Sivert Aarflot (1759-1817) was a remarkable rural pioneer. Born in Ørsta, he settled at the farm Ekset in Volda where he established an extraordinary string of firsts for rural Norway: the area's first library in 1797, a post office in 1805, and in 1809 both a printing shop and a bookstore, making it the first rural printing press in the country.
The museum at Ekset opened on the 200th anniversary of his birth in 1959 and is now a division of Sunnmøre Museum. The permanent exhibition includes his original printing equipment and documents that illustrate how one determined man brought literacy, news, and postal services to a remote farming community in western Norway. The farm buildings themselves help paint a picture of everyday life in the region around 1800.
The museum at Ekset opened on the 200th anniversary of his birth in 1959 and is now a division of Sunnmøre Museum. The permanent exhibition includes his original printing equipment and documents that illustrate how one determined man brought literacy, news, and postal services to a remote farming community in western Norway. The farm buildings themselves help paint a picture of everyday life in the region around 1800.
