Bergen museum 1825. Knowledge for a Public Sphere
The Tenth Norwegian Conference on the History of Science, which is organized by NVF – The Norwegian Association for the History of Science, and hosted in Bergen, Norway, November 5-7, 2025.
Main content
Keynote 1: Bergen museum 1825. Knowledge for a Public Sphere
Anne Eriksen, University of Oslo
According to the recent definition of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), a museum is “a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society”. When Bergen museum opened in 1825, it was likewise defined as an independent, public institution. It was the first collection in Norway not privately owned, nor part of the University. However, the civil society of which this museum was a part was very different from that which museums are supposed to serve in the contemporary world.
This keynote will discuss how the new museum in Bergen conceptualized its relation to the public and its role in the public sphere. The museum identified itself as a scientific institution with educational purposes, but how could science be made public when higher education was still the privilege of the select few? How did Bergen museum present its agenda and aims to the public, and how were the connections between science and civil society articulated and performed?
Anne Eriksen, Professor - Cultural History and Museology at UiO.