Landowners

Reine was established as its own trading post in 1743. The king and the church largely ruled over Norwegian land since the Middle Ages, but they eventually sold off areas to landowners. This also happened here in Reine, and in 1874 the Sverdrup family took over the fishing village. They established both a fish factory and the necessary infrastructure for fishing, production, and trade. There were great differences between the landowners and the fishermen, but they were equally dependent on each other. Today, the fourth and fifth generations of the family still produce dried fish, salted fish and fresh fish, among other things, from the buildings in front of you. Stockfish, or “Tørrfisk” in Norway, is produced in the same way today, as it was during the Viking Age. The cod is hung to dry all around in the fishing village in February and March and is dry in June. It is hung gutted without a head and is naturally salted from the sea. By the way, did you know that “Tørrfisk from Lofoten” is a protected trademark in the same way as Champagne and Parma ham....at least now you know!