Hydro's industrial museum, The Industrial History Collection, is located at Notodden in Telemark, Norway.
The Notodden Nitrate Factory (Notodden Salpeterfabrik) was established on July 9, 1904. The factory was started up on May 2, 1905 and was the first in the world to produce artificial nitrate fertilizer using the Birkeland-Eyde method.
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| Sam Eyde |
"Norsk Hydro-Elektrisk Kvælstofaktieselskab" was founded on December 2, 1905 with its headquarters in Notodden.
The large factory, with its furnace and tower, was the first production facility the company built. Production of "Norgesalpeter" (Norwegian nitrate) was started on October 2, 1907, running on hydroelectric power from a plant that was Europe's largest at the time.
The Industrial History Collection in Notodden is situated in the furnace house A, which dates back to 1907.
Eyde and Birkeland
The founders of Norsk Hydro, Sam Eyde and Kristian Birkeland, have a central place in the exhibition.
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| Kristian Birkeland |
Sam Eyde (1866-1940) was managing director from 1905 until 1917. He believed that power from Norwegian waterfalls could be used to develop the country's economy. He obtained the rights to a number of watercourses at an early stage.
Kristian Birkeland (1867-1917) was professor in physics. He was successful in binding nitrogen in an electromagnetic arc. He also researched the aurora borealis, the sun's radiation and the earth's magnetic field.
The museum's exhibits include Kristian Birkeland's electric canon and test station, the famous Norwegian painter Theodor Kittilsen's five drawings of the development of Notodden and the Svelgfoss waterfall, Sam Eyde's honours, distinctions and gifts, production equipment from the first years, plus a wide range of photos, showing Norway's swift developement into an industrial nation, starting in Telemark.
