June 11th, 2009 
srmodh 
Title: Norwegian Year of Cultural Heritage
Date of Issue: 12 June 2009
Country: Norway
Denominations: NOK 8.00 – NOK 8.00
‘Cultural heritage’ tends to make us think of stave churches, Viking ships and historical objects.
The foundation ceremony took place in the Christiania Cathedral School
auditorium, which was later used for meetings of the Storting and is
now located at the Folk Museum in Oslo. A general assembly was heldon 18 January 1810 to get the organisation started and to elect apresident and other members of governing bodies and a secretariat.King Frederik VI was approached with the request to call theorganisation Det Kongelige Selskab for Norges Vel (the RoyalNorwegian Society for Development). The King agreed and granted hispatronage to the Society – on one condition: that his name should beincluded among the members!In 1810, the Society led the way in promoting the establishment of a
Norwegian university in Christiania. During a long visit to Copen-
hagen, Count Wedel Jarlsberg, one of the Society’s prime movers, had
plenty of opportunity to talk to King Frederik and on 2 September
1811 the King gave his approval. Activities started up in 1813 under
the name of Det kgl. Frederiks Universitet. This name was kept until
it was changed to Universitet i Oslo (the University of Oslo) in 1939.
There was really little activity in the Society until the 1850s, when
new rules for government grants gave the Society a chance to invest
more in its agricultural companies. Agricultural meetings were held
at intervals of 2-3 years and these were the forerunner of the large
agricultural shows. The Society also helped to establish dairies,
dairy schools and a travelling agronomist scheme.
Today, the Society is best known for promoting business
development in rural communities and for awarding the Medal for
Long and True Service. It is also involved in development cooperation projects
financed by Norad and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These include
algae farming in Madagascar, a demonstration farm and potato
cultivation in Macedonia, and business development in East Africa.
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