EXHIBITIONS
Norðoya fornminnasavn
A curious museum with exhibitions that allow visitors to experience Faroese everyday life in the old days. The museum is located in the old shop in one of the historical areas in the town of Klaksvík. Historically a place of commerce, it was a hub of the fishing industry, trade, labour and export.
The Old warehouses
The commercial building was the heart of commerce and industry in Klaksvík. Here, all basic goods for everyday life were sold in the shop, as well as fish was processed and traded, in particular herring and dried salt cod. This made up an important part of Faroese trade and export.
In 1847, the “new warehouse“ was built close to the previous one and in 1896, yet a new one was built between the two, joining them to become the one long building that stands today. This makes the separate constructions look like one unit, although each of the three is distinguishable along with their individual historical characteristics.
The Old Pharmacy
In 1918 a fabric store was fitted up on the first floor. The room is characteristic with its
wood carved ceiling joists and windows, made by Magnus Jacobsen. Also decorating the fabric store are seventeen small paintings on the ceiling beams, some of which are made by the artist Eliesar Joensen, three by Jens Christian Guttesen, the others being unsigned.
However, the town needed a pharmacy. Tjaldurs Apotek, which only had a branch in Tórshavn, had the sole right to run pharmacies, and rented the former fabric store, opening a pharmacy in Klaksvík. In 1932, it was transformed and fitted out as a pharmacy, which remained open until 1961, when the new one in the town centre was opened.
Together with the pharmacy in Den gamle By in Århus, Denmark, the old pharmacy in Klaksvík is the only authentic one in the Danish Kingdom that is equipped with original bottles, jars and compounding tools for the manufacture of medicine.
The Pharmacist’s Apartment
The apartment was made for the pharmacist, who lived and made medicine on the premises. It had a kitchen, living room, office, loft and a room where the medicine was manufactured.
There were various managers in the time up to 1954 when pharmacy technician, Per Tholander, became the head of the pharmacy and stayed until 1960. The last pharmacy manager was Holger I. Jepsen who had the role 1960-1961.
The apartment is recreated to look like it did in the 1950s.
The Herring Era
The building that housed the shop in Klaksvík was more than just a building. It was a commercial hub for the fishing industry, trade, labour and export.
The exhibition of The Herring Era in Miðstovan displays a significant period of the building’s history. Here, wooden barrels were made for the export of herring, which was salted and laid in barrels for export to mainland Europe. The place thus became an important part in the Faroese herring industry.
A Village in the Northern Islands
around the Turn of the Century
1800-1900
An exhibition in Spaniastova of a traditional village where visitors can enter period rooms showing everyday life as it was in the old days.
The museum exhibits historical recreations of a smoke room and a glass room, that give an impression of Faroese traditions and architectural style. Another exhibition, The Postal Service, shows the important role of postal services and communication between villages.
Additionally, two models are on display. One of them is a topological model of the village of Múla and surrounding mountains, rendering a visual impression of this distinctive historical place. The other is a miniature model of a smoke room, depicting the day-to-day existence of generations past.