Glesvær
Glesvær (Image from 1990) (Helge Sunde).
Trading Posts And Guest Houses
“A NECESSITY FOR THE COMMON MAND AND THE TRAVELLER”
On the way to the west
Today a motorist in Bergen has many choices. The roads lead north, south and east to a Norway in miniature with high mountains, fjords, valleys and areas with open, low terrain. But there is also a fourth possibility and that is westwards out towards the sea. The modern system of bridges has made it possible to cross large and small stretches of water so that we can come over to the most westerly islands without using a ferry. National Route 555 leads us from Bergen through Laksevåg to Sotra, the largest of these islands. The landscape with the naked mountains can seem barren and bears the stamp of its close contact with the sea. Here furthest out into the North Sea, on a side road to Glesvær, the trip stops in front of a bog, old wooden house.
The oldest part of the main building at Glesvær is probably from the 17th century.(Svein Nord).
The trading post at Hiskjo was a prosperous concern in 1912. (Thor Iversen, owner: Stiftelsen Thor Iversens Billedsamling).
Hiskjo is under a conservation order, but few buildings remain today. (Svein Nord).
A facsimile of Bergen’s city charter from 1702 which is quoted in the text. (owner: Riksarkivet (Danske Kanselli Norske reg. D30, Fol. 327 b)).
The map shows where the posting stations and the lodging houses were located along the communications channels. An extract from a map of 1822 with marked water routes, post routes, posting stations and inns (marked with a star). (etter original trykt av Winthers forlag 1822. Eier: Kartsamlingen, Universitetsbiblioteket i Bergen).
Hernar is an old harbour known from the sagas and one of the privileged trading ports from the early 18th century. In the picture of Hernar from 1924 we see one of the big warehouses which also belonged to the merchant. The salt warehouse is located straight over the sound. It has been repaired using funds from an employment funds programme, as we see in the picture above. (Thor Iversen, eier: Stiftelsen Thor Iversens Billedsamling).
Claus Krohn (1745-1804) who owned Hernar, was one of the well-to-do Bergen merchants who controlled trade in the district. (oljemaleri, i privat eie. Foto eid av Universitetsmuseet i Bergen (Neg. K 464)). (utsnitt)
This classical village store, as we know it from the beginning of the 20th century, belongs to the period after 1842, when trade was liberalised. (Sev. Kannelønning, owner: Sunnhordland Museum (SK 1943)).
The sloop, “Buch van Raa” in Raune Fjord right in the middle of the central sailing channel south of Bergen. Today the area is subject to a conservation order. The historical reconstruction gives us an impression of the central position occupied by lodging houses in the days of the sailing ships. (painting: unknown, photo: Hans-Kr. Bukholm).
Herandsholmen outside Herand in Jondal is one of the best preserved and authentic old lodging houses. (Svein Nord). (section)
The shore settlement of Utne, with the meeting room and the lodging house in the 1880s. (Knud Knudsen, owner :Picture Collection, Universitetet i Bergen Bibliotek (KK 279)).
Steamship “Viking and Steamship “Hardangeren” at the quay in Eide in Granvin; a junction for the traffic between Hardanger and Voss.(Knud Knudsen, eier Picture Collection, Universitetet i Bergen Bibliotek (KK 1032, 21x27)).
Tvinde, Vossestrand is one of the old posting farms along the post road from Bergen to Christiania. (Knud Knudsen, eier Billedsamlingen, Universitetsbiblioteket i Bergen (KK 259, 13x18)).