Trondheim - Norway - page 358

Bispegaten 5. & 73-53-91-60. Admission to cathedral and museum 40NOK ($5.70) adults, 20NOK ($2.85)
children. Cathedral and museum May 1-June 13 Mon-Fri 9am-3pm, Sat 9am-2pm, Sun 1-4pm; June
14-Aug 15 Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-2pm, Sun 1-4pm; Aug 16-Sept 14 Mon-Fri 9am-3pm, Sat
9am-2pm, Sun 1-4pm; Sept 15-Apr 30 Mon-Fri noon-2:30pm, Sat 11:30am-2pm, Sun 1-3pm. Bus: 2, 5, 6,
7, or 9.
Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum This is the single greatest
museum of central Norway, and it also holds one of the most eclectic collections
in the country. Dating from 1893, the museum is devoted to applied arts, plac-
ing special focus on the changing trends in world art, especially in modern
design and handcrafts. You'll see both historical and modern collections of fur-
niture, textiles, silver, and a lot more, along with temporary exhibitions.
Displayed on the lower floor, the historical exhibitions span the period from
1500 to 1990, specializing in furnishings from northern Europe, including Ger-
many and England. The Arts and Crafts collection focuses on the creative
breakthroughs of British craftsman and designer William Morris and his fol-
lowers at the end of the 1800s and is rich in metal craft, avant-garde ceramics,
and printed textiles. The Art Nouveau collection is heavy on French art; most
of it was purchased at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris. An entire salon on
the lower floor is devoted to the contributions in Art Nouveau architecture by
architect and designer Henri Van de Velde, a citizen of Belgium.
The Contemporary Collection concentrates on objects created in the post-
war era—not only in Europe but from as far away as Australia or even America.
Scandinavian design gets the most focus, of course, and there is an interior
entirely designed by Finn Juhl, the Danish architect, in 1952. Of special inter-
est are 200 wall hangings and tapestries by Hannah Ryggen , clustered in
one gallery. This Swedish artist, born in 1894, married Hans Ryggen, the Nor-
wegian painter, and lived outside Trondheim until her death in 1970.
Other collections include a Costume Exhibition, with garments dating from
the 17th century. The era of the 1920s and 1930s is most heavily represented.
Other exhibitions are devoted to some 300 pieces of jewelry in modern design

The First European to Discover America Fun Fact

Trondheimers have no doubt who first discovered America—or, put
more politically correct, the first European to discover an already
inhabited continent. Here is the official line as taught in local schools:
“Leiv Eiriksson sailed to Nidaros in the year A . D . 999. The visit to Olaf
Tryggvason's new royal farm must have been a success. Leiv Eiriksson
became the king's man and stayed as a guest all winter. Spring came
and he was a changed man. He had been baptized as a Christian. He
launched his mighty boats at Skipakrok and sailed over the ocean to
Greenland and further, far, far to the west. Leiv Eiriksson made the dis-
covery of a lifetime—America.”
To honor Leiv Eiriksson, there is an emigrant monument, Leiv
Eiriksson Statue at Pirsenheret, Brattøra (bus to Pirterminalen). It was a
gift from Americans of Scandinavian heritage to honor Trondheim's mil-
lennium celebration in 1997. The statue was erected and dedicated to
emigrants who left Norway to seek a new life in America. The monu-
ment is an exact copy of the original, which stands in Seattle.