EEA AND NORWAY GRANTS
FUND FOR BILATERAL RELATIONS

INITIATIVE PROPOSAL


Title of the initiative: BUILDING UP A NETWORK TO GAIN NORWEGIAN EXPERTISE IN RESTORING AND EXHIBITING SWISS-STYLE BUILDINGS

Implementing entity (beneficiary state entity):
ESTONIAN OPEN AIR MUSEUM

Partner(s) (minimum one donor state entity):
Bergen Museum Foundation, Norway


Bilateral priority area identified by the JCBF beyond the programmes:
X promotion of core European values, such as  respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and the respect for human rights for all people, regardless of their racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity;
• E-governance (digitalization)
• eastern partnership
• equality and equal treatment
• competitive business environment, sustainable and adaptive governance (based on “Competitiveness Plan for 2020” approved by the Government of Estonia)





Allocation (total sum): 9,000 € (cost of Estonian partner)
(A more detailed project budget description in the activity plan)



Short description of the initiative:
(background, aim, participants, activity plan, budget outline, communication and dissemination)
The Estonian Open Air Museum (EAOM), located on the territory of the former Baltic German summer estate, Rocca al Mare, holds a Swiss-type (Swiss chalet style) wooden villa, built in situ in 1870. Now EAOM is preparing to restore this unique log building, create a permanent display, and open it for visitors. However, as buildings in Swiss style are rare in Estonia, we lack expertise to restore it properly and are looking for corresponding knowhow that would help us in this work.

Swiss style (Sveitserstil) was predominant in northern European wooden architecture from approximately 1840 to approximately 1935. The style was inspired by the building custom in the Alps and had its origins in Switzerland and Germany. In the romantic era of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, an increasing stream of foreign visitors traveled to Switzerland. The richly decorated style with wooden balconies and many carved ornaments spread across Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy, France, the Baltics, Scandinavia and also to a lesser extent to Great Britain and North America. Villas, workers' housing, station buildings, tourist hotels, agricultural buildings and much more were built in this style.
The Swiss style was perceived as well suited to Norwegian conditions, it was quickly imported to Norway. Around 1840, the first cottages appeared in Norway and quickly became popular. There is a big number of listed buildings in this style that have been expertly renovated by now.

What concerns the renovation of built cultural heritage, Estonian heritage protection has relied on the Norwegian long expertise in this field many times before, especially when it comes to wooden buildings. We have found a competent and experienced partner, Bergen Museums that manages 115 buildings, 100 of which have a high cultural and historical value. They have also expertise in restoring Sveitserstil buildings, for example the Edvard Grieg Museum that is one of the earliest Swiss style buildings in Norway.

Within the current project EOAM aims to build a network to gain expertise of restoring Sveitserstil buildings. We are interested in the constructional and architectural knowhow as well as the possibilities to restore a historical building according to new requirements concerning climate risks and energy efficiency. We plan a study trip to Bergen familiarize ourselves with Sveitserstil buildings in that area, and to get corresponding knowledge from Norwegian colleagues. On the same trip we also visit the Norwegian Open Air Museum in Oslo, as they are currently working on a Sveitserstil building.
The budget of the project involves travel costs, accommodation and allowances of 6 EAOM staff members. The participants in this project will disseminate the gained knowledge on a corresponding seminar and meetings with those engaged in restoration of the Swiss-style villa at EOAM. The shared knowledge gained during the project helps EOAM to restore the Swiss-type villa on their territory and turn it to an attractive and educative exposition about our shared European identity and cultural historical past. Hopefully, this project leads to further cooperation between the two partners who are both involved in preserving European built cultural heritage.

The


Activity plan:

Activity
Time
Location
Cost
Participants

Start-up meeting


November, 2024
web-meeting
0
Estonian and Norwegian contact persons

Meeting to plan and coordinate further activities
February, 2025
Web-meeting
0
Estonian and Norwegian contact persons

Study trip to Oslo Museum and Bergen Museum Foundation

March, 2025
Oslo, Bergen
9,000 €
6 staff members from EOAM

Seminar about the Norwegian expertise in restoring Sveitserstil buildings
April, 2025
Tallinn, Estonia
0
Staff members of EOAM (110)

Wrap-up meeting and discussions for further collaboration
April, 2025
Web-meeting
0
Estonian and Norwegian contact persons

Planned results1
OUTPUT
INDICATOR
TARGET
Study trip to gather information about restoring Sveitserstil buildings has been completed.
Number of study trips and trained staff members
1 study trip; 6 staff members of EAOM have gained knowledge about restoring Sveitserstil buildings and pass it on to colleagues in a corresponding seminar
Functional network with Norwegian colleagues to gain expertise in restoring Sveitserstil buildings has been built.
Number of networks.
One actively operating network uniting Norwegian and Estonian colleagues to gain Norwegian expertise in restoring Sveitserstil buildings
Increased capacity of EOAM staff to restore and exhibit Sveitserstil buildings has been achieved.
Number of informed staff members
110 informed staff members of EOAM