It is the city of Oslo that turns 400 years in 2024, but the city belongs to us all.

In 2024, 400 years will have passed since the city of Oslo burned to the ground. After this, the city center was decidedly moved from the old wooden buildings in Gamle Oslo, and to the backside of Akershus fortress, better known as Kvadraturen. In 1924, the city also switched back to its original name Oslo, which means that in 2024 we can also celebrate the 100th anniversary of this historical name change. To add to this, the city of Oslo has gone through tremendous developments in recent years, both economically and socially, including a brand new population consisting of immigrants from far and near. It is these people who today constitute the people of Oslo.

But who are these people? How did they end up in Oslo? How do they like her? Where do they feel at home, and what do they want to share with us about the city and their lives?

OSLOVE is an oral history project that explores the people of Oslo's stories, experiences and memories of the city through the collection of 400 interviews made by and with Oslo's population. The conversations will be conveyed through a podcast, sound art, newspaper and book, at the same time they will form a new audiovisual archive for the enjoyment of all curious people today and in the future. In this way, Oslo's population is involved in producing knowledge about themselves for our history, and new cultural heritage is produced. This is done by using oral history as a method. Oral history is the collection, documentation, archiving and sharing of primary oral source material from our time. The interview creates a historical primary source that is preserved for prosperity by recognized archives, with the intention of being used by many people.

Who can participate?

Everyone! If you wish to be interviewed or you want to interview someone in Oslo, please get in touch through this website, or send an email to cathrine@memoar.no

What does it mean to participate? 

You can choose obviously, but we are looking specifically for people who want to join in on a one day class to learn how to do oral history interviews. You will also learn how to use our equipment (cellphones and microphones for recording), and together we will find people you can interview. You will learn how to do this in an ethical way through the use of consent forms, in addition to learning what a summary needs to include and how you can transfer the files to us. You will not have to log the interviews. We can pay 1500 NOK per interview delivered to us with a filled out consent form, a summary and the equipment. You can also volunteer and choose not to get paid - this will help our budgets enormously! :)   

Can I borrow your equipment? 

Yes. We use Samsung Galaxy S22 and SHURE videokit. 

What if I want to participate, but do not want the interview to be used in, for example, a podcast?

That´s perfectly fine. The person being interviewed decide for themselves what the interview can be used for through the consent form. You will find the consent form at the bottom of the page.

Am I free to talk to people about whatever I want in the interviews?

Yes and no. All the interviews must be about Oslo in one way or another. Whether you want to focus on labor history, leisure, fields, sports, faith, religion or governance is up to you. We work together on the course to prepare good and open questions that you can bring with you into the interview.

Can I interview whoever I want?

Yes! And also as many as you want.

When does the project start and end?

We are underway and will produce interviews until around the middle of 2024.

Can I use the interview I have done or participated in in other contexts?

Not necessarily. All use of the interviews is determined by the consent forms. But if you have an idea for how you can convey the interview, we would very much like to hear about it! Send us an email: cathrine@memoar.no 🙏