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Application to inscribe Nordic clinker boat traditions on UNESCO’s List of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity
The Norwegian Coastal Federation, the Nordic Coastal Culture network, local boatbuilders and
other signatories from all the Nordic countries to this letter, hereby inform their countries’
respective cultural authorities that they are well underway with the process that will result in a
joint application to have Nordic clinker boat traditions inscribed on the UNESCO’s
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ref. Article 16, UNESCO’s
Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage).
Nordic clinker boat tradition
The history of clinker built boats in the Nordic region stretches back at least two thousand years.
The clinker built boat has, throughout its history, been a vital tool for fishing, freight, farming and
shipping throughout the entire Nordic region. The clinker boat tradition is an essential part of our
shared Nordic cultural history, and we consider it to be extremely important to preserve these
traditions for posterity.
Traditional boat builders, associations and museums are continuing to pass on knowledge
about building practices and use. The traditions live on in some places, while they risk
disappearing in others. Practical knowledge of using the boats is passed on through activities
such as excursions, regattas and other outdoor leisure activities. Voluntary organisations and
museums are actively working in areas including practical training, dissemination and
documentation.
An ever-increasing number of traditional boat builders are reporting dwindling contracts. They,
and we, are concerned that boat building expertise might disappear if we do not jointly take
steps to safeguard this part of our intangible cultural heritage.
The Nordic Coastal Culture network is a partnership of voluntary organisations and museums,
who are working together to preserve our Nordic coastal culture – primarily cultural monuments
and cultural heritage. That is why we are now starting to prepare this application for a listing in
accordance with UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage. There is a need for a coordinated Nordic plan to facilitate the continuation of the
traditions, and our joint application is an opportunity to prepare such a plan. The application will
encompass clinker construction traditions relating to both building (as a craft) and practical use.
We aim to submit the application during 2016. The Coastal Federation in Norway will coordinate
this work.
On page 2 of this letter, we have listed all of the supporters of work on this application along
with the people who will be collaborating on its preparation.
Oslo, 20 april 2015
Tore Friis-Olsen, project manager
Forbundet KYSTEN/The Norwegian Coastal Federation
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Forbundet KYSTEN, Øvre Slottsgate 2B, NO-0157 Oslo, telefon: +47 22 42 42 82, bankgiro: 7874 06 61085,
org.nr.: 971 256 729, e-post: [email protected], www.kysten.no
The following institutions, museums, boatbuilders and individuals are supporting and collaborating on the preparation of the
application to inscribe Nordic clinker boat traditios to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity:
Denmark
The Viking Ship Museum, Afdelingen for Maritime
håndværk, rekonstruktion, Roskilde
D.S.I. Fregatten Jylland
Thorupstrand Kystfiskerlaug
Han Herred Havbåde
Årøsund bådebyggeri
Skibsbevaringsfonden
TS/Træskibs Sammenslutningen
Nationalmuseet, Landbokultur & Søfart
Møller og Jochumsens Bådebyggeri
Limfjordmuseet
Øhavsmuseet
Foreningen til “Skibets” bevarelse 1880
Træskibsforeningen i Aarhus, TSA
Norway
Hardanger og Voss museum
Gunnar Eldjarn, båtbygger, Kvaløya
Museet Kystens arv
Nordnorsk fartøyvernsenter og båtmuseum
Ulf Mikalsen, boatbuilder, Kjerringøy
Geitbåtmuseet
Jon Bojer Godal (håndverksforsker, Geitbåtmuseet)
Norsk Forening for Fartøyvern
Risør Trebåtbyggeri
Moen Trebåtbyggeri
Stiftelsen Risør Kystkultursenter
Trebåtens hus
Norges husflidslag
Tana museum
Kai Linde, boatbuilder, Rognan
Oselvarverkstaden
Arne Emil Christensen (professor emeritus i nordisk
arkeologi, tidligere vitenskapelig ansvarlig for
Vikingskipshuset, Oslo)
Terje Planke (dr.art, førstekonservator ved Norsk
folkemuseum)
Jørn Flesjå, båtbygger, Ryfylke trebåtbyggeri
Einar Borgjord, båtbygger, Stadsbygd
Museet Kystens arv
Arne Terje Sæther, boatbuilder, Kvaløya
Fosen folkehøgskole
Norsk Maritimt Museum
Johan Kloster (Mag. art, tidligere førstekonservator ved
Norsk Sjøfartsmuseum (nå Norsk Maritimt Museum))
Geir Røvik, båtbygger, Tønsberg
Vestfoldmuseene
Lars Stålegård, boatbuilder, BåtLab`en, Norwegian
Maritime Museum
Iceland
Jón Ragnar Daðason, boatbuilder
Álftanesi - Hafliði Aðalsteinsson, boatbuilder
Kópavogur - Íslenska vitafélagið, félag um íslenska
strandmenningu/Association for protection of historic
lighthouses and coastal culture, Akurereyri
Síldarminjasafn Íslands ses./The Herring Era Museum
Yggðasafn Vestfjarða/Westfjords Heritage Museum
Menningarmiðstöð Þingeyinga/The District Culture Center
(MMÞ), Husavik, Tækniminjasafn Austurlands/Technical
Museum for East Iceland
Finland
Forum Marinum - Puuveneveistäjät ry/The Woodenboat
Builders Association
Suomen merimuseo/The Maritime Museum of Finland
Korpo Hembygdsförening rf
Åland
Ålands Skötbåtsförening rf
Ålands Sjöfartsmuseum
Skeppsföreningen Albanus
Stiftelsen Sjökvarteret i Mariehamn
Faroe islands
Bátasmiðir: (båtbyggere av tradisjonelle færøyiske
trebåter): Ásbjørn Müller, Johan A Olsen, Jóan Petur
Clementsen, Kai Hammer, Terji Reinert Jakobsen,
Hanus Jensen
Søvn (museer/samlinger): Tvøroyrar Bygda- og
Sjóvinnusavn (Tvøroyri’s bygde- og søfartsmuseum)
Gøtu Fornminnisfelag (Gøta’s lokalhistoriske museum)
Báta- og Málningasavnið í Leirvík (Både- og
malerimuseet i Leirvík)
Norðoya Fornminnasavn (Nordøernes lokalhistoriske
museum)
Skip og Bátar (skip og båter): Føroyskir
Træbátar (association for traditional boats from the Faroe
Island)
Áhugafelagið Seglið (association for sailing traditional
boats from the Faroe Islands)
Føroysk Træseglskip (association for historic sailing ships)
Sweden
Maritiman, Stiftelsen Göteborgs Maritima Centrum
Maritimt i Vest
Stensund folkcollege, the boatbuilding school
Sveriges Segelfartygsförening
Unversity of Gothenburg, /Inst. för Kulturvård
Föreningen allmogebåtar
Skeppsholmen folkhögskola, the boatbuilding school
Holmöns boatmuseum
Shetland
Unst Heritage Trust, Haroldswick, Unst, Shetland
Shetland Amenity Trust/Shetland Museum and Archives
Orkney islands
The Orkney Historic Boat Society
Others
North Sea Ring (network for traditional wooden boats and
associated scills and traditions in the North Sea
Countries), adm. Aberdeen, Skotland
Nordisk håndverksforum
Working Group for Coastal Culture and Maritime Heritage
(part of The Baltic sea states heritage co-operation)