The Fisheries Museum in Ålesund

The Museum

The museum is a landmark and is located in Holm-bua in the inner harbor of Ålesundet, sheltered by Molja and the harbor lighthouse. The street where the museum is situated is the best-preserved cluster of houses in Ålesund from before the city fire in 1904. Holm-bua, or Jervell-bua as older Ålesund residents call it, was built by Consul Frederik Hanssen around 1858. The sea warehouses dominated the cityscape of Ålesund from the seaside, telling of great activity and trade in various fish products.

History

When Oluf Holm AS took over the warehouse and eventually most of the buildings in Molovegen, they engaged in large-scale production and export of medicinal cod liver oil. In the 1850s, Peter Møller made a breakthrough in the production of medicinal cod liver oil. The facility he built on the island of Giske outside Ålesund was crucial. The Fisheries Museum showcases a large collection of production equipment, telling the history of this industry. Dried, salted fish (klippfisk) was an important export product, leading to extensive contact with countries in Southern Europe and South America.

Exhibitions

The exhibitions at the Fisheries Museum show how both coastal and deep-sea fisheries have shaped the city and the surrounding area. As the fishing fleet and activity increased in the second half of the 19th century, a land-based fishing industry grew in Ålesund.

In the deep-sea fishing exhibition, we tell the story of the development of the fishing fleet from the open eight-oared boat to today's fishing vessels. Technology and fishing methods are continuously evolving, and Sunnmøre is today a global leader in shipbuilding.

The "VEL I HAVN" exhibition is an encounter with the Sunnmøre pilot from the Middle Ages to the present day. The story is richly depicted through objects, sounds, and narratives.

The dried, salted fish (klippfisk) exhibition at the Fisheries Museum covers the production development in Sunnmøre, the export market, equipment, and various types of dried fish.