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Helleland

Helleland, as depicted by Catharine Kølle. Undated. ("Hilleland", photo: Svein Skare, owner: Universitetsmuseet i Bergen (13,7x9,9, B2436 g)).

The old “recorder residence” at Helleland has been both residence for the district recorder and officer’s residence. The main building, which came under protection in 1924, was built in 1764 by the curate Christian Heiberg. When he was appointed parish priest in Jølster, he sold the farm to the state employee Geelmuyden, who resold the farm to Hans De Knagenhielm in 1774. He was the head of “Søndre Hardangerske kompani” (a local army division).


Helleland became residence for the district recorder in 1791. Ole Bornmann Heiberg bought the farm when he took over the district recorder post after Søren Schelderup, who had resided at Hesthamar. From that time the farm at Helleland became known as the “recorder residence”. District recorder Koren took over the farm in 1801, and in 1880 his nephew, Emanuel Lund, received title to the property. He was the head of “Hardanger kompani” from 1867, and the farm has been in this family ever since, rented out for a short period in 1918-23 to district recorder Blix, who lived there until the new district recorder residence in Ullensvang was built.

The main building of the old recorder residence, protected in 1924, was rebuilt in the Swiss style at the change of ownership in 1880. The only remnant  of the original interior is the grand sitting room to the north “the hall”, with doors, mouldings, floor skirting, mock marble door panels and an original pine floor from the 18th C. This building now became the central building in a Norwegian justice museum, moved to a new site directly across the road from the former district recorder residence at Helleland.

  • Reconstruction of rosette

A rose-decorated room from the renaissance period

  • Reconstruction of parts of the decorated wall panel.

Decorated wall panel

  • Sekse, O. (1967) Bernhard Greve 1886-1962: kunstnaren og kulturvernaren. I: Hardanger. [Utne], Hardanger historielag, s. 594-604.