Esbensengarden

About

In the 1830s and 40s an extensive wave of migration to Vadsø commenced. In Norway these immigrants were called Kvens. Vadsø soon became the major area for Kven settlement in northern Norway, and was called ”the Kven Capital.” As a result of this immigration, two new districts grew up in Vadsø: Outer and Inner Kven City. These lay to the east and west of the city centre where most Norwegians lived. Rasmus Gallberg Esbensen (1827-1914) was a merchant who must have seen the opportunities a trade establishment in the new Kven areas presented. Together with his Danish wife Mathilde Henriette Brammer (1826-1896) he purchased some land in the middle of the Outer Kven City in 1847 and in 1848-49 erected a dwelling house on the site. It was built in a style common to the dwellings of the merchants and state officials along the Norwegian coast in the middle of the 19th century.

At a glance

• Typical visit: about 1 hour 30 minutes