We open the door to Norrbotten's history, both the known and the undiscovered.
Norrbotten's museum cherishes and protects the multicultural way of life and traditions that shaped us and our place in the world.
With knowledge and creativity, we bring to life the stories that enrich and touch – for curious explorers, history buffs, those who want to get to know the region and those who have lived here for generations.
We invite you to explore Norrbotten with us, now and for the future.
The museum's areas of activity include archaeology, archives, buildings, libraries, image archives, ethnology, photography and object collections. We work, among other things, with documentation, care and registration of collections, imparting knowledge and advice, research, digitalisation, museum pedagogy as well as exhibition and program activities.
In 1878, collection of objects started in Norrbotten. In the beginning, they were stored at the home of company manager JA Wikström in Luleå.
On September 20, 1886, the Norrbotten Museum Association was formed with members from the residence city's upper bourgeoisie. The association's predominant issues were the finances, the premises and the object collections. The local issue was complicated by the Luleå city fire in 1887, when large parts of the center were destroyed.
In 1901, rooms were furnished in the county board's building for the museum association's collections, which had previously been exhibited in the educational institution.
On the initiative of the writer David Törnqvist and the county councilwoman Anna Gustafsson, the association began in the 1910s to discuss the formation of an open-air museum at Gültzauudden. The idea was realized in the early 1920s. In 1922, the association was reorganized into the Norrbotten county homestead association.
In the 1920s, the home village association employed Einar Möller as a caretaker. He remained in service until the 1960s. Bertil Waldén became the first professionally trained museum curator in 1926.
Plans for a separate museum building emerged. The financing was resolved, and the then Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf was able to inaugurate the current museum building at Storgatan 21 in Luleå on 1936 July 2. The building was designed by architect Eberhard Lovén.
During the Second World War the business declined. Parts of the museum building were used by the county board's crisis agency and national antiquarian Reinhold Odencrants was periodically mobilized. It was not until 1950 that the county museum was able to reclaim the entire museum building again.
The staff until 1956 consisted of a country antiquarian, a caretaker and temporary amenuenses and a cleaning lady.
In 1961-1972, Harald Hvarfner was national antiquarian and under his leadership the museum developed rapidly. Fieldwork and book publishing complemented the exhibitions that toured the entire county. The museum was organized in 1964 into three departments. In 1966, the museum had 15 employees.
The Open Air Museum at Gültzauudden was moved around 1970 to Gammelstad and became the Open Air Museum Hägnan.
In 1967, the home village association changed its name to Föreningen Norrbotten museum. In 1977, the museum was transformed into a foundation with two principals; Luleå Municipality and Norrbotten County Council. The old association was split into two parts. The county museum itself was transferred to the new foundation, while the association for homeland stakeholders gathered in Norrbotten's homeland association and in the early 1980s the association changed its name to Norrbotten's homeland association.
On July 1, 1976, cultural heritage preservation in Sweden was reorganized. At the county administrations, county antiquaries were established, which took over the executive part of the county antiquaries.
The foundation was reorganized in April 1992. The county council completely took over the operations of Norrbotten's museum, while Luleå municipality took over responsibility for the Open Air Museum Hägnan in Gammelstad.
On October 1, 1999, the Norrbotten Museum Foundation became a base unit within Norrbotten County Council and today the workforce consists of around fifty employees. Activities are conducted not only in Luleå but in the entire county, with, for example, investigations and documentation, cultural projects and exhibition production, as well as a children's and youth activity.
On 1 January 2017, the county council changed its name to Region Norrbotten. The Norrbotten Museum is part of Region Norrbotten, the regional development department as a base unit within culture.
Gunnar Ullenius, March 1929 – December 1936
Reinhold Odencrantz, 1937 – 1945
Hans Beskow, 1946 – 1961
Harald Hvarfner, 1961 – 1971
Björn Hallerdt, 1972 – 1975
Kjell Lundholm, 1975 – 1987 (ordinary from 1981)
Pär Hallinder, 1988 – 1990
Disa Åberg, 1990 – 1992
Majvor Östergren, 1992 – 1994
Majlis Granström, 1995 – 2001
Johan Lilliehöök, 2001 – 2004
Curt Persson, 2004 – 2012
Jan-Erik Lundström, 2012 – 2016
Margaretha Lindh, 2017 –
Region Norrbotten is the principal for the Norrbotten Museum. The museum is part of the Department for Regional Development, Culture.
Adjunct: Catrine Backman, communicator
Archive, image archive, library, book publisher, photo, object collections
Archaeology, settlement, ethnology
Shop, café, museum education, programs, exhibitions
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