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University Museum of Bergen

The Museum Garden in Bergen, a gem in horticultural history and arena for dissemination of botanical knowledge

The Museum Garden at Nygårdshøyden has a long history; in fact, its history is as old as the south wing of the venerable museum building. Today, we know more about how the garden was designed and the persons who took part in its construction in various periods that go back in time to the 1890s.

Musehagen historisk
Den første hagen fra 1902.

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Evening lecture with Per Harald Salvesen who talks about and shows photographs from the project "The History of the Museum Garden", which he has been working on for a couple of years together with Per Magnus Jørgensen and Dagfinn Moe.

The project is nearing its end and it is time to give an overview of some of the finds that have been made. When the initial funding for the garden was allocated by the Municipality of Bergen in1890, the wording of the decision was as follows "Anlæg af et Arboretum og botanisk Forsøkshave" (Construction of an arboretum and a botanical test garden).

Our studies show that the garden from the very beginning – by Bergens Museum’s botanist Jørgen Brunchorst - was intended as an advanced presentation of the natural order of plants. He illustrated this by creating a romantic garden, which later became known as "Brunchorst’s hearts and kidneys". This fundamental idea can still be perceived in the garden, even though Professor Rolf Nordhagen and city gardener Georg Rosenkilde around 1930 with straight lines turned the outline upside-down with the masterpiece “The Water Garden."

Location: «Krypten», The Cultural History Collections, University Museum of Bergen.

13 January 18.00 - 21.00. Tea/Coffee will be served.