St. Jørgen's Hospital
The Leprosy Museum
St. Jørgens Hospital is one of very few preserved leprosy hospitals from the 18th century in Northern Europe. The large wooden building in Kalfarveien 31 (Pleiestiftelsen for spedalske) was the largest institution caring for the many leprosy patients in Bergen. This was where Armauer Hansen discovered the bacteria that causes leprosy in 1873. Hansen's discovery was a major breakthrough in medicine as he proved that a chronic illness was contagious rather than hereditary. The Leprosy archive was a complete record of all patients and is assumed to be the first patient archive in the world. The Leprosy archive is inscribed on UNESCO list of Memory of the World. The Leprosy Museum tells the story about the disease and its history in Norway, in addition to showing life at the hospital. A visit to the museum is a unique but disturbing experience. The complex in Kong Oscars gate 59 also includes a wooden church.
- Address
- Kong Oscars gate 59
- Hours
- 21 May–2 Sep: Daily 11:00-15:00
- Price
- Kr 40; children kr 20
Listing from Wikivoyage: Bergen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.