Deichman bibliotek

You’re now standing in front of Oslo’s new public library, the Deichman bibliotek. It’s named after Carl Deichman, an 18th-century Norwegian businessman and philanthropist from Oslo, who donated more than 7,000 books and 150 manuscripts. Thanks to this incredible collection, Oslo opened its first public library on the 12th of January 1785. It was accessible to all citizens, and became a model for libraries across the Nordic countries. Now entirely rebuilt, it’s one of the most modern and vibrant multimedia libraries in Europe. It still houses Deichman’s original collection, but also includes a cinema, media workshops, children’s play areas, and a café. This ultra-modern building was created through a collaboration between Lund Hagem Architects and Atelier Oslo. It’s received numerous awards and recognition since it reopened in 2020. It also contains manuscripts from one of the world’s most secretive literary projects: The Future Library. Launched in 2014 as a conceptual art project by artist Katie Paterson, it’s set to unfold over 100 years, finishing in 2114. The goal is to gather 100 original unpublished manuscripts, one per year, from contemporary authors. No one will be allowed to read them until a hundred years have passed. A special room was built for this in the Deichman Library: the Silent Room, built from trees planted especially for the project in Oslo’s Nordmarka forest. Each year, a new author contributes their work in a public handover ceremony held in the woods. The first to join the project was Canadian author and activist Margaret Atwood, best known for The Handmaid’s Tale. The complete collection will be revealed in 2114, so we won’t be around to see it, but it’s already sparking curiosity and discussion. In the meantime, feel free to step inside this extraordinary library.