Description:
The 1993 ICOMOS evaluation of the World Heritage Site Røros Mining Town concluded that the outbuildings in the city centre were in a bad condition. Formerly, the outbuildings were an integrated part of the urban agriculture in Røros. The town, built almost entirely of wood and inspired by the German Strassendorf model - as a close-knit collection of farms - had houses with courtyards and outbuildings constituting the urban farm. Socio-economic changes beginning in the 1960s put urban agriculture on a decline and in a few decades the outbuildings were out of use. The decay of the outbuildings was of great concern for the World Heritage values. The Outbuilding Project was thus established in 1996, and is still in operation. The results are clear, 400 outbuildings have been restored, and the bulk of craftsmen involved in the project have gained knowledge and skills crucial for the preservation of the World Heritage site.