New Life for Old Exhibits at Sverresborg

Dive into the financial past and test your economic mettle at the “Cash eller konk” exhibition at Sverresborg Trøndelag Folkemuseum, Trondheim. In celebration of Trondhjem Sparebank’s 200th anniversary, the museum and bank have collaborated to recreate a vintage bank inside their urban exhibition space, complete with authentic 1920s decor and original banking furnishings.

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Visitors of all ages can explore historical banking artifacts like old cash registers, bank books, and savings boxes, and consider their relevance today. The highlight for the general audience is the bank director’s office from three eras—1823, 1923, and 2023—where visitors can apply for loans for historically themed transport options ranging from horse and carriage to modern transport drones.

School groups, especially from secondary and high schools, are in for a unique interactive experience. They'll participate in “Cash eller konk,” a role-playing game where they time travel back to 1923. Here, they will guide a newly confirmed 15-year-old from a working-class background through crucial life decisions, from seeking employment to managing their first earnings in a simulated society stripped of modern welfare safety nets.

The adventure spans several interactive stations around the market square inside the museum, such as a newspaper kiosk for job hunting, a hat shop to dress for job interviews, a grocery store, a dental exhibit highlighting the era’s dental issues, and a tenement housing exhibit for home searching. As the game progresses, players advise their character through adolescence into young adulthood, making crucial financial and personal decisions that affect their character's future.

In the dramatic finale in the bank director’s office, teams face the ultimate test of their financial advising skills as they apply for a loan. Based on their previous choices, some will secure the funds needed for independence, while others may face rejection, reflecting the harsh economic realities of the 1920s.

"Cash eller konk" at Sverresborg is not just a journey through time, but a vivid lesson in personal economics, decision-making, and historical context, designed and curated by Expology, and enhanced with authentic details by the museum’s dedicated staff.

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