During my month-long research journey to the Faroe Islands last May, I came across a true undisturbed time capsule; a house that had been abandoned for over forty years. It appeared as though the occupants had left in haste, leaving behind all their belongings.
I can’t reveal the exact location of this house, nor which island it’s located on. A local granted me special permission to explore it, but since it’s still privately owned, it’s not a spot for tourists to seek out. However, I will share my photos of the house here, because this hidden gem deserves to be seen. Discovering it was a true highlight of my month on the islands, and I feel really lucky to have stumbled upon it – after years of unknowingly walking right past it!
I was on a different mission on the island when I was told about this house – likely because it seemed to connect with my dissertation research on abandoned settlements on the Faroe Islands. While related, this house does not represent an entire deserted settlement; instead, it captures a moment when a single family decided to abruptly leave their house and, most likely, their island. The reason behind this decision remains a mystery, and the exact timing of abandonment is unclear. However, a calendar from 1980 still hanging on the wall, hints to when it might have happened.
This house offers a more authentic glimpse into Faroese life in the 1980s than any museum could, because this space isn’t in any way curated. Everything remains exactly as it was when the family left — bedding still on the beds, clothes in the drawers, newspapers and magazines on the table, old books on the shelves, and pictures on the walls. Something I found rather chilling and puzzling was a deck of cards with swastikas, and a 1938 newspaper reporting on a soldier’s return from the war. These items not only provide a window into the family’s life, they also offer a broader glimpse into how Faroese people lived during that time period – though I believe that the unsettling nature of the deck of cards is not representative of Faroese society at any time in history.
Now, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and immerse yourself in the images of this eerie house frozen in the 1980s — a place where time stands still simply because its inhabitants left in haste and never returned to reclaim their belongings.
Leave a Comment