Lysebu
The Fund for Danish-Norwegian
Cooperation
Lysebu’s history is founded on values such as generosity, gratitude, and care. These values are ingrained in its walls and inspire us every single day.
The History
The history behind the Fund for Danish-Norwegian Cooperation is inextricably linked with Norgeshjelpen/Danskehjelpen (Norwegian Aid/Danish Aid) during World War II. During the war, a group of Norwegians in Copenhagen, led by Borghild Hammerich, initiated a nationwide fundraising campaign for Norwegians, who had significantly poorer access to food than the Danes. The funds collected were used for foodstuffs such as oats, canned goods, and potatoes, etc., and these were sent across the Skagerrak by ship. The aid reached a large number of Norwegians throughout Norway, and post-war accounts showed that more than 42 million Danish kroner were spent on Norgeshjelpen. This is equivalent to approximately one billion kroner in today’s currency, making the collection the largest humanitarian fundraising campaign in Denmark ever. In total, more than 32,000 tons of foodstuffs were sent from Denmark – equivalent to approximately 10 kg of food per inhabitant in Norway. After the war ended, the key figures of Norgeshjelpen wished to continue cooperation between the neighboring countries, and on March 1, 1946, this was formalized with the establishment of the Fund for Danish-Norwegian Cooperation. The initial capital for the cooperation organization came from surplus funds from Norgeshjelpen. The Fund’s home became Lysebu near Oslo, which in 1947 was gifted to the Danish people in gratitude for their support. The Fund acquired a Danish home in 1950 through the purchase of Schæffergården in Gentofte outside Copenhagen.
The Fund for Danish-Norwegian Cooperation
Lysebu is owned by the Fund for Danish-Norwegian Cooperation. The Fund’s purpose is to work towards increased understanding and cooperation between Denmark and Norway. We achieve this purpose by, among other things, providing support for stays for individuals and groups at Lysebu in Oslo. Lysebu is owned by the Fund for Danish-Norwegian Cooperation, and all operating revenues go entirely towards achieving the Fund’s purpose. This means, among other things, that the Fund annually provides support for approximately 1000 scholarship days to students, teachers, researchers, artists, and others who apply for stays to find peace for work, exchange, or to learn about the neighboring country. In addition, the Fund also offers cultural offerings in the form of exhibitions, concerts, author talks, plays, and conferences on various topics.
Our Course Activities
The activities can be divided into the following types: – Courses, where the venues host groups from the other country and arrange programs for them. – Seminars, with participation from both countries and programs on topics of common interest. – Residency scholarships, for individuals and groups from the neighboring country, where they themselves arrange the program for their stay. – Public activities, which present themes and artists from the neighboring country to a local audience.
The Fund's Board
The Fund has a Danish and a Norwegian board. Each board has full responsibility for both the commercial and the non-profit activities in its respective country. The boards include representatives from universities, schools, the church, the arts, business, and the labor movement in each country.