INVITATION

Medisinsk Historisk Selskap i Bergen and Nordisk Medicinhistorisk Forening wish you welcome to
 
The XXIInd Nordic Congress on the History of Medicine.
 
In 1989, the memorable XIIth congress was organized in Bergen. Exactly 20 years later, in 2009, we set out to repeat the success! With true gems of the history of medicine in our management, we hope to reach this goal. People from all over the world make pilgrimages to see the Bergen Leprosy Museum in St Jørgens Hospital and the Bergen Leprosy Archives with the National Leprosy Registry of Norway (from 1856 onwards), in 2001 included on UNESCO’s list of Memory of the World.Eventually, Bergen has become a Mekka for scientists interested in registry based research. And they come to see Armauer Hansen’s Commemorative Rooms with his laboratory where he (in 1873) discovered the Leprosy bacillus.

In recent years, historians at the University of Bergen have set up a programme for research into the history of medicine with a number of young research fellows who will participate, presenting their interesting projects.

The first day of the Congress, on Wednesday 3 June, we will organize a Pre Congress Workshop on topics related to museums of the history of medicine addressing the challenge of how to select, preserve and present artifacts relevant to the rapid development in modern medicine.

And we will organize a fascinating social programme including the old fortress Bergenhus with King Haakons grand hall from the mid 13th century as well as the  fascinating archipelago surrounding Bergen.

Wednesday 3 June is the last night of The Bergen International Festival which means that you may extend your stay prior to the Congress to enjoy the delights of this significant cultural event (For info: www.fib.no). It also implies that hotel rooms in Bergen at this time may be scarce so don’t postpone your registration for the Congress!

Don’t miss Bergen in June 2009!
 
Looking forward to seeing you,