Ståsted og pejlepunkter

Resumé

Origins, inspiration and directions
This year it is 100 years since Den Gamle By’s inauguration
on the present site. On this occasion I feel it relevant to state
that the founder Peter Holm’s original ideas and museological
principles still constitute the framework for Den Gamle
By’s activities. In the museum’s work, these ideas are constantly
being supplemented by inspiration from colleagues
and museologists in order to keep Den Gamle By updated
and relevant, now and in the future.
At Den Gamle By we follow our own path and heart-beat,
and we trust that we can handle tasks and developments,
even though some might consider them impossible. We wish
the museum to be popular and to reach out to a very broad
public, and though Den Gamle By is a scientific institution,
our focus is more on people and storytelling than on objects,
artefacts and research.
In my first ten years as museum director, I was lucky to
develop a close friendship with Dr. Erna Lorenzen, who then
was the only staff member left from the first generation.
When I had a new and maybe controversial idea, I always
discussed it with old Erna to hear her opinion. Sometimes
I felt that she also had a sort of silent discussion with Peter
Holm. And then – at the end of the discussion – if I found
that all three of us – Erna, Peter and myself – agreed on the
idea, then we decided to go for it!