemuseum.

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Heavenly Design Urnes Stave Church Detail wood carving Urnes Stave Church

They seem to have been designed by mythology and built by legend. The stave churches of Norway are unique heritage. When you first encounter these mysterious black and brown wooden structures, starkly contrasting with the green valleys and the blue sky, they represent a fragile humanity in a huge and overwhelming, natural setting.

Despite their unusual appearance, they are strangely at ease with their environment, like they were purposely designed to complete an almost perfect scenery. Perhaps they were. These churches were not created by architects, but by local craftsmen, incredibly skilled in woodwork. It feels as if the surrounding forest was tamed and tarred and turned into a building.

The history of the stave churches probably goes back to the Viking age, but the earliest examples of the 28 surviving churches in Norway, date back to the 12th century. Today the churches contain a magical quality, but the medieval realities of the north of Europe were far from fairy-tale like. These were harsh times, where farmers had to work hard to

scrape a meager living of the scarce bits of fertile soil. The Viking gods taught the people to face the challenges of life by putting up a tough and fearless fight, while the new Chistian god made the villagers live in a state of perpetual fear and guilt and much time was wasted to find ways to stop the man upstairs from tormenting them. It was a tough life where a God was not a close, comforting friend but a harsh master. It is not hard to imagine the poor but resolute congregation, their worn faces lit up by candlelight and the reflection of the snow outside, praying for an early spring, a good harvest, the health of a sick child.

The wooden churches have survived for centuries for several reasons. One was the idea to put the staves – which are the main supporting structure of the church – on stone foundations, thereby preventing rotting of the wood.

It was also easy to replace parts of a wooden log-building without losing structural integrity. On top of that, every few years the churches were tarred to safeguard the wood against the challenging weather conditions. Over the years the wood would become more and more light and more vulnerable, indicating it was time for another layer of this protective black coating. The tar was not made of crude oil, but coaxed out of charcoal after a lengthy process of burning wood in artificial mounds until a black molasses would ooze out.

There may once have been more than a 1000 of these churches, dotted along the fjords and forests, little beacons of light during the long months of darkness. The churches were cold in winter and the congregation had to dress warmly as they stood listening to the sermon. These were sober

Interior Nore Stave Church

Nore Stave Church Uvdal Stave Church

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Lom Stave Church

in the church, especially from the benches on the second floor, but holes were made in the wood to gain limited visual access.

Roof Lom Stave Church Borgund Stave Church and the 19th century parish church

The stave churches are often decorated with incredible intricate woodwork. Roofs are lined with dragons and portals retell some of the ancient stories of the land. One such story can be found around the entrance of the Uvdal Stave Church. The slain dragon Fafnir and his treasure is the source of much deceit and treachery. The story has many twists and turns, but one of the protagonists, Gunnar, is throw into a snake-pit by the evil Atli, which Gunnar playing the harp with may be representing his toes, Uvdal Stave Church Attila the Hun. Gudrun – his malevolent sister and wife of Atli – feels sorry for him and throws him a harp. Although he is chained, he manages to pacify the snakes by playing the harp with his toes. But because this is a Norwegian myth and not a fairy-tale, one adder fails to fall asleep and kills him.

buildings since only later were the walls covered with colourful paintings, exotic flowers and abstract decorations inspired by European examples. Benches were slowly introduced and each local family might have their own name and symbol carved on the sidebar.

Even today these ancient names are still connected to the people in the village and surrounding farms.

Women would sit separately, on the side facing north. Important families would sit closer to the pulpit. The widow of a former pastor would sit next to the altar in a specially made wooden structure, away from prying eyes.

The minister and the altar were difficult to see from some positions

The Lutheran Reformation in the first half of the 16th century had a decisive influence in Norway. Catholicism became illegal and Catholic property was confiscated by the state. Priests became pastors. Monasteries were deserted. Luckily many of the unique features of the churches – from the intricate woodwork re-telling ancient pagan stories to the wonderful paintings that cover some of the stave churches from top to bottom – survive to this day.

At the end of the 19th century, it was officially decided that churches should be able to house at least one third of the population.

The stave churches were also considered a fire hazard as the doors traditionally opened to the inside, potentially locking in the congregation at a time of panic. In every town new and larger churches were built, and therefore the stave churches lost their usefulness. Some of them

were dismantled, and parts used in other buildings, while others started to deteriorate due to lack of maintenance. The Vang wch, for example, was bought, disassembled and later rebuilt in Poland. The 28 stave churches still with us today, only survived thanks to the dedication of individuals and the local community. Eight churches are now the responsibility of the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments (Fortidsminneforeningen).

Some churches were handed over to the Society, others were bought. Twenty churches are the responsibility of the state and municipalities. Simple enough, one would assume, but the heritage world in Norway is not organized like anywhere else...

Heritage monuments are the responsibility of the Ministry of Environment while museums are the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture. The responsibility for the restoration and maintenance of the stave churches, many of which are open to the public, is thereby somewhat unclear.

Jørn Holme is Director General of the Directorate for Cultural Heritage in Norway, which is part of the Ministry of the Environment: “We have initiated a programme to restore all the 28 stave churches in Norway.

This project will be completed this year. The aim of the Stave Church Preservation Programme is to restore and preserve the churches and show the cultural and historical values that they represent. Several of the construction sites have been open to the public, to show the traditional handcraft.”

According to the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian

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Ancient Monuments the repairs are indeed well taken care of, but there is no current programme for the maintenance of the churches.

This is a shared responsibility of the two ministries. Most of the stave churches have no support from the government to keep them open for visitors. And of the eight churches of the Society, only one is able to sustain itself. The rest is dependent on volunteers and gifts.

This is however the responsibility of the Ministry of culture.

Is there also not a danger that the small and vulnerable churches have more visitors than they can handle?

Director General Jørn Holme: “The number of tourists generally does not reach danger levels as the relatively small size of the churches also limit the size of the groups. The out of the way locations of the stave churches also help minimize mass tourism, though large groups, especially from the cruise ships and coach tours, do present challenges. Some of the stave churches are still used as regular parish churches, and this regular use is important for the general conservation.”

Although most churches are taken care of, the risk levels remain high.

The funding for the upkeep and accessibility of these magnificent heritage treasures should be made permanent and secure, and not be dependent on the dedicated work of volunteers, occasional gifts and ad hoc project financing. The church of Urnes is the only one of the 28 to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Maybe the listing could be enlarged to include all Norwegian stave churches? This might help to ensure a bright and safe future to the remaining stave churches of Norway.

Norwegian Forest Cat at the graveyard of the Nore Stave Church The Norwegian Forest Cat is lively, sturdy and long haired. It is a real Viking cat and its ancestors probably were mousers on the ships that sailed across Europe in the early middle ages. These cats are perfectly attuned to the harsh Norwegian winters with their woolly underbelly and their tendency to take very long naps.

The cat was nearly extinct; as early as 1938, the Norwegian Forest Cat Club tried to protect the species.

In the 1970s the breed was for the first time officially registered internationally.

If you are lucky, you can still see them in action around the local farms. One of them even guards the ancient Nore Stave Church. Excited by visitors, he frolics around like a fluffy ball of madness, jumping on and off the ancient graves and under and along the benches of the church.

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Building Bridges The EEA and Norway Grants system Norway is not a part of the European Union. This, however does not mean that there is no close cooperation. The European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement between the European Union and Norway (as well as Iceland and Liechtenstein) opens the internal market of the EU.

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EU and the European Economic Area (EEA) in 2004, 2007 and 2013, as well as Greece, Spain and Portugal. Between 20092014 a total of € 1,798 billion was awarded.

The Green Synagogue in Rezekne, Latvia

The Agreement includes a common goal of reducing social and economic disparities in Europe. To this end the EEA and Norway Grants were introduced.

The Grants also promote bilateral cooperation between cultural players in beneficiary countries and those in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Such cooperation is crucial to accelerate knowledge development in Europe’s cultural and creative sectors.

The Grants are available to the EU member countries that joined the

There are many programme areas, ranging from environmental protection and climate change to civil society and research. Cultural heritage is one of the priorities.

Almost all beneficiary countries have decided to use a significant part of their allocated funding on cultural heritage projects.

A survey in 2012 evaluated the effect of EEA Grants on cultural heritage projects. One of the main findings of the survey showed that projects not only contributed to the conservation of the cultural heritage itself, but also were drivers of local and regional growth. As well as its intrinsic value, cultural heritage brings a significant contribution to job creation and growth. This instrumental benefit of cultural heritage is often undervalued.

Spending on conservation of cultural heritage by public and private bodies is worth an estimated €5 billion a year. Figures published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that 40% of worldwide tourism has a cultural dimension. Besides this, cultural heritage is also a key resource for sustainable development and social cohesion.

It is time to find out more about the funded projects and learn more about the ideas behind the EEA and Norway Grants from Vidar Helgesen, Minister of EEA and EU Affairs and Chief of Staff at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Norway particularly supports programmes in Eastern and Central

Europe, although Spain, Portugal, Greece and Malta are also covered by the Grants scheme. Cultural heritage projects are an important area for the EAA and Norway Grants. Could you explain the importance of cultural heritage in the Grants scheme?

The main objectives of the EEA and Norway Grants are to contribute to reducing social and economic disparities and to strengthen bilateral relations.

We currently provide a total of EUR 204 million to cultural heritage and diversity programmes in 14 countries. These programmes have resulted in 243 contracted projects to date. Cultural actors from the donor countries are involved in 143 of these projects.

This offers considerable potential for knowledge exchange between the beneficiary countries and Norway. In the longer term, we also expect the programmes to have a positive impact on people’s lives.

A Eurobarometer survey found that 76% of Europeans are of the view that ‘Europe’s cultural diversity is the defining characteristic of Europe and that this diversity actually helps to increase the impact of European culture’.* Our common cultural

Vidar Helgesen, Minister of EEA and EU Affairs

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heritage and the diversity of national and regional cultures are assets that – now more than ever – need to be protected and promoted.

In the light of the growing problem of hate speech and violent intolerance that we are seeing across Europe, and the shocking recent events in Paris, Brussels and Copenhagen, there is a clear need to raise awareness about the role of culture in building bridges between people.

However, in the development of the current cultural heritage programmes, we have noted that the focus is often on the safeguarding and conservation of cultural heritage, rather than on the strategic role played by cultural

Over the years many of the high quality projects supported

by Norway through the EEA Grants have won the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards.

Some recent examples are:

Liubavas watermill in Lithuania was carefully restored and made into a museum. The project has been awarded the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards in 2012.

heritage as a source of identity for communities and in local and regional development. This is not unique to our programmes; it seems to be the case for many programmes and projects across Europe. More emphasis needs to be put on highlighting the importance of cultural heritage management in connection to its environment. If we succeed in promoting cultural heritage in neighbourhoods, towns and regions, we will also strengthen strategic cultural heritage management, as part of a broader strategy for local and regional development. This is something that is also recognised by the European Commission, for example in the Commission’s Communication “Towards and integrated approach to cultural heritage for Europe.”

for programmes relating to the environment and climate change.

Cultural heritage is included as one of a total of ten priority sectors in the current agreements with the EU on the EEA and Norway Grants.

Why did you not earmark the money for cultural heritage projects in the same way as you did for the environmental grants?

Since Georgia and Moldova are not members of the EU, as such they fall outside the scope of this funding.

There is no challenge that poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change. This is recognised by both the EU and Norway. It was therefore only natural to set a minimum threshold

You support cultural heritage projects across Europe, but does it also have positive effects for Norway and the Norwegian cultural heritage sector?

Kuldiga Restoration Centre in Latvia won the award for its remarkable work in education, training and awareness-raising in 2013. The centre was established as part of aproject between Kuldiga, Drøbak, and The Norwegian Crafts Development.

The Chalet of the Countess Edla in Sintra, Portugal, was destroyed by fire in 1999.

With financial support from Norway through the Grants and in cooperation with the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU), the interior and exterior of the wooden building was restored and opened to the public. The project received the award in 2012.

Will Georgia and Moldova - who recently signed up to join the cultural programme of EU - be eligible for funding under the EEA and Norway Grants scheme?

The EEA and Norway Grants are available to EU member states that also qualify for support from the EU Cohesion Fund. Countries eligible for support from the EU Cohesion Fund are EU member states whose per capita Gross National Income per capita (GNI) is less than 90 % of the EU average.

Bilateral cooperation in cultural heritage programmes and projects benefits all those involved. At a governmental level, the cultural heritage programmes created a new arena for strengthening our cooperation with cultural heritage authorities across Europe.

The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage and the Arts Council Norway work closely with European partners on developing several of the programmes.

This kind of cooperation and knowledge-sharing is important for finding the best solutions for protecting and safeguarding our shared cultural heritage.

The positive effects for the Norwegian cultural heritage sector are also clear. So far, of the 243 contracted projects, 143 involve partners from the donor countries (e.g. associations, museums, local/regional/state institutions, artists, etc.). Cooperation of this kind encourages the sharing of knowledge and expertise, stimulates accelerated learning, and contributes to a more international focus of the Norwegian cultural and cultural heritage sectors.

The Home for Cooperation, an educational centre in the Buffer Zone of Nicosia, Cyprus, which was supported by Norway Grants, won the award in 2014

The Green Synagogue project in Rezekne, Latvia

Through the Grants, Norway has financed many projects which have had a lasting impact on the communities involved. A few examples: The Green Synagogue in Rezekne, Latvia is one of those exceptional projects. Vocational students from Sam Eyde Upper Secondary School (Arendal, Norway) are helping to restore the Green Synagogue in Rezekne together with Latvian students and local craftspeople. The project gives Norwegian and Latvian students practical experience of restoring historic buildings. It also gives them experience of working with professionals, and prepares them for the job market. Projects like these show that funding through the Grants can help safeguard European cultural heritage, increase contact and knowledge sharing between European cultural heritage sectors, as well as having wider social and economic effects for the project participants and surrounding communities.

Pro Monumenta is an important project in the Slovak Republic. The Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic is working with the Norwegian

The Linhas de Torres Vedras (Historical Route of Defense Lines of Torres Vedras) a military defence ring in Portugal made up of 152 fortresses constructed by the Duke of Wellington during the Peninsular War – was battered by erosion and gradually fell into disrepair. €1.5 million support through EEA Grants has helped to halt the decline. The restoration of the fortress lines has led to the establishment of a new historical sightseeing route, allowing tourists and local visitors alike a chance to enjoy and learn about the era. The project was awarded in 2014.

Directorate for Cultural Heritage on this project, which aims to prevent the further decay of cultural heritage by implementing a national system for regular maintenance of historic buildings in Slovakia. Three groups of specialists and craftspeople are working with owners of historic building and public administrators to make small repairs and evaluate the conditions of buildings on a regular basis. The project is a good example of how Norway and Europe can learn from each other and develop new and innovative solutions in the public sector.

The Young Guardians of Heritage project in Slovenia spreads knowledge on traditional handicraft through involvement of youth and local specialists. The Museum Centre of Hordaland in Norway and Heritage House in Slovenia work together with students and traditionally skilled workers on activities such as blacksmithing, boat-building, linen-production and storytelling in the area surrounding Cerknica Lake. The goal is not only to preserve traditional handicrafts but also to create sustainable jobs for young and unemployed Slovenians.

Learn more about all the projects at eeagrants.org * European Cultural Values, Summary Report; Special Eurobarometer 278 / Wave 67.1

Miskolc is a large city in northern Hungary, with a proud history from medieval times. However more recent times have seen sharp industrial decline. The recession has had a devastating impact with large numbers of young people moving away to find jobs. Under the Atjaro (Passage) Project, supported by Norway through the Grants, an extensive cultural heritage protection programme has been introduced.

It focuses on the preservation of the city’s industrial past and the revitalisation of its surviving built heritage, promoting a renewed sense of urban identity and recreating a feeling of local pride. The project won the Grand Prix in the category Education, training and awareness-raising in 2014.

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Alta Rocks!

The view has probably not changed much in the last 7,000 years. The coastline of this part of Finnmark may have shifted slightly, but standing on the Alta rocks overlooking the bay, we can still very much see what the prehistoric tribes that chiseled and scratched images of their world in the rock saw, so long ago.

The large and smooth rock-faces are a giant picture book which give us a unique opportunity to learn about the daily lives of the people who once roamed these lands.

The rock art of Alta, in the very northern part of Norway, has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1985.

Alta is a remarkable place with a long history. Laila Davidsen, the mayor of Alta, is proud of her city. She explains that Alta is the place to be in summer and winter.

Skiing, sleigh riding or looking cool in a 2,500 m2 hotel made of ice, Alta has a lot to offer. It is a modern, friendly town, dominated by the shiny new Northern Lights Cathedral.

Northern Lights Cathedral

The reason we are here however lies just outside the city to the west. The mysterious rock art was first uncovered in 1973, although the locals probably knew about its existence for a long time. They had been protected against the challenging arctic conditions by layers of moss and most were in excellent condition. The art is between 7,000 and 2,000 years old. There are thousands of different human figures, some even on skis, hunting, fishing or dancing. We see large boats with people rowing on the ocean, we discover enclosures with reindeer and shepherds, we even see bears and their cubs walking along the

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rocks with their path scraped out in the rock-face. Sometimes the natural lines of the rock are used to suggest rivers and boundaries.

Mysterious creatures, layered one on top of the other, seem to be engaged in some kind of ritual.

And everywhere herds of animals.

The rock carvings on some of the panels open to the public have been painted red. Curator Karin Tansem explains: ”The figures were not originally painted red.

This was done recently to make them more clear, to make them stand out against the rock-face, but the paint is damaging the art. We are looking for ways to get rid of it, while at the same time protecting the rock art better.”

In total there are seven locations around Alta where rock art has been discovered so far, some in

better condition than others.

Tansem:”We cannot open all sites to the public. They are just too fragile and too susceptible to erosion.” The large side next to the museum is accessible through wooden pathways that rise above the art. Seeing the ancient figures come alive in the long shadows of the evening, is an amazing sight.

The reindeer and the elks, the deer and the bears, still visible after thousands of years as they seem to rise from the rock.

It is unclear who made the art, but probably tribes from the forests and plains met with coastal groups near the Alta rocks. There are similarities with the traditional figures on the Sámi drums, used to connect the living to the spirit world. The easy accessible bay may have been a place for shamanic rituals or a location

The Tirpitz, the largest battleship in the German navy, used Kåfjord near Alta as a harbour from the spring of 1943 to the autumn of 1944. It was attacked and damaged

by British planes and was moved to a location near Tromsø. On 12 November 1944, British Lancaster bombers scored two direct hits on the battleship. A deck fire spread to an ammunition storage and the ship blew up. A total of 971 sailors and officers were killed, 806 were saved.

After the war the wreck of the ship was broken up and sold off. The Tirpitz Museum in Kåfjord has the world’s largest collection of images and objects from the Tirpitz and keeps the memory of these important events alive.

The rocks are vulnerable to weather conditions

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A chiseled picture of four hardly visible boats

Struve Geodetic Arc near Alta

The same picture with high contrast

Panoramic view from one of rock art sites

for more mundane activities like trade and the exchange of stories and experiences. One can but wonder what drove the artists who created this immense relief sculpture thousands of years ago.

What are they trying to tell us?

Are they just recording what had happened? Are they capturing a wishful dream in stone? Are they trying to make a connection with

the gods and the animal spirits?

Whatever the truth underneath the Alta rocks precisely is, the images create an immediate link between the spectator and the past, a human bond stretching across the millenniums. They are a lasting testimony for the human experience in the far north of Europe.

Alta has not one, but two locations on the UNESCO World Heritage list. German astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve (17931864) dreamed of establishing the exact size and shape of the earth. He wanted to be the first to accurately measure a meridian. He initiated an enormously ambitious project, the Struve Geodetic Arc. This chain would develop into a line of survey triangulations of almost 3.000 kilometres length, stretching from Hammerfest in Norway all the way to the Black Sea, crossing many borders in the process. The World Heritage listing consists of 34 of the original station points established

by Struve and his colleagues between 1816 and 1851 - four points in Norway, four in Sweden, six in Finland, one in Russia, three in Estonia, two in Latvia, three in Lithuania, five in Belarus, one in Moldova and four in Ukraine. It is a perfect example of international scientific cooperation and the only UNESCO listed heritage which is backed by ten countries. The first station point is in Hammerfest and the second in Alta.

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE IN NORWAY • Bryggen • Urnes Stave Church • Røros Mining Town • Rock Art of Alta • Vegaøyan – The Vega Archipelago • Struve Geodetic Arc • West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord

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A Sustainable Future for Heritage The Directorate for Cultural Heritage

The beautiful cultural environment of Sør-Gjæslingan (photo NordTrøndelag fylkeskommune) The restoration of Ringebu Stave Church

The historic, white building in the centre of Oslo is a maze of offices and meeting rooms and a beehive of activities.

The Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren) has a large portefolio of challenges and responsibilities both within Norway and beyond. It is tasked with the management of all the listed buildings in Norway and acts as advisor for counties and municipalities in preservation of unlisted cultural heritage.

But the organisation does much more. It deals with topics ranging from fragile polar heritage sites, the heritage of indigenous

Heritage Here – see the invisible, a project to highlight culture and nature on mobile telephones and tablets.

groups and national minorities and the safeguarding of cultural environments. The directorate leads the way with projects such as the Stave Church Preservation Programme (which started in 2001 and will be completed in 2015) and

And the work does not stop at the borders. There are and have been projects in Ukraine, Georgia and even Uganda, to name but a few.

The Directorate has, for example, for over ten years, enjoyed a long and fruitful cooperation with organisations in Georgia, including ICOMOS Georgia, the National Museum of Georgia and their sister organisation National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia.

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The Directorate for Cultural Heritage is one of the supporters of the Europa Nostra congress in Oslo. Director General Jørn Holme: “We are very pleased that the Europa Nostra Congress and European Heritage Awards Ceremony are held in Norway this year. The cultural heritage voluntary sector in Norway is strong with the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments as one of the most important and oldest cultural heritage NGOs in Norway.

Dating back to 1844, it is also the oldest nation-wide voluntary organization in the world. Together with other NGOs they provide an invaluable contribution to the safeguarding of Norwegian cultural heritage. The congress and award ceremony will be an opportunity to highlight and celebrate this contribution.”

The cultural heritage sector in Norway is organised slightly differently to the equivalent in many other countries. The Directorate has been part of the Ministry of the Environment since the ministry was founded in 1972.

But there is a lot of cooperation with other ministries in the field of cultural heritage; the Ministry of Culture obviously, but also the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under whose responsibility the cultural heritage projects of the EEA Grants programme are managed (see also page 30).

But being part of the Ministry of Environment may be beneficial, as many cultural heritage protection issues are closely related to the protection of the environment.

Sustainability is a key factor. For instance, the effects of climate

change on cultural heritage monuments and sites have taken a front row seat in the discussions and decisions. Climate change in Norway will impact negatively on cultural heritage. More wind, more floods and landslides, higher sea levels increase the risks. Many archaeological sites could get dangerously exposed when the warming climate causes the protective layers of ice and snow to melt. The Directorate has initiated a pilot project on how local, regional and national heritage management can best protect heritage sites in a changing climate.

The International Course on Wood Conservation Technology (ICWCT) has been organized every other year since 1984 and over 300 participants from all over the world have completed the 6-week course so far. It is a cooperation between Riksantikvaren, ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) and NTNU (the Norwegian University of Science and Technology). The ICWCT alumni are very successful in their careers and often occupy leading positions within their organisations. Norway’s wealth of wooden heritage and their knowledge and experience in the field of conservation, ensures that the course scores highly in the participant evaluations. It helps strengthen Norway’s international reputation as a centre of excellence and paves the way for further international projects. Through the dissemination of knowledge and skills required for the treatment and conservation of wood, the ICWCT also contributes to Norway’s obligations regarding international charters and conventions.

The next ICWCT will be held in May/June 2016. The course announcement and application form will be available on ICCROM’s website in May 2015. The deadline for applications is 30 September 2015.

Excusions of the International Course on Wood Conservation Technology (ICWCT)

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Norway has seven UNESCO World Heritage listed sites: • Bryggen in Bergen • Urnes stave church • Røros Mining town • The Rock Art of Alta • Vega Archipelago • West Norwegian Fjords • Struve Geodetic Arc Six more sites have been proposed

Bryggen in Bergen, one of Norway’s UNESCO World Heritage listed sites

best way possible. Calculating greenhouse gas emissions from old buildings often has interesting results. It turns out that adapted reuse is more climate friendly than demolition or new construction.

St. Olav’s Ways near Dovrefjell, a heritage pilgrim path from Oslo to Trondheim (photo Ragnhild Hoel)

Improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings is also an important issue. The organisation is developing an European

standard (CEN standard) to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions while at the same time preserving the sites in the

The Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren) is not afraid to take controversial decisions. For instance, they officially listed the brand new Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo. The challenges and opportunities in the field of heritage need a clear vision and the power of example. The ambition of the Directorate is to lead the way to a sustainable future for heritage, in Norway and across the globe.

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Smooth Sailing Norway is a seafaring nation pur sang and it is therefore no coincidence that some of the most famous ships in the world can be found here.

It is not just the physical heritage that is important, but it is the dreams and the ambitions of the great explorers that makes them so valuable. These are people who sailed over the horizon to the unknown and the undiscovered. And it is important to note that they were not clueless adventurers, relying on whatever destiny had in store for them: they were wellprepared, professional men, with a plan.

The great polar explorer Amundsen wrote in his book The South Pole about how preparation was the key to his success: “I may say that this is the greatest factor – the way in which the expedition is equipped – the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order – luck, people call it.

Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.”

Oseberg ship

Oseberg ship excavation in 1904/5

These magnificent heritage ships, which formed naval history, can all be found close to one another on Bygdøy, Oslo’s museum peninsula.

It is a wonderful conglomerate of museums, pleasant villages and heritage sites. The Norsk Folkemuseum for instance has a rich collection of heritage treasures and shows historical buildings from across Norway. The pensinsula is also the location of his Majesty the King’s summer residence Kongsgården.

Detail of the Oseberg ship

Midgard Historical Centre in Borre is built in the form of a Viking Ship. This is not a coincidence as the museum is located next to Northern Europe’s largest collection of Viking burial mounds. It is one of Norway’s most important national heritage sites and it is quite an experience to walk along the perfectly round, green hills. In the Viking age Borre was an important meeting place. The museum recently reconstructed the great Viking Hall, meant for gatherings of the aristocracy. The remains of two of such ceremonial buildings have been excavated near Borre.

Midgard Historical Centre gives young and old the possibility to brush up on their traditional Viking skills from throwing axes on wooden poles to shooting with a bow and arrow. midgardsenteret.no/en/

The Viking Legacy The Oseberg ship in the Viking Ship Museum is a large, black wooden vessel with an beautifully crafted ornamental bow. Because it is hard to see the ship in its totality, the museum has made special balconies from which you can get a feeling of the size. It was found in a burial mound at the Oseberg farm near Tønsberg in south of Oslo and dates back to the early 9th century. The ship was excavated in 1904-5 and is one of the most important Viking finds.

It is a miracle that it survived in such a perfect condition. The ship was not the only thing that was found. Although all valuables had already been stolen, a remaining wooden cart and a collection of

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Midgard Historical Centre

While travelling through Norway, you can often discover smaller Viking burial sites, sometimes unusual outcrops in the middle of an open field, sometimes hidden in the forest, overgrown by trees.

decorated sleighs as well as other objects, gave a unique insight into the world of the Vikings.

Viking ships were sturdy enough to make transatlantic crossings.

They traded with people from Ireland to Iraq, from Russia to the Mediterranean and even North America. For some time it was thought that the Oseberg Ship and the two other ships of the museum, the Gokstad and the Tune, were ceremonial ships made especially for burials, unable to defend themselves against the

Small Viking burial site

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and the consequent Academy Award winning documentary made him a worldwide sensation.

Heyerdahl subsequently made many other voyages to demonstrate the possibility of contact between ancient cultures.

He took the Egyptian replica ship Ra II to America and the Tigris through the Arabian Sea. In May 2011, the Thor Heyerdahl Archives, which include his personal diaries, photographs, research and manuscripts, were added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. The Kon-Tiki and other Heyerdahl ships and mementos are on view at the KonTiki Museum. kon-tiki.no/en/

The Kon-Tiki (with Heyerdahl left) in San Franscisco harbour in 1947

The Strongest Ship .

Stone boat artifact in the Kon-Tiki Museum

Roald Amundsen in 1899

Many explorers had tried to reached the earth’s poles, but without much success. Their ships had been crushed by the ice. Explorer Fridtjof Nansen had another idea; use the strongest oak, iron, Norwegian pine and greenheart that money can buy and build a small, compact ship that can withstand almost anything. Then bolt the ribs together for double strength and perils of the sea. Recent research however has proven that repairs had been made to the Tune and all three ships must be regarded as seafaring vessels. Replicas have been built based on the designs of the Oseberg and Gokstad, showing the amazing resilience of the ships in all kind of weather conditions.

In a real sense the legacy of these Vikings ships is once again a living heritage.

The Kon-Tiki Adventure Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002) was the personification of postwar optimism. His hands-on experimental archaeology

captured the imagination of a generation. The Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer believed that modern man undervalued the seafaring capabilities of ancient peoples.

He did not just write about it, he set out to prove it with high profile sea-journeys that nearly always caused him to brush feathers with the scientific community.

He challenged the established idea that the ancient people could not have made long sea-journeys by building a traditional raft and sail 8,000 km from South America to the Tuamotu Islands.

His Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947

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laid them only 5 cm apart. He called this Samson of a ship Fram (meaning ‘forward’) and used it for his 1893 Arctic expedition in which he wanted to freeze the vessel in the polar ice and then slowly drift towards the pole. It did not work but the ship performed admirably. Another trip, with Otto Sverdrup, proved that Fram was the little ship that could.

World fame came when Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) sailed it to the South Pole. He then used dog sleighs to successfully reach the South Pole on 14 December 1911. Amundsen was also the first to traverse the Northwest Passage, north of the Canadian mainland. Since June 2013, the ship he used, the Gjøa, has his own wing in the Fram Museum on the Bygdøy peninsula. On 12 May

1926 Amundsen was the first to officially and indisputably reach the North Pole, in the airship Norge. In a sad turn of affairs Amundsen was to disappear without a trace two years later, while trying to save the crew of the Italia which had crashed on its way back from the North Pole.

After 1912 the Fram was no longer used. The strongest wooden ship of its time was slowly falling apart.

But a group of polar explorers, lead

by Otto Sverdrup, saw the need for preservation of this important historical ship and managed to find funds to salvage and repair it.

On 20 May 1936 the Fram Museum was opened by King Haakon VII and Prince Olav.

The Fram Museum is built around the Fram ship, which dominates

the space. When you leave the main deck and climb down, it quickly becomes clear how intense these long journeys must have been. For months on end the explorers and their crew would be sharing these modest living quarters sailing through the icecold and often treacherous waters of the arctic ocean.

The 73 metres long, fully rigged three-mast ship Christian Radich is one of the most beautiful tall ships in the world. It was built as a training ship in 1937 with money from the estate of mill owner and sailing-enthusiast Simeon Christian Radich (1822-1889). 80 students could be trained to be sailors, learning everything from cooking to carpentry and engineering. The ship sailed across the world and became a true legend, due to the film Windjammer (1958) and later the Onedin Line TV-Series (197180). Today the ship is run by a foundation and is still an important youth training facility, sailing with paying trainees to foreign ports on summer trips and participating in tall ship competitions and large sail events around the world.

Roald Amundsen and his 1911 team by artist Håkon Fagerås Fram Museum

country dreams

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An Artist’s Dream Inspiration can come in many ways. Some artists may erroneously believe that pining away in a drafty attic is necessary for accomplishing true artistry. Norwegian artists all seem to know that the great outdoors plus a little comfort offers much better options.

Painter Edvard Munch’s bold, seemingly spontaneous brush strokes seem to follow the rainbow.

Author Henrik Ibsen’s words seem to have a life of their own, between the lines. Composer Edvard Grieg’s melodies capture the heart of the country, while staying light on their feet. And for violinist Ole Bull, the world seemed scarcely big enough.

These great artists are all connected to one another in unexpected ways.

It was Ole Bull who hired Henrik Ibsen as a writer and a stagemanager for his theatre in Bergen, and he discovered the talents of Edvard Grieg at a young age. It was Henrik Ibsen who consoled Edvard Munch after his paintings had been savagely criticized, and who asked Grieg to compose the music for his epic Peer Gynt play. The protagonist of the play, Peer Gynt, was modelled after Ole Bull.

Let us pay a visit to some of the unique heritage places these great Norwegian artists left behind.

View from the balcony of the Lysøen island estate

Lysøen island estate

Ole Bull (1810-1880) was the first Norwegian superstar. The virtuoso violinist and composer was considered to be on par with Paganini. His personality was simply too large for an ordinary life: he performed across Europe, and even once played on top

of the pyramids of Gizeh; he was a highly vocal supporter of Norway’s quest for independence, and founded his own state in the USA. His most lasting cultural heritage legacy is the beautiful wooden castle on Lysøen island near the city of Bergen. This is where he spent the last days of his life giving house concerts and walking on his 650 acre island estate. It is an incredibly beautiful location, and the island and house, which are now the property of the Norwegian heritage organisation Fortidsminneforeningen are open to public. The wooden concert-hall is still in use. The interior of the house is a mixture of styles, as it was for many years used by Bull’s family. We can find 1870s chairs next to 1960s lamps: a conscious restoration choice.

His protégé Edvard Grieg (18431907) also travelled across Europe and became world-famous during his lifetime. He is one of great

composers of the Romantic era, and he managed to incorporate Norwegian identity and nature into his music. He was a friend of Franz Liszt and met Igor Stravinsky. He was one of the first composers to record his music, so we can still, amazingly, hear him play today. In 1885 he and his wife Nina visited the Troldhaugen estate, not far from Ole Bull’s island. They immediately fell in love with the modest villa, and it became their summer residence. After his death the city council, in a moment of lunacy, got rid of the villa’s contents. This was later

Ole Bull

Troldhaugen estate Grieg (in the middle) in Troldhaugen

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Ibsen statue in front of his museum New concerthall of Troldhaugen

Captured on camera: Ibsen (on the right) can be seen checking the time during his regular morning walk

regarded as a rather rash decision of the unfortunate kind, and they bought back what could be retrieved. Grieg’s widow was much involved in the efforts to make Troldhaugen into a lasting legacy, a rather successful operation. Even Grieg’s body was brought back to Bergen, and laid to rest in a rockface grave at the bottom of the hill on the lake’s shore.

Henrik Ibsen in 1863/64

Today Troldhaugen is an amazing, living museum with a newly constructed concert hall with almost daily concerts. The performing artists look out onto Grieg’s modest composer’s hut, with its inspiring view of the Nordås Lake.

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) was already an established poet and playwright – the father of the modern realistic drama - when he asked the young Grieg to set his Peer Gynt play to music. It would become one of Grieg’s most edited and most beloved masterpieces. Ibsen wrote in Danish and spent most of his time in Italy and Germany, but he is nonetheless Norway’s most celebrated dramatist.

After Shakespeare, he is the most performed playwright in the world.

The last years of his life he returned

to Norway and became a central figure in the artistic scene of the capital. He lived in a conveniently located house, close to the royal palace. His house is now a museum. Some of his most treasured quotes are embedded in the sidewalks following the route of his daily walk from Arbin’s gate to the Grand Café. Ibsen never seemed to be able to open up and let people get to know him, and at his death Grieg described his feelings: “Although I was prepared, the news came as a shock. How much do I owe him!

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Munch’s house in Åsgårdstrand.

The red building is his former studio.

Munch’s painting of Ibsen Munch’s painting of Åsgårdstrand Munch’s selfportrait with skeleton arm (1895)

Poor, great Ibsen! He was not happy; it was as if there was a lump of ice in him, which never melted.

But beneath this lump of ice lay a warm love of mankind.”

Edvard Munch (1863-1944) revered Ibsen and hardly dared to approach the elderly and aloof genius. Their meeting in 1895, when Munch was under a lot of pressure because the Oslo art scene thought his exhibition Frieze of Life was scandalous, sick and the result of an insane mind, was an important turning point for Munch. Ibsen came to the exhibition and Munch explained his paintings to him in detail.

Afterwards Ibsen said to him:

“Things will go with you as they did with me: the more enemies, the more friends!” In 1987, after Munch had had some success in Paris, he

bought himself a summer house in Åsgårdstrand, in the south of Norway. He called it his Happy Home and the place continued to inspire and delight him for many years. This charming wooden house is now museum. Munch had a very personal relationship with his paintings, and he liked to keep them close. After his death, he left over a thousand paintings and thousands upon thousands of drawings and prints to the city of Oslo. His collection can be seen in the Munch Museum and the National Art Gallery. A new landmark museum is being planned next to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, designed by the Spanish firm Herreros Arquitectos.

*Troldhaugen, Lysøen as well as Siljustøl, dedicated to composer Harald Saeverud (1897-1992), are all part of KODE – Art Museums of Bergen. kodebergen. no/en

l覺v覺ng her覺tage

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Born to Ski The Holmenkollen Ski Festival is the largest ski event in the world. Close to Oslo, the Holmenkollen has been part of skiing history since it hosted its first competition in 1892.

Holmenkollen Ski Festival

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The jumping hill, the Holmenkollbakken, has been artificially enlarged and heightened every generation or so. It is so high in fact, that the jumpers now seem to descend straight from the heavens, their gravitydefying jumps mesmerising the crowds. The fans come from across Europe and the Holmenkollen galleries are a colourful tapestry of nationalities, sporting a usually crazy assortment of hats and wild wigs. Every few seconds, all heads turn to one direction and the eyes are fixed on the speeding jumper, in the hope to lift him or her a few metres higher by sheer will power.

The Norwegian King and Queen informally view the proceedings from their royal box and enthusiastically share the passion for the sport with their people. It is a spectacular, lively celebration of an ancient tradition which started thousands of years ago, when the

Ski jump The festival is popular with Norwegian troll families

prehistoric Norwegians scratched images of themselves in the rock face, hunting on skis through the vast wilderness.

Underneath the metal super structure, the Holmenkollen Ski Museum is the oldest of its kind in the world. The museum presents over 4,000 years of skiing history as well as artifacts from the Norwegian polar explorations and an exhibition on snowboarding and modern skiing inventions.

Skiing is to Norwegians what water is to fish. You cannot imagine one without the other and a few times a year the country comes to a complete stop as the families disappear to the slopes for their annual skiing outings. They have been doing it longer than anyone else in the world.

In many parts of the country, putting a flat piece of wood under your feet was the easiest way to get around in winter. In early spring

lıvıng herıtage

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Holmenkollen Ski Museum Koning Olav V (1903-1991) was an accomplished athlete. The People’s King (Folkekongen) also jumped from the Holmenkollen ski jump.

Sondre Norheim The skis of famous ski pioneers, including Sondre Norheim, in the Ski Museum

it was the fastest way to reach the summer farms, high on the hills.

The hunter and the farmer would track through the snow-covered forests, returning with game and

firewood. One long ski for gliding and balance and one short ski for kicking. For most Norwegians skiing was a practical solution for a transportation challenge, but to

some it became clear that skiing could be much more than that. It could be a sporty endeavour. It might even be fun! In the Edda, the 13th century Icelandic saga, we

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find that King Harald Sigurdsson (1046-66) was famous for being able to ski really fast. And in the 18th century already military races were organised. It would however take until the 19th century before skiing would become a national sensation of speed and grace.

On March 21, 1843, the world’s first public competition was held in Tromsø, in Northern Norway.

It would however be the Telemark area (in the middle of Norway) that would boost the popularity of the sport beyond Norway. Folk hero and potato farmer Sondre Norheim innovated the bindings, the ski form and the technique, dazzling the crowds in 1868 with his incredible quick turns, high jumps and maneuverability.

Skiing became something intrinsically Norwegian, even something patriotic. Schools and ski factories opened their doors

and Norwegians started to fan out across the world as missionaries of slalom and ski-jumping. It is safe to say that it were the Norwegians who taught the world to ski. Norheim ended up in North-Dakota in the US and taught the Americans how to slide and jump. Others travelled to Austria, Switzerland and the Balkans. In the Alps, the so-called Alpine skiing became part of Austria’s identity, like the Telemark skiing had done in Norway. Right from the start the Alpine tradition was a very different. Here skiing did not grow out of necessity, it was immediately associated with the lifestyle of the rich and famous with luxury resorts, champagne dinners and film industry glamour.

of the world and showed just how cool skiing could be. Fridtjof Nansen wrote a popular book about his adventures in Greenland (1890) and Roald Amundsen skied to the South Pole in 1911. During the First Winter Olympic Games, Norway ruled supremely as the athletes finished 1, 2 and 3 at 3 of the 4 skiing competitions. The sport conquered the world from SouthKorea to the Andes, from Turkey and Morocco to South Africa.

Everywhere the Norwegians shared their passion for the sport, it became a success. Norwegian explorers captured the imagination

Skiing is truly Norway’s lasting legacy and biggest export success, a cultural heritage tradition to be proud of.

“Skiing Birchlegs Crossing the Mountain with the Royal Child” is a famous painting by Knud Bergslien (1827 – 1908), on show in the Ski Museum Some of the skis in the collection are over a 1,000 years old

culınary

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Tasty Traditions Waffles are very popular in Norway

“Twenty years ago Norwegian cuisine was virtually non-existent,” claims Tor Sannerud, former director of VisitOSLO. “But now it is an extraordinary place for food, with five Michelin-star restaurants and many inventive chefs. We are not just talking about international cuisine, might I add; there has also been a rediscovery of traditional Norwegian food. Oslo is now one of the best capitals for fine dining in the world.”

Private dining room in the Engebret Café

of Ibsen, Grieg and Munch and improvised heraldic shields of other famous regulars. We are comfortably sitting in one of the original lounges of the café to talk about Norwegian delicacies.

Engebret Café

“Norwegians did not have a tradition of eating out. The idea of going out to a restaurant to eat fish just did not occur to them. But all that has now changed,” adds Erik Schultz, Chairman of Europa Nostra Norway. “Norwegians used to say ‘meat is food and fish is fish’ and that says it all really,” Kay Johnsen says with a smile

while serving coffee. Johnsen is the owner of the Engebret Café in the centre of Oslo, the oldest restaurant in town which first opened its doors in 1857. Engebret is the traditional meeting place for artists and politicians and still today a who’s who of the Norwegian cultural world can be seen all around us with paintings

“When I started here nine years ago, the menu was a bit of everything and there was very little focus,” the proprietor of Engebret continues. “Now we have signature dishes from the north of Norway, where I come from originally.

We always have a reindeer dish as well as salmon and aquavit on the menu, and also many seasonal dishes. Now, in February and March, it is the season for skrei.”

Skrei! The word alone makes the eyes of the whole company glaze over for a second. The winter-cod comes

Linie-aquavit

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Skrei Skrei prepared Drying fish on the Lofoten (photo Thomas Faivre-Duboz)

Scene from the film Frozen with Princess Elsa and merchant Oaken ©Disney

The Walt Disney film Frozen (2013) was a worldwide success and won two Academy Awards. It was loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale ‘The Snow Queen’. In preparation of the film, artists from the Walt Disney company travelled to Norway to find inspiration for the look and feel of the film. The historical district of Bryggen in Bergen and the UNESCO World Heritage Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, as well as several locations in Røros and Trondheim found their way into the movie. In the film we meet a smart reindeer with one antler and his owner.

We see trolls who converse in Norwegian, and Princess Elsa even meets a merchant in the middle of the forest called Oaken, who sells Norway’s favourite traditional food, Lutefisk.

all the way from the Barents Sea in the arctic down to the Lofoten Islands in the north of Norway for the breeding season. The lilywhite, succulent meat is lean and is traditionally cooked without much ado. The liver and roe are usually also prepared and served together with the fish, accompanied by a red wine. It is one of the highlights of the Norwegian culinary year.

“You really have to be quick with the preparation of skrei,” Johnsen explains. “Nothing is in such a hurry as a dead cod, we say in Norway. You have to boil it carefully to perfectly preserve the texture of the meat. And of course serve it with Norwegian potatoes.” Erik Schultz adds: “Norwegian potatoes have a short growing season but because of the long summer nights, they grow continuously and have a wonderful taste.”

But skrei is not the only cod that triggers a strong emotional response from the Norwegians.

Lutefisk is loved by many, hated by some. Some make the joke that so many Norwegians emigrated to the United States just to escape having to eat lutefisk. But even in America the lutefisk is still going strong. It has become the dish that in a way defines a true Norwegian.

Many Americans of Norwegian descent eat lutefisk for Christmas.

Lutefisk starts out as dried cod. It really matters whether the fish is dried in a drying-room or outside in the wind. Johnsen adds“After drying, people trained as sniffers pick out the best quality. There are six different qualities. You then soak the dried fish in water and

caustic soda for a considerable time, and then you have to rinse it, and rinse it again, until it has

Flat-bread is a typical Norwegian unleavened bread that can be stored in dry conditions next to forever. It is best eaten with jam or salty butter.

traditions across the globe from Brazil to Nigeria, from Portugal to the Caribbean.

has conquered the the perfect texture.” world. Norway’s “Not every family unique coast grows up with it. line and fjords It is a bit of an offer excellent acquired taste.

I still remember opportunities for aquaculture and vividly the smell Norway has grown of caustic soda to become the largest in the house. You Caraway mustn’t forget that the whole producer of Atlantic salmon in the world. It is an important procedure has been developed to industry based on an important keep fish last through the winter and make dry fish taste more heritage. And then there is the fresh,“ adds Erik Schultz. “I am a traditional stock-fish, based on member of the Lutefisk Club that a 1,000 year old tradition. The Lofoten islands alone, where the meets here in Engebret every drying conditions are excellent, year since 1893,” Tor Sannerud exports over 4,000 metric tons explains with a knowing smile.

“We are a group of 70 and eat a year. It should not be confused lutefisk on the last day of the with clip-fish – more easy to produce by salting the cod – and official season, the third Friday which has a market which is in January.” seven times as large. Stock-fish We talk briefly about that as well as clip-fish have founded age-old culinary heritage other fish from Norway that

We are joined by Halvor Heuch, executive of the Arcus Company and one of the country’s foremost experts on aquavit. He just launched another special blend for the international market. “Aquavit started out in the Middle-ages as a bitter, a sort of Underberg, you might say,” he tells us. “It was a Swedish countess, Eva Ekeblad de la Gardie, who discovered that one could get a lot more aquavit out of fermented potatoes instead of corn or grain, and that was very important for the production volumes.”

Aquavit, the elixir of life, gets its distinctive taste from herbs like caraway and dill, which are added to give the neutral spirit its distinctive flavour.

“The real boost came in the early 19th century. The history of stock-fish is actually closely connected to the history of aquavit,” Heuch explains over coffee. ”It was a Norwegian ship that went to Batavia in Indonesia to sell stock-fish. In its cargo it also carried aquavit in used sherry barrels. The trade went badly, and the Indonesians did not like what the Norwegians

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Aquavit was literally a drink for all occasions and at the beginning of the 20th century, the aquavit consumption reached alarming heights. It therefore came as no surprise that the teetotalers’ movement, which promoted total abstinence of alcoholic consumptions, became very strong in Norway. This was to have a profound influence on the rules and regulations about alcohol in Norway as well as in other Scandinavian countries. Alcohol in Norway was - and still is - sold by a state monopoly. Brands like Simers, Lysholm, Opland and Løten have been in state hands since 1927, but kept using the original recipes and kept the quality. Although companies may import and produce alcohol more freely now, there are still many rules and regulations.

Sherry barrel on the golf course near the Atlungstad Brenneri Atlungstad Brenneri exterior

had to sell. Therefore, the barrels came all the way back to Norway. When the Lysholm production company people checked if it was still okay, they noticed something wonderful had happened to the taste. The months on the ocean in the old barrels had given the aquavit a great taste. They kept it a secret at first, but soon barrels of aquavit travelled up and down with the clip- and stock-fish to for instance Brazil. This became the famous Linie-aquavit which carries the exact date on which the barrel crossed the equator.”

“We are very busy with the restoration of the last potato distillery of Norway from

The tasty dairy products of the Aydem farm

1855, the Atlungstad Brenneri (by Lake Mjøsa in Stange ed.) where we can show the whole production process as a working museum. I want to make the public more aware of the variety and quality of the drink. Traditionally you drink aquavit with beer, but preferably not a pilsner. Moreover, you should never drink it cold. Many Brown cheese or brunost is a popular Norwegian goat’s cheese made out of whey and cream, with a caramel sweet taste. Aydem is a traditional farm in the centre of Norway that produces brunost for the best restaurants in Norway.

They also make pultost, a cheese dating back to the Viking age.

restaurants across the globe serve it in a small glass but it should be enjoyed like a cognac, in a wide warm glass. I have been talking to glass-makers to create a new glass.” Heuch has been working for many years in the aquavit business, but is still full of ideas and dreams of ever expanding markets for this spirit, so closely connected to Norway’s history and heritage.

Norway’s culinary heritage is inspiring chefs across the globe.

They are changing age-old traditions into new and tasty sensations. The existence of Norwegian cuisine is no longer wishful thinking, it is a dream come true.

60 then & now

Then & Now Everywhere you look around you in Oslo, the city is buzzling with activity.

New architectural marvels are making their way to the skies or rise up from the water of the bay. The mix between the old and the new, the present and future heritage is always a delicate balance. To paraphrase the French journalist and writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, is it true that the more things change, the more they stay the same? What can we discover if we look at archival photographs and the present situation. History often casts a long shadow, but sometimes the changes are quite remarkable, sometimes hardly noticable. If we travel around Oslo and Norway, how much stayed the same and how much changed?

Aerial view of Oslo in 1950 with the City Hall and the railway station Vestbanestasjon (now the Nobel Peace Center)

Oslo City Hall

Oslo City Hall There is only one word really suitable for the City Hall of Oslo; monumental. The policital and administrative heart of Oslo is a magnificently enormous structure of red bricks, built to impress.

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It was first proposed in 1915, but it would take until 1950 before the citizens could enjoy the Oslo City Hall’s unique architecture and art collection.

Walking around the building and into the main entrance, it not just the ornamental fountain that draws the attention, everywhere you are surrounded by murals and sculptures capturing the mythical spirit of Norway. The Great Hall is an impressive space with wall to wall paintings. It is a perfect venue for important functions, including the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony.

The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the European Union

The Nobel Peace prize, according to the will of Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), should be awarded “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

Interior City Hall (photo Felix Quaedvlieg )

On 11 June 2015 it is the location of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards ceremony. The Long Gallery, the Banquet Hall and the City Council Chamber; they all have a unique personal atmosphere, richly decorated by Norwegian painters and sculptors. The Munch Room, the Storstein Room and the Krohg Room are all named after the artists who’s works are displayed.

Nobel Peace Center

The Nobel Peace Center close to the City Hall celebrates its 10th anniversary (6 –11 June). It has become one of Norway’s most topical and important museums, and one of the most visited. The listed building dates back to 1872 and was, until 1989, a railway station (Oslo Vestbanestasjon).

The prize was inspired by peace activist Bertha von Suttner (18431914) who had worked as a personal assistant for Alfred Nobel in Paris and this meeting had left a lasting impression on both. Nobel would support the peace movement and Bertha’s initiatives for many years. They kept in close contact and it is clear that the reason the philanthropist put the establishment of a prize for peace in his will had much to do with their friendship.

He had also clearly intended her to be one of its recipients: and so she was – in 1905 – the fifth person and the first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

The ceremony was for many years held at the Nobel Institute. From 1947 till 1990, the setting was the auditorium of the University of Oslo.

In 1990 the event moved to the Oslo City Hall.

Nobel Peace Prize (designed by GustavVigeland, see article on page 14)

French cartoonist Plantu created this special work of art to celebrate the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to the European Union. He is the driving force behind the NGO Cartooning for Peace.

then & now

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Gamle Bybro in 1915 The restored area of Bakklandet

Gamle Bybro and Bakklandet The Old Town Bridge (Gamle Bybro) of Trondheim has been a landmark for centuries. It has been rebuilt many times and the current version dates back to the middle of the 19th century.

The bridge crosses the Nidelva river and is the main connection

between the town centre and the Bakklandet neighbourhood.

This area of narrow streets lined with colourful wooden houses is one of Trondheim’s main touristic attractions. It is a delightful collection of small shops, restaurants and homes.

The brightly painted warehouses are a picture perfect postcard of Trondheim’s long trade history.

It is almost unbelievable that the city council was planning to tear the whole district down, in an illadvised attempt to modernise that part of the city.

Stortingbygningen in 1890

Stortingsbygningen The Norwegian Parliament buildings (Stortingsbygningen) in the centre of Oslo were designed

by Swedish architect Emil Victor Langlet and were opened in 1866.

Bryggen The UNESCO World Heritage listed Bryggen area of Bergen is a collection of large historical warehouses in the harbour of the city. Narrow alleyways between the buildings lead you to open areas behind the houses, now occupied by charming cafés and restaurants.

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Bruggen in 1899 (photo Olaf Andreas Svanøe)

Inner courtyard

Stiftsgården in 1890

Stiftsgården The royal residence (Stiftsgården) is an attractive wooden building, painted in dark yellow, in the centre of Trondheim. It dates back to the 18th century and is one of the largest wooden buildings in Northern Europe. Originally built as a merchant’s house, it has been in use by the royal family for centuries.

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Akershus castle

Akershus and Tjuvholmen

Interior Akershus

The Akershus castle and fortifications at the entrance of Oslo’s harbour cover a large area. From the walls you have an panoramic view of the bay and the city. The castle dates back to the 13th century and has over the centuries been Oslo’s (then also known as Christiania and Kristiania) most prominent defensive building. The banquet halls and reception rooms were designed on a grand scale. The Royal Mausoleum in the castle contains the tombs of many of the kings and queens of Norway, including King Sigurd I, King Haakon VII and King Olav V.

Detail of a 1869 painting by Friedrich Paul Thumann (18341908)

Front Nidaros Cathedral

The industrial Tjuvholmen district on the opposite side of the bay has been rigorously redesigned. The whole area has been rejuvinated with modern architecture and the new Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art designed by Renzo Piano. Here we find city beaches, new apartment buildings and a large selection of trendy restaurants and shops. In summer it is a beehive of activities and it is another perfect example of the power of heritage renovation.

Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art Trondheim in 1915

Restored industrial building in Tjuvholmen

Nidaros Cathedral The 11th century Nidaros cathedral in Trondheim was built over the tomb of Saint Olav, the king and patron saint of Norway. It is also the end of a famous pilgrim’s route, which may date back thousands of years. The St.Olav Ways or Old Kings’ Road starts in Oslo and passes through the Gudbrandsdal valley, crosses the Dovrefjell mountains and continues through the Oppdal and Gauldalen valleys.

The road fell in disuse after the arrival of the railroads, but has recently been revived by walking enthusiasts as well as pilgrims.

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The Rosa Europa Nostra Make 2015 a season to remember!

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And there is more! For every rosebush you buy € 5 is donated to the 7 Most Endangered project of the European heritage organisation Europa Nostra to help protect endangered heritage sites across Europe.

So fill your garden with the beautiful Rosa Europa Nostra and help save Europe’s heritage.

The Rosa Europa Nostra Rose was exclusively created for Europa Nostra to celebrate and protect Europe’s cultural heritage and has won in 2012 the Golden Medal in Monza.

You can order your Rosa Europa Nostra online at www.rosaeuropanostra.eu Special offer € 14,95 exclusive of mailing costs.

You can buy up to 10 roses for the same shipping cost.

Order today and have it delivered next week.

In Belgium the flourishing Rosa Europa Nostra will be available in all AVEVE shops from June on.

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Letters from Norway Tønsberg today

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was an Enlightenment moral and political thinker, as well as an acclaimed writer and translator from England.

Mary Wollstonecraft painted by John Opie (1761-1807)

She spent her youth taking care of sick friends and relatives but started to come into her own after publishing Thoughts on the Education of Daughters.

She immediately gave away the money she earnt to help a poor family in need, a clear symbol of her kind but impulsive nature. She lived during the Enlightenment and the French Revolution when throughout Europe and the New World, new political and philosophical ideas were heralded in and longstanding traditions were thrown out of the window. Her London publisher, Joseph Johnson, took her on as an editorial assistant and reviewer. In this new, exciting literary and political environment, she quickly honed her skills as a political writer and thinker. Her groundbreaking A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) is considered one of the first feminist writings and was much ahead of her time.

She was rather unlucky in love and in 1792 we find her in Paris, trying to forget a married man she was involved with. There she met an American named Gilbert Imlay.

She never officially married him, but soon gave birth to a girl. Imlay however neglected her more and more and she decided to take her own life. Imlay stopped her and convinced her to go on a trip to Scandinavia to conduct business on his behalf. And so a week after she had decided to commit suicide, she is on her way to Sweden. We can only imagine what her emotional state must have been: a desperate woman travelling alone in a country where she knew nobody.

But her observations are honest and direct and give us a unique view of daily life in the late 18th century in Norway. She travelled from Sweden to Larvik and then via Tønsberg to Oslo.

Her relationship with her ‘husband’ deteriorated further and when she returned home from Norway, he seemed more interested in an actress from a travelling theatre.

She decided to drown herself in the river, but was rescued. In 1796 her very successful Letters written during a short residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark was published. In 1797 she married William Godwin. In that same year she died as the result of childbirth complications. She was only 38.

Her newborn girl would also grow up to be a successful writer and would become world-famous as the author of Frankenstein (1818) and as the wife of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

On travel writing “Travellers who require that every nation should resemble their native country, had better stay at home. (...) The most essential service, I presume, that authors

they approached to assist me, and inquire after my wants, as if they were afraid to hurt, and wished to protect me. The sympathy I inspired, thus dropping down from the clouds in a strange land, affected me more than it would have done had not my spirits been harassed by various causes - by much thinking - musing almost to madness - and even by a sort of weak melancholy that hung about my heart at parting with my daughter for the first time. (…) could render to society, would be to promote inquiry and discussion, instead of making those dogmatical assertions which only appear calculated to gird the human mind round with imaginary circles, like the paper globe which represents the one he inhabits. This spirit of inquiry is the characteristic of the present century, from which the succeeding will, I am persuaded, receive a great accumulation of knowledge; and doubtless its diffusion will in a great measure destroy the factitious national characters which have been supposed permanent, though only rendered so by the permanency of ignorance.”

On the Norwegians “As the Norwegians do not frequently see travellers, they are very curious to know their business, and who they are - so curious, that I was half tempted to adopt Dr. Franklin’s plan, when travelling in America, where they are equally prying, which was to write on a paper, for public inspection, my name, from whence I came, where I was going, and what was my business.

But if I were importuned by their curiosity, their friendly gestures gratified me. A woman coming alone interested them. And I know not whether my weariness gave me a look of peculiar delicacy, but

The Norwegians appear to me to be the most free community I have ever observed. The mayor of each town or district, and the judges in the country, exercise an authority almost patriarchal.

They can do much good, but little harm, - as every individual can appeal from their judgment; and as they may always be forced to give a reason for their conduct, it is generally regulated by prudence.

“They have not time to learn to be tyrants,” said a gentleman to me, with whom I discussed the subject.”

William Godwin

Akershus and Oslo (Christiania) harbour anno 1800 painted

by John William Edy (1760-1820)

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Letters written during a short residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark was a great success and had an important influence on the romantic poets and writers of the 19th century. Norway became a favourite destination for the artistically inclined in the course of that century. The rugged natural beauty had a magnetic pull on European travellers who saw how quickly the Industrial Revolution changed their own countries.

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Fishing Lodge Brochure on trout fishing in Norway (1887)

The natural beauty that Wollstonecraft experienced can still be found across Norway

On Norwegian weather “I never endured a winter in this rude climate, consequently it was not the contrast, but the real beauty of the season which made the present summer appear to me the finest I had ever seen.

Sheltered from the north and eastern winds, nothing can exceed the salubrity, the soft freshness of the western gales. In the evening they also die away; the aspen leaves tremble into stillness, and reposing nature seems to be warmed by the moon, which here assumes a genial aspect.

And if a light shower has chanced to fall with the sun, the juniper, the underwood of the forest, exhales a wild perfume, mixed with a thousand nameless sweets that, soothing the heart, leave images in the memory which the imagination will ever hold dear. (…) Never was a southern sky more beautiful, nor more soft its gales. Indeed, I am led to conclude that the sweetest summer in the world is the northern one,

English mountaineers discovered the fjords and snow-topped mountains and taught the Norwegians the joy of mountain climbing. Foreign angling enthusiasts invaded the Norwegian countryside in search of the perfect river or lake for trout and salmon. The sport fishermen built impressive wooden houses along the streams which resembled the colonial lodges of the Africa savannahs with wide verandas and beautiful vistas. The influx of tourists and visitors forever changed the image of Norway and made it a symbol of unspoiled, natural beauty.

the vegetation being quick and luxuriant the moment the earth is loosened from its icy fetters and the bound streams regain their wonted activity. The balance of happiness with respect

to climate may be more equal than I at first imagined; for the inhabitants describe with warmth the pleasures of a winter at the thoughts of which I shudder.”

On the farms “The wooden houses; farms constructed with logs, and even little villages, here erected in the same simple manner, have appeared to me very picturesque.

In the more remote parts I had been particularly pleased with many cottages situated close to a brook, or bordering on a lake, with the whole farm contiguous. As the family increases, a little more land is cultivated; thus the country is obviously enriched by population. (...)

The farmers not fearing to be turned out of their farms, should they displease a man in power, and having no vote to be commanded at an election for a mock representative, are a manly race; for not being obliged to submit to any debasing tenure in order to live, or advance themselves in the world, they act with an independent spirit.

I never yet have heard of anything like domineering or oppression, excepting such as has arisen from natural causes. (…) Near most of the towns are commons, on which the cows of all the inhabitants, indiscriminately, are allowed to graze. The poor, to whom a cow is necessary, are almost supported by it. Besides, to render living more easy, they all go out to fish in their own boats, and fish is their principal food. The lower class of people in the towns are in general sailors; and the industrious have usually little ventures of their own that serve to render the winter comfortable.”

EUROPEAN HERITAGE LABEL 2015

The European Heritage Label is given by the European Commission and highlights outstanding heritage sites with a particular European dimension, celebrating and symbolising European integration, ideals and history.

The European Heritage Label Ceremony took place on 15 April, 2015 in the Solvay Library, Brussels in the presence of Tibor Navracsics, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.

During the ceremony the European Commission presented the European Heritage Label to the following sites:

• Münster and Osnabrück – Sites of the Peace of Westphalia, Germany • Hambach Castle, Germany • The Heart of Ancient Athens, Greece • Archive of the Crown of Aragon, Spain • Residencia de Estudiantes, Spain • Abbey of Cluny, France • Robert Schuman’s House, France • Pan-European Picnic Memorial Park, Hungary • Museo Casa Alcide De Gasperi, Italy

• Kaunas of 1919-1940, Lithuania • Union of Lublin, Poland • The May 3, 1791 Constitution, Poland • The historic Gdańsk Shipyard, Poland • General Library of the University of Coimbra, Portugal • Charter of Law of Abolition of the Death Penalty , Portugal • Franja Partisan Hospital, Slovenia

The Best in Heritage

©

Projects of Influence

www.thebestinheritage.com

24 - 26 September 2015, ... the world’s only annual survey of award-win

In partnership with Europa Nostra Under special patronage of ICOM Professionals need quality information and benchmarking occasions; there are annually hundreds awarded institutions world-wide and a great number of exceptional projects not so well known to the international, professional public. The aim of the Best in Heritage is to give these examples of best practice further occupational and public attention, thus providing all conference participants with insights into innovative practices, successful management approaches, extraordinary professionalism and present day trends & tendencies.

In addition to inspiring array of best practices, the programme features rich social and cultural content organised with help of Dubrovnik Museums, all taking place in the Renaissance city core of Dubrovnik.

ning museum, heritage and conservation projects

Photo by Pakslis Krishno

Dubrovnik, Croatia

PANORAMA

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Panorama Norway has probably the best panoramas in the world; from the northern lights flaming on the winter skies to the breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage fjords; from the small fishing communities along the rugged coastline to the wide open spaces of the far north.

In the winter Norway is famous for its Aurora Borealis, the northern lights, seen here at Lyngenfjord near Tromsø (photo by Ximonic)

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Norway’s nature is grand and monumental and you can walk for days without seeing another soul. But still, dotted across this timeless landscape, we find

small pockets of human activity; a colourful fishing community nestled in the fjord or a collection of farmhouses on the edge of a deep pine forest. Some of the cities

are magnificent testimonies to Norway’s old traditions of fishing and trade with brightly painted warehouses and traditional shops.

PANORAMA

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The charming village of Solvorn where the ferry leaves for the UNESCO World Heritage Urnes Stave Church Troldhaugen, the estate of composer Edvard Grieg

Trondheim warehouses along the river

In 2004 the Heathland Centre (Lyngheisenteret) at Lygra won the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards for their museum for the preservation of the traditional European heathlands.

Twenty-eight traditional buildings have been restored and about four kilometres of pathways have been made. Professor Peter Emil Kaland is one of the enthusiasts behind the project, seen here walking through the heathlands.

Safeguarding heritage since 1844 The Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments is serving as a local partner for Europa Nostra’s Heritage Congress 2015. We welcome all participants to Oslo and hope you enjoy your stay!

Our society was founded in 1844 and is one of the world’s oldest voluntary heritage organizations. Over the years, we have fought to save many historical structures from decay and demolition.

We own and maintain some of the most beautiful buildings in Norway, including eight stave churches, four medieval stone churches, two fortresses and the ruins of four monasteries.

A visit to one of our properties is like a visit to the past. Marked by time and the people who lived before us, these buildings stand ready to welcome new generations. We want their unique atmosphere to be accessible to all and keep them open to the public.

We also place a lot of emphasis on research and education within the heritage field, arranging lectures and practical courses. One of our most important tasks is teaching children and youth about historical monuments, so they can take care of our heritage in the future.

Why become a member?

We have local branches in all parts of Norway, safeguarding the historical character of each region.

As a member, you support this effort. You also become part-owner of our 40 properties and contribute to their upkeep.

If you are fond of old buildings, The Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments is for you!

For more information: post@fortidsminneforeningen.no www.stavechurch.com

Turning Copper into Gold

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The Story of Røros It is one of the coldest places on earth. The forests that once enveloped the town have disappeared into the hungry furnaces of the factories and iron foundries. Black slag heaps surround the city, an apocalyptic scenery where nothing dares to grow, ever.

But still...

Kjerkgata, Røros Kjerkgata in 1869 (photo Elen Schomragh)

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This old copper mining town and its surrounding landscape is one of Norway’s most popular UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Røros, which lies as the end of a long valley leading all the way back to Trondheim, has risen like a phoenix from the ashes after centuries of industrial activity.

Unlike many wooden cities from the 17th century, Røros did not burn down to the ground. The last time flames engulfed the town was in 1679. This means that most of the 18th and 19th century buildings are still with us today.

When the mining industry first came to Norway, many experts had to be hired from Germany. The management of the mine spoke German, and today many words still have a German ring. German influences are also noticeable

Outbuilding

in the architecture. The wellplanned city-grid with charming timber-built houses on both sides of the long, straight streets, are now home to tearooms, galleries and arts & crafts shops. So many tourists wanted to buy a little house in charming Røros, that the municipality made it obligatory to live in the houses permanently.

The parish church is a miracle of wood. The recent renovation - with the help of highly skilled

craftsmen, some of them trained in Germany - has brought the church back to its original splendour.

The floor had to be completely renewed. The portraits of the priests were restored and put back to watch over the parishioners during mass. All except one, as one of the priests had such a bad reputation that his portrait was placed behind the altar where nobody would have to see him.

The wooden shingles of the roof were still in a surprisingly good shape. The craftsmen discovered that the shingles was covered with an interesting mix of tar, sand and charcoal, a recipe that could be of great value for other restorations.

The Outbuilding Project is about the restoration and maintenance of the outbuildings of the urban farms in Røros. The project is unique with its collaboration between the craftsmen, the owners, the local museum and the municipality. Skills are shared, methodologies exchanged and costs compared. The result is not only a successful restoration exercise covering 400 buildings since 1996, but also the development of a local, highly qualified group of restorers. The project won a European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards in 2015.

Parish church of Røros Interior

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The house (on the right) of painter Harald Sohlberg (18691935) Painting of Røros by Harald Sohlberg The same viewpoint today

Per Amundsagården

Heritage organisation Fortidsminneforeningen has two important urban farm properties in Røros. Per Amundsagården dates back to the late 1700s and is a typical example of a Røros farm. The building was already protected in 1923 but was still taken down to make place for a gas station. The Norsk Folkemuseum at Bygdøy near Oslo kept the wooden structures in storage, and 40 years later the farm could be rebuilt in Røros. Rasmusgaarden is one of the oldest farmsteads. Parts of the timber construction can be dated to the late 1600s, and the farm has changed little since the early 1800s. fortidsminneforeningen.no

The church is not the only location in town where the heritage skills of craftsmen are needed.

Every restoration in the town needs special expertise and local knowledge. One of the unique features of Røros’ architecture is the urban farm. The city is truly a collection of small farms.

Behind the doors of many of the houses in the centre of town, we find minute, hidden yards with small outbuildings for cattle, hay or equipment. The miners could make a little extra money this way, and for a long time this was a perfect combination. When the mines started to close, however, this specific kind of farming died with it. Many of the outbuildings then became derelict. The socalled Outbuilding Project is keen

on turning the tide (see encadre page 77).

So how can we help the private owners of heritage buildings in the city? Simen Bjørgen, director of the Norwegian Cultural Heritage Fund (Kulturminnefondet), which has its headquarters in Røros, explains: “If you want to protect cultural heritage, you have to help the owners. Our main strategy in Røros and elsewhere for that matter is to collaborate closely with the owners. We can help financially with 30% of the costs. The owner has to come up with the rest, but part of this can be restoration work he or she does himself. After 10 years of operation, we have given grants to more than 1600 projects.”

79 The Norwegian Cultural Heritage Fund (Kulturminnefondet) regularly organises a Professional and Crafts Seminar to train young people in cultural heritage projects and encourages the development of new arenas for cooperation and knowledge transfer within the industry and with the owners of cultural heritage. kulturminnefondet.no

Just outside the town centre, between black hills of slag and a foaming river that supplied much of the mine’s energy over the centuries, we find the Røros Museum. Although the original building was destroyed by fire in 1975, the smeltery was carefully reconstructed on its old foundations and turned into a museum. One of the most interesting displays shows

ingenuity in the way river power was used in the daily operations of the smeltery. In the great halls, the fires roared from 1646 until 1953, an incredibly long period. For a look inside an actual mine you can travel to the nearby Olav’s Mine, which is open to the public.

Røros is a delight to visit and shows clearly how the development of industrial heritage

can be successfully deployed to create highly skilled jobs and economic growth. Every year more of the town is restored, helping the city to become a top destination in summer and winter. The usually very cold midwinter-festival in February, has become an international event and the traditional sleigh ride from Trondheim to Røros is one of the highlights of a week of festivities.

Røros Museum Miners in the Røros Museum The midwinterfestival in February is a wonderfully cool experience (photo Thomas Rasmus Skaug) The river that was instrumental to Røros’success

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Building Future Heritage Imagine a landscape of rocks and moss, with patches of snow even in summer, a herd of wild reindeer just visible on the horizon.

Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion Interior

In come the architects of Sn繪hetta to capture the view in a rectangular building of wood and steel. Inside, on the flowing wooden benches, people are enjoying the warmth of a fire place and observing the scenery through a panorama window as if it was a giant 3-D flat-screen.

The almost surreal design makes the magnificent view, strangely enough, more real than the real thing. The Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion is located on the outskirts of Dovrefjell National Park, around the mountain that gave the famous Norwegian design company their name, Sn繪hetta. The pavilion was built in 2011.

Imagine a large and rather ugly industrial harbour on the eastern side of Oslo, an industrial

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Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion

environment to be found in so many coastal cities. In come the architects of Snøhetta to build a white mountain of stone and glass, the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. It is not only a building, it is also a new urban space to be enjoyed by the whole city. The building, which was finished in 2008, is the first in the redevelopment plans of the area. Already in 2009 it received the Mies van der Rohe Award, the European Union Prize for Architecture.

The Government then took the unique step to have the building officially listed. We ask Jørn Holme, director of the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren), about the reasoning behind listing such a new building.

“The Opera house in Oslo is listed because it is an extraordinary example of world-class architecture. The Directorate is responsible for the protection of cultural heritage dating from different eras, not least modern Norwegian architecture.

According to The Cultural Heritage Act, buildings of historical and architectural value can be listed with no restrictions regarding the age of the building in question. By listing the Opera house, we wanted to secure the building and the space it deserves for the future, as it is situated in an area with high building pressure.”

“There are very few examples of modern architecture that have been listed in Norway. The Opera house is in a unique position.

That the Opera house is already

Interior

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In the same harbour area, the city of Oslo wants to create a new Munch Museum, dedicated to the artist Edvard Munch who left many of his artworks to the city. The new museum will allow the curators to show much more of the collection than is physically possible at the current location.

Norwegian National Opera and Ballet Vulkan Bigård

The Spanish studio Herreros Arquitectos won the architectureal competition, and the museum will arise a stone’s throw away from the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. The new museum will probably be completed in 2018. *snohetta.com

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listed is an advantage– it gives predictability, and a unique opportunity to protect the building in a good way. Currently, any planned changes to the building occur as a result of close cooperation between the Opera, Statsbygg and the Directorate for Cultural Heritage in Norway.

This way, we ensure that the Opera house that is cherished by everyone is well cared for.”

It is safe to say that wherever the architects of Snøhetta appear, something extraordinary happens.

From the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion in New York to the Library of

Alexandria in Egypt, from the restoration of the Grand Palais in Paris to the re-design of the famous Karl Johans street in the centre of Oslo, from interior design to restyling famous brands, Snøhetta seems to be on a roll.

A new project is the Vulkan Bigård, an architectural beehive for the city. Bees are under threat across the world and we are extremely dependent on them for crop pollination. Snøhetta teamed up with many partners to create a comfortable home for them within the city limits, which can help to raise awareness about their vital role in our lives.

Detail of the Library of Alexandria (photo Snøhetta)

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The Heart of the Land It is solitary rock outcrop, close to the water of the fjord, on the outer side of the Komsa mountains, holy to the Sámi, the indigenous people of the north.

The Áhkku rock

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The sacrificial stone is 5 metres high and called Áhkku, the old woman, but you need a lot of imagination to detect a face hidden in the contours of the rock.

In the traditions of the coastal Sámi, belief is closely associated with natural features like rock formations and boulders that stand out from the crowd in the wide panoramas of the Finnmark province. Behind the Áhkku rock, we discover small objects, mementos, such as a half empty bottle: sacrifices to summon good fortune. Some of these sacrificial stones have been in use for centuries and the forefathers of the local Sámi offered fish and fish oil to ensure good weather and good fishing. The Áhkku rock is one of the many sacred places in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia where the Sámi traditionally live. This is the heart of Sápmi, their homeland, with thousands of years of history and cultural traditions.

Next to the large tent, which serves as a restaurant, there is green meadow with a small reindeer herd.

One of them looks like an albino.

“White reindeer are holy,” explains Berit Anne Sara Eira of Boazo Sámi Siida, a Sámi information centre and shop on the outskirts of Alta town. She is an inviting woman

dressed in traditional colourful clothing. It may all look a bit touristy, but underneath the outer layers of modern commercialism, there is much to discover. Berit Eira’s ancestors roamed these lands already thousands of years ago. “Reindeer are the key to my culture. They are usually shy and quite smart. They love their lichens. They are good swimmers but we also used to have boats to help them across water. While they now sometimes pull snowmobiles, they used to pull sleighs. Up to the time I went to primary school,

Riddu Riđđu (literally ‘little storm on the coast’) is an international indigenous festival which annually takes place in Kåfjord, not far from Alta. The festival has a focus on Sámi and indigenous people’s art and culture with a diverse program featuring music, films, seminars, work-shops, art, literature and theatre. Riddu Riđđu 2015 is held 8-12 July. Riddu.no

I travelled with my family on the annual treks. It is a strange idea, but photographs of me, my sister and my grandmother are now in the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo.

She lifts a reindeer fur parka from a hanger in the tent with an

Sacrifices behind the Áhkku rock Albino reindeer Sámi family in 1890

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Fireplace in tent

exposition on Sámi culture. It’s tiny and heavy. “This was my coat, can you believe it? You wear it inside out on your naked skin.

You have special, long leather pants to go with it and the pointytoe shoes are also made of leather turned inside-out. This is a coat for adults,” she says while lifting – with considerable difficulty – a reindeer jacket. “Your name would often be shortened and embroidered on your vest. When I got married my name was added on to my husband’s vest.” While she serves up a large helping of bidus, a thick, brown soup made from boiled reindeer meat, carrots and potatoes, she explains about the

Interior tent

The Sámi Pathfinders initiative was originally a three-year pilot project, in which three Sámi youths visited schools across Norway, sharing information about Sámi culture and society. The initiative was a great success and was continued.

The Sámi Pathfinders travel primarily to secondary schools, but they are free to attend other arenas for young people. The young Sámi Pathfinders are adequately trained at the Sámi University College in Kautokeino.

Coat

daily life en route. Life was tough but it had its magical moments.

The restaurant is a semi-traditional Sámi tent with an open fire place in the middle and reindeer fur all around for comfort. “Everybody had their own spot in the tent,” she explains with a nostalgic smile.

“Women were sitting in the back on the left side, guests left and right from the entrance and the kitchen was in the back. The long-term huts could be quite luxurious and large.”

It’s not hard to imagine what life must have been like on the annual reindeer trek.

Christianity came to the north very slowly and for centuries the traditional Sámi gods were still appeased by offerings. The shaman (noaidi) looked to the future and the past, using his magic drum (meavrresgárri). He used the antler of a reindeer or the bone of a bear – the only animal related to man – to beat himself in ecstasy and enter the other world.

The authorities did not like the practices very much and from the end of the 17th to the middle of the 18th century, much of the

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Magic drum

Berit Anne Sara Eira of the Sámi information centre shows an embroidered vest

confrontation between indigenous Sámi religion and Christianity was focused on these ‘evil’ drums. The drums are decorated with symbolic forms and figures and can still be seen in several museums around the country, including the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo. That museum also owned a holy Sámi boulder, but the stone has now been returned and replaced by a replica.

Nowadays half of the Sámi people lives in Norway. The other half lives in Sweden, Finland and Russia. Many have moved to the city, but there are still a few small groups that live in the traditional way, fishing or reindeer herding.

Relatively recently the cultural heritage of the Sámi – their customs, music, religion and languages – have come to the forefront. Sámi languages, which are related to Finnish, Estonian and Hungarian, are seriously endangered.

The resistance of the Sámi community against the government’s plans for a

hydroelectric power plant in the Alta river in late 1970s and early 1980s put the spotlight on Sámi rights in an unprecedented way. The Sámi are now entitled special protection and rights, guaranteed by the Norwegian Constitution and the Sámi Act. The Sámi Parliament (Sámediggi) plays an important political role and a constitutional amendment states that is the responsibility of the authorities of the Norwegian State to create conditions enabling the Sámi people to preserve and develop their language, culture and way of life. Much has changed over the years and the Sámi culture is a significant part of Norway’s heritage. But the troubles are far from over. The arctic north is under threat of large scale industrial development and Sámi cultural heritage stands in the way of the vast needs for oil and mining. Industrial logging, fishing rights and the effects of global warming also have a profound influence on the traditional cross-border Sámi’s way of life. Who gets to decide what the future will hold?

The Kautokeino rebellion (1852) was one of the few violent uprisings by the Sámi against the representatives of the Norwegian government. The rebel leaders Mons Somby and Aslak Hætta were decapitated in Alta as a result of it. Their bodies were buried just outside the Kåfjord church graveyard near Alta, in unblessed ground. Their skulls ended up the Institute for Anatomy in Oslo. In 1985 a protest was launched and finally in 1997 the bodies and skulls were reunited and the graveyard was extended to include the graves.

Kåfjord church Graves of the Kautokeino rebellion

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Over a hundred years ago, the workers at the Tyssedal power plant, located in the middle of Telemark, would use the same way up for their maintenance work.

You can also wonder how they ever got any work done with this kind of spectacular view. Far down, too far down for comfort, is the power plant itself. The impressive industrial heritage buildings were constructed between 1906 and 1918 by the side of the Sørfjord.

Since 2000, the historical power plant is protected by the Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren). It was once one of the largest high-pressure power plants in the world.

Neighbouring Odda and Tyssedal developed from dreamy, wooden villages into flourishing industrial communities.

Tyssedal power plant in the Sørfjord Climbing up can be a challenge

The Power of Heritage Climbing up along the old water pipes is not an experience for the faint-hearted, despite the safety lines and the guide.

The award-winning Norwegian Museum of Hydro Power and Industry uses the Tyssedal power station and the old intake-tunnels, the water basins, the water pipes and the guards’ houses to tell the story of hydro-power and of the beginning of modern Norway.

Water and electricity literally powered Norway’s transition into a modern nation.

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The power station was designed by architects Thorvald Astrup and Victor Nordan and they put a lot of love and passion into their designs. They believed that industrial buildings should be as aesthetically beautiful as any other structure of importance. Entering the plant gives the sensation of walking into a blue and white cathedral dedicated to the god of electricity, with impressive turbines and high rising columns, brass fittings and Bakelite levers and switches. It seems clear that the architects had found their inspiration for Tyssedal in Italian churches and basilicas.

In recent years extensive renovation work has been done, revitalising the power plant and developing the tourist potential of the whole district. It has brought new energy to the area, which again demonstrates the power of heritage for regional rejuvenation and development.

Photo’s courtesy of Norsk Vasskraft og Industristadmuseum. NVIM.no

Interior Dinner is served in the power station

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Else Sprossa Rønnevig, a vivacious heritage expert, is going on a grand tour of Norway in a 4x4 with matching trailer to bring her heritage message to universities, local communities and municipalities.

Rønnevig is winner of the prestigious Olavsrosa

Else Sprossa Rønnevig

The Sweet Revenge of Mrs Mullion

It is a 9 week, 40 lectures trip which will take her from the far south to the high north. The energetic communicator has a reputation of speaking her mind. Her self-chosen middle name is testament to that.

She took on the honorary name of Sprossa (which can be roughly translated als Mullion) as a result of her battle against the introduction of big windowpanes when the modernization wave hit the traditional rural villages of Norway.

“I started in Brekkestø,” she explains. “It is a small village on the southern coast of Norway, located on the island of Justøy. I noticed my neighbours started to take out their nicely mullioned windows and replace them with single, double glazed ones. They were easier to clean and kept the drafts out. Fair enough, but it

looked terrible. The traditional houses in the villages were defaced by these big windows. I should accept modernity, they told me, because who wants to live in a museum? They gave me the derogatory nickname Sprossa.

I thought, I’m just going to use that and took it on as an honorary name. It has been with me ever since. It also gave me a clear idea of what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to share my heritage knowledge, I wanted to help people understand the true character of a village. This is essential for the well-being of a community. It was hard to make my opinions heard at first, but I had more success with the outsiders who owned summer houses. These people never felt the need to change their windows, because they were only there in summer. So what may be regarded as bad news in some places, this ‘foreign’ ownership actually helped to protect the traditional look and feel of these villages.”

“It is this idyllic character of all the houses together, especially when observed from the seaside, that makes these villages so unique.

The length and quality of the logs, the maximum width and height of the logs; it is all the practical result of the local possibilities. The same craftsmen who made the sailing vessels, also built the houses.

They were pretty good at keeping the roofs free of leaks, as you can imagine. They used oak, spruce, pine and birch and tar coaxed from resin. They painted the fronts of the houses in white - which was more expensive - and the rest of the building in red, which was the cheapest paint.”

“It is such a joy to work with people, especially young people, and create something out of nothing. We are now busy with a country estate from 1805. You cannot sell those kinds of houses, it is too much effort to restore them into homes. I believe you can bring them back to life in a communal effort. We are restoring and learning new things every day.

We hope to create a centre around ecological food production. The property has acres of land, and we can combine traditional crops with heritage food production.

Carpenters can come and learn the traditional building methods. It is an ideal place to the valuable idea of ‘learning by doing’.”

“I also got very interested in the brick ovens which were traditionally a part of many of these farm houses. This was a technique that was largely forgotten, but I remembered that my grandmother had one, and started experimenting.

This was ‘learning by doing’ indeed, and when the owners decided to start reusing this ancient technique, the ovens brought a lot of life back to the houses. It is the traditional way of making bread and nowadays pizza. You can build them in new homes instead of having a modern grill or a barbecue. It is a traditional Norwegian oven, and it can bring so much joy and togetherness to each and every home. It smells good, tastes good, and feels good!”

Else Sprossa Rønnevig is an avid photographer and prolific writer, and she has published many books and practical guides; on baking bread, on restoring your windows and your doors, on rebuilding your brick oven or choosing colours and materials for your heritage home.

Rønnevig on her grand tour of Norway

Traditional windows replaced by modern ones Traditional brick oven

Mrs Mullion may have diversified her message from mullioned windowpanes to community welfare, her enthusiasm and passion are undiminished. She has become a national treasure in the process. That kind of success surely tastes sweet!

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A Room With a View

Kviknes Hotel Kviknes Hotel in 1890

It looks just like any other traditional chair in one of the tasteful lounges of Kviknes Hotel in the village of Balestrand in the western part of Norway, but you have to look a little closer.

Sigurd Kvikne, the proud owner of the old, family run hotel on the Sognefjord, turns the chair around to show the inscription on the bottom of the seat. “Kaiser Wilhelm sat in this chair on 25 July, 1914 in the afternoon from 5 to 5.30 when he and his entourage paid a visit to Professor Hans Dahl in his villa at Strandheim, Balestrand, Sogn, when the war broke out. He left on the Hohenzollern for Kiel when Austria and Serbia were on the brink of war.”

“My family bought this set at an auction. Many people assume that the Kaiser stayed at our hotel during his many visits to Balestrand, but he stayed on board his ship moored in the bay. Of course he would visit the hotel

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The sculpture of the legendary king Bele, a gift from the Kaiser Kaiser Wilhelm II felt a personal connection to Fridtjof the Bold, a legendary Viking ruler who perhaps once lived in the area. He commissioned his friend Max Unger to create a larger than life statue in the small village of Vangsnes.

In 1913, the enormous statue was shipped in pieces and assembled by his sailors. Another statue of another legendary king, Bele, was created for the town of Balestrand. The ancient king still looks out over the fjord contemplating the challenges of life.

The Norwegians were not sure how to respond to these honours, and over the years there have been calls to tear them down. So far they are still there and have become quite the tourist attraction.

occasionally, but he would usually spend time with his friend, the painter Hans Dahl, who lived a short walk from here,� Sigurd Kvikne explains.

Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, was a great fan of Norway and especially of the beautiful fjords.

From 1889 to 1914 he visited Balestrand on an almost yearly basis, often staying for long stretches of time. He would arrive on his beloved, 120 metres long imperial yacht the Hohenzollern II usually in July and stay until August. The first year he was accompanied by his wife, but later he went on his so-called Nordlandfahrt with a group of carefully selected officers. He

adored being at sea and he spent literally years on board the Hohenzollern. The emperor loved the romantic setting of Balestrand and he could be seen visiting garden parties and taking long walks. The Kaiser was then the most photographed person in the world, and in a real sense the first movie star. He even brought his own team on his trips to the fjords.

Norway, in his opinion, still had

Sigurd Kvikne shows the chair the Kaiser sat on Kaiser Wilhelm (3rd from right) with Hans Dahl (2nd from right) and Max Unger (4th from right) in the Sognefjord.

Walaker Hotel

Kviknes Hotel is a member of the Historic Hotels of Europe, a partner of Europa Nostra.

Not far from Balestrand, just across the fjord from the UNESCO World Heritage stave church of Urnes, lies the beautifully located village of Solvorn. There we find another family run hotel, which is also a member of the Historic Hotels of Europe. The Walaker Hotel has been owned by the Nitter family since 1690, and it is hard to overstate the charm of the house and the lush gardens that surround it, a perfect setting for the lovely, light summer nights of the Norway .

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that original, traditional charm that Germany had lost. He was not alone in his admiration of the Sognefjord. This poetic, natural masterpiece has inspired artists and writers since the middle of the 19th century. It is an idyllic place nestled between placid, mirrorlike fjords and high towering mountains, often topped with snow. Balestrand still is one of the most popular holiday destinations of Norway.

Kviknes Hotel has a long history that goes back to 1877, when Ole Kvikne took over the local inn at The ‘Dragon Villa’ of painter Hans Dahl

Balestrand. The present white wooden building was built in 1894 and extended in 1913 and still is a landmark of Norwegian hospitality. In the 1960s the wooden building was almost torn down to be replaced by a Modernist design, better suited to the ever increasing number of tourists that wanted modern accommodations. Luckily, a compromise was reached and the charming structure with its many historical details and sculptured woodworks is still with us today and more popular than ever.

Huis Doorn After the war Kaiser Wilhelm II was exiled to the Netherlands where he lived until 1941 in Huis Doorn.

His estate is nowadays a museum.

The Friends of Huis Doorn was formed over 20 years ago to support this 17th century manor house. The commitment of some 180 volunteers who - when threatened with closure due to the withdrawal of state support - saved the museum through their efforts, was in 2015 awarded the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards in the category Dedicated Service.

The Kaiser and his family in Doorn

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Unite4Heritage Interview with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova

At Europa Nostra we believe that cultural heritage sites never reflect just one period or one culture, but that they are always the result of different cultural influences and ideas. Would you agree with that?

No culture stands alone – each reflects centuries of exchange and dialogue, between people, across all borders. Culture is more than monuments and books – culture is who we are. It is the wellspring of collective imagination, meaning and belonging. No society can flourish without culture. No development can be sustainable without it, and it is the basic foundation of lasting peace.

Take the UNESCO World Heritage site of Palmyra, which is now under severe threat from violent extremists in Syria. It embodies the notion of outstanding universal value, on the crossroads

Unite4Heritage at the UN

of exchanges and trade between the Roman empire, and Indian, Arab and Persian civilizations, with an extraordinary blend of culture and art. Palmyra tells us today that all cultures enrich each other, and that there is no pure culture in the world. This is the message we need today in order to live together in a globalized world.

This is why we should care about the cultural heritage of other societies, even those far away, different from our own, because they tell us something about what it means to be human, in terms of aspirations, as single human family. At UNESCO, we always say that every culture is unique, each is woven into the wider story of humanity, each participates in the narrative of human aspirations, each blends tradition with modernity.

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Over the centuries cultural heritage has always been a victim of wars and conflicts, but this time around with the war in the Middle-east, it feels different. What are your thoughts on that?

As you say, culture has always been the victim of conflict – but what we see today is new. We face a cultural and humanitarian tragedy that calls on us to propose a new approach, a new vision for peace.

Think back to 2012, when rebel groups took control of the fabled city of Timbuktu in Mali and started to destroy the city’s millennial mausoleums and mosques. The French news agency AFP then interviewed a man said to be part of the extremist group.

“There is no world heritage, it doesn’t exist,” this man declared, in reply to UNESCO’s call for its protection.

Since then, in Iraq and Syria, along with a humanitarian crisis, we see the orchestration of unprecedented cultural cleansing. We see the systematic persecution of people on cultural and religious ground – Assyrian, Shaback, Yezidis…

Christians, for instance, have been forced to flee their homes marked by the letter “Noun” for Nazrani, meaning Christians –- reminding us of the darkest hours of the 20th century. We see efforts to eliminate the diversity and culture of coexistence that are the DNA of this region. We see the intentional destruction of irreplaceable landmarks, and the systematic looting of ancient sites for illicit trafficking, to finance extremist groups. We see the destruction of schools, the abduction of school girls, and attacks on journalists, freedom of expression and free thinking. All of this is part of the same strategy, which I call “cultural

cleansing”, to destroy identities, to tear social fabrics. These are attacks against the people of Iraq. They are attacks against all humanity.

Safeguarding heritage is much more than just a cultural issue?

The protection of heritage has become a security imperative – a peace imperative. Attacks on heritage and diversity are tied to a propaganda strategy deployed on social and other media, to destabilize populations, to recruit foreign fighters and disseminate hatred. Violent extremists do not destroy heritage as collateral damage. They target monuments and sites to strike populations at their core. This is a tactic of war, in a global war for hearts and minds.

In Iraq, the museum of Mosul, Iraq’s second most important museum, has been assailed with

UNESCO’s DirectorGeneral Irina Bokova and UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon

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jackhammers. Parts of the city of Hatra has been bulldozed. Nimrud has been dynamited. In Syria, Palmyra is under attack. The great Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo has become a battlefield. We must stand up against forces that seek to divide Iraq, because they attack the humanity we all share. This is why I have been to Iraq twice in the last 6 months, to stand with the Government and people of Iraq and work to protect heritage and fight against illicit trafficking of cultural objects.

Some critics say that cultural heritage is not important, when people are suffering?

UNESCO DirectorGeneral Irina Bokova’s visit to Baghdad in March 2015

UNESCO faced criticism in the past for denouncing the destruction of heritage in situations of conflict. I recall hearing: UNESCO is out of touch – people are dying and they only care about stones and monuments.

I think however that this feeling has changed. Today, I believe there is a clear understanding that violent extremists do not choose between people and culture – they attack both. This

means we need also to defend both. The destruction of cultural heritage is an integral part of the humanitarian crisis. The United Nations Security Council is taking this issue extremely seriously, with an important resolution adopted on 12 February 2015, Resolution 2199 on the financing of terrorism, for which UNESCO strongly advocated, which recognizes the link between the illicit trafficking of cultural objects and the financing of terrorism. I briefed all Members of the United Nations Security Council in New York, to explore the best ways to respond to this challenge. The fact that the Security Council is

discussing culture and conflict is rare enough to be noticed. I believe this shows a change of mind-set, in the way we consider and address this challenge. Violent extremism cannot be defeated by weapons alone. We need to mobilize also the power of education and culture to strengthen resilience and build back social fabrics. As the journalist William Kristol wrote recently, in the long term, a girl with a book is sometimes

more powerful than a drone in the sky in the fight against violent extremism.

So what is the way forward?

We need to strengthen the Iraqi education system, train teachers, teach values, tolerance and citizenship, knowledge of the diversity of cultures. This is the importance of UNESCO’s work in Afghanistan, for instance, to train the Afghan police in literacy, to empower girls and women through education. This idea is not new, it was expressed in the opening lines of the UNESCO Constitution, penned 70 years ago: “Since war begins in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be built”.

I deeply agree with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: we must respond to weapons of mass destruction with mass instruction.

UNESCO is acting across the board. First, to mitigate risks of destruction and pillaging, through monitoring and capacity-building.

Second, to fight illicit trafficking, working with neighbouring countries. Third, to document in detail what has been destroyed and prepare for reconstruction.

We are working with the International Criminal Court, to ensure that those who destroy heritage are brought to justice, because the deliberate destruction of heritage is a war crime. This calls for intelligence sharing, satellite imagery, and stronger cooperation. For Syria and Iraq, we have launched comprehensive Emergency Responses Plans – with the support of Japan, the European Union, INTERPOL, the World Customs Organization, ICOMOS, ICCROM, and many others. UNESCO is bringing all

partners together, to connect the dots between the cultural sector, humanitarian and security professionals, so that protection of heritage becomes an integral part of all emergency responses.

We value our partnership with Europa Nostra and its many initiatives to bring people together through culture. We need a broad coalition of partners working in different fields – we cannot work in silos. We must all raise our voice for a common message, on the internet, in the media, everywhere, to counter the propaganda of hatred. When violent extremists say humanity is not a single community that shares values – we must respond with a different narrative. When they say World Heritage doesn’t exist -- we must respond by showing that exchange and dialogue between cultures are the driving force of all history. We must explain the value of this heritage, and why it matters to us today, especially to people who are unaware and wonder why we should protect it.

values. Defending the cultural heritage and diversity of Iraq starts with each of us – it must start with the respect we carry for our own heritage and diversity.

I invite all members of Europa Nostra to join this campaign.

Europa Nostra of course fully supports this important campaign.

It may take some time before the tangible results of the campaign will be visible, but what do you hope the creating of this new narrative will accomplish?

I am convinced that by putting forward a different narrative, a narrative of humanity as a single

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and I am encouraged by recent developments in Bosra (Syria) where fighters have agreed to prevent the destruction of this World Heritage site – the idea of ‘protected cultural areas’ is close to my vision, and I believe we should explore it further.

The protection of culture has also been integrated in the mandate of the peacekeeping force – the MINUSMA. This is a major step forward, and I believe all peacekeeping forces should be sensitized, with the protection of heritage incorporated in their mandate. As a consequence, we are training these soldiers on

Tell us about the #Unite4Heritage campaign?

I launched the #Unite4Heritage campaign in Iraq, with students from the University of Bagdad, to mobilise global support for the protection of cultural heritage. It uses the power of social networks to create a global movement for protecting and safeguarding heritage under threat, in Iraq and elsewhere. We must counter the propaganda of violent extremism, and this cannot be done by political speeches only.

We need the full engagement of youth, telling their own stories about the importance of heritage, to strengthen the narrative of humanity united around shared

community, sharing values, a past and a future, we can succeed in the long run. Heritage stands on the frontline of conflict – it must be at the frontline of any strategy for peace. The stakes are high, but we can act, as we have in the past.

UNESCO helped save the temples of Nubia, in Egypt. UNESCO rebuilt the old bridge of Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

UNESCO has created a Syrian Observatory of Cultural Heritage

the role of heritage for resilience and recovery – 8,000 heritage passports have been distributed, while 700 soldiers from 50 nationalities have already been trained.

We are also working closely with the International Criminal Court, sharing information and documenting the destruction, so that perpetrators can be brought to justice. The deliberate destruction

The destruction of Hatra in Iraq

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Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage in Paris, April 2015

of Heritage is a war crime under the Statute of Rome of the International Criminal Court, and Mali may be the first time when this notion is fully examined and enters into the overall prosecution of such conflicts. This is a groundbreaking step.

Most importantly, in Timbuktu, UNESCO is rebuilding mausoleums destroyed in 2012 with the local population, showing how culture can restore self-esteem and confidence and mobilize different communities. Culture gives us the strength to look into the future, to resist and to recover, to bind humanity together. And I pledge today that, together, we will rebuild and restore the marvels of Iraq.

Heritage is threatend not only in times of war, but also in times of peace due to all sorts of unsuitable and unsustainable development projects. Europa Nostra therefore stongly welcomed the adoption in May 2013 of the Hangzhou Declaration which firmly recognizes the role of culture and cultural heritage as a pillar for sustainable development. This Declaration also formed a conceptual framework for the project “Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe,” the results of

which will be presented during the Europa Nostra Congress in Oslo in June. What is the key message of Hangzhou Declaration and how can we put it into practice?

The Hangzhou Declaration demonstrates the link between culture and development and brings together a decade of evidence and initiatives to showcase culture’s indispensable role for sustainability. Culture is what enables sustainability – as a source of strength, of values and social cohesion, self-esteem and participation. Culture is our most powerful force for creativity and renewal. The Declaration places culture and cultural heritage at the heart of public policy and urges governments, civil society and the private sector to harness the power of culture in addressing the world’s most pressing developmental challenges. Therefore, I think, that the “Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe” project carried forward by Europa Nostra, together with other European heritage organisations, will prove to be very interesting and helpful.

Europa Nostra will participate as observer at the forthcoming 39th session of the World Heritage

Committee from 28 June to 8 July 2015 in Bonn, Germany.

How can we effectively and more systematically work together to strengthen the voice and the role of civil society organisation for the sake of a proper implementation of the World Heritage Convention and for a better safeguard of World Heritage Sites in Europe and in the rest of the world?

Europa Nostra was admitted as a UNESCO NGO partner in 1997.

Since then, our partnership has enabled both our organizations to benefit from each other’s expertise -- be it in identifying common solutions to important heritage issues, or in sharing networks for improved dissemination of information about our achievements.

Europa Nostra has been participating as observer at all World Heritage Committee sessions since the 31st session held in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2007, thus gaining most valuable insight into the challenges and issues concerning preservation of World Heritage properties.

Participating at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in

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UNESCO celebrates this year its 70th anniversary and Europa Nostra celebrated recently (in 2013) its 50th anniversary. It is our hope that our two organisations will intensify its cooperation to become true partners for heritage. We hope you share this vision?

Bonn will offer a great opportunity to show Europa Nostra’s support for a stronger and more regular dialogue between public bodies and civil society concerned with the safeguarding of the World Heritage.

The organization will join a wide range of international civil society organisations which met for the first time at the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2012 in St. Petersburg to discuss ways in which they can contribute to improving the safeguarding of World Heritage.

UNESCO also appreciates the recognition of exemplary practices in heritage conservation, management, research, education and communication promoted by Europa Nostra through the annual EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards. This is an important contribution to stronger public recognition of cultural heritage as a strategic resource for societies and it helps place culture and heritage onto the agenda of policy decision makers at all levels.

In conjunction with the 39th Session of the World Heritage Committee you also organise the World Heritage Young Experts Forum?

How can we motivate young people

to play a stronger role in our shared efforts to safeguard World Heritage?

A Young Experts Forum “Towards a Sustainable Management of World Heritage Sites” will take place from 18 to 29 June in Bonn, Germany, in conjunction with the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee. This forum will bring young heritage experts from all around the world aged between 20 and 30 to exchange ideas about sustainably managing World Heritage sites. Youth forums such as this one are extremely important for transmitting heritage values. Young people are empowered to make decisions, pass-on knowledge and act in culturally appropriate and locally relevant ways to help redress the problems that threaten our common heritage and future.

Youth forums, workshops and volunteers youth action camps encourage young people to actively take part in World Heritage related activities. Respect for cultural diversity among young generations is fostered and promoted thereby, serving as a vector for reconciliation in postconflict countries and a catalyst of regional cooperation.

I very much look forward to intensifying our cooperation, building on common goals and achievements. It is essential to stand together at a time when heritage is so seriously threatened.

When appointed UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Mr. Placido Domingo presented an innovative proposal to strengthen the cultural education for youth, and I am certain that we can do more in this regard, to sensitize youth to cultural heritage, also in the framework of the campaign I mentioned earlier. Europa Nostra’s support to UNESCO’s heritage preservation work

through its large network and its campaigns against the many threats to cultural heritage is also very important. Cooperation and solidarity between heritage organizations, at all levels, is vital to ensure that our heritage is preserved as testimony to our shared past and that it will continue to be enjoyed by future generations. unesco.org

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Plácido Domingo during the ceremony in 2012

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102 In this nationwide action project, groups of children and young people up to 18 years of age improve and rehabilitate a heritage site or cultural monument, making it accessible and spreading knowledge about it to others in the community.

With this successful initiative, the children and young people involved, learn about cultural heritage close to their homes.

They take part in practical work, such as repairing and cleaning heritage sites, monuments or cultural landscapes to prevent their deterioration.

Child’s Play The Educational Side of Norwegian Heritage In 2012 Norwegian Heritage (Norsk Kulturarv) won the Grand Prix in the category Education, Training and Awareness-raising of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards for their innovative programme Improve a Heritage Site.

Improve a Heritage Site Project

Since the implementation of the project, over a 1,000 heritage sites have been rehabilitated in this way.

Over 20,000 children and young people have been involved in the improvement work, and more than 150,000 hours have been spent working at the heritage sites.

They also helped to promote the sites to hundreds of thousands of people. By cleaning and clearing small-scale landmarks in forests, fields and other rural areas, the next generation is actively made aware of these heritage treasures.

Otherwise they might have become victims of degradation and neglect.

The jury was impressed by the quality and the scale of the project. “The collaboration of schools with local authorities is an example of best practice at low cost that can be recommended to teaching institutions all over Europe. The Jury appreciates the pedagogical approach of engaged teachers with young schoolchildren on heritage sites.�

Improve a Heritage Site is just one of the many initiatives Norwegian Heritage has started in recent years.

A pilot project started two years ago called the Norwegian Taste Skule (School of Taste). Taste Skule is a

campaign aimed at kindergartens and primary schools to help kids develop a wider sense of taste and to gain a better understanding of food production cycles and nutritional values. Over a hundred teachers of primary schools and kindergartens participate yearly in the culinary courses given by famous Norwegian chefs. The teachers then return to their respective schools to teach the children what they have been taught. A resource booklet has been made available with tips, experiences and recipes. The schools are stimulated to start their own vegetable gardens and use traditional ways of cooking food. The teacher’s courses are free, the participation fees are waived, but schools, and kindergartens must cover their travel and accommodation costs.

Norwegian Heritage does more than create new programmes for children and young adults.

Their main goal is to help secure and protect Norwegian heritage for future generations. The civil society organisation was founded in 1993 and has about 2,000 members. It has its headquarters in Vågå. Their vision for heritage is protection through use.

There are many (commercial) possibilities in developing ‘living heritage’, tangible as well as intangible. In that way income is generated which can help with the maintenance and upkeep of cultural heritage. Norwegian Heritage is particularly concerned with the interests of the owners of listed and protected properties.

The organisation provides financial and academic assistance and promotes a sustainable utilization of cultural heritage sites and monuments. * kulturarv.no

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Award ceremony in Lisbon in June 2012, then director Simen Bjørgen, flanked by EU Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou and the President of Europa Nostra, Plácido Domingo School of Taste Project

School of Taste Project

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EU Commissioner Tibor Navracsics

“Heritage helps us to shape our vision of the Europe of the future” Interview with Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Tibor Navracsics, who became European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport in 2014, does not have an easy job. The former Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a large portfolio filled to the brim with tough challenges that range from identifying how to modernise Europe’s education systems to promoting culture as a

catalyst for innovation, economic growth and new jobs. He has to find ways to empower young people of all social and cultural backgrounds to participate in civic and democratic life. From the world of sports to the world of arts, from universities to the media, Commissioner Navracsics has many duties and responsibilities.

Cultural heritage is an area

however that has his particular interest and the European Heritage Label is one example of that. Time to sit down with the Commissioner and find out more about his ideas and policies.

On 15 April, the EU Institutions celebrated 16 sites from all over Europe which have received a ‘European Heritage Label’.

EU Commissioner Tibor Navracsics meets Europa Nostra (from left to right): Board member Piet Jaspaert, Secretary General Sneška QuaedvliegMihailović, Commissioner Navracsics, Executive President Denis de Kergorlay, Board member Astrid Weij

What importance do you attach to Europe’s shared heritage and history?

I believe heritage is, first of all, a vital part of our collective identity as Europeans. It roots us firmly in our past, but it also helps us to shape our vision of the Europe of the future. It is a source of inspiration for thinkers and artists, and a driver of our cultural and creative industries.

It is also a highly valuable resource for economic growth, employment and social cohesion. But heritage is not a passive inheritance. Its survival depends on the efforts of every generation to re-discover and re-interpret it. Heritage needs to be accessible to all so that it can enrich the lives of hundreds of millions of people.

The 16 sites we have just awarded are concrete and accessible testimony to Europe’s history, culture and development. They tell our story from the cradle of Europe in the Heart of Ancient Athens where the most essential aspects of European identity were formed, from the development of classical art and theatre, to democracy, philosophy, logic, equal rights and sciences. And they extend to the Picnic on 19 August 1989 at the Hungarian-Austrian border that contributed to the collapse of the Iron Curtain in Europe.

I think we need to strengthen European citizens’ sense of belonging to the Union. And that is precisely what the European Heritage Label is all about.

Could you give us an example of a heritage site that have left a deep mark on you in your native country Hungary?

Well, this will have to be Trinity Square in my hometown of Veszprém! It is a great example of how cultural heritage can remind us of our history and take a central place in our everyday lives at the same time. Trinity Square is surrounded by historic buildings, among them the Castle, St. Michael’s Cathedral and Gizella Chapel, built in the 13th century and the city’s oldest building.

Walking around here, you can feel the city’s past. But it also has a vital role in the life of the city today: A whole range of events take place here, from religious celebrations to festivals such as VeszprémFest, a music festival.

And even on a normal working day, sitting there with a coffee, you can really feel life pulsating in the city.

July 2014, the European Commission published its Communication ‘Towards an integrated approach to cultural heritage for Europe’ which recognises cultural heritage as a key resource for Europe and calls for ‘mainstreaming’ of cultural heritage across all relevant EU policy areas. Will the new Commission give due priority to the adequate implementation of EU’s strategy for heritage, also in line with the vision and ambition which were unanimously agreed by the EU Council of Ministers during the

Greek and Italian Presidencies of last year?

The Commission has already started to develop a more integrated approach to the preservation and valorisation of Europe’s cultural heritage, as recommended by the Council in its Conclusions of May 2014 on Cultural Heritage as a strategic resource for a sustainable Europe and of November 2014 on Participatory governance of cultural heritage.

In addition to the initiatives in support of Cultural heritage under the Creative Europe programme, we are cooperating with other parts of the Commission, for example, to support the development of a dynamic future-oriented cultural heritage research and innovation agenda for the EU in Horizon 2020.

We are also working with Member States, in the framework of the new Workplan for Culture 2015-2018, in order to identify innovative models for participatory governance for cultural heritage.

But let me also take this opportunity to thank the European Parliament for preparing a Resolution on cultural heritage that will be discussed in the second part of this year - and the Committee of Regions

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The European Youth Forum in Cluj, Romania

import into the EU, the new EU Work Plan for Culture 2015-2018, adopted on 25 November by EU Member States, includes a study on Illicit trafficking of cultural objects. This study will focus on EU import rules for cultural objects illegally exported from third countries. As for now, in fact, there are only rules at EU level addressing the export of cultural goods from the EU.

that recently welcomed the Commission Communication on heritage, acknowledging that there is an opportunity to meet the challenges of the cultural sector with a strategic, global and integrated approach.

The world has been witnessing abominable deliberate destructions of priceless heritage sites in Iraq, Syria, Yemen‌.What can the EU do to join forces with other major organisations, such as UNESCO and the Council of Europe, to counteract such acts of destruction?

And can the EU not do more to combat illicit trafficking of works of art ?

The European Commission, the EU as a whole, strongly condemns this deliberate destruction of cultural heritage.

As concerns cooperation with other major organisations, the EU is a party to the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970) and the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

(2005). Concretely, the EU directly supports the UNESCO-run Action Plan for Cultural Heritage in Syria.

Since 2014, the EU has devoted EUR 2.5 million to this project. In a first phase, the main activities have been the provision of training for technical staff from museums and cultural heritage structures.

Another main project will be the development of a police database of looted artefacts, which will systematically gather information on Syrian cultural objects that have been stolen and or illicitly exported.

The Council of the EU has adopted two regulations (in 2003 for Iraq and 2015 for Syria) banning imports of cultural goods coming from these two countries.

Moreover, there is a specific Regulation (1332/2013) providing that goods removed without the consent of the legitimate owner could be returned to Syria, but only upon two conditions: Their legitimate owners have to be identified and there is no risk of these goods being used as economic assets in the conflict.

On the wider issue of illicit trafficking of cultural goods and

Cultural Heritage comes often under threat also in times of peace. Especially, in Central and Eastern Europe, heritage is often under threat due to unsuitable development plans, due to lack of adequate resources or due to bad governance. These countries need stronger support, not just financially but also in terms of education and awareness raising.

What role can the European Union Institutions, and especially the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, play in this respect? And how important is the impact of the Norway and European Economic Area Funds?

First of all, I would like to highlight the range of EU instruments that are available to support cultural heritage, including the Creative Europe programme, Erasmus +, Horizon 2020 and in particular the Funds of the Cohesion Policy – which is the policy with the greatest capacity. We have detailed these instruments in the mapping report* which accompanied the 2014 Commission Communication on cultural heritage. Between 2007 and 2013, the European Regional Development Fund allocated almost EUR 6 billion to the protection and preservation of cultural heritage, the development of cultural infrastructure and support for cultural services.

This Fund was of great benefit

for Central and Eastern European countries.

We have already seen that regions and cities that promote heritage in the context of a broader cross-sector approach in their operational programmes have been successful. For this reason, the Structural and Investment Funds with a total budget of € 351 billion - will continue to be available to the EU Member States, in particular to those in Central and Eastern Europe, in the programming period 2014-2020. The main challenge now is to make heritage part of cities’ and regions’ long term integrated development strategy.

In times of budget cuts we are also trying to strengthen partnership and cooperation. In particular, the Creative Europe Programme includes an entirely new financial instrument for the cultural and creative sectors, developed with the support of European Investment Bank Group.

Finally, I would like to stress our important and growing cooperation with the European Economic Area (EEA). With a contribution of almost € 190 million (2009-2014) for the protection and revitalisation of cultural heritage in fourteen EU countries, and especially in Central and Eastern Europe, the EEA and Norway funds is an important support mechanism for heritage.

Since 2002, Europa Nostra organises, in partnership with the European Commission, the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nosta Awards. In June, we shall have the pleasure of welcoming you in Oslo for this year’s European Heritage Awards Ceremony. What is, in your opinion, the importance of our Awards?

We are proud to be your partners for the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage/ Europa Nostra Awards.

The Prize is, without any doubt, the most important recognition in the European heritage sector - and highly regarded outside of Europe as well. During these last thirteen years, we have witnessed the strong impact the Prize has on the winners themselves, on the cultural heritage sector as a whole and on people who are motivated to get involved in heritage.

In order to remedy this situation, the Commission is currently joining forces with Eurostat to develop reliable, comparable and up-to-date cultural statistics. New figures will be delivered over this year and next.

At the exhibition Van Gogh in the Borinage in Mons, Belgium

We strongly believe that the topquality work of the winners in all the four categories of the Prize deserves to be widely known be it in conservation, research, dedicated service or education, training and awareness-raising.

The winners are an important source of inspiration for us on how to tackle the main challenges faced today by cultural heritage.

We intend to better integrate and share their experience with Member States when coordinating policy developments, or when communicating with other departments of the Commission, with the European Parliament as well as with the general public.

In Oslo, we shall present to the public the results of an EU funded project called “Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe.”* Can you please share with us your own expectations from this project?

There is growing political interest among Member States and the European Parliament in the development of an evidence-based approach to cultural policy-making at European and national level.

Unfortunately there is only partial evidence of the contribution of the heritage sector to promoting

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economic growth, job creation and social cohesion. EU-wide comparable data is lacking.

At the European Heritage Label ceremony The Robert Schumann House in Scy-Chazelles, France, one of the European Heritage Label award winners

The results and recommendations of the project “Heritage counts” regarding the impact of heritage policies on economy and society come therefore at the perfect time.

We will soon have a much better picture of the contribution culture and heritage make, in particular, to Europe’s sustainable development.

This contribution is certainly very important, but has so far been difficult to quantify.

ec.europa.eu/ culture/library/ reports/2014heritagemapping_en.pdf

*

there is an article on the project included in this magazine

*

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Ålesund’s Guardian Angel The Kjell Holm Foundation

Fishery Museum The Holm family with Kjell Holm on the right

Cod-liver oil

In all honesty, his heart was never really in the cod-liver oil business. Kjell Holm (1919-2009) really wanted to be a farmer, an art collector or an adventurer. The Holm family had first come to Ålesund in the 19th century and had worked their way up from coopers to become one of the most important herring and codliver oil producers of Norway.

The medicinal properties of the oil for ages had been much appreciated by parents and reviled by children across the world. The Oluf Holm company was famous for its Gold Medal prime quality.

The company kept an eye on all aspects of the business and had its own fleet, laboratories, cold storage and production facilities.

After the unexpected death of his father in 1947 and then his brother in 1950, Kjell Holm took up the reins and headed the company for over a decade. He ceased operations and sold the company in the 1960s and then travelled the globe, settling in the USA and in Switzerland. However, he never lost touch with Ålesund and his native Norway. The globetrotter perhaps felt most at home on his medieval farm Sandbu in beautiful Vågå in the middle of Norway.

The farm was a gift from his parents for his 21st birthday. It is one of the best preserved farms of its kind, and Holm’s

beloved lifework. Over the years, he restored the 23 houses of the farm and even built a chapel on the same location where there once had been one in medieval times.

Kjell Skorgevik of the Kjell Holm Foundation - a foundation Holm established on his 75-years anniversary, and to whom he later bequeathed his fortune and all his properties in Vågå and Ålesund - shows me the plaque commemorating the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards, which Sandbu won in 2002. “He was very proud of that award,” Skorgevik explains. “Kjell Holm put an enormous amount of work into making Sandbu what it is today. Every small house is filled with historical objects. He was a great collector of Norwegian heritage: paintings, furniture, copper kettles, traditional tools, ornaments or clothing. Many items were brought to Sandbu; they create the charming interiors of the many houses surrounding the courtyard. Where better to

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show them than here, where they fit so perfectly? Kjell Holm was proud of his collection of buildings and precious heritage pieces, and at the same time deeply skeptical to the idea of turning it into a Museum. The Foundation has engaged the Lillehammer museum to record all the objects, more than 6,000 in all. Sandbu is not an easy place to make into a museum, because how can you protect all these small treasures?”

One of the bedsteads we pass wears a crown. “At the outbreak of World War II, the King, the Crown-Prince and the Norwegian government escaped from Oslo, and travelled north to avoid the occupying forces. In Vågå, they all stayed at Sandbu, hoping this was far enough away from the invaders, but to no avail. Their journey would not stop until they reached safe haven in London.

The beds are still there, and are sometimes used when guests are invited to stay at Sandbu. I sleep in the bed of the crown-prince,” Skorgevik explains with a smile.

The medieval farm Sandbu in Vågå

Holm’s own antique canopy bed is surrounded by wooden angels of many shapes and sizes. Kjell Holm was deeply affected by the death of his father, who passed away before he was exonerated from accusations of collaboration in World War II, and that of his beloved brother, who died in a plane crash. Both died three years apart, but on the same day, the 22nd of June, and Holm felt he was protected from a similar fate by the power of his guardian angels.

Not far from Ålesund, crossing the idyllic coastal landscape around town, we discover the Alnes Lighthouse, built in 1876 and now a café and exhibition space. The nearby 12th century small, marble church of Giske is a beautiful example of robust and down-to-earth Norman architecture.

The church of Giske

Kjell Holm had always felt a strong social responsibility to share his wealth. He established the Kjell Holm Foundation to support cultural and social projects in Ålesund. One of the many projects he supported in the 1990s were the stained glass windows by artist Frans Widerberg in Volsdalen Church. Since Holm’s death in 2009, at the age of 90, the Foundation has tried to honour his legacy in the best possible way, not just by the preservation

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Kjell Holm’s bed in Sandbu with guardian angels Kjell Holm next to his heritage award Interieur Sandbu

The royal bed in Sandbu

of the Sandbu farm, but also by restoring several historical houses connected to the Holm family, especially in the area where a few wooden buildings escaped the big fire. The Foundation also has initiated the building of a replica of a Sunnmøre bank fishing vessel, a characteristic Ålesund cutter (bankskoyta.no). The Foundation is the main supporter of several projects in the fields of art, cultural heritage, music and sports in Ålesund.

So who knows, guardian angels may be real after all...

Kjell Holm may have been at his happiest at Sandbu. Here he also spent some warm Norwegian summers with Sonja Henie, the famous Norwegian figure skater and Hollywood movie star. However, most of the time they were literally worlds apart and their relationship was doomed.

They still stayed friends until her death in 1969.

Kjell Holm with Sonja Henie

Sonja Henie (1912-1969) was a threetime Olympic Champion, a ten-time World Champion and six-time European Champion. She acted in over 15 films.

After two failed marriages and a string of affairs, she married the Norwegian shipping magnate and art patron Niels Onstad. Together they accumulated a

large collection of modern art, which they donated in 1968 to create the Henie-Onstad Art Centre (HOK), ten kilometres south of Oslo. Today HOK is one of Norway’s leading venues for contemporary and 20th century art.

It is an active arena for debate and focusses on the relationship between art, music, performance and the historical avant-garde.

The HOK collection consists of more than 4,000 objects, ranging from its core collection with works by Pierre Soulages, Maurice Estève, Hans Hartung, Picasso, Matisse and Juan Gris to collections of the Fluxus and Cobra movements.

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Walking through Ålesund, it quickly becomes clear that this is not an ordinary Norwegian town. The city harbour is lined with Art Nouveau warehouses and the stone buildings of the shopping streets are decorated with flowers and abstract forms.

Where are the traditional wooden houses so typical of all old Norwegian towns?

On 23 January 1904, a great fire broke out, always a hazardous affair in an old city of wooden buildings. Strong winds caused the flames to engulf the whole city centre, destroying almost a 1,000 houses. 10,000 people fled the city and temporarily lived in smallholdings and farms outside the city limits. As if by a miracle, only one person died: an elderly lady who went back to get her purse and ironically lived next door to the fire station.

With so much destruction, hope for a quick recovery seemed small, but immediately after the disaster the international community responded.

From all over the world, means of assistance were sent to the stricken town. The German emperor Wilhelm II, who had fallen in love with Norway and holidayed in the nearby fjords every year, was shocked by the devastating effects of the fire and immediately sent ships with personnel and equipment to help the desolate population. With all this help, the city was completely rebuilt in three years time, and the Emperor even had a street named in his honour: Keiser Wilhelmsgate. The fire turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the cramped, old city. A few years earlier, the whole building industry had crashed, and many of the Norwegian star architects and builders were therefore available when the rebuilding started. The shiny new town, built in the fashionable Art Nouveau

style, was a modern city of stone with finely designed buildings, ready for the 20th century.

Ålesund today Ålesund shortly after the fire

Ålesund is a member of Réseau Art Nouveau Network (artnouveau-net.eu).

The Network is also part of the Council of Europe Cultural Routes. Hotel Brosundet was recently redesigned by the famous architects of Snøhetta.

But not all of Ålesund was destroyed.

Small pockets of wooden buildings survive to this day. Along the street at the bottom of the hill on which the town is built, some traditional houses still remain. Some of these beautifully white Typical Ålesund street washed wooden buildings are owned by the Kjell Holm Foundation and have been carefully restored. Molovegen 10 is now the Fishery Museum and dates from 1860. It used to be the factory for the production of cod-liver oil.

Molovegen 12 consists of three small wooden houses (1862). In one of these houses Kjell Holm’s great grandfather started as a cooper. For 110 years the houses were owned by the family and the Foundation bought them back in 2011, when the buildings were seriously dilapidated. Molovegen 16 dates back to 1890 and was used for storage until Houses of the Kjell Holm Foundation on Molovegen 1875. The Foundation managed to buy it in 2012 and the building is now carefully restored to its former function as storage for equipment for fisheries.

This will be a valuable building when the fishery vessel, the Ålesund cutter is ready. The vessel will be run by the Sunnmøre Museum and bring to the school-children of Ålesund both knowledge and experience about what it was like to be young fishermen, fishing for cod and herring in the NorthSea.

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Family Treasures Not many people do what Christen Sveaas did. Kistefos Træsliberi, a pulp mill and hydro-electric power plant that was started by his ancestor Anders Sveaas in 1889, had been sold to outsiders in the 1980s. Sveaas became a successful investor and bought back his family’s company in 1993.

The art and culture lover had a dream: he wanted to solidify his family’s industrial heritage for the future while at the same create a unique setting for a modern sculpture garden.

The Arthall (photo by Mahlum)

Prime Minister Erna Solberg – with a proud Christen Sveaas next to her – starts up machinery at Kistefos Museum in June 2014 (photo by Jørn Haakenstad)

The industrial heritage site lies about 45 minutes north-west of Oslo on the fast flowing Randselva river. In the late 19th century entrepreneur Anders Sveaas saw the potential and acquired the rights to the waterfall and the surrounding area to build a pulp mill. The electricity generated by the waterfall powered the mill.

Some of the waste material was used to warm the cabins through a form of early central heating.

In the boiler room, this still can be seen today. Production started in the 1890s, survived the 1930s world crisis and the mill continued to operate until 1955.

The brick buildings were then left, with most of the equipment still intact; hauntingly beautiful spaces with forgotten, rusty machinery, waiting for better times. Those times came in 1993 when Christen Sveaas turned his family’s heritage into a technical and industrial monument of national importance.

The Kistefos Museum is not only an industry museum around the former pulp mill; it is also an art gallery and Scandinavia’s largest park of contemporary sculpture.

The factory buildings at Kistefos are all listed buildings.*

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The daily life of the workers and their supervisors is captured in the ‘Foreman’s house’, restored back to the style of the1920s when the paper industry was skyrocketing.

The former mess hall, where the workers used to eat and relax, has been transformed into Kafé Konsulen. There is a coal shed with a carriage and sleigh, a fire station and a working carpentry shop. Kistefos is very much a living heritage site, a working museum where the old industrial age can be experienced up close.

Perhaps even more important than the industrial heritage is the tranquil and inspiring environment. The river and the 19th century buildings form a perfect backdrop for a modern sculpture park with national and international creations that seem to interact perfectly with their surroundings. Nature is sometimes reflected on their surface or even flows through it. Besides Norwegian artists, we meet artists like Fernando Botero, Tony Cragg, Anish Kapoor, Shintaro Miyake and Marc Quinn.

Kistefos Museum is a true family treasure that can now be enjoyed by all.

Pulp Press (Kistefos) 2013 is a permanent artist-architect work by A2 Architects (photo by Jiru Havran)

*During the 2015 Europa Nostra Congress in Oslo the Industrial and Engineering Heritage Committee (IEHC) organised a special excursion to Kistefos

WikiLovesMonuments

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While celebrating its fifth edition, WikiLovesMonuments, the world’s largest photography competition, welcomed its millionth image submission. It is a perfect moment to evaluate the project and take a look where it is heading.

WikiLovesMonuments has been a partner of Europa Nostra since 2011.

Did you know?

• that most of the photo submissions in the past years came from Ukraine, Poland and Germany?

• that even Antarctica participated in 2013, with 22 submitted photos?

• that in Italy, Greece and Egypt, publishing photos of monuments may require government permission?

Alnes lighthouse by Henny Stokseth, 2013

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PARTNER

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KjeungskjĂŚr lighthouse by Rune Halvorsen, 2012

Wikimedia Netherlands started the project in 2010 as a international challenge to appreciate, photograph, and share monumental buildings and their environment through Wikipedia. Over twelve thousand photos were submitted in the first year. This success led to a dramatic growth. Volunteers started organising competitions in dozens of countries: across Europe in 2011, globally in 2012. The Guinness Book of World Records has recognised the competition as the largest in the world, with over 300,000 submissions each year since 2012. Over the past five editions, a total of 1,2 million photos were submitted to the competition from 65 countries.

More than just a competition Alongside the competition, data describing the officially recognized cultural heritage monuments has been collected by Wikipedia volunteers, resulting in a database with more than 1,3 million buildings in 53 countries. 450.000 of those now have an image linked to them. The database is slowly

being transferred to Wikipedia’s sister project: Wikidata, which will allow the structured lists to be further enriched with information and context. All submitted images are available through Wikimedia Commons, Wikipedia’s image collection. All images can be used freely, as long as the author and license are credited.

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These images are also actively added to articles on Wikipedia, one of the world’s most popular sources of information. As a heritage ambassador, you can contribute in many different ways to this wealth of material: you can release and upload your own photographic material (as long as you use a free license), or you can

contribute articles to Wikipedia about heritage sites. That way, we can share the Europe’s beautiful heritage sites with more and more people each year. If you are interested, please get in touch with a local chapter of Wikimedians in your country for more information. Of course, you are also more than welcome to take up

our standing invitation, and just start editing Wikipedia, one article at a time.

Jøvik and Great Cormorants near Ullsfjorden, Tromsø, Norway by Siri Uldal, 3rd place 2014

We sincerely hope to welcome you as participant in the 2015 competition!

Holy Mountains Monastery, Sviatohirsk, Ukraine

by Konstantin Brizhnichenko, 1st place 2014

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Y-building with Picasso’s art today Y-building sideview today

Modernist Memories Modernist architecture is going through a tough time.

All over the world the buildings, which once signified hope and progress, are now being seen as big concrete obstructions to urban rejuvenation.

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In discussions about what can stay and what must go in urban development, Modernist buildings usually lose the popular vote. At the same time there is an undercurrent of growing appreciation for the best examples of the Modernist Movement. For instance in Greece and Portugal, recent initiatives have been taken to generate a new interest in preserving and protecting the architecture.

In Norway, one Modernist building finds itself at the centre of this discussion. It is not just an argument about architectural styles but it is also deeply connected to Norway’s traumatic memories of 2011. In that year a terrorist attack on the Government Quarter in the centre of Oslo and a summer camp of the Labour party’s youth movement at Utøya island, resulted in 77 deaths and 319 wounded.

During the attack the buildings of the Government Quarter were damaged, quickening discussions about their future.

By creating his designs for the monumental Government Quarter in Oslo in the 1950s, Architect Erling Viksjø was inspired by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and their United Nations headquarters in New York. The high-rise H-building was finished in 1958, followed in 1969 by the sculptural Y-building, with its three curved wings. At the time they were sensational buildings, using a pioneering technique for the treatment of exposed concrete.

Modernist artists, including Pablo Picasso, were asked to create special works. Picasso made five murals, his first works in concrete, sandblasted into the inner and outer walls of the H and Y-building.

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120 The Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments (Fortidsminneforeningen) made 2015 the year of Youth and Heritage and all departments of the organisation are encouraged to create at least one youth centered activity.

Only a small amount of the members have as yet active teaching programmes and site visit programmes for children and young adults. As 24% of Norway’s population is under 19 years old, it is vital that special activities are being organised. These kids are tomorrow’s homeowners and decision makers. Therefore it is important to reach children and young people and let them share in the importance of cultural heritage and learn by doing. These actions do not have to cost a lot of money; they need creativity, innovation and participation, also from the parents.

Interior with Picasso’s art Y-buildig staircase (photo

by Trond Isaksen)

Several branches already created usable and scalable projects, which can be copied by others.

All new ideas and projects will be posted and shared on the Fortidsminneforeningen website by project leader is Ole Petter Lerseth. fortidsminneforeningen.no

In June 2011 the Directorate for Cultural Heritage proposed to list both of Viksjø’s buildings as protected monuments, but the process was halted after the bomb went off. The Government Quarter is now perceived as much more than a just collection of ministerial offices, they have become symbols and survivors of a terrorist attack. As a result, the government decided to make a virtue of necessity and initiated plans to rigorously redesign the whole quarter. They propose to keep the H-Building and demolish the Y-building to create more space and to better connect different parts of the city.

Picasso holding his design

Those who dislike the building because they consider it to be an exponent of Soviet-style Brutalism say “good riddance”. But the

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proposed demolition also draws strong protests from experts in the fields of arts and architecture who see it as an artistic and wellbalanced structure. “The Picasso murals can be placed somewhere else,” say the people in favour of demolition. “The Picasso murals are an intrinsic part of the building,” say the people against.

The Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments (Fortidsminneforeningen) states that the decision to tear down the nearly intact Y-building is incomprehensible and that this important cultural monument with integrated art by Picasso, must be preserved. They argue that the political decision is contrary to acknowledged (inter) national values, and alternatives for preservation have not been duly considered. The architectural and artistic merit of the Y-building, as well as its historical and symbolic significance, is uncontested. Preliminary reports from consultants assert that both structures can be usefully integrated in the envisaged new plans for the Government Quarter.

So what to do? It is clear that the H and Y-building belong together and that you cannot have one without the other. It is also clear that it must be possible to find a compromise between renewal and rejuvenation. The H and Y-building represent an important part of Norway’s history, which is only enhanced by the damage they suffered in the attacks of 2011.

Preservation therefore has to be the first and foremost option and with close cooperation between parties, this can be done without hindering plans for Oslo’s urban development.

The Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments (Fortidsminneforeningen) protects and celebrates Norwegian heritage; from medieval stave churches to mountain farms, from boat- and lighthouses to historical ships, roads and ruins. Many of these important monuments have been preserved thanks to their actions. The organisation was founded in 1844/45 by Norwegian artists, who had ‘discovered’ Norwegian heritage on study tours through villages and valleys. It makes Fortidsminneforeningen the world’s oldest national voluntary organisation which is still in operation.

HM Queen Sonja is the patron. The royal commitment has been passed down already King Oscar I (1844-1859) showed the association this honor.

In those early years the organisation was formally entrusted with the responsibility for cultural heritage and later played an important role in establishing the government’s Directorate for Cultural Heritage’s Office in 1912 and creating the heritage protection laws of 1920.

Quickly after its foundation in 1844, the association also began to acquire properties - by purchase or as gifts – to save them from demolition or decay.

In total they manage forty monuments in Norway, among them eight stave churches, four stone churches and four monastery ruins from the Middle Ages. Among the first properties were the monastery ruins on Tautra (1846), the Urnes and Borgund stave churches, Steinvikholm ruined castle in Skatval and Finnesloftet Voss. Of more recent date are farm buildings in Westport and Vågå. As a property owner the organisation has gained experience and expertise with restoration, maintenance and operation and this vital information is actively shared among the members of the organisation.

Fortidsminneforeningen plays an important role in the public debate on cultural heritage. They are the government watchdog and take a pro-active role in heritage preservation. They are a nationwide civil society organisation with 21 local branches and 7,000 members, which includes not only private individuals but also municipalities, institutions and associations. They strive to keep as many properties open to the public as possible, which can be a challenge in some more remote areas where volunteers are hard to find.

The organisation publishes manuals to help heritage home owners, to help organise crafts workshops, lectures evenings and many excursions. Their popular yearbook has been published since 1844.

Fortidsminneforeningen is truly the heart of Norwegian civil society in the field of heritage.

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From Music Kindergarten to Concert Podium

Mary Barratt and Henrik Adam Due

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The founders of the Barratt Due Institute of Music, pianist Mary Barratt and violinist Henrik Adam Due, wanted their music school to be really different. They embraced the idea that children, young people and more adult students should be taught under the same roof.

Pupils play together with older students, students play together with professional performers - and so on.

They officially started their institute in 1927. In 1931 they moved into the red wooden heritage house on Lyder Sagens Gate in Olso, where the school still resides today. The musical couple believed that working with talented young musicians involves much more than developing their technical skills. As musical pioneers they recognised that musical understanding and sensitivity, the development of meaningful attitudes and relationships, and a well-balanced interaction between home and school are all essential in the formation of well-rounded musicians. Over the years the institute has developed into a

The Barratt Due Institute of Music

cultural centre where music is the natural centre of all activities, independent of age-barriers.

director. He also leads the Institute’s ensemble-in-residence, Oslo Camerata.

For generations the institute has managed not only to attract the best teachers, but they have also ‘produced’ some of Norway’s best performers and musicians from child prodigy Eva Knardahl in the early days to the performers of today such as solo trompetist Tine Thing Helseth, violinists Vilde Frang and Henning Kraggerud, jazzmusician Frode Barth and Eurovision winner Alexander Rybak, to name but a few of an almost endless list. For three generations, the Barratt Due Institute of Music has been the leading institution in Norwegian music life. And it is still a family business. Stephan Barratt-Due jr. is the current school’s artistic

Stephan Barratt-Due Jr. and his wife, Soon-Mi Chung, were presented with the Norwegian Arts Council’s Honorary Award in 2012 for their work to make the institute into one of the most significant music conservatories in Europe.

The Barratt Due Institute of Music organised a series of special performances in Oslo’s City Hall during the ceremony of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards 2015.

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commitment to integrating the sites into the life of the local communities as well as to involving local stakeholders in heritage management.

The mission related to the Colour Row Settlement in Russia is expected to take place later in the year. The final technical and financial reports of all projects will be made public in the course of 2015.

The 7 Most Endangered monuments and sites listed for 2014 are:

The 7 Most Endangered poster for 2014

The 7 Most Endangered

Saving endangered monuments, sites and landscapes lies at the heart of Europa Nostra’s mission. We campaign side by side with our partners and member organisations to rescue heritage treasures throughout Europe.

On 4 May, during the European Heritage Congress in Vienna, Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank Institute revealed The 7 Most Endangered sites for 2014. In August, Europa Nostra, together with the Google Cultural Institute, launched an online exhibition to raise wider awareness about these selected sites.

From September to December, heritage and financial experts – appointed by Europa Nostra, the European Investment Bank Institute and the Council of Europe

Development Bank (associate partner of the programme) – went on missions to 6 of the 7 sites and met with local and national stakeholders to develop feasible action plans for each of them.

The specialists presented the results of the visits and made their recommendations on 20 February 2015, during the meeting of the Board of Europa Nostra in Brussels. Michel Magnier, Director for Culture and Creativity at DG EAC of the European Commission, also joined the meeting. In his address, Magnier congratulated all partners of The 7 Most Endangered programme on “this exemplary initiative and cooperation,” which is now supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union through the networking project Mainstreaming Heritage. Magnier noted the The 7 Most Endangered programme’s

Historic Stage Machinery of the Bourla Theatre, Antwerp, BELGIUM The Bourla is the last remaining municipal theatre in Europe with original stage machinery, created in 1834. If the historic and still workable machinery is dismantled and replaced by modern equipment - as proposed by the resident company - one of the only theatres in Europe where 19th century operas and dramas can be staged authentically will be irreparably lost. Nominated

by PERSPECTIV - Association of Historic Theatres in Europe.

Neighbourhoods of Dolcho and Apozari, Kastoria, GREECE

Mission to the Neighbourhoods of Dolcho and Apozari, Kastoria, Greece

These quarters, with their medieval churches and 18th-19th century mansions, make the lakeside mountain city of Kastoria one of the most distinguished in southeast Europe. Local authorities, NGOs and private partners have joined efforts to restore the historic buildings but increased national and European support is needed. Nominated by Elliniki Etairia in cooperation with the Municipality of Kastoria.

Colour Row Settlement in Chernyakhovsk, RUSSIA

Mission to the Carillons of the Mafra National Palace,Portugal

be achieved with transnational technical and financial help.

Nominated by Centro Nacional de Cultura.

Built in 1924, the Colour Row is the only remaining example of the early work of the renowned German architect Hans Scharoun in former East Prussia. It is an immediate forerunner of other pioneering social housing projects in Germany. Restoring the Colour Row is a technical and financial challenge which has to be tackled with (inter)national cooperation.

Nominated by International Centre of the Roerichs.

Mission to the Citadel of Alessandria,Italy

Citadel of Alessandria, ITALY Built between 1732 and 1808, it was the setting of several key moments in the history of both Italy and Europe. The most imminent threat to the monument is the proliferation of a very invasive weed, the roots of which are seriously undermining the walls. The local community and authorities are strongly engaged in making the Citadel viable but they need widespread (inter) national know-how and financial help. Nominated by FAI - Fondo Ambiente Italiano.

Carillons of the Mafra National Palace, PORTUGAL The two towers of the Mafra National Palace feature a unique set of 120 cast bronze bells, divided into hour, liturgical and carillon bells. The restoration of the largest 18th century carillons in the world would allow the fruition of the most singular expression of the musical European Baroque and foster an international cultural circuit. However, this can only

Mission to the Synagogue in Subotica, Serbia

Synagogue in Subotica, SERBIA

Mission to the Wooden Churches in southern Transylvania and northern Oltenia, Romania

Wooden Churches in southern Transylvania and northern Oltenia, ROMANIA Small communities built these vernacular structures, using wood from Romania’s thick forests and traditional construction techniques, in the 18th-19th centuries. Despite their cultural importance, numerous churches have been abandoned over the past few decades. The local community has made major efforts to rehabilitate these religious buildings but they have to be backed at national and European levels. Nominated by Pro Patrimonio Foundation.

Built in 1902, this is one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau religious architecture in Central Europe. Once the spiritual home of the large Jewish community in the region, the synagogue has been neglected since World War II. Despite the restoration works undertaken in recent decades, the building remains highly endangered. International expertise and solidarity are needed to save this architectural and cultural gem. Nominated by Europa Nostra Serbia.

Check the latest developments on europanostra.org/7-mostendangered

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Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe

Over the years heritage organisations have claimed that caring for Europe’s cultural heritage has many benefits and advantages.

Believing something and proving something however are two different things. If cultural heritage is to be at the heart of European and national policies, hard facts are needed to back up the claims.

raises awareness on the multiple benefits of cultural heritage and presents policy recommendations for tapping into heritage’s full potential.

The project Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe gathers, analyses, consolidates and disseminates existing data on the impact of cultural heritage on the economy, society, culture and the environment. The project

The project was officially launched on 5 December 2013 in Brussels during the European Policy Conference on Cultural Heritage organised by Europa Nostra on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. Policy makers, civil society organisations, academics, researchers and heritage professionals, as well as regional and national authorities and representatives of European and international institutions gathered

to advocate for a true EU strategy for cultural heritage.

Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe is led by Europa Nostra in partnership with 5 other organisations, ENCATC (the European network on arts and cultural management and policy education), Heritage EuropeEAHTR (European Association of Historic Towns and Regions, UK), the International Cultural Centre (Krakow, Poland), the Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation (KU Leuven, Belgium), and the Heritage Alliance (as associate partner from England, UK).

The project is made possible with the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union.

Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe shows that Cultural

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Heritage is a strategic resource for a sustainable Europe and can play an important role in helping to deliver Europe’s social, economic, cultural and environmental priorities. –For the first time, this study provides the evidence base to clearly demonstrate the wide ranging benefits of investing in Cultural Heritage. These are some of the key findings of the report.

• Cultural Heritage is a key component and contributor to the attractiveness of Europe’s regions, cities and towns in terms of inward investment, developing culturally creative quarters and attracting business - thereby enhancing regionally competiveness both within Europe and globally. The report highlights examples such as the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter in Pecs (Hungary), the Motor Valley Cluster near Modena (Italy), the Sheffield’s Creative Industries Quarter (UK) and Temple Bar in Dublin (Ireland).

• Cultural heritage provides European countries with a unique identity that creates compelling city narratives providing the basis for effective marketing strategies aimed at both developing cultural tourism and attracting inward investment. The report discusses the socio-economic impact, tourism and investment developments of a crosssection of 878 sites included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. It also points out that the atmosphere of any historic city or even a single historic building conveys a strong message of long-term credibility, reliability and prestige.

• Cultural heritage is a significant creator of jobs across Europe

covering a wide range of types of job and skill levels. The cultural heritage sector is for instance estimated to produce approximately 26.7 indirect jobs for each direct job. An estimated 306.000 people work directly in the heritage sector but the indirectly created jobs amount to 7.8 million. A World Bank study shows that for every million USD invested in building rehabilitation 31.3 jobs are created.

• Cultural heritage is an important source of innovation, generating new ideas and solutions to problems and creating innovative services ranging from digitisation of cultural assets to exploiting cutting edge virtual reality technologies - interpreting and making historic environments and buildings accessible to citizens and visitors. Cultural heritage stimulates for instance ICT innovation related both to the digitalisation of heritage resources and the need to present them to a wider public

using virtual technology.

Cultural heritage can also be source of innovation itself, generating new ideas and solutions, as depicted in an example of an ablative laser technological system developed in a Florence creative cluster to clean and protect works of art.

• Cultural heritage has a track record on providing a good return on investment and is a significant generator of tax revenue for public authorities both from the economic activities of heritage-related sectors and indirectly through ‘spill over’ from heritageoriented projects leading to further investment. The Borgund Stave church in Norway for instance has maintenance costs estimated at approximately 2 million NOK (about € 240.000) per year. The income from tickets is 1.75 million NOK. The study shows however that the church is a main attraction in the region and generates some 11 million NOK of income taxes per year.

Heritage Counts, an international conference on the economic, social, environmental and cultural impact of heritage was held in Castle Arenberg, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium (photo by Juhanson)

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• Cultural heritage is part of the solution to Europe’s climate change challenges both through the protection and revitalisation of the huge embedded energy in the historic building stock and as a catalyst for sustainable heritage led regeneration prolonging the physical life of buildings and reducing urban sprawl respectively. The study shows for instance that reusing and repairing existing building stock has clear environmental benefits. The level of energy efficiency of pre-1890 public buildings at least matches, and sometimes exceeds, that of the most sophisticated modern buildings.

• Cultural heritage contributes to quality of life providing character and ambience to

neighbourhoods, towns and regions across Europe making them popular places to live, work in and visit –attractive to residents, tourists and the ‘creative classes’ alike. The study for instance shows, as examples from the Netherlands and Iceland have demonstrated, that the ‘creative classes’ choose work places and places of residence by taking into consideration aesthetic values, the presence of historic buildings and the beauty of the natural environment.

• Cultural Heritage combines many of these factors to build social capital and help deliver social cohesion across Europe - providing a framework for participation and engagement and an essential stimulus to

education and learning, including a better understanding of history, feelings of civic pride and belonging, and fostering cooperation and personal development. The project shows for instance with various examples that participants of heritage projects improved various skills, such as ICT, technical and research skills as well as social and communication skills.

• The conclusions of the EU-funded cooperation project Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe project will be presented during the Annual Congress of Europa Nostra in Oslo on 12 June 2015 in the Aula of the University of Oslo and be made widely available thereafter. encatc.org/ culturalheritagecountsforeurope/

The Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe project will be presented in the ornamental University Aula in Oslo. In 1914 Edvard Munch (1863-1944) was commissioned to decorate the hall, and after two years of hard work the monumental collection of paintings finally arrived. Munch said about his murals for the aula: “I wanted the decorations to form a complete and independent world of ideas, and I wanted their visual expression to be both distinctively Norwegian and universally human.” When entering the University Aula, the paintings make the large room feel light, bright and full of colour. They capture the excitement of scientific discovery and the power of nature.

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APPRECIATION JUDGE MAURICE CARUANA CURRAN by Denis de Kergorlay, Executive President of Europa Nostra It was with the deepest sadness that we in Europa Nostra learnt of the death of Judge Maurice Caruana Curran.

Judge Maurice Caruana Curran at his retirement from the bench 1983

Europa Nostra Sılver Medal Award For Dedıcated Servıce 2005

Marcel van Jole (1916 – 2014)

Maurice, who was greatly loved by all of us who had had the honour and privilege of knowing and working with him on the Council of Europa Nostra, will always be remembered as a man of great culture, knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, integrity and charm.

He was one of the Founding Fathers of Europa Nostra, joining the Council in 1967 soon after we were formed, and serving on it with great distinction for the next thirty-five years. In 2005, it was a great pleasure for me to be present in Stockholm when Maurice was awarded the Europa Nostra Silver Medal for Dedicated Service to Heritage Conservation by HRH

Prince Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark and President of Europa Nostra.

the association he founded and nurtured for so long celebrate its Golden Jubilee this year!

In the words of the citation, he was given the Award “for his unwavering commitment to the ideals of conservation, for his ability to speak fearlessly for heritage and for his unflinching spirit of volunteership”.

He succeeded in greatly raising the awareness of the public and successive Maltese governments to the importance of Malta’s extraordinary heritage, lobbying energetically against its abuse and the destruction of Malta’s traditional architecture and the effects of uncontrolled development.

Judge Maurice Caruana Curran dedicated his life to the cause of the rich cultural heritage of Malta.

He is considered by all to have been the pioneer and pillar of the Maltese conservation movement.

His founding of Din l-Art Helwa in 1965 was an act of the greatest importance for it was to this cause that his outstanding qualities of judgement, courage and leadership were directed for fifty years. How proud he must have felt to see

Maurice was an outspoken and fearless defender of Malta’s natural environment and cultural heritage. For this, Europa Nostra salutes him. He will be greatly missed both by Malta and by the pan-European federation for heritage in Europe that is Europa Nostra, on which he has left an indelible mark.

IN MEMORIAM by

MARCEL VAN JOLE

Olivier de Trazegnies, Council Member of Europa Nostra & Europa Nostra Belgium For many years, Europa Nostra, just like the temples of ancient Egypt, was guarded by a lion. Far from being a solemn sphinx, it was a lovely and lively lion with a gorgeous mane of snowy hair, with playful and friendly eyes.

Who would not recognize our late Marcel van Jole in this description?

Few men have given so much effort in spreading the “good word” and have given the organisation such a recognition. The thirty thousand copies of his book “The Power of Example” are a publishing phenomenon of which many of the current members of Europa Nostra are unaware.

Born in Rotterdam of Belgian parents in 1916, this great art lover and critic ironically was a mathematician by training. After the war - in which he was wounded and, despite being a teacher, participated in the resistance - he held a considerable number of official positions, both in education and in politics. For twelve years (1959-1971), he taught at the State University of New York; he worked for the King Baudouin Foundation, for the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and l’Alliance Française and he was vice-president of the International Association of Art Critics. He published countless books and curated many exhibitions, as for instance the presence of art works in the metro in Brussels and Brussels Airport.

Marcel van Jole in 2006 in Malta

He came to Europa Nostra in 1985. He was Vice President and Executive Committee member until 2004, and his personality and dedication, aided by his wife Christiane Taeymans, has left a lasting legacy in the organisation.

He helped to bring about the merger of Europa Nostra and the International Castles Institute (IBI) and founded Europa Nostra Belgium. He tirelessly advocated for the preservation of monuments such as the CogelsOsylei in Antwerp. It is not just our national, Belgian heritage that owes much to his perseverance and passion, but his efforts were also appreciated internationally.

He was an officer of the Legion of Honour (1990) and received the Gold Medal of European Merit (2005). In 2004, together with Sir Christopher Audland from UK, Marcel van Jole received a Europa

Nostra Medal of Honour for his outstanding contribution to the activities of Europa Nostra.

We will retain this picture of him: a man who, in all areas where he demonstrated his talents, would raise the bar and strive for the best. He left this world at a very advanced age. He had lost none of his wit nor his capacity for work.

And we know that Europa Nostra had a special place in his heart.

Marcel van Jole with Europa Nostra’s Mrs Dineke de KosterBurgersdijk

CALL FOR ENTRIES 2016

SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT AND SHARE YOUR SUCCESS! DEADLINE:1 OCTOBER 2015 More info:www.europanostra.org

The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards is Europe’s most prestigious accolade in the heritage field.

Every year, it honours the most outstanding heritage achievements from all over Europe.

It recognises the excellence and dedication by architects, craftspeople, heritage experts, volunteers, schools, local communities and the media.

Published by EUROPA NOSTRA The Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe European Cultural Heritage Review (May 2015) ISSN:1871-417X President Plácido Domingo Executive President Denis de Kergorlay Secretary-General Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović Editor in Chief Wolter Braamhorst Concept TV Culture

It stimulates creativity and innovation, through the power of example.

In 2016, the awards will be given to up to 30 remarkable heritage projects and initiatives. Seven will be selected as Grand Prix winners, receiving €10,000 each, and one will be given the Public Choice Award.

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Building A New Bertelsmann digital international fast-growing

Bertelsmann is an international media, services and education company with 180 years of history. We stand for a combination of creativity and entrepreneurship that empowers the creation of first-rate media, communications, and service offerings to inspire people around the world and to provide innovative solutions for customers. As a media house that promotes the arts and puts creativity at the heart of its value creation and corporate culture, Bertelsmann is strongly committed to safeguarding Europe’s cultural heritage.

We are honored to express this commitment in supporting the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards.

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ISSN: 1871-417X EUROPEAN CULTURAL HERITAGE REVIEW SUMMER 2015

EUROPA NOSTRA represents a rapidly growing citizens’ movement for the safeguarding of Europe’s cultural and natural heritage. Our pan-European network is composed of 240 member organisations (heritage associations and foundations with a combined membership of more than 5 million people), 140 associated organisations (governmental bodies, local authorities and corporations) and also 1100 individual members who directly support our mission.

TOGETHER, • we form an important lobby for cultural heritage in Europe; • we celebrate excellence through the European Heritage Awards organised

by Europa Nostra in partnership with the European Union; and • we campaign to save Europe’s endangered historic monuments, sites and cultural landscapes.

We are the Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe.

NORWEGIAN WOOD MUNCH, IBSEN AND GRIEG PREHISTORIC ART VIKINGS, TALL SHIPS AND HISTORIC RAILROADS INTERVIEWS WITH EU COMMISSIONER TIBOR NAVRACSICS AND UNESCO DIRECTOR-GENERAL IRINA BOKOVA

NORWAY SPECIAL