St. Jørgen’s Hospital was in operation from the early 15th century until 1946. The hospital complex, which was rebuilt after a city fire in 1702, is now a listed cultural heritage site and a museum. Since 1970, the Leprosy Museum has thematised developments in the understanding of leprosy and the state’s role in combating the disease. The museum also has the important task of preserving the unique buildings and conveying the history of those who have stayed at St. Jørgen’s.

One of the goals of creating a virtual model of St. Jørgen’s Hospital is to give people who are unable to visit the museum the opportunity to experience the historic site and gain new knowledge and insights. This type of digital dissemination poses challenges however in terms of copyright and ethical assessments of what can be shown. We ask that all the information and illustrations presented are used in a manner that is respectful to the former residents of leprosy hospitals in Bergen and to the living.

We would like to thank the Regional National Archives in Bergen, the National Archives of Norway in Bergen, the University Museum in Bergen, the University Library in Bergen and the Hagströmer Library at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm for allowing us to represent spaces where photographs, drawings or other material are reproduced in the museum’s core exhibition, and for granting permission to show historical photographs in the model.

When you open the model of St. Jørgen’s Hospital, you can visit three different areas in three different models:
An outdoor model of St. Jørgen’s with all the buildings
The main building with bedchambers, kitchen and exhibitions
St. Jørgen’s Church

Welcome inside the St. Jørgen´s Hospital: