Research Themes in the Norsk Folkemuseum Foundation 2024–2026
The following categories highlight examples of the research currently undertaken by the foundation’s scholars. For detailed and binding plans, please refer to each researcher’s individual research plan.
Cultural History of Boats – e.g., boatbuilding, technology
Cultural History of Harbors – e.g., medieval and modern ports, development and use of Oslo harbor in medieval and later periods
Submerged Cultural Landscapes – e.g., shipwrecks as sources of knowledge, underwater Stone Age sites, battlefield archaeology
Archaeological Method Development and Conservation – e.g., registration methods, field documentation, conservation of wet finds
Maritime Cultural History – e.g., 19th-century coastal communities, fishing and hunting in seas and waterways, Norway and global maritime trade across historical periods, industrial history of shipbuilding in Norway
History of Photography – e.g., everyday photographic practices, photographic businesses, and the photo/lab industry
Material and Intangible Cultural Heritage – e.g., hair as a material and cultural phenomenon, colonial history and life, history of Gol Stave Church, evolving relationships between object management and knowledge
Housing and Historical Interiors – e.g., “OBOS building – Wessels gate 15”
Textiles and Costume in Norway – e.g., baptismal garments, traditional folk fashion
Democracy and Nation-Building in Norway – e.g., history of the constitution, national monuments, democratic development in Norway
Manor Houses – e.g., power and social history, bourgeoisie and civil service, history of Bygdøy Royal Estate, domestic service history
Sámi Cultural History
Life’s and Yearly Ceremonies – e.g., death and burial
Everyday Cultural Practices – e.g., digital transmission of traditions, children’s play
Gender – e.g., queer cultural history
Transnationalism and Migration, particularly to and from the Nordic countries – e.g., migration and migrants in open-air museums and collections; diverse food cultures; everyday life, holidays, and celebrations among migrants in North America
Museology and Method Development – e.g., museum history, ethnographic research, Ibsen in the museum’s collections
Lived Experience, Belief, and Imagination – e.g., ideas about the future, encounters with supernatural beings, experiences of time during the COVID-19 pandemic
Building Traditions and Architecture Between Tradition and Technical Regulations – e.g., new constructions based on traditional methods and reused materials in dialogue with conventional industry standards; building and restoration history of the Eidsvoll building