Abstract:

The Rose Castle in Oslo is located at Frognerseteren and with the nearby Holmenkollen ski jump, a national symbol of skiing and an essential part of Norwegian Culture. The Rose Castle borrows the inspiration from “The White Rose, the name of a brave German civil resistance group. The installation is created by the brothers Vebjørn Sand and Eimund Sand.

The Art installation has the following vision:
In 2020, it marked 80 years since Norway was attacked in 1940 and 75 years since liberation in 1945. Roseslottet is an art installation and an educational project that aims to tell the story of the occupation of Norway and the basic principles of democracy, the rule of law, and humanism that were then put out of action.
It is further described as a silent landmark that remembers the values deprived between April 9, 1940, and May 8, 1945. It also emphasizes the persecution of Jews, which is one of the darkest chapters in Norwegian history. The Rose Castle is about remembering the values that were then deprived: the rule of law, democracy, and humanism.

5 columns characterize the installation. The first is a luminous sail representing the merchant sailors and the Navy, a construction formed as a tree to represent the resistance in Southern Norway. A construction formed as a mountain, representing the resistance in Northern Norway. The following construction is a cross-section of an aircraft wing with half of a quill pen- the first representing a symbol of the Air Force, the quill pen representing civic resistance, and the illegal press. In the middle is the “King´s Birch”. The symbol here is that kin Haakon the 7th and Crown Prince Olav (later King Olav the Fifth”) stood under a birch during a German air attack. The King´s Birch is about standing up against something. King Haakon the 7th had refused to negotiate peace with a German delegate. The geometrical construction represents Johannes Kepler, who believed in balance and harmony. Around the construction, there are 90 paintings from World War 2.

The current study examines the experiences with the pedagogical landscape based on interviews with pupils and with the creators. We like to examine how the visitors report the interpretation and what reflection the pedagogical landscape fosters.

The artist and painter of the 90 paintings, Vebjørn Sand was lecturing a school class of 5th graders. Vebjørn Sand was asked by one of the pupils, “What was the first country the Nazis took?” Vebjørn Sand became hesitant, and the pupil answered his question with, “Germany.” We want to examine how it is perceived and what could be done to make further use of the pedagogical landscape. We believe a pedagogical landscape can convey a vision and history and, perhaps equally importantly, foster more indirect pedagogy. It will also provide suggestions for improving the pedagogical experience.

Keywords:

Pedagogical landscape, democracy, active learning.