6. Petter Dass museum

 Petter Dass (*1647 - †1707) was big personality in northern Norway. He was priest (and quite enlightened person in that time) and most famous like a poet. He created songs from catechism, so it was easier for people to learn them.

Museum of Petter Dass is directly opposite to the Alstahaug church where he served as a priest. Building of museum was opened in 2007 and it is really interesting piece of art.

 

interior of museum (1st floor)

 The building is set into a rock and it perfectly coinciding with the surroundings. Interior made an impression on me, too. Actually I felt same like in Knut Hamsun center. Lines are narrow but
unsynchronized. Variability of space is playful, colours are more natural. When you are inside, you are enjoying observing. Information are provided in norwegian but also in english. I find this museum like really interesting and nice one. Furthermore there is library in second floor and projection room on the ground floor - also cafe. I think this place calls you to be creative and enjoy your time here. So it is really great for teachers and schools to connect this place with "learning by doing".

Petter Dass museum

Alstahaug church

5. Gildeskål kirke

Gildeskål kirke was built around year 1130. But people think that altar is much more older, it was on the same place from earlier times, probably in older, wood church.
 The church is L-shaped, second part of church is newer, built after fire in 1711. Interior is from 1760 and main artwork are from years 1711 and 1754 made by German artist Gottfried Ezechiel. Interesting are preserved galleries and boxes which were private for rich people to be separated from the poor people. Tour guide told us, that during 18. century when many churches were reconstructed people saw this boxes old-fashioned, so they burnt them. That is why it is rare to see it nowadays despite it was quite common in past times. If you were Sami people or not from local community, you had uncomfortable seats in the back of the church. And there were no seats for really poor people (in norwegian legt), who did not own a land or house, they were working on another farm just for accommodation and food.
In back of new part is also "baptise box". Interesting are new and old wedding chairs. The old one - for woman was chair lower, which symbolizes that woman was subordinate to men. Nowadays chairs are same size and in the same level (interesting symbol of equality of rights). Also there is old golden plate which originally comes from Russia, because in past times russian ships came to Norway because of trade.

Old part of church

On the left is old part and on the right new one, built after fire in 1711

Golden plate originally from Russia

Altar

On the left new wedding chairs, on the right old one - left is lower for bride and second one, higher for groom

 Finally I want to mention the most interesting facts (in my opinion most interesting one :) ).
First one is that in each church we visited here in Norway you can find a ship that is heading east. That shows how is this country connected with sea - sea gives food and in the same time it is a way for trade, travelling.
Secondly I find interesting information, that this church and Bodin church are unusually more far away from the sea. This fact is actually connected with Vikings and their sacred places. I find really interesting, that people in old times used to live with Viking's slowly took over their holy places. Actually altar from this church is supposed to be on place, which had sacred importance for Vikings.

4. Herøy museum

  This museum represent open-air museum or folk museum from 18th century. In this old house you can find actually many exhibits focused on daily life from past times. The main building, which is quite big, has many rooms. So you can see kitchen with many properties which were used (and some of them are so inventive!). How it looked in living room, workroom with tools of shoemaker, also one room is focused on education - old maps, equipment of teacher and pupils. Also bedrooms and collection of clothes you can see in first floor. I think it is very nice museum where is saved big amount of properties.
 We also heard that this place is used for schools - tour guides and workshops. In my country we have similar museums which we called "skanzen". There are many of them and it looks similar to this place. So you can realize, that it does not matter on country, people in Europe had similar style of life and many things are the same.
 In my opinion these places are perfect for children for excursions and having workshops. I remember when I was a pupil we had an excursion in skanzen and we loved it. Because it is real - you can see objects so it is easier to imagine how our ancestry lived. And discovering our roots and our history of our culture is important - and these places offeres learning in attractive way.

3. Tjøtta International War Cemetery

Tjøtta International War Cemetery

    First stop on our field-trip was not far away from Sandnessjøen. We visited International War Cemetery. This place is literally in the middle of nowhere. You are driving through nature and sometimes you can see houses or huts, but in that place you can find big field with straight column and memorial plaques.
 This place should remind prisoners of war who tragically died on 27 November 1944 while they were transported on ship Riegel to the south. This ship was bombed by british planes, because they though the ship carriages tanks and other weapons. Around 2 600 people dead. This ship - the ruins of it were on the coast till seventies and no one took care. But not only soldiers from this ship are burried here. Also other prisoners who died in camps in horrible conditions (mainly Russian soldiers arrested by Germans). We also heard that around this cemetery is strange atmosphere. During cold war Norwegian government wanted to replace all graves and bodies of death Russian soldiers on one place - here in Tjøtta. It was quite controversial topic.

 For me it was interesting moment, when I realized, that still there are historical facts, which are difficult and it is hard to cope with them. I mean especially topics from second world war and it is not case only of one country. Here we can see, that one of the biggest tragedy is almost forgotten. But for me is important, that those people who died and they are buried here, they were normal people like us today. It is always governments who are fighting - it can be for power, for money, for religion.... But those soldiers sometimes didn't have any choice, they had to go to war and I think we should honor their memory regardless of political situation.

2. Bodin church

Bodin church was our next stop with course. This church is probably almost eight hundred years old and it is one of the oldest churches in Nordland. We had really interesting visitation and heard a lot from history of this church. During our tour I was thinking that finally I found place in Bodø which reminds me in some kind of way my home.
 I come from the Prague - the capital of Czech Republic. My country is one of the smallest but actually quite different in compare with Norway. Especially when we are talking about churches and historic monuments, there are plenty of them (because everything is so close and together on small area). So for me was actually interesting realize how much I am used to see historic monuments every day without deeper thinking. Now I realized that many people are passing these monuments every day ("another old building"). But actually I don't know too much about them.
 I had the same feeling approximately one year ago when I started to work with migrants in Prague. I also planned walks through the city and talking about main historical monuments for them. But for me was surprising, that a lot information people know, even though they are born in another country. Also they surprised me with questions to which I didn't know answer. So this visit reminds me, that next time I should rise my head and watch carefully things around me.

1. The Nordland Museum

Experience of Art, Architecture and Cultural Heritage

Photo from: http://nordlandsmuseet.no/en/nordlandsmuseet/

 We started our course with a visit of The Nordland Museum which is focused on history of Bodø and surrounding areas. In one of the oldest buildings in Bodø, which is, in compare with other museums, quite small you can find exhibition about Sami people, some parts from history of the town from the Viking Age till today, old dry aquarium and also watch short movie about Bodø.
  The exhibition is located in right part of building in 1st and 2nd floor. In both floors you can see quite a lot of artifacts - in Sami exhibit (Sami's typical turf hut called gamme, subjects of day use etc.), exhibit of fishing or life in Bodø before and after II. World War. There are also a lot of vintage photos that complement the texts during the exhibition. All texts are in museum in Norwegian, but brochures about museum in many languages are provided.
 My impression is good, I find this museum interesting. The best part for me was reconstruction of a cellar room ruined by bomb (from II.WW). I also find film interesting, because it is coordinated piece of sounds, pictures and special effects. What I missed was more description of history after year 1945. Also all information presented in film and actually in whole museum are more focus on better side of history and facts. I am little sceptical about last short video commercial on Bodø. It is evident, that this video is mainly for tourists and Norwegians, so it should be attractive. But in my point of view is video too much idyllic. Darkness during winter time, strong wind are not mentioned, just for example :)
 In my head is still article by Randolph Starn, where I actually firstly heard about idea critical analysis of museums. I have never been thinking about this point, which is in fact really important. For me, future teacher, is important to work with this fact exspecially when I want to work with museums like a part of resource of information, which can be used during teaching. But like books should be all resources checked if their quality and informations are objective.


Starn, Randolph. (2005). “A Historian’s Brief Guide to New Museum Studies” The American Historical Review, 110:1 (Feb.), 68-98.