University of Bergen Library Department of Special Collections

History and Founding

The Department of Special Collections forms part of the University Library of Bergen (Universitetsbiblioteket i Bergen), itself a continuation of Bergen Museum's Library, founded in 1825 — making it one of Norway's oldest research libraries. When the University of Bergen was formally established and its University Library founded in 1948, the manuscript, rare book, map, and photograph collections already assembled at the Museum's library were transferred to the new institution and constitute the historical core of the Special Collections today. The Department is located at the Humanities Library in HF-bygget, Sydnesplassen 7, Bergen.

Collections and Holdings

The Department comprises four major collections:

• Manuscript and Rare Book Collection: Preserves a wide range of manuscripts and antiquarian books of significant material, cultural, and historical value, including medieval parchment manuscripts, diplomas, maps, charts, letters, and large antiquarian book collections. Notable holdings include the archives of Nordland's trade, the guild-archives of Bergen, and the bulk of the archive of the museum's founder, W.F.K. Christie. The collection is accessible digitally via the marcus.uib.no platform.
• Picture Collection: A major archive for historical photography with special emphasis on Bergen and Western Norway, comprising approximately 1.2 million photographs in total (more than 50,000 available via marcus.uib.no). The collection includes singular images and collections from photographers, collectors, and private donors.
• Language Collections: Comprehensive documentation of the Norwegian language in time and space; transferred to UiB from the University of Oslo in 2016.
• National Norwegian Archive for Queer History (Skeivt arkiv): A national knowledge centre for Norwegian queer history, including Karen-Christine Friele's personal archive and collections from private individuals and organisations.

Notable Holdings for Journalism and Media Research

The Manuscript and Rare Book Collection holds large collections of local, regional, and national newspapers in both original and microfilm form, making it a valuable resource for historical press research. The Picture Collection contains extensive photojournalistic and documentary photography.

Access

The Manuscript and Rare Book Collection is open Monday–Thursday, 10:00–14:00, by appointment. Digital material is accessible via marcus.uib.no.