Steilneset Memorial

Steilneset Memorial is a commemoration site in Vardø made up of two distinct structures with different materials and purposes. A 120-meter wooden walkway with a white fabric chamber forms one part, while a separate glass cube housing a metal chair installation completes the design.

The site commemorates 91 people, including 77 women and 14 men, who were executed for alleged witchcraft between 1621 and 1663 in Vardø. These executions were part of one of the most intense periods of persecution in Scandinavian history.

The windows along the wooden corridor display information and court records for each person, honoring them individually rather than as a group. This personal approach to remembrance makes the memorial feel like a recognition of real lives.

The memorial is accessible year-round, though visiting conditions change with the seasons, particularly in winter months. Wear warm clothing and allow enough time to explore both structures at a comfortable pace.

Architect Peter Zumthor designed 91 small windows with lightbulbs that glow as darkness falls, each one marking a victim symbolically. Inside the glass cube, artist Louise Bourgeois created a perpetual flame burning through a metal chair that continues to burn without stopping.