As a result of new navigation and automation technology, most Norwegian lighthouses are now unmanned. The lighthouses are exposed to harsh weather conditions and without regular maintenance they rapidly deteriorate. Many of them are therefore threatened, and we are in danger of losing an important part of Norwegian coastal heritage.
Hogsteinen lighthouse. Photo: Danckert Monrad-Krohn (Directorate for Cultural Heritage)
The Lighthouse Preservation Plan
The Directorate for Cultural Heritage and the Norwegian Coastal Administration have drawn up a Lighthouse Preservation Plan in order to protect a representative sample of lighthouses. So far 83 lighthouses and 5 fog warning signals have been protected. Representativity was a key concept in the selection process, and the following aspects were considered important in evaluating the lighthouses:
- age
- authenticity
- type of lighthouse
- technology
- construction materials
- building traditions and architecture
- the relationship between the lighthouse and other seamarks and its environment
- aspects of cultural history
- the lighthouse as a workplace
- geographical distribution
- accessibility and the possibility of alternative use