Welcome to a Kielland gathering
The gathering will take place in Stavanger 31 August – 2 September 2023.
The Norwegian Petroleum Museum is currently working on a documentation project on the Alexander L Kielland disaster. The project was launched after a decision by the Storting (Parliament) and is being funded by two ministries.
We want to explain what we’re doing and are keen to secure contributions to the project from network participants in the form of ideas, photographs, and stories. The gathering will also provide an excellent opportunity to meet other survivors, bereaved and some of those involved in the rescue work.
A memorial event will be held at the Broken Chain (Brutt Lenke) monument outside Stavanger. The gathering will otherwise take place at the Sola Strand Hotel and at the Norwegian Petroleum Museum in Stavanger.
Eight nationalities were represented among those involved in the disaster. The largest group of non-Norwegians was 34 British citizens, of whom 20 were lost. During 2022, we paid two visits to the UK to meet children and widows of Kielland victims. These have received a special invitation to the gathering.
Photo collection
Do you have photos of anyone who worked/stayed on Kielland, or from work in the North Sea? Bring them with you. Perhaps you have images of a father or brother which others would appreciate seeing?
Want to tell your story?
The Alexander L Kielland Memory Bank is a collection of notes from interviews and conversations with people who were involved in one way or another in the disaster. If you have not already done so, you can also get your story published here. You will be interviewed at the gathering, or another agreed location.
This event is free of charge for registered bereaved and survivors.
Register before 1 June by sending an e-mail to:
else@norskolje.museum.no
If you are unable to attend all days, please tell us when you register.
If you need help with travel and accommodation, you can apply for support from the Kielland network here: kielland@lyse.net
An application for support must be received by 15 May.
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Programme
Thursday 31 August
Venue: Sola Strand Hotel
NB! The presentations on this day will be in English
From 13:00: Registration of arrivals
15:30-15:50: Welcome. Briefing on activities in the documentation project
by Else M Tungland, project manager, Norwegian Petroleum Museum
15:50-16:10: The work of the Kielland Foundation/Kielland Network
by Kian Reme, head of the Kielland Network
16:10-17:00: The Memory Bank and archive studies
by Professor Marie Smith-Solbakken and others, University of Stavanger
Coffee/tea
17:15-18:15: Group activities
- What happened? Theories about the causes
Kian Reme and Sven-Oskar Moseid, Kielland Network - What can we find in the archives?
Marie Smith-Solbakken - Conversation with some of those involved in the rescue and salvage work
- Visit to the beach
19:30: Dinner
Friday 1 September
Venues: Norwegian Petroleum Museum, Smiodden and Sola Strand Hotel
Programme in Norwegian and English
09:30: Coach for those staying at Sola Strand Hotel to the museum
10:00-11:30:
Welcome to the museum by director Finn E Krogh
Tour of the museum (Norwegian/English)
Short film: Oil Kid
Presentation of the Broken Chain by Andreas Middelthon, chair, memorial committee, and former legal executive, Phillips Petroleum Co. Norway.
12:00: Coach to Smiodden. Lunch on the coach
12:30–13:00: Ceremony at the Broken Chain, with wreath-laying and speeches by a government representative and one of the bereaved
13:15: Coach to Sola Strand Hotel
14:00-14:20: Living with the sorrow
by speaker from the Kielland health study
14:20-14:40: Living with uncertainty by Kian Reme
14:40-15:00: Stories about the accident.
Frode Fanebust, University of Stavanger
Coffee/tea
15:15-16:30: Group activities
- On dealing with sorrow
- 89 questions about the disaster
- Visit to the beach
16:30-17:30: Plenary session
19:00: Dinner with cultural contribution
Saturday 2 September
Breakfast
Opportunities for individual conversations/interviews
Departure after lunch
