Witchcraft trials in Norway ended in the 18th century
When it came to the Sámi people, a persistent fight continued against what was termed the art of witchcraft, and missionaries took over from the judicial system.
History
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Why did so many girls die?
Far more female infants than male infants died in Europe from 1700–1950. Researchers have been investigating why.
A 500-year-old law laid the foundation for how Norwegians understand – and trust – the law today
Medieval Norwegians felt King Magnus VI’s Code of the Realm was fair when it was introduced as one of the first laws of its kind in Europe. For more than 500 years, this law has helped give Norwegian people a relatively high level of trust in their judicial system.
The hunt for the Malvik apple
Finding old — and hardy — apple varieties was a challenge for the Trøndelag apple community.
When trees talk
We think of trees as silent sentinels, watching as the world goes by and the ages pass. But what if you could interview them about what they have seen?
When 1100 teachers defied Hitler — and won!
More than 80 years ago, Norwegian teachers refused to teach Nazi ideology to their students. They were tortured, imprisoned and starved. But they prevailed. The story of how they won — and why it still matters.
Listening to Leviathans
Nineteenth-century Norwegian technology helped bring large whale populations to the brink of extinction. Can 21st-century technology help save them?
Has Europe built a fortress against everyone else?
The prevailing opinion is that Europe built a common fortress to keep people from outside the EU/EEA out. But is this true?
Central Norway’s largest burial mound likely contains a ship burial
We were through the roof with excitement when the first ship rivet was found, says archaeologist Geir Grønnesby at the NTNU University Museum
Project lures pilgrims beyond well-trodden paths
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims make use of Europe’s many pilgrimage walks every year. However, travellers tend to visit only a few of the attractions along the routes. The EU project “rurAllure” aims to attract travellers to lesser-known sites of interest.
Your relatives of yore slept with these people
You’re probably a bit of a Neanderthal. Come to a family reunion at the NTNU University Museum.
How chemistry studies became a door opener for women in 1910
The Norwegian Institute of Technology had special status and an education from the institute virtually guaranteed good career opportunities. That allowed its women graduates to break the glass ceiling in the early 20th century and become chemical engineers. But every woman needed a supportive man behind her.
New video offers a peek into Lake Mjøsa shipwreck
The discovery of what may be Mjøsa’s oldest known shipwreck to date drew international attention just before last Christmas. The researchers have now secured a video of “Storfjorden I.”
The Middle Ages here and now
Medieval times may seem dusty and distant, but we are surrounded by the Middle Ages in many different ways in our daily lives.
Norway got back on its feet quickly after the war
The conventional view has been that after the Second World War, Norway was impoverished and plundered, but the recovery actually went quite quickly. All the infrastructure that the occupying power built during the war played a significant role.
Jewish prisoners forced to lie in stream so Germans could cross
It is difficult to understand how conspiracy theories can create hatred directed at individuals and an entire people, but we are witnessing the same thing today.
True crime in 19th century Norway
People have always been fascinated by real-life crime mysteries. True crime has become a popular genre in films, TV series, podcasts and books. The 19th century also had its own way of cultivating the genre.
Climate change reveals unique artefacts in melting ice patches
Norwegian mountains are full of time capsules. Thousands of years of human and ecological history are preserved in remnant patches of ice. Now this treasure trove of information threatens to melt away, unless we take action.
War in Ukraine could last for months
The war in and over Ukraine has already lasted nearly two months. There is little reason to assume that it will be over anytime soon.
The Alchemists: Turning wild water into white coal
How Norwegian scientists and engineers harnessed the country’s wild waterfalls by developing super efficient turbines — and how advances in turbine technology being developed now may be the future in a zero-carbon world.
Hermann Göring’s Luftwaffe and the $6 billion deal
How the unlikely combination of WWII Germany, a modest English engineer who created a worker’s paradise, an ambitious industrialist prosecuted as a traitor and a hardworking PhD helped build modern Norway, one aluminium ingot at a time.
Pirates, noblewomen and bicycling housewives
Why does Norway always rank among the top countries on the planet when it comes to gender equality? Part of the answer lies in medieval times, when Norwegian women battled the Hanseatic League with pirates and threatened to burn down towns to wield their power.
The loser’s ultimate revenge
The war in Ukraine is a disaster foretold. The warnings have come from Russia – and they have been coming for at least 15 years and they have been consistent. But they have been ignored by the outside world. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine represents the loser’s ultimate revenge.
What medieval skeletons tell us about modern day pandemics
The coronavirus pandemic has made the whole world more aware of what diseases can do to a society. Now, archaeologists and biologists who are studying medieval pandemics, like the Black Death, are learning lessons about the past that may help us in the future.