Fortidsminneforeningen

Buildings owned by the Society

Already a couple of years after Fortidsminneforeningen was established in 1844, it began to acquire properties, either through purchase or as donations. This has continued up to the present day. The objective was – and remains – to save these buildings from decay or destruction. Thus Fortidsminneforeningen owns over 40 properties, among them eight stave churches, four stone churches and the ruins of four convents. Among the first properties to be acquired were the Urnes and Borgund stave chuches (Sogn og Fjordane County), the Steinvikholm castle ruins (Nord-Trøndelag County), and Finnesloftet in Voss (Hordaland County). More recent acquisitions are the farms Rasmusgården in Røros (Sør-Trøndelag County) and Øvre-Øi in Vågå (Oppland County). Most of the properties are under the administration of the chapter to which they belong. Many of them are open to the public during the summer months.

Repair, maintenance and operation of the properties requires creativity, labour and funding and is a vital aspect of the Society's activities. The properties, which are jointly owned, create a feeling of joint purpose and keep the volunteer spirit alive. During tours we come into contact with the general public and have the opportunity to disseminate knowledge. The lesser known properties require marketing in order to attract enough visitors to make it worth keeping them open to the public. This is not the case for the stave churches, which are well known far beyond Norway's national boundaries and which are visited tourists from both far and near. The challenge they present is to prevent wear and tear on these treasures.