City walk as local history and European narrative
Associate Professor Daniel Johansen led the city walk during the Jewish Cultural Festival 2025. He drew lines between Trondheim's Jewish quarter, local history, and the major European movements that shaped both the city and the lives of the minority.
photo and text: Martin Farstad Borg
Hiking as family history
Johansen describes the city walk as a combination of local history and European narrative. He believes it functions as a living family history for Trondheim's Jewish population – but also as a glimpse into larger contexts.
"So the city walk is actually a kind of walking farm and family history for the Jewish people in Trondheim. But then we have to try to get perspectives: who lived where, when did they live there, and who were they? What does it say about European history, and how has the Jewish minority helped shape the city?"
In this way, he places both individuals and larger historical forces at the center of the narrative.
Pogroms as a backdrop
He reminds us that the story of Nerbyen cannot be understood without looking beyond Trondheim. In the late 19th century, pogroms in Russia were a decisive driving force for migration.
"A bomb goes off in St. Petersburg in 1881, putting an anti-Semitic emperor on the throne and triggering pogroms in Russia. On their way to the United States, many travel through Scandinavia, and some settle in Trondheim. Those who came empty-handed naturally settled in Nerbyen – the city's cheapest area."
He thus links local destinies in Midtbyen to dramatic events in European politics and history.
A city in transformation
At the same time, Johansen places the Jewish settlement in a time when Trondheim itself was changing. The river harbor, which had been the city's central port for a thousand years, lost its importance.
"Trondheim was in the midst of a great transformation at this time. The river port, which had been the city's port for a thousand years, died out. The nearby town then became a new hub for agricultural trade and manufacturing. Many of the buildings that were erected around the turn of the last century were erected by Jewish families who helped improve the area."
In this way, he shows how the minority not only settled in the city, but also actively contributed to its development.
A minority perspective
For Johansen, the walk is about more than architecture and commerce. It is also an attempt to see the city from a different perspective – and to give the minority experience a natural place in history.
"If you are a Trondheim resident and want to learn more about the history of your own city seen through a minority perspective, then this is something for you. It is an important common thread throughout the entire walk."
Thus, the city walk becomes both a celebration of the city's diversity and a reminder of what Trondheim can learn from its own neighborhood.
Local and European history in one
Throughout the walk, Johansen reminds us that small streets in Trondheim can hold big stories. It's not just about local families and addresses, but about seeing how European history is woven into the city's development. When he draws the lines between St. Petersburg, Midtbyen and Nerbyen, he shows how Trondheim's history has always been part of something bigger.
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