The Norwegian Seamen’s Mission in two North Sea ports 1864–1920: A national ‘home’ in an international maritime world

Abstract

This study illuminates how the the identity and functioning of the Norwegian Seamen’s Mission was influenced by developing national sentiments in the period from the start of the Mission in 1864, until the aftermath of World War I c. 1920. The central hypothesis that the Mission must be understood within the broader cultural, political and economic context of Norway in the 19th century, was confirmed on the basis of extensive research of the correspondence between the pastors of the Mission working in the field and its headquarters in Bergen, Norway.