As part of the History of Neuroscience Session “The men behind the neuron theory”, that is held on Monday, July 1 in Room Berlin from 08:00 – 09:30, there is an optional visit of Fridtjof Nansen’s home Polhøgda just outside Oslo on Monday, July 1 at 12:30. The visit can also be booked stand-alone without attending the session.
The participants of the History of Neuroscience Visit will be picked up by bus at 12:30 on Monday, July 1 in front of Norges Varemesse.
All participants will arrive at Polhøgda around 13:00. After a 90 minutes guided tour, the bus will take you back to the Norges Varemesse between 14:30 and 14:45.
Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) was a famous Norwegian Arctic explorer, oceanographer, statesman and humanitarian. In the final decade of his life he was the League of Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 for his work on behalf of the displaced victims of the First World War and related conflicts. What is less known, is that he was the first Norwegian to defend a Ph.D. in neuroscience. He studied the central nervous system of lower marine vertebrates. He was probably the first scientist that gave experimental evidence that nerve cells are not connected in a syncytium, and thus helped establishing the neuron theory.
Polhøgda was built 1900-1901, as the home of Fridtjof and Eva Nansen. Their home was an important location of social life for artists and intellectuals in the Oslo area. After Fridtjof Nansen’s death in 1930, he was buried at the property. Polhøgda was sold for a nominal fee from his heirs to a group of donators, who in turn gave the property to the University of Oslo. Their conditions included that the building should be preserved, and not be used as a museum. It was later owned by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, and from 1947 the Norwegian Geographical Society.
It currently hosts the research foundation Fridtjof Nansen Institute. However, Fridtjof Nansen’s own office at Polhøgda has been kept unchanged throughout the years.
Important facts
Date: Monday, 1 July 2019
Location: Polhøgda, Fridtjof Nansens vei 17, A1366 Lysaker
Programme:
12:30 departure of bus from Norges Varemesse
13:00-14:30 guided tour at Fridtjof Nansen’s home Polhøgda
Afterwards the bus will bring all participants back to Norges Varemesse (arrival approximately 15:00)
Entrance fee: 50€ Reduced fee: 35€
This event is organised by EAN and participants must pay a registration fee to cover the costs for this event. No Industry support is available for this event.
