The theme of the 27th IMCoS Symposium—and the first ever in Norway—is “The Mapping and Exploration of Norway and the North.” Following the format of several successful IMCoS symposia, an opening reception on Sunday, September 6, will be followed by three days of programs, which will conclude with a gala dinner. Half of each day will be devoted to a formal speaker session, with a social/cultural program in the other half. The venue for Monday and Wednesday mornings is the National Library, where the talks will focus on earlier exploration and mapping. We are fortunate that an exhibit on “Going North,” with manuscript and printed maps, will be on display at the National Library at this time. Tuesday, we shall travel to the State Mapping Authority in Hønefoss, about 50 kilometers outside Oslo, where we will learn about the practical aspects of map making, particularly as it applies to Norway. In addition to seeing some of the rare, hand-drawn material that is the basis of the modern mapping of Norway, guides will take us through the Authority’s museum of old surveying and cartographic instruments. In addition to the support of these two institutions, we have speakers from the Universities of Tromsø, Trondheim, and Oslo, as well as from other organizations and other countries. The afternoon visits include the Viking Ship Museum, the Kon-Tiki Museum, and the Fram Museum. The last houses the Fram, the ship that was built for Fridtjof Nansen for his journey to the North Pole that sailed from Norway in 1893. Seventeen years later, the same ship headed for Antarctica under the leadership of Roald Amundsen. Our gala dinner will take place on the deck of the Fram! We will also visit the Munch Museum. Although we have struggled to find a cartographic connection, we believe that no trip to Oslo would be complete without seeing the masterpieces of Norway’s most international painter. The official Symposium hotel is The Grand Hotel, located centrally on Karl Johan, the main walking street of Oslo, that runs between the Parliament and the Palace. The Grand Hotel is rich in tradition, having opened in 1874 and successful since the days of Henrik Ibsen, who was a regular in its Grand Café. Today, the hotel is “home” for winners of the Nobel Peace Price. In addition to the Grand Hotel, the Symposium will offer other choices of accommodation. The optional post-Symposium tour takes participants to the north of Norway, where they will have the opportunity to see and experience some of Norway’s unique beauty. The group will fly on Thursday, September 10, to Tromsø, which lies north of the Arctic Circle. After visiting the University Library and the Polar Museum, guests will board “Hurtigruten,” the coastal steamer, for a journey to Trondheim. The trip along Norway’s beautiful west coast, known for its fjords, has made the Hurtigrute one of Norway’s best known and most popular attractions—to visitors and Norwegians alike! The tour ends with a sightseeing tour of Trondheim on Sunday, September 13, and a return to Oslo (with alternative routings possible). Click here to see the day-to-day programme. |
