Greeting from the Dean
Welcome to Bergen and to the Faculty of Humanities!
Dear participants of the EBHA-congress Transactions and Interactions
- the Flow of Goods, Services and Information. As Dean of the
Faculty of Humanities, I am proud that the Department of Archaeology,
History, Cultural Studies and Religion is hosting this conference.
We have an active, productive and leading research environment
in Bergen that is well qualified to assume the responsibility
for such an important international conference.
In our age of globalization it is important to have academic
meeting arenas that transcend international borders, cultural
borders and academic borders. An important purpose of these international
meetings is to emphasise comparative aspects, to show similarities
and differences and, especially, to provide inspiration for new
approaches to research within our own disciplines and courses.
Since ancient times Bergen has been a melting pot of culture,
politics, economics and trade. Since the Middle Ages Bergen has
been one of the most important cities of Norway and Scandinavia.
Her central location in the western part of the country, with
a good harbour and favourable communications with both the northern
and south eastern part of the country, as well as with countries
of western and central Europe, such as England, Scotland, Ireland,
Shetland, The Orkney Islands, The Faeroe Islands, Iceland and
above all Denmark, Germany and Holland, formed the basis of the
cultural, economical, political and linguistic prominence of the
city.
As early as the Viking Age Bergen had a central position, and
in the High Middle Ages Bergen became the political capital, the
leading cultural city and largest city of Norway. In the Middle
Ages Bergen and Stockholm, both Hanseatic cities, were the largest
cities in the Nordic countries. After the Reformation, approx.
1600, Bergen was still one of the largest cities in Scandinavia,
second only to Copenhagen, and till the eighteen thirties Bergen
was the largest city of Norway. Even today Bergen is Norway’s
window to the world and also has strong international connections
with the outside world.
Bergen should therefore be the ideal location for a conference
that emphasizes the flow of goods, services and information from
the perspective of transactions and interactions.
Good luck with your stay in Bergen. May the academic, social
and cultural benefits of the conference be great!
Best wishes!
Gunnstein Akselberg
Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, UiB