World Heritage Marking in Telemark

Sam Eyde World Heritage Fertilizer Yara RjukanSam Eyde. Photo: Wikipedia.org

Crown Prince Couple participated in World Heritage Marking

The Crown Prince pair on Thursday participated at the marking of the World Heritage Site; “Rjukan – Notodden Industrial Heritage”.

 

On their travels through the municipalities Notodden and Tinn, they are to unveil three World Heritage Plaques, be entertained by 350 children at Mæl, visit the Såheim power station and celebrate the day with a hot-dog party at Rjukan Square.

The marking started this morning in Hydroparken at Notodden, where Crown Princess Mette-Marit unveiled the World Heritage Plaque for Notodden. The factory area was the place where the world’s first successful industrial production of artificial fertilizer from nitrogen was done.

Next stop is Mæl, a place rich in Rallar (train construction) history. There 350 children will be singing “Rallarvise”, dressed as those the song is about.

The program also includes a tour of the railway ferry “MF Storegut”. Mæl is a station and ferry quay on the Rjukan railroad, which was built in a year and a half by 1,400 workers and which opened in 1909.

The main event for the audience has been placed at the square in Rjukan with a hot dog party open to everyone, with speeches, entertainment and unveiling of World Heritage plaques for both Tinn and Vinje.

Millions in support from Yara

During the marking it is revealed that Yara sponsors the Norwegian Industrial Laboratory Museum (NIA) with NOK 1 million a year for the next five years.

– World Heritage Status has led to a positive change in Telemark. We have moved up a division. The fact that Yara now chooses to enter into a five-year agreement with NIA to help convey the World Heritage history just underlines this, says the head of the World Heritage area, says county governor Sven Tore Løkslid.

The leader of the Trade Union in Yara, Geir O. Sundbø, is pleased with the cooperation with NIA.

– It’s important to remember where we come from. Here the people worked and lived who realized the visions of the founders Eyde, Birkeland and Wallenberg. They transformed knowledge and natural forces into values, jobs and communities. We can be proud of the history, which the Norwegian Industrial Workers’ Museum exemplifies in an excellent way, Sundbø says.

New museum

The new museum in the Heavy Water basement in Rjukan is part of the collaboration. Excavations last year revealed that the basement was almost intact. Now the NIA is building a new museum in and around the basement. It will be ready in 2020.

– Interest in the industrial and war history at Rjukan is great and we believe it will be even bigger through cooperation with Yara, says NIA Director Runar Lia.

 

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today