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We conduct active research in collaboration with NTNU to preserve and digitize our extensive collections.
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Our research and innovation ensure that we are a center of excellence for Jewish history and culture.
The project The Historical Development of Synagogues stems from a desire to document, analyze and understand how synagogues have functioned as pillars of Jewish life in Central and Northern Norway through different eras. The research is based on both written and oral sources, interviews, archival material and objects, and encompasses a period that extends from the 1880s to the present day.
This research project examines the development of synagogues in Nordenfjeldske Norway – from the first gathering places around 1900 to the present-day synagogue at Arkitekt Christies gate 1b. Through studies of archival material, oral sources, architecture and religious practice, it explores how the function of the synagogue has changed over time – as a religious space, a social meeting place and a symbol of continuity and belonging for the Jewish community in the region.
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As a museum for a national minority, we strive for quality, accessibility, collaboration and continuous innovation in everything we do. We shall be relevant, timely, inclusive and respectful in all aspects of our work. These values guide us in fulfilling our mandate in a meaningful and sustainable way.
From rented rooms and hidden gatherings to a visible space for faith and belonging – the synagogue bears the traces of an entire minority journey.
The synagogue through 100 years
How has the function of the synagogue in the Nordenfjeld region changed over time?
The research includes both formal and informal gathering places – from private homes and rented premises, to the establishment of the synagogue in St. Jørgensveita in 1905 and on to the current synagogue, which was inaugurated in 1925. The project examines how functions such as religious practice, teaching, social life and association work have taken their forms in step with changes in society and the needs of the congregation.
A central part of the work has been to map the synagogue's role during the war, when the building was seized and the activities had to be moved in secret to the Methodist Church. The project also follows the post-war reconstruction, the period of stagnation in the 1970s and the gradual revitalization from the late 1990s – in parallel with the establishment of the Jewish Museum Trondheim.
By shedding light on the actors, the religious functions, the architectural approaches and the societal changes, the research provides insight into how one building and its associated community have developed in step with both external historical events and internal needs for continuity and renewal.
