Remembering and reconfiguring industrial heritage: the case of the digester in Moss, Norway

In Moss, Norway, a former cellulose factory is currently being adapted for new uses. The onsite digester, a high-rise steel structure that was used to make cellulose before the factory closed in 2012, is a landmark on the premises. The Directorate for Cultural Heritage has not designated heritage status to the digester, although it constitutes as heritage for many who used to work at the factory. The digester now faces an uncertain material future, but that does not preclude it from being remembered in various ways. Some former factory workers suggest that its heritage can be rendered olfactory by reconstructing the putrid smell the digester emitted while in service. This paper argues that ‘authorised’ views of heritage can be challenged by the ways in which working-class heritage is performed and remembered. This work was supported by The Research Council of Norway under grant number 160010/F40 and 259888.