The Nansen Academy – Norwegian Humanistic Academy ( no, Nansenskolen – Norsk Humanistisk Akademi) is a folk high school in

Lillehammer Lillehammer () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. Some of the more notable villages in the municip ...

, Norway.

History

Nansen Academy was founded as a humanist and anti- totalitarian institution. The school was named after polar explorer, scientist, author and humanist

Fridtjof Nansen Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (; 10 October 186113 May 1930) was a Norwegian polymath and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He gained prominence at various points in his life as an explorer, scientist, diplomat, and humanitarian. He led the team t ...

(1861-1930). His work embodied essential elements of humanism: active love of one's neighbour and freedom of thought. The school was established in 1938 by

Kristian Vilhelm Koren Schjelderup Jr. Kristian Vilhelm Koren Schjelderup (18 January 1894 – 28 March 1980) was a Norwegian Lutheran theologian, author, and bishop of the Diocese of Hamar in the Church of Norway from 1947 to 1964. He was noted as a warm-hearted and intellectual, l ...

(1894–1980) Bishop of the

Diocese of Hamar The Diocese of Hamar ( no, Hamar Bispedømme) is a diocese within the Church of Norway. The Diocese of Hamar includes all of the churches in Innlandet county plus the churches in Lunner in Viken county. Administratively, the diocese is divided ...

together with future Norwegian Resistance Movement members Anders Platou Wyller (1903-1940) and Henriette Bie Lorentzen (1911–2001). Its first school year started in 1939. It was closed and dissolved during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany, after only one year of existence. It resurfaced after the liberation of Norway at the end of World War II and re-opened in 1946. The Nansen Academy offers a one-year study founded in the Folk high school tradition common to Scandinavian nations. The interdisciplinary programme is mainly based on social and humanistic sciences. Historical, holistic and ethical perspectives are encouraged. The main aim is to inspire independent thinking and reflection, as well as creativity, as a basis for active participation in society. All students attend classes in philosophy, international security politics and cultural history (art, literature, music) as well as their chosen programme. The students stay in dormitories on campus. The Nansen Academy initiated the Norwegian Festival of Literature (''Norsk Litteraturfestival'') and the first national dialogues between religions in Norway. It organizes the yearly Olympic academies in cooperation with the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of sports. The Nansen Academy also organises a center working on dialogue in war zones and for peace education
Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue
The academy received the Fritt Ord Award (''Fritt Ords pris'') in 1987 and received Honourable Mention for the “ UNESCO Prize for Peace Education” in 1998.

References

Other sources

*Forfang, Halvard Grude (1977) ''Nansenskolen 1936-1940 : to venners drøm og dåd'' (Oslo : Gyldendal) Folk high schools in Norway Buildings and structures in Lillehammer Education in Innlandet Educational institutions established in 1938 1938 establishments in Norway {{Norway-school-stub