- "This is the first preservation of Kven cultural environments in the south of Troms," says Hanna Geiran, Director of Antiquities. "With Fjeldstad gard, we can preserve important Kven building techniques and culture for the future.
In the 1840s, Fjeldstad was a fairly new farm, with a bustling life and everyday tasks. Immigrants from Tornedalen came to Salangen in 1838 and settled here at Fjeldstad, and the farm has been in the same family ever since. Farming, forestry, blacksmithing and other crafts have been practiced here, and the farm was also associated with mining. The buildings and facilities are characterized by a great deal of good craftsmanship and expertise.
- "For several years, we have focused on the cultural heritage of national minorities," says Geiran. "At Fjeldstad, the historical development of the buildings, gardens and grounds comes to light, so that we and posterity can take part in the changes that have taken place on the farm over almost 180 years.
The preservation includes the farmhouse built in the first half of the 19th century, the forge from 1937, the power station built in 1930 and the gardens. The conservation work has been carried out in close collaboration with Troms and Finnmark County Council.
Preserving the garden and power plant
The surrounding area is also included in the conservation area to safeguard its impact on the landscape. The farm is located on a hill with an unobstructed view of the surrounding landscape, and it will continue to appear as an open yard with buildings. The preservation of the garden will ensure that both the garden structure and the plants in it are preserved.
- "The garden is a unique example of a Kven garden," comments Geiran. "By preserving the plants, we are also securing interesting, old genetic material. This can tell us that rhubarb, which has traditionally been a very important useful plant in the north, may have been introduced from Tornedalen, where the Fjeldstad family originally came from.
Fjeldstad farm also has ruins of the power plant that was in use from 1930-1963. This is the oldest and only farm power plant driven by hydropower in Troms from the interwar period.
Freder outdoor and parts of interior
The preservation of the buildings' exteriors safeguards the architectural expression. This means that preservation maintains both the building itself and details such as facades, original windows and doors, materials and surfaces. Room divisions, building components and fixtures and fittings must also be preserved as an integral part of the interiors, and this applies to both residential buildings and smithies. The preservation is intended to safeguard the individual buildings, the context of the buildings and the cultural-historical values associated with the facility as a whole.
The family bought the mining industrial area Salangsverket after it closed down in 1912. Materials and objects from Salangsverket have therefore been reused as building materials on the farm. The forge is an example of this, and the materials were reused with the traditional lathing technique called «kvenlaft».
Family history: When Hansel and Gretel searched for sister Sara
Before the Fjeldstad family moved to Salangen, the father of the family, Hans, and his sister Grete went to look for their sister Sara, who had been sent with the Sami to Salangen when she was a child. Presumably Sara's mother had sent her with the Sami on their annual migration between Øvre Soppero and Salangen to avoid the famine in Sweden.
As in the fairy tale, things went well: Hans and Grete found their sister Sara, who was married and living at Solbakken, not far from Fjeldstad. Hans then traveled back to Øvre Soppero and picked up his wife and children and settled in Salangen, and his descendants own the farm to this day.
