The story

Parts of our history are extracted from our extensive archive. Large parts of the material from the period 1822-1849 have been microfilmed. The National Archives has scanned the microfilms. Read more about our Documentation Centre and archive here. Below is a timeline of the history of Blaafarveværket, both old and recent, where major events are highlighted.

Timeline for Blaafarveværket

- 1772: The first ore discovery - The discovery was made by the dismissed and exiled Kongsberg miner Ole Witloch.

- 1773: Test mining is started - Test blasts were made at Skuterud, while chemist Peter Hofnagel investigates whether the cobalt was viable.

- 1776: Blaafarveværket is founded by royal decree - on 1 April this year, Det kongelige Modumske Blaafarveværk is founded by King Christian 7.

- 1783: Hiring of new colour inspector Georg Christopher Bernstein - Industrial pioneer Ole Henckel managed to recruit Bernstein at a secret meeting in Germany. Bernstein managed to get the Blaafarveværk's production up and running after several years of unqualified leadership.

- 1783: The Minister of Finance in Denmark-Norway, von Stemann, visits the Cobalt Mines - In the same year, a royal decree is issued that two schools are to be built, one at the dye works and one at the Cobalt Mines.

- 1813: Blaafarveværket is pledged by King Fredrik 6 - After the biggest financial disaster in Danish history, the state bankruptcy, King Fredrik 6 was forced to pledge Blaafarveværket to the Swedish merchant Peter Wilhelm Berg for a loan of 250,000 marks Hamburger Banko.

- 1814: The newly established Norwegian state takes over the operation of the Blaafarveværket - The new Norwegian state desperately needed money at this time and takes control of the production and sale of the stock of blue colour, Bergs pant tiltros.

- 1819: Mortgagee Peter Berg wins in the Supreme Court and regains the right to the Blaafarve mill - Berg went bankrupt in 1816 and it was his bankruptcy estate that was given the right to sell the mill following a decision by the Supreme Court.

- 1822: The blue colour mill was sold at auction to German financier Wilhelm Christian Benecke - Benecke bought the mill and made plans to expand operations.

- 1822: Friedrich Roscher is hired as hut master - Roscher streamlines the smelting process and makes it possible to utilise the copper-containing ore.

- 1827: Karl Friedrich Böbert is hired as mine manager - Böbert revolutionised mining by starting underground mining. During his 13 years in the service of Blaafarveværket, the output increased considerably.

- 1835-40: Blaafarveværket is the largest mine in Norway and the largest cobalt producer in the world - 1205 employees worked at Koboltgruvene and the plant produced 80% of all cobalt colour pigment on the world market.

- 1839: First documented Norwegian mining railway - The railway was installed in Benneckestollen.

- 1848: The blue dye works is put up for sale - The synthetic colour pigment ultramarine outperformed the far more expensive cobalt pigment.

- 1849: Blaafarveværket is sold to the English trading house Goodhall & Reeves - Blaafarveværket's largest customer buys the plant in the hope that new product development could lead to future profits.

- 1854: The biggest mining accident in the history of Blaafarveværket takes place - 5 are killed and 2 are seriously injured.

- 1856: The blue dye works is sold to Sächsischer Privat-Blaufarbenwerkverein - the poor quality of the synthetic ultramarine led to increased demand for cobalt colour pigment. The Saxons bought up mines throughout Europe to monopolise the cobalt trade.

- 1858: The Blaafarveværk's longest adit, Ludvig Eugen Stoll, is started - The adit is completed in 1869 and was approximately 400 metres long. In the 1870s, the gallery is extended by a further 400 metres.

- 1869: The dye works is closed down - All cobalt ore was mined and sent for processing in Germany.

- 1875: Blaafarveværket is the first colliery in Norway to use drilling machines - The drilling machines were powered by compressed air.

- 1894: Blaafarveværket sets up a wood grinding plant at Haugfossen - This was done to avoid bankruptcy.

- 1898: The Blaafarve mill is closed down - after several years of losses, the Saxons had to give up and all work ceases at the end of this year.

- 1919: Modum municipality buys "the old Blaafarveværk" from the Saxons - Things went badly for the municipality. The sawmill burned down in 1926 and the municipality was bankrupt in 1933.

- The 1930s: The Blaafarveværk's buildings and forest are sold off piecemeal. The buildings were in danger of being demolished - including the calcination house. Everyone involved in the demolition became ill because of all the arsenic that remained after 120 years of use.

- 1941: Trial mining started under the German occupation forces - It was eventually deemed too expensive to conduct mining operations, so work was discontinued after a few months.

- 1947: The caretaker's house burns - This building originally housed the night caretaker and stood where the showroom is today.

- 1950s: Modum municipality sells all the farm buildings at Haugfossen to private industrial companies - The old half-timbered buildings are in poor condition and are again at risk of demolition.

- 1968-9: Blaafarveværkets venner manages to stop industrial development at Haugfossene - This work was led by Kjell Jakob Rasmus Steinsvik.

- 1971: The Modums Blaafarveværk foundation is established this year.

- 1978: The first art exhibition - the paintings of Christian Skredsvig are exhibited.

- 1980: The Mill opens to the public - The Mill consisted of a glass and porcelain exhibition and the sale of blue glass.

- 1983: Haugfossen opens - Thranestua is located here, Marcus Thrane lived here in 1847, and is a restaurant. Haugfossen landhandleri is today a retail outlet.

- 1984: Barnas bondegård and Nymoen School open to the public - Barnas bondegård is visited annually by almost 10,000 kindergarten children. Nymoen School is one of Norway's oldest district school buildings still standing. The foundation was built around 1783.

- 1989: Nyfossum opens to the public - Originally completed in 1826. The architect was Friedrich Roscher.

- 1991: Queen Margrethe exhibits her works in the timber barn - The exhibition consisted of 120 works. Opened by the Queen.

- 1992: Nymoen no. 9 opens to the public - The old workers' residence was built after 1779 when Nymoen was zoned for housing for the dye works' workers. All permanent workers had an equal right to free housing here.

- 1993: The Kittelsen Museum and Cobalt Mines open to the public - officially opened by King Harald.

- 2000: Kjell Steinsvik is appointed Commander of the Order of St Olav - He dies on 16 July the same year.

- 2004: The museum is consolidated in accordance with the museum reform.

- 2006: Mining cheese storage in Clara stoll - The constant temperature of the Cobalt mine makes it ideal for ripening and storing cheese.

- 2007: Clara stoll and Ludvig Eugen stoll open to the public - Clara stollen was completed in 1845, Ludvig Eugen stollen was fully completed in 1878.

- 2010: The tunnel of the senses opens to the public - A small resort in Clara stoll with an exhibition for people with visual impairments.

- 2011: Koboltkoia will be inaugurated on 29 May this year - The hut was built in 1860 and was originally a school at Snarum. It has 12 beds and is run by DNT Drammen og Omegn.

- 2011: Christmas in Blue Mountain 2 premieres in Norwegian cinemas - Parts of the film were shot in Midtstrekket 40 metres below Clara Stoll.

- 2013: The Ragnarok Riddle premieres in Norwegian cinemas - Parts of the film are shot in the Cobalt Mines

- 2017: The glass floor is officially opened by Minister of Culture Monica Meland - The glass floor is located at the top of an approx. 22 metre deep mine shaft inside Clara Stoll.

- 2018: 50th anniversary - The cultural trail "Sydgruvene rundt" is opened and a suspension bridge is constructed between the rocks inside the Clara stoll.