Further Information

The Cultural House of Bakkafjörður

Museum and a cozy coffee house

Bjarg is a small, secluded house near the small fishing village of Bakkafjörður. We plan to open up a culture house where people can experience the culture of the village‘s past, and to exhibit fishing gear and accoutrements from days past. We will also be providing a coffee house to serve refreshments and atmosphere at a reasonable price.

There is a lot to be done before the place can get up and running. First, all the windows on the ground floor and basement must be replaced. Second, the corrugated iron exterior must be replaced. Third, the sustaining walls must be renewed. Fourth, the basement must be renovated to fit the museum. The basement needs an entrance, stairs to the ground floor (one of those might be enough), a higher ceiling, and restrooms.

The culture house will be placed in the basement of the house, with an exhibition of the history of fishing in the village. Of particular interest is the unexpected role played by Faroese fishermen in local history. In times past the Faroese often came to Bakkaflói to fish and developed a good relationship with the locals, teaching them new methods for making fishing boats and similar crafts. In the beginning of the 20th century, many Faroese fishermen resided in Bjarg, often for months at a time. Bjarg is therefore a very proper site for an exhibition detailing this history.

At Bjarg was a primitive port where the fishing boats brought their catch for processing. The men of Bjarg were a shifting mix of Faroese and Icelandic, with sometimes over twenty Faroese man staying at once to fish in the rich fishing grounds not far from shore. In this house we have found evidence of this habitation, mainly contemporary fishing gear and household appliances, giving insight into how such a large population was managed.

We believe this project to be worth undertaking, and hope for your support.