History of the museum
Today
The Museum of Technology is at a turning point. On the 18th December 2020, a large landslide occurred on Seyðisfjörður, which took many houses with it, i.e. on m. a large part of the museum’s buildings and damaged others. There was a lot of damage to the museum, a large part of it was completely destroyed, but the rest could be saved. In light of this, we are working on a complete review of the museum’s activities, subjects and policy.
It is clear that several years will pass before the museum can move to new premises. Despite that, staff are not sitting idly by. Exhibitions are set up, various events, collaborations and cultural projects are organized, research and education are carried out, as well as hard work is being done on the continued preservation of the museum’s value and future development.
The aim is to build a living museum with diverse exhibitions, events, workshops and workshops, which will be an essential stop for visitors to Seyðisfjörður in the future, but at the same time in close contact and conversation with the locals.
Before the landslide
The Technical Heritage Museum of Austurland was officially founded in 1984, but its first exhibition was opened on the 100th anniversary of Seyðisfjörður Market in 1995. It dealt with the part of Iceland’s history that relates to the country’s technological development from around 1880 to the present day. The aim of the museum was to collect, preserve, record and display craftsmanship, memorabilia, relics and narratives that have value for the history of technological development in the area of operation.
The Museum of Technology showed how technological changes related to mechanical technology, electricity, telecommunications, transportation and architecture were intertwined with changes in lifestyles and the environment. The museum was located on the so-called Wathnestorfa on Seyðisfjörður, but there were houses that play a major role in the country’s history of technological heritage, including the so-called Wathneshús and Jóhann Hansson’s Vjelsmiðja.
Information
Hafnargata 44, 710 Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
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