Published in “NORDLYS” Saturday 8, 2005
Tromsø is an including and engaging town with a lot of interesting people. Many have an opinion about our city, and that is a good thing. Constant immigration tells us something about Tromsø’s attractiveness, despite the price of housing that is among the country’s highest. Study possibilities, job opportunities, cultural offers, as well as the possibility to run businesses are important contributing factors. Tromsø can offer something for everyone, regardless of his or her position, class, or cultural background. Tromsø is the town of possibilities, and this should be manifested clearly in this pause represented by the Year of Urban Development. This year of urban change could well be the year of good ideas. A year where everyone is invited to contribute to see possibilities and give new life to this strange and complex town, which is both old and new at the same time.
The town identity
The polar dimension embedded in Tromsøs history must not be underestimated. In most old houses in this town there is to be found a small piece of this adventurous and dramatic history. It constitutes part of our national heritage, and should be looked after in a different way than today. When citizens go to the café Mirage in the main street to discuss and “solve” world problems, they do so in a house strongly connected to the Zapfe family, Roald Amundsen and Tromsø’s cultural history. Amundsen tragically diappeared from the scene of world history the summer of 1928, when he left from Tromsø in his seaplane ”Latham” in search of the Italian general Umberto Nobile. But at the same time Amundsen left a gap in arctic historical research, which still deserves attention and a solution, still contributing to nourish the excitement of polar adventure. When we presently in this Year of Urban Development hunt for the town’s soul, we again find substantial evidence for Amundsen’s part of the town’s identity – in Tromsø’s arctic industry and cultural history. This is why it is natural to carry on our exiting inheritance in new projects of modernisation, which bring the best from the past into a new and future perspective, where science, culture and industrial development are central areas.
The Department of Cultural Affairs has through ABM-development (The state centre for archive, library and museum), long since stated that there are too many small museums in this country. These are run on modest means and draw on too few resources. In Tromsø there are many examples of this. By combining different museums that are closely knit, one could obtain advantages of large-scale business, and the state support funds would increase. Tromsø is a unique town when it comes to arctic culture, arctic research and arctic history. This is a well-known fact, but what do we do about this? Well, by making a new small museum in addition to the ones we already have.
The last addition is the arctic vessel “Polstjerna” which has become a foundation of its own, with an individual budget and an individual board. Praise to all those who have contributed to save this boat as a unique document from our rich arctic history, but what has the future in store for the foundation? Economically it is far from receiving sufficient state funding and thus it is relegated to poverty, together with for example Polarmuseet and others. Which despite its excellent collection of arctic artefacts and a high rate of visitors does not receive state funding. Some might see this as bad cultural politics, and this we can complain about. Instead, let us now try something new.
A European Arctic park
Italy, Sweden, England, Holland and France have a considerable arctic history. So do other countries. In the capital of Portugal a large ocean park has been constructed (The largest Oceanarium in Europe), which contains an arctic section. Other countries may attempt similar projects. But no European country can demonstrate an arctic history as rich as that of Norway, and no other town in this country is more central in this respect than Tromsø. But what do we do about this? We continue the traditional pattern of constructing small-scale museums, which barely have the economy to keep opening hours for the public. At this point, when the Museum of Tromsø are planning to expand, it puzzles me that the Board does not invite the other institutions already existing in the town to cooperate in the new project. If the town’s museums shall have a future, and be run according to the state run politics, these institutions must collaborate and work together on the new idea. This mainly consists in Tromsø assuming the national and European responsibility of constructing the largest and most spectacular arctic park so far seen in the world. Such an arctic park should contain everything spanning from serious and modern research on the arctic regions, a museum, which concentrates on Norwegian and international arctic history, as well as a commercial centre of entertainment. Other exiting thoughts and ideas can also be baked into such a concept. But the main content must be that which Tromsø already today knows best – namely the arctic industry and cultural history, which within such a concept can be developed into something totally unique and fantastic.
Funding
This is a question, which can be solved in different ways. But one idea, which can be used in such a concept are the different types of financing within in the EC/EEA-system, and that rarely has been used to finance Norwegian projects. An arctic park, which assumes the national task of presenting Norwegian arctic history, should at the same time also present the European. Through collaboration between environments and institutions on this field in other European countries, this can became the ticket of entry into the large development funds in the EC and from which the northern Norwegian businesses almost totally have been excluded. If new doors to European sources of funding are to be opened, the Italians and French travelling to our beautiful part of the country must not only be presented the Norwegian arctic history, but also a substantial part of their own. Then this will appear much more exiting, and Tromsø will have the possibility to place itself and its history within an international context.
A national partnership
When tasks on a national level are to be solved, the state of course must contribute heavily, together with the regional administration, the County Council and the City of Tromsø. The state (ABM-development) has however provided clear signals that an innovation in the national museum sector must take place through large projects, where mergers, combined use and new thinking must be prioritised. However, other sources in local industries must contribute to such a national joint venture, together with the university, The Norwegian Polar Institute, the university college and various environmental- and research institutions which are closely connected to arctic activities, and that see the advantages and the prospects of such a project.
The Blue Line - Seaside Tromsø
The site for this Arctic Park is evident. It ought to face the seafront,extending from the Mack Brewery in the north and towards the new Hålogaland Theatre in the south. Here we already find the Polar Institute, The Polar Environmental Centre and the Polstjerna. Tromsø will then sport an urban park with public attractions that will draw thousands of Europeans to the north in the same way that people of the north are attracted by the museum parks in Bilbao, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam, to mention but a few.