Photo: Maihaugen
Mail en route
20 May–12 October
All day
This exhibition tells the story of Norwegian postal history. It is located in the Postgården building in the Town at Maihaugen.
Mail en route traces the development of the Norwegian postal service from the early days when letters were carried by private couriers to today's digital communication.
On the ground floor of the Postgården, you can visit post offices from different historical periods, watch films produced by the Norwegian Postal Service, and meet retired postal employees during the summer season. You can even send a letter with Maihaugen’s own special postmark!
The Postal Service was once an active film producer, and in the film room you can watch some of the original films they created.
Upstairs, you can walk through staged scenes from the history of the Norwegian postal service. Meet Hannibal Sehested, who organized Norway’s postal service on behalf of King Christian IV in 1647. See a mail carrier armed with a postførerverge, a weapon that could be used both for stabbing and shooting, and meet a rural postman delivering letters during a home visit. We also showcase the various means of transport that have been used to carry mail over the years.
On the second floor you will also find uniforms, mailboxes, and a small art exhibition featuring works inspired by Norway’s postal history.