The Leprosy Conference in Bergen in 1909
The second International Leprosy Conference was held in Bergen in 1909. From 16–19 August, around 180 participants from 30 countries and four continents met, including numerous prominent figures within medicine of the time. Not surprisingly, Armauer Hansen was president, and H. P. Lie was secretary general. The congress was held under the patronage of King Haakon VII, who was also present.
The proposal to hold the congress in Bergen had reportedly already been raised during the first International Leprosy Conference in Berlin 12 years earlier. Several years before the conference, numerous enquiries were sent from Bergen to gauge support for an international conference in Bergen. The responses expressed an ‘unreserved tribute to Norwegian leprosy researchers’.
The proceedings of the conference were printed in three volumes. They show that Armauer Hansen’s belief that leprosy was an infectious disease had gained acceptance all over the world. The volumes have been digitised and made available in the Digital Archives:
First volume
Second volume
Third volume
![Participants at the congress 1909. Photo: Brundtland. Leprosy Museum St. Jørgen's Hospital.](https://www.lepra.no/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Kongress-1909-1024x598.jpg)
![Newspaper showing the participants at the congress 1909.](https://www.lepra.no/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Kongress-avis-716x1024.jpg)
Photo: Bergen City Museum.
![Program from the congress 1909. Photo: Bergen City Museum.](https://www.lepra.no/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Program-1-804x1024.jpg)
![Program from the congress 1909. Photo: Bergen City Museum.](https://www.lepra.no/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Program-2-806x1024.jpg)
![Program from the congress 1909. Photo: Bergen City Museum.](https://www.lepra.no/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Program-2-806x1024.jpg)
![Program from the congress 1909. Photo: Bergen City Museum.](https://www.lepra.no/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Program-4-793x1024.jpg)
![From the opening ceremony at the congress in 1909. Photo: Herman Werner. University of Bergen Library.](https://www.lepra.no/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ubb-bs-ok-01916_xl-1024x669.jpg)
Photo: Herman Werner. The University of Bergen Library.
![Letter from Armauer Hansen to Dr. Gade, 1909. Bergen City Archive.](https://www.lepra.no/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Brev-Hansen-1909-BB-385x500.jpg)
Bergen City Archives.