From the Iron Age to the 2000st century – popular and exciting spring in Rauland history club

Spring 2026 has been both varied and interesting in the history department. With three very different theme evenings and an anniversary party, there has been something for everyone.

Iron and trade in the Middle Ages

On Tuesday, February 17, archaeologist Kjetil Loftsgarden started the spring semester with an exciting lecture about his new book The Outback Kingdom – Telemark in the period 400 -1400. The book describes how the outback and resources affected life in Upper Telemark during the period. Kjetil focused particularly on iron mining in the Rauland and Møsstrond area, which was a major and important trade item in the Viking Age and early Middle Ages. Many had made the trip to the Academy that evening to hear about local history in the distant past.

From trail and towpath to county road

The next theme evening was March 17th when Birger Kjelingtveit spoke and showed pictures about tracks and the development of transport in the Rauland Summer Region. From tracks and animal tracks to the county road that gradually came.

The boy from Rauland who became "Norway's most expensive man".

On Thursday, March 26th, we invited you to a slightly different themed evening – when Astrid Versto spoke with Tore Godal and author Aashild Sørheim, who has published the book Norway's most expensive man - the story of the doctor Tore Godal.

Tore Godal was born and raised in the parish of Rauland and dreamed of becoming a district doctor in Rauland. Instead, international public health work became his life's path. Tore is perhaps the least known of his siblings (Ellen, Ingvald and Jon) to most Rauland residents, but perhaps the best known internationally. He has several decades of work behind him, working to work for public health in the world's poorest countries and with some of the world's most dangerous diseases - Malaria, Ebola, Tuberculosis, AIDS and Leprosy. Among other things, he was involved in establishing the organization GAVI – the Vaccine Alliance, which has vaccinated more than 1,1 billion children since 2000.

The internationally renowned medical journal "The Lancet" wrote about Godal: "...he is one of the most influential doctors of all time in global health." And Jens Stoltenberg has stated: "Tore is the most valuable Norwegian in history. With the possible exception of Fridtjof Nansen, he is the Norwegian who has contributed to saving the most lives."

Many Raulen residents made the trip to listen to Tore Godal in Vesaassalen, the 86-year-old who still feels like a Raulen resident even after many years outside the village.