Danish no to long-term loans | The class struggle
A private foundation in Denmark says no to lending Norwegian medieval writings for a permanent exhibition in Oslo. National Librarian Aslak Sira Myhre is disappointed.
“The Minister of Culture must begin to use his voice and show power against our former gentlemen,” Bergensavisen wrote in a leadership position on 8 November.
The call came after a private foundation in Denmark had said it was willing to return the first known imprint of Bergen’s city seal – but only for loan.
The same applied to seven other Norwegian medieval publications that the foundation owns, and which the National Library has asked to borrow or receive as a gift.
Now it turns out that the National Library in Oslo should not have high hopes of borrowing cultural treasures from the Arnamagnæan Collection, a foundation that manages a large collection of Nordic manuscripts and books from the union era.
Maximum five months
In a brief reply to former Minister of Culture Abid Raja in October, the Arnamagnæan Commission writes that there is no precedent for depositing or long-term lending of the manuscripts.
– We follow international standards and recommendations for lending manuscripts for exhibition, and it is recommended that such lending is no longer than three to five months, confirms curator Anne Mette Hansen at the Arnamagnæan Collection.
She nevertheless urges the National Library to apply.
– We would like to contribute to the National Library being able to borrow these publications. But so far we have not heard anything from them, says Hansen.
Norway’s national librarian Aslak Sira Myhre makes it clear that it is not relevant to apply if the foundation does not open for long-term loans.
– It is right to answer as we have received from the foundation, does not give great hope for a long-term loan. It is not appropriate for us to borrow these writings for as short a period as three to five months, Myhre says.
Earlier this autumn, the Royal Library in Copenhagen gave the go-ahead for a similar request for a long-term loan of five Norwegian manuscripts from the Middle Ages which were transferred to Denmark during the union period from 1380 to 1814.
This applies, among other things, to practical examples of the Codex Habsbergianus, which is illustrated by Magnus Lagabøte’s country law. The historical writings from Denmark were intended to play a central role in a new, permanent exhibition about the Middle Ages.
– May be damaged
Curator Anne Mette Hansen points out that several of the documents Norway requests are almost a thousand years old and written on parchment.
– Of course, I have confidence that the National Library in Oslo will take good care of these manuscripts. But regardless of whether you make sure to ensure the very best storage conditions at an exhibition, it is scientifically proven that they can be damaged if they are exposed for too long. Among other things, bright pale color pigments can be found in the hand-colored illustrations. Therefore, we recommend that you make replicas of the original manuscripts for longer exhibitions, says Hansen.
It was the Danish-Icelandic academic and philologist Arni Magnusson who in 1730 bequeathed his large collection of manuscripts and printed books to the University of Copenhagen.
The collection is managed by the university and the Arnamagnæan Commission and must be available for research, education and dissemination in Norse philology and Nordic studies.
– Arni Magnusson was very concerned with saving historical manuscripts from perishing, and thanks to his efforts, many Nordic manuscripts have been preserved for posterity.
«It is recommended that such lending is no longer than three to five months»
– ANNE METTE HANSEN, CURATOR AT THE ARNAMAGNÆAN COLLECTION
– Do you consider these manuscripts to be Norwegian or Danish?
– On the list of manuscripts that are desired for long-term lending, there are both Norwegian and Icelandic manuscripts. I would rather say that these writings belong to our common Nordic cultural heritage, says Hansen.
Fear derailment
Although it now appears that the National Library will receive long-term loans of far fewer manuscripts from Denmark, the work of establishing a science center on the Norwegian Middle Ages will proceed as planned.
At the same time, Aslak Sira Myhre has not given up hope of reaching an agreement with Danish.
– We will invite you to Denmark to tell more about these plans and how important this exhibition will be for a formidable development of Norwegian writing culture and the intellectual awakening as a nation, says Myhre.
Previous attempts to get the writing returned to Norway have ended up in more or less emotionally charged proposals as to whether it is Norway or Denmark who are the rightful owners. Therefore, Aslak Sira Myhre has been very clear that the National Library recognizes that the documents belong to Denmark, even though they were in Norway during the union. Well, Myhre sees tendencies for the debate to once again derail to be about ownership.
– I try not to read the Bergen press for the sake of my peace of mind, he says.
– But when Bergensavisen writes in a leadership position that the manuscripts should never be returned, it is a call for breach of contract. This helps a little for our attempts to get these documents back, to say the least.