The Afterlives of Natural History

Duration
01.12.2021–01.03.2027

What is natural history? Investigating the entanglement of natural and humanist knowledge, historically and today.

An illustration from an old research journal depicting three children playing on a beach, one carrying a fish.

Investigating the role of natural history as an interdisciplinary framework in the face of climate change. Illustration: From the natural history journal "Det Trondheimske Selskabs Skrifter, Tredie Deel, Kiøbenhavn", 1765.

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About the project

The climate crisis, species extinction, and plastic filling up the oceans are some of the challenges facing academic scholarship at the present moment. To meet these challenges we need to think across different disciplines.

Keywords are inter-, cross-, or trans-disciplinarity. Another keyword is natural history. The project "The Afterlives of Natural History" investigates how natural history can help us understand how humans change and are changed by and with nature. The heritage or afterlife of natural history becomes relevant as a foundation for dialogue between academic disciplines.

In the long term, this project wants to inspire and help institutionalize interdisciplinary work based on historical materials such as journals, books, pictures, lists, objects and tools. This process has the potential of reforming and updating how the natural sciences approach the relevance of history for understanding nature, and vice versa, how the humanities assess the relevance of nature for understanding history.

"The Afterlives of Natural History" will build on humanities-based laboratories, which will be meeting places for texts, objects, researchers and the public.

Project goals

  • To document the “afterlives of natural history” after its alleged demise at the beginning of the 19th century, by identifying and exploring original and innovative contributions to the history of knowledge: topography, natural philosophy, natural history museums, and critical theory.
  • To analyze these knowledge configurations and institutions by means of state-of-the-art theories in order to reveal the practices, such as methods, procedures, concepts, tools, and networks, that brought them about and sustained them.
  • To implement these practices and methods, innovatively and creatively in new teaching methods and in the production of exhibitions and databases, in order to engage with the challenges often framed by the concept of the Anthropocene.
  • To use findings from our investigations as vantage points for experimenting with interdisciplinarity.

Full project description (PDF)

Participants

Publications

  • Bjordal, Sine Halkjelsvik (2026). Opplysningens kunst: topografiske tekster og visuell kunnskapsproduksjon i 1700-tallets Danmark-Norge. Kunst og Kultur. ISSN 0023-5415. 109(2-3), p. 63–79. doi: 10.18261/kk.109.2-3.2. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brenna, Brita (2026). Luonnontieteet näytteillä: taksonomisista lajinäytteistä dioraamoihin. In Koivunen, Leila & Syrjämaa, Taina (Ed.), Puutarhanäyttelyistä biennaaleihin. Näyttelyiden moninainen historia. Gaudeamus. ISSN 9789523453906. p. 250–271. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brenna, Brita (2026). Collecting Polar Bears. In Kaasa, Janicke S.; Spring, Ulrike & Delsett, Lene Liebe (Ed.), Collecting the North. Brill. ISSN 9789004749665. p. 235–251. doi: https:/brill-com.ezproxy.universitetetioslo.no/display/book/9789004749665/BP000021.xml. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bjordal, Sine Halkjelsvik (2026). Sakprosaomgrepets polyfoni. In Bjordal, Sine Halkjelsvik; Bjørkdahl, Kristian & Hidle, Charlotte (Ed.), Sak. Prosa. Forskning.. Cappelen Damm Forskning. ISSN 9788202921316. p. 21–40. doi: 10.23865/cdf.292. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bjordal, Sine Halkjelsvik (2026). Textualized Nature and the Temporal Nature of Texts: Basking Shark Temporalities in Eighteenth-Century Natural History Writing. In Jordheim, Helge & Bjordal, Sine Halkjelsvik (Ed.), Lifetimes: A Theory of Timescales and Life Forms. Punctum Books. ISSN 9781685712433. p. 371–399. doi: 10.53288/0484.1.00. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bjordal, Sine Halkjelsvik (2026). Architecture on the Move: Collecting and Connecting Stave Churches in Nineteenth-Century Norway. In Kaasa, Janicke S.; Spring, Ulrike & Delsett, Lene Liebe (Ed.), Collecting the North. Brill. ISSN 9789004749665. p. 105–125. doi: 10.1163/9789004749665_007. Full text in Research Archive
  • Molland, Hedda Susanne (2025). Talking about what Anthropocene? How conflicting articulations may inform cultural history. In Bjærke, Marit Ruge; Brenna, Brita; Ekström, Anders & Ødemark, John (Ed.), Cultural History and the Anthropocene: Old turns, new encounters. Bloomsbury Academic. ISSN 9781350532632. p. 99–116. doi: 10.5040/9781350532632.ch-006. Full text in Research Archive
  • Berg, Siv Frøydis (2025). Don’t try to be a human! Goethe’s challenge of anthropocentrism in Faust II. In Bjærke, Marit Ruge; Brenna, Brita; Ekström, Anders & Ødemark, John (Ed.), Cultural History and the Anthropocene: Old turns, new encounters. Bloomsbury Academic. ISSN 9781350532632. p. 219–234. doi: 10.5040/9781350532632.ch-013. Full text in Research Archive
  • Jordheim, Helge (2025). Periodization in cultural history: From the Enlightenment to the Anthropocene. In Bjærke, Marit Ruge; Brenna, Brita; Ekström, Anders & Ødemark, John (Ed.), Cultural History and the Anthropocene: Old turns, new encounters. Bloomsbury Academic. ISSN 9781350532632. p. 51–66. doi: 10.5040/9781350532632.ch-003. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brenna, Brita (2025). Museer og antropocene utfordringer. In Fageraas, Knut; Løken, Marianne; Nævdal, Desiree & Rees, Morien (Ed.), Bærekraft på museum. Museumsforlaget AS. ISSN 9788283051353. p. 336–350. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brenna, Brita (2025). Arctic heritage: Territory, thing and the history of it all. In Bjærke, Marit Ruge; Brenna, Brita; Ekström, Anders & Ødemark, John (Ed.), Cultural History and the Anthropocene: Old turns, new encounters. Bloomsbury Academic. ISSN 9781350532632. p. 117–133. doi: 10.5040/9781350532632.ch-007. Full text in Research Archive
  • Esborg, Line & Ohrvik, Ane (2025). Scientific Societies and the Formation of Knowledge in the Nineteenth Century: The Case of Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and his Honorable Memberships. In Lummer, Felix; Ásdísardóttir, Ingunn; Þorsteinsdóttir, Rósa; Mikaelsdóttir, Katrin Lisa van der Linde & Magnúsdóttir, Júlíana Þóra (Ed.), Good Thoughts on Folklore and Mythology. Festschrift in Honour of Terry Gunnell. Trivent Publishing. ISSN 9786156696786. p. 29–46. doi: https:/trivent-publishing.eu/home/212-399-festschrift-terry-gunnell-vol-1.html#%2F27-cover-paperback. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brenna, Brita (2024). Tilbake til teltet igjen. In Hauan, Marit Anne & Gaupseth, Silje (Ed.), Kjønn i isen. Fragmenter til ei ny polarhistorie.. Museumsforlaget AS. ISSN 9788283051292. p. 119–138. Full text in Research Archive
  • Federhofer, Marie-Theres (2024). Die "gesetzgebende Gewalt" der Chemie. Henrik Steffens und die chemische Geologie um 1800. In Bergner, Marit; Federhofer, Marie-Theres & Henningsen, Bernd (Ed.), Henrik Steffens und Halle um 1800. Bergbau – Dichterparadies – Universität. De Gruyter Brill. ISSN 9783111333755. p. 9–24. doi: 10.1515/9783111358826-002. Full text in Research Archive
  • Jordheim, Helge (2023). When is the Anthropocene? A Historian’s Perspective. In Münster, Ursula; Eriksen, Thomas Hylland & Schroer, Sara Asu (Ed.), Responding to the Anthropocene: Perspectives from Twelve Academic Disciplines. Scandinavian Academic Press. ISSN 9788230403624. p. 133–170. Full text in Research Archive
  • Jordheim, Helge; Regazzoni, Lisa & Akker, Chiel van den (2023). Introduction. On the Need for Theory in History. Journal of the Philosophy of History. ISSN 1872-261X. 17(3), p. 349–356. doi: 10.1163/18722636-12341509. Full text in Research Archive
  • Jordheim, Helge (2022). Natural histories for the anthropocene: Koselleck's theories and the possibility of a history of lifetimes. History and Theory. ISSN 0018-2656. 61(3), p. 391–425. doi: 10.1111/hith.12268. Full text in Research Archive

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  • Bjærke, Marit Ruge; Brenna, Brita; Ekström, Anders & Ødemark, John (2025). Cultural History and the Anthropocene: Old turns, new encounters. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781350532632. doi: 10.5040/9781350532632. Full text in Research Archive
  • Jordheim, Helge (2023). Berlin. Byen og historien. Forlaget Press. ISBN 9788232804160. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

  • Brenna, Brita (2026). Näyttelyt, ilmasto ja antroposeeni. In Koivunen, Leila & Syrjämaa, Taina (Ed.), Puutarhanäyttelyistä biennaaleihin. Näyttelyiden moninainen historia. Gaudeamus. ISSN 9789523453906. p. 272–274. Full text in Research Archive
  • Esborg, Line (2026). En vandring i skogen. doi: https:/www.ntnu.no/hf/museale. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bjordal, Sine Halkjelsvik (2026). The Scientific Afterlife of the Norwegian Sea Serpent c. 1750–1880. Full text in Research Archive
  • Berg, Siv Frøydis (2025). Art and Creative Dialogues in Environmental Humanities. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bjærke, Marit Ruge; Brenna, Brita; Ekström, Anders & Ødemark, John (2025). Introduction: Writing cultural history in the Anthropocene. In Bjærke, Marit Ruge; Brenna, Brita; Ekström, Anders & Ødemark, John (Ed.), Cultural History and the Anthropocene: Old turns, new encounters. Bloomsbury Academic. ISSN 9781350532632. p. 1–16. doi: https:/www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph-detail?docid=b-9781350532632&pdfid=9781350532632.0006.pdf&tocid=b-9781350532632-0000175. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bjærke, Marit Ruge; Brenna, Brita; Ekström, Anders & Ødemark, John (2025). Writing cultural history in the Anthropocene. In Bjærke, Marit Ruge; Brenna, Brita; Ekström, Anders & Ødemark, John (Ed.), Cultural History and the Anthropocene: Old turns, new encounters. Bloomsbury Academic. ISSN 9781350532632. p. 1–16. doi: 10.5040/9781350532632.0006. Full text in Research Archive
  • Esborg, Line; Hamran, Olav; Kaijser, Lars & Brenna, Brita (2025). Nature Engagements, Museums and Heritagization. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brenna, Brita (2025). Naturecultures of heritage. Bear Island entanglements. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brenna, Brita (2025). «Naturkulturmuseum? Museenes arv i antropocen». Full text in Research Archive
  • Bjordal, Sine Halkjelsvik & Brenna, Brita (2025). Steder - naturhistorie for framtida. Full text in Research Archive
  • Ekman, Mattias (2025). 1600-tallets eksotifiserende blikk på Norge og samene. Kuriosa og kuriositeter. Full text in Research Archive
  • Berg, Siv Frøydis (2024). Kometens hale. Full text in Research Archive
  • Federhofer, Marie-Theres (2024). Weather Archives: The Case of Jacob Nicolai Wilse. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bjordal, Sine Halkjelsvik (2024). Topographical Transformations: The Afterlife of Topographical Knowledge in early 19th Century Humanities. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brenna, Brita (2024). Museenes endrede samfunnrolle med eksempler fra Naturhistoriske museer. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brenna, Brita (2024). Tilbake til teltet igjen. Full text in Research Archive
  • Esborg, Line & Jordheim, Helge (2024). Naturhistoriens etterliv. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brenna, Brita (2024). Tilbake til teltet igjen. Full text in Research Archive
  • Berg, Siv Frøydis (2023). Homunculus og den klassiske Walpurgisnatta: Skapelse og naturhistorie i Faust II. Full text in Research Archive
  • Federhofer, Marie-Theres (2023). Nordens Humboldt. Leopold von Buchs reise til Skandinavia, 1806-1808. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brenna, Brita (2023). Nature-culture entanglement in expedition litterature: Storytelling from the Arctic around 1900. Full text in Research Archive
  • Federhofer, Marie-Theres (2023). Henrik Steffens und Friedrich Mohs. Rekonstruktion einer wissenschaftlichen Freundschaft. Full text in Research Archive
  • Berg, Siv Frøydis (2023). Creation and Natural history in Goethe’s Faust II. Full text in Research Archive
  • Federhofer, Marie-Theres (2023). Jordas "Bildungsgeschichte". Geoantropologi hos Henrik Steffens. Full text in Research Archive
  • Federhofer, Marie-Theres (2023). „…er machte die Steine und Berge lebendig“: Henrik Steffens’ Naturverständnis. Full text in Research Archive
  • Esborg, Line (2022). Eventyrlig naturhistorie: Peter Christen Asbjørnsen som naturviter. [Radio]. EKKO. Full text in Research Archive
  • Berg, Siv Frøydis (2022). Forskningsprosjektet Afterlives of Natural history og Goethes litterære undersøkelse av å skape en ny verden. Full text in Research Archive
  • Berg, Siv Frøydis (2022). Investigating the construction of nature: Classic Walpurgis Night in Goethe’s Faust II. Full text in Research Archive

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Funding

Funded by The Research Council of Norway

Project number: 326026

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Published Oct. 21, 2024 12:57 PM - Last modified Aug. 28, 2025 2:33 PM