Vardø – The city of witchcraft in Norway

During my visit to the north-eastern part of Norway, I went to several small towns. One of them was Vardø. It turned out to be an interesting visit in many ways. This small town has a magnificent piece of modern achchitecture and artwork created in 2011 as a memorial - the Steilneset memorial. Vardø is also the world's northernmost fortified city. The fortress was built in 1300 and has a history closely connected to the memorial which is a tribute to the 91 people who were convicted of witchcraft and burnt at the stake between 1600 and 1692.

Vardø

Vardø

Vardø is the easternmost city of Norway and situated on an artic island in the Barents Sea. During the witch hunt ot the 17th century, Vardø was the town which had the highest number of convictions and executions for witchcraft. People have always been afraid of the unknown, of monsters and of people they did not understand. Stories of witches and their fears have led men to commit the most terrible crimes. There are countless stories around the world. It just did not come to my mind that this happened in such a remote place.

This artinstallation was a collaboration between architect Peter Zumthor and artist Louise Bourgeois. It consists of two buildings. The first one is a 125 metre long structure.The second is a glass structure, which houses the work of Bourgeois. The memorial is placed on a piece of barren land along the ocean. When windy, the wind can be felt and heard not only outside the memorial, but also within. The location in these natural surroundings is quite spectacular. I was here in summer. No wind, but my companion told me what it sounds like when windy. I could easily imagine how that will add a much more dramatic effect to a visit!

The first building is this 125 metre long, narrow structure suspended from an exterior wooden frame. When you enter, you walk along a dark hallway with 91 plaques for the 91 people convicted and burnt. Along the hallway there are 91 small windows with bare light bulbs providing minimal illumination. On the wall, on each plaque, you can read the individual stories of these 77 women and 14 men – the name of each one of them, accusations against them, confessions and convictions. It is impossible not to be touched when you read the dramatic stories. To read these stories is an important reminder of injustice and how it affects a community.

The glass structure is an amazing piece of art. Bourgois made a chair, from which a fire burn. Big mirrors are placed in a circle around the chair. When looking at the mirrors you will notice they are not flat but distorted. This was done to remind us that the point of view of those who judged and killed these people was altered.

Steilneset is a dramatic place in itself, but right next door is Vardø fortress. The fortress was the place where most of the convicted witches were burnt to death. Well worth a visit too. The location of the memorial next to the place where they were burnt, is well chosen I think. It connects the history of the past with the present and makes a visit complete.

The memorial seen from the fortress

A visit to Vardø might be on a road less traveled to most people because of the remote location, but it is a place that highligts the dark days of the witchcraft trials in Northern Norway, as no other place in this country. If you are interested, it is open 24 hours, all year round and there is no entrance fee.

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U.J

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All the photoes are mine, Ulla Jensen (flickr, Instagram and facebook)

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